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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-25045

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been entitled to local authority “companion cards” allowing a companion to travel free with them in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S2W-25044

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive who is entitled to a “companion card” allowing a companion to travel free with them under the national concessionary fare scheme.

Under the Scotland-wide FreeBus Scheme for Older and Disabled People, people who are eligible for the Schemeand who require assistance to travel are entitled to a companion travelling free.The criteria which apply are as follows.

People are entitled to a companiontravelling free if they:

(i) receive the higher or middlerate of the care component of disability living allowance;

(ii) receive attendance allowance;

(iii) live in a residential homeor hospital and are eligible for (i) or (ii), or

(iv) have been certified as blindand in consequence are registered as blind.

Question reference: S2W-25050

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12708 by Nicol Stephen on 20 December 2004, what funding has been allocated to each community transport scheme in the current year, broken down by source; which of these scheme can be utilised by pass holders of the national concessionary fare scheme, and when will the funding will run out for each.

Information is not held centrallyon which community transport schemes can be utilised by pass holders of the NationalConcessionary Travel Scheme.

For those services funded directlyby the Executive through the Rural Community Transport Initiative, the followingtable sets out funding details and when the current agreement ends.

Rural Community TransportInitiative Projects Funded in 2006-07

Transport Scheme	Project Type	2006-07	Current Funding Agreement Ends March
Annandale Transport Initiative	Community Minibus/Car Sharing Scheme	£49,120	2009
Applecross Community Mini-Bus	Community Mini-Bus Transport Service	£2,565	2008
Arainn Shuaineirt	Community Minibus Hire/Car Sharing Scheme	£31,874	2008
Ardersier, Petty, Croy and Culloden Moor Transport Association	Community Minibus Project	£47,462	2009
Ayrshire Cancer Support	Community Car Scheme	£19,288	2007
BABS Dial-A-Bus/Focus Foundation	Community Dial-a-Bus Services	£104,813	2009
Badenoch and Strathspey Transport Company	Community Car Scheme	£119,497	2009
Ballater (RD) Ltd	Community Group Minibus Hire	£16,900	2007
Banffshire Partnership Ltd	Community Dial-a-Bus and Social Car Scheme	£74,536	2009
British Red Cross (Argyll)	Community Car Sharing Scheme	£66,045	2007
British Red Cross (West Central and South West Scotland)	Community Transport Voluntary Car Scheme	£42,347	2008
Buchan Dial-A-Community Bus	Community Dial-a-Bus and Car Scheme	£86,302	2008
Cairn Valley Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service and car Scheme	£7,242	2009
Caithness Voluntary Group	Community Dial-a-Ride and Community Car Scheme	£59,562	2009
Carrick Community Transport Group	Community Minibus Transport Service	£49,950	2007
Clarebrand Scottish Women’s Rural Institute	Local Operator Coach Hire	£475	2007
Coalfield Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£87,869	2008
Creich Croick and Kincardine	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£20,473	2009
Disability Lewis	Community Minibus Transport Service	£21,395	2007
Dounby Centre Committee	Community Minibus Transport Service	£20,438	2007
Dumfries and Galloway Accessible Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£41,888	2009
Dumfries and Galloway Accessible Transport Forum	Driver Training Project	£14,647	2007
Dunvegan Community Minibus Assoc	Community Group Minibus Hire	£2,849	2007
Eriskay Community Council	Community Group Minibus Hire	£6,580	2007
Gairloch Community Car Scheme	Community Car Scheme	£21,958	2009
Glenkens Community and Arts Trust	Community Group Minibus Hire	£3,495	2007
Graemsay, Hoy and Walls Community Council	Community Minibus Transport Service	£1,476	2009
Gretna Day Centre	Community Minibus Transport Service	£13,447	2009
