- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 13 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will put 1,000 more police officers on the beat, in line with the 2007 SNP manifesto commitment.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6201 on 12 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 5 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the expert panel on energy efficiency, established in August 2007, will make use of the draft energy efficiency and microgeneration strategy, published in March 2007, and the consultation responses to that draft, in the development of its new strategy on the energy efficiency of houses and buildings.
Answer
I have asked Dr. PaulStollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer.His response is as follows:
No. The panel wasappointed by Scottish ministers to produce an independent report on a Low CarbonBuildings Standards Strategy for Scotland. The panel metin September 2007. The report is likely to set out a number of workstreams on awide range of energy efficiency and performance measures specific to buildings,including the use of low carbon equipment. The panel’s report is due before theend of the year.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 1 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish the responses to the consultation on the draft energy efficiency and microgeneration strategy, published in March 2007.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment has already published the individual responses to the strategyconsultation from those organisations and individuals that gave theirpermission to do so. These can be found at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/08/09110426/0.A summary reportfrom the consultation will be published before the end of the year.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce measures to deal effectively with complaints about high hedges and what those measures will be.
Answer
I recognise the considerabledistress that can be caused to residents by their neighbours’ high hedges. The ScottishGovernment is giving active consideration to how it can best support the provisionof effective means of resolving disputes.
In determining thebest way forward, we will bear in mind consultation on the issue by the previousadministration, the provisions in place in England and Wales and the Members’ Billlodged on 14 November 2006 by former Member of the Scottish Parliament, Scott Barrie,which fell because it did not complete its parliamentary passage before dissolutionof the second session of Parliament.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when in the course of its work the Housing Supply Task Force will meet local task force groups and local authorities to gather and share information on the regional priorities for affordable housing in Scotland.
Answer
The Housing SupplyTask Force includes representatives from local authorities in its membership andlocal authorities have been invited to be represented at task force meetings; mostrecently at the task force meeting on 23 October 2007. Further meetings and events are planned, to which localauthorities and other organisations with an interest in housing supply issues willbe invited. The task force is keen to engage with a wide range of interests to explorehow the supply of housing of all types can be increased in all areas of Scotland.
I am aware of theinitiative by Scottish Borders Council to establish a local Housing Task Force andI am aware that officials from Communities Scotland are involved in task force meetings.I recognise the severe affordable housing pressures that exist in the Borders, asin many other parts of Scotland and I would be interested in seeing whetherany outputs emerge from the council’s initiative that could have wider applicability.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in a position to make available a timeline for relaxations in foot-and-mouth restrictions for livestock producers.
Answer
On 9 October 2007 I announced that, subject to no deterioration in thedisease situation, the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions in Scotland would be lifted on 17 October. This timing is linkedto the ending of the Protection Zone established in Surrey and the confidence that this step gives us that live virus is no longercirculating within Great Britain.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 26 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to protect battlefield sites from being developed on.
Answer
Historic Scotland is currently developing a policy to manage andpromote battlefields within its Scottish historic environment policy series.This will include a proposal to create a non-statutory Inventory of nationallyimportant sites intended to encourage more effective protection for themthrough the land-use planning process. The policy paper and Inventory will besubject to public consultation in due course.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 23 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what delegated authority the restructured Scottish Enterprise network will give to the six new regional operations.
Answer
This will be an operationalmatter for the enterprise networks.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend membership of regional project assessment committees to those in the farming sector.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-4728 on 17 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of a welfare disposal scheme, in light of the animal welfare and economic issues faced by farmers as a result of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
The First Ministerwrote to the Prime Minister on 19 September 2007, amongst otherthings to seek support for a welfare disposal scheme and to request funding at UK level. I have had a number of conversations with theSecretary of State during which I have argued the case for a welfare scheme andoutlined our plans for such a scheme. My officials have maintained contact withtheir counterparts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs inorder to keep up-to-date with developments in England. Officials worked with that department to ensure that the State aid communicationon the Sheep Welfare Scheme was passed quickly to the European Commission. The schemeopened on 9 October 2007.
