- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 has had on the number of fathers obtaining access to their children.
Answer
Figures on the number of fathers obtaining contact or residency orders are not held centrally. We intend to evaluate the impact of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 in due course.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11467 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2008, what steps it is taking to ensure that people, especially young people, in Kilmarnock and Loudoun are able to access science projects funded by its science engagement grant scheme.
Answer
The key aim of the Science Engagement Grant scheme is to support informal science engagement outreach activities across Scotland. This competitive grant scheme is advertised on the Scottish Government website (
www.scotland.gov.uk) and is open to all competent science engagement providers to bid for grant.
No bids were received specifically from organisations in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun area for 2008-09. However, Scottish Government has funded initiatives such as Generation Science, a touring science engagement programme managed by the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which this year visited a number of schools in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun area.
While the Scottish Government is keen that successful projects reach as wide an audience as possible, it has not to date taken any steps to target specific areas of Scotland: rather, it responds to bids received. The assessment criteria for the Science Engagement Grant scheme are kept under constant review and currently include a weighting for bids that target areas where engagement is currently low.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect it expects the recent changes in alcohol duty to have on binge drinking.
Answer
There is evidence to suggest that price impacts on consumption, but it is only one factor which may affect how people drink. We are taking some immediate action on binge drinking through continued implementation of the Licensing Act which will end irresponsible promotions. We want to change the place of alcohol within Scotland’s culture and will shortly consult on proposals for tackling alcohol misuse which will look at a broad range of measures to lower consumption levels.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire has invested in Kilmarnock and Loudoun since May 1999.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect it expects the recent changes in alcohol duty to have on underage drinking.
Answer
There is some evidence to suggest that price impacts on consumption, but it is only one factor which may affect how people drink. We are taking some immediate action on underage drinking and have rolled out test-purchasing for alcohol. We want to change the place of alcohol within Scotland’s culture and will shortly consult on proposals for tackling alcohol misuse which will look at a broad range of measures to lower consumption levels.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the designation of a Scottish craft town, similar to the book town model that has assisted in the regeneration of Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13645 on 9 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11467 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2008, whether it is satisfied with the range of science projects from all parts of Scotland applying for funding from its science engagement grant scheme.
Answer
I refer the member to the to answer to question S3W-13650 on 9 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gives to householders wishing to measure the extent to which they waste energy.
Answer
The recently launched Energy Saving Scotland advice network, funded by Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust, provides advice and support to householders wishing to reduce their energy use and cut their fuel bills.
Smart meters and real time displays could also play a role and we work closely with the UK Government in this policy area. The UK Government is already undertaking a major UK-wide pilot to gain a good understanding of the costs and benefits of smart meters. This pilot includes Scottish consumers and we await the results of the pilot with keen interest.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it or its agencies give to the development of a network of local craft fairs across Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is a strong supporter of the traditional crafts sector in Scotland, which are an expanding part of Scotland’s successful creative industries.
The Scottish Arts Council is pursuing a range of initiatives to develop opportunities for the promotion of Scottish makers’ work.
I have asked the Scottish Arts Council to write to you directly to provide further information and detail on the work they are undertaking in relation to the crafts sector.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards on the purchase of electronic physiotherapy aids.
Answer
Health Facilities Scotland published a safety warning, which included advice on the purchase of physiotherapy equipment, on 29 September 2007. Safety Action Notice SAN (SC) 06/44 Physiotherapy ultrasound machines: calibration of acoustic power / intensity, advised that “Before procuring new devices, manufacturers and suppliers should be required to provide evidence that their products are built and tested to relevant standards.”
