- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18439 by Peter Peacock on 13 September 2005, whether it will list all the schools that have been closed since August 2005, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
I refer the member to answerto question S2W-18439 on 13 September 2005 was derived from information collectedannually by the Scottish Executive Education Department on the opening and closingof schools. The information collection takes place during the summer of each yearand, therefore, information on schools that have been closed since August 2005 willnot be available until later this year.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the provision of NHS dentistry services in rural Scotland.
Answer
We do not believe current provisionof NHS dentistry is adequate throughout rural Scotland. That is why we have substantiallyincreased the rewards for those dentists who continue to treat all categories ofpatients on the NHS, and we have supported health boards in providing NHS servicesdirectly through the appointment of salaried dentists.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 23 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote winter sports, following the Winter Olympics in Turin.
Answer
Individual governing bodies of sport are responsible for promoting their sport. I wish to take the opportunity to congratulate our Winter Olympians and in particular Sinead and John Kerr on their 10th place and our men’s curling team on reaching the final stages of the competition.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 22 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will complete its review of the current national planning guidance for the siting of onshore wind farms.
Answer
The intention is to consult on revised draft policies in the spring and to have finalised guidance in place by the end of the year.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 22 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whom it is consulting on its review of the current national planning guidance for the siting of onshore wind farms.
Answer
An Environmental Advisory Forum For Renewable Energy has been established to assist with the review. The forum includes representatives from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Link, VisitScotland, Historic Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Association of Scottish Community Councils, Highland and Island Enterprise, Scottish Renewables Forum, Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern Energy and the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Full public consultation will take place on draft revised policies in due course.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 22 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is conducting its review of the current national planning guidance for the siting of onshore wind farms.
Answer
The Executive is considering, with the Environmental Advisory Forum for Renewable Energy, the appropriateness of a number of options for inclusion in consultative draft revised guidance. Each option is being assessed through the strategic environmental assessment process. Progress on this work can be followed on the Executive’s website at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning-Building/Planning/15243/9609.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would give its endorsement to an official bid by Perth and Kinross Council for Perth to gain legal city status.
Answer
City status is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Should there be a further city status competition, the Scottish Executive would be given the opportunity to comment on any applications submitted by local authorities in Scotland. It would be premature to speculate on what future applications might be submitted, or their respective merits, in advance of any such future competition.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would welcome having seven legal Scottish cities with legal status instead of the current six cities.
Answer
Whilst cities provide a focal point, they must also interact with their surrounding areas. Scotland’s economic strength depends not only on the economic success of its cities but also on the wider city-regions. This is reflected in a number of policy statements such as the:
National Planning Framework for Scotland1, Framework for Economic Development in Scotland2, the revised
Smart Successful Scotland3, and the
Infrastructure Investment Plan4. It is also reflected in Scottish Enterprise’s Operating Plan 2005-08. All of these take an explicitly spatial approach to economic development.
Links:
1. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/npf04-00.asp.
2. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/feds-00.asp.
3 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/sssen.pd.f
4 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/iipifs-00.asp.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a seventh Scottish city with legal status would have on its (a) current Cities Growth Fund, (b) Building a Better Scotland programme and (c) future planning for the Building a Better Scotland and City Region programmes.
Answer
The monies assigned to the Cities Growth Fund 2003-08 have been fully allocated to Scotland’s six cities. Decisions on funding allocations after 2007-08 will be taken in due course following the next spending review.
Building a Better Scotland is not a city specific programme; rather it is a spending strategy which sets out how the devolved administration in Scotland will allocate resources to meet its objectives of: growing the economy for the benefit of all in Scotland; delivering excellent public services for all; supporting stronger safer communities, and developing a confident, democratic Scotland.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government in relation to the impact that the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill may have on Scottish publishers, writers and broadcasters.
Answer
Scottish Executive officials discussed the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill with Home Office counterparts during its preparatory stages. The subject matter of the bill falls within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. The issues raised in the bill had already been examined by the Cross Party Working Group on Religious Hatred. In light of their recommendations and the existing provisions in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, it was decided that there was no need to extend this bill to Scotland.
