- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new dentists would need to be deployed in Roxburgh and Berwickshire to deal with patients registered as waiting to see an NHS dentist.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0212-01.htm
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the reopening of Reston railway station.
Answer
The provision of rail services to Reston and East Linton is not one of the priced options secured under the ScotRail franchise extension. However, the option to operate additional services between Edinburgh and Dunbar is part of the franchise extension consultation being carried out by Transport Scotland. If implemented, that option will trigger a study into the feasibility of a Dunbar hourly service and this will also examine the possibility of further services.
In considering the provision of new stations, ministers must balance the desire to attract new users against the impact on network capacity, and the needs of existing passengers whilst taking account of value for money and affordability.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convicted prisoners have not received visitors in the last (a) six months, (b) year, (c) two years, (d) three years and (e) five years or more.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS does not currently hold this data. However, we have developed a national visits administration system which is currently being introduced across the estate.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it,or Transport Scotland, has had plans at any time since 1999 to construct a bypass around Selkirk on the A7.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce legislation to deal with problems caused by garden fires.
Answer
No. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-3243 on 5 September 2007. There is existing legislation allowing local authorities and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency within the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2005 respectively to take action against those causing a nuisance through garden bonfires.
Although the Scottish Government are commencing new Statutory Nuisance provisions on 26 January 2009, which includes future proofing powers and Fixed Penalty Notice powers, we have not included additional controls on bonfires as there is existing legislative controls available. A local authority could also implement a by-law if there were persistent problems caused by this issue in their area.
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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost would be of extending the national concessionary fares scheme to include all demand-responsive community transport.
Answer
There is no Scottish Government estimate of the cost of including demand responsive community transport in the Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. Demand responsive transport that is a locally registered service can be included in the scheme.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recommendations in Economic Research Findings: The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism, published in March 2008, it considers that certain areas should be protected from wind farm developments due to their value to tourism.
Answer
In the light of the study''s findings, Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 recommends that as statutory consultees, planning authorities should consider tourism and recreational issues when processing any application for wind farm development.
The Scottish Government believes that Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Renewable Energy provides a sound national policy context for addressing onshore wind farm development and the protection of Scotland''s natural heritage. It says that significant protection should be afforded to areas designated for their national or international natural heritage value, for example national parks and national scenic areas, through planning authorities'' spatial frameworks for wind farms over 20 megawatts and says that the integrity of such areas should not be compromised. The SPP also identifies impacts on the landscape as an issue for assessing applications and this is part of the environmental impact assessment process.
One of the key messages of The Economic Impact of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism was that government policy to pursue growth in the use of renewables was not incompatible with policy to encourage growth in tourism revenues.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recommendations in Economic Research Findings: The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism, published in March 2008, it considers that certain areas should be designated green centres of renewable energy.
Answer
We are supportive of efforts to attract visitors to areas where renewable energy projects are sited, such as the pumped storage hydro scheme at Cruachan, and Whitelee wind farm. It is for tourist organisations to consider whether areas with a number of renewables developments offer marketing opportunities, and the government will happily work with them on promotional activity should any such further opportunities arise.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to implement any of the recommendations in Economic Research Findings: The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism, published in March 2008.
Answer
In the light of the study''s findings, Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Annex 2 now recommends that planning authorities should consider tourism and recreational issues when processing applications from developers.
The Scottish Government believes that Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Renewable Energy provides a sound national policy context for addressing onshore wind farm development and the protection of Scotland''s natural heritage. It says that significant protection should be afforded to areas designated for their national or international natural heritage value, for example national parks and national scenic areas, through planning authorities'' spatial frameworks for wind farms over 20 megawatts and says that the integrity of such areas should not be compromised. The SPP also identifies impacts on the landscape as an issue for assessing applications and this is part of the environmental impact assessment process.
Moreover, one of the key messages of The Economic Impact of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism report was that government policy to pursue growth in the use of renewables was not incompatible with policy to encourage growth in tourism revenues.
- Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recommendations in Economic Research Findings: The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism, published in March 2008, it considers that certain areas should be protected from wind farm developments due to their scenic attributes.
Answer
In the light of the study''s findings, Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Annex 2 now recommends that planning authorities should consider tourism and recreational issues when processing applications from developers.
The government believes that Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Renewable Energy provides a sound national policy context for addressing onshore wind farm development and the protection of Scotland''s natural heritage. It says that significant protection should be afforded to areas designated for their regional, national or international natural heritage value, for example National Parks and National Scenic Areas, through planning authorities'' spatial frameworks for wind farms over 20 megawatts and says that the integrity of such areas should not be compromised. The SPP also identifies impacts on the landscape as an issue for assessing applications and this is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
One of the key conclusions of the Economic Impact of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism was that government policy to pursue growth in the use of renewables was not incompatible with policy to encourage growth in tourism revenues.