Handicabs (Lothian)	Community Dial-a-Ride and Dial-a-Bus Services	£77,756	2009
Inverness and Nairn Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£20,374	2009
Irvine Valley Joint Community Council Transport Group	Community Group Minibus Hire	£21,062	2007
Islay Disabled Endeavours and Action	Community Dial-a-Bus	£77,914	2007
Kinross Volunteer Group and Rural Outreach	Community Car Scheme	£3,890	2009
Lochaber Community Care Forum	Community Car Scheme	£24,830	2009
Lochaber Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£23,426	2009
Lochgoil Community Trust	Community Minibus Project	£31,901	2009
Lochleven Community Minibus Association	Community Group Minibus Hire	£6,023	2007
Lothian Community Transport Services	Community Minibus Transport Service	£28,953	2007
Mallaig and District Community Transport Association	Community Minibus Project	£63,860	2009
Mearns Area Project	Community Minibus Project	£58,882	2009
Mid Deeside Ltd	Community Minibus Transport Service	£96,253	2009
Nairn Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£16,015	2008
North Lochs Community Association	Community Minibus Group Hire and Dial-a-Ride	£5,036	2008
North West Community Bus Association	Community Minibus Transport Service	£16,168	2009
Orkney Disability Forum	Community Dial-a-Bus Services	£55,434	2009
Papay Development Trust	Community Ferry Service	£3,120	2007
Perth and Kinross Community Transport Group	Development Co-ordinator/Training and IT Initiatives	£23,000	2007
Point Community Transport Group	Community Group Minibus Hire	£1,649	2007
Roxburgh Assoc. of Voluntary Service	Community Minibus / Car Sharing Scheme	£15,216	2008
Scottish Borders Rural Partnership	Transport Development project	£13,220	2008
Shawbost Community Council	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£18,363	2009
Silver Circle for the Elderly	Community Minibus Transport and Car Scheme	£12,760	2009
Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations	Community Minibus Transport Service	£11,657	2008
Sound of Mull Transport Group	Community Ferry Service	£43,634	2009
South Machars Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£18,283	2009
South West Ross Community Car Scheme	Community Car Scheme	£15,348	2009
Stepping Stones for Families	Access to Work and Training Taxi Hire Service	£47,025	2007
Strathearn Community Care Association (Strathcare)	Community Minibus Transport Service	£3,392	2009
Strathnairn Community Transport Association	Community Car Scheme	£11,940	2007
Tagsa Uibhist	Community Dial-a-Ride Services and	£118,806	2009
Tagsa Uibhist	Community Car Scheme	£11,971	2007
Tweeddale Association of Voluntary Organisations	Community Minibus Transport Service	£2,939	2008
Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay	Community Minibus Transport Service	£46,500	2009
Voluntary Action Lewis	Community Car Scheme	£3,052	2007
Voluntary Action Lewis	Community Mini-Bus Transport Service	£14,931	2008
Western Isles Disability Sport	Community Dial-a-Bus/Group Hire	£17,655	2007
Westray Development Trust	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£2,827	2008
Wick and East Caithness	Group Minibus Hire	£3,402	2008
Wigtownshire Transport Co-ordination Project	Community Car Scheme	£26,726	2009
WRVS (Borders)	Community Car Scheme	£28,301	2009
WRVS (Clydesdale)	Community Car Scheme	£49,842	2007
WRVS (East Lothian)	Community Car Scheme	£23,422	2007
WRVS (East Neuk of Fife)	Community Car Scheme	45,501	2009
WRVS (Ellon)	Community Car Scheme	£59,254	2007
WRVS (Shetland)	Community Car Scheme	£16,085	2007
WRVS (Stewartry)	Community Car Scheme	£27,181	2008
WRVS (Stirling)	Community Car Scheme	£28,989	2007

Question reference: S2W-25048

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23411 by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006, whether it will now hold discussions with NHS boards regarding extending the nationwide concessionary fare scheme to community transport schemes utilised by hospitals.

The Scotland-wide Free Bus Schemefor Older and Disabled People fully meets our commitment to extend concessionarytravel for people in the groups concerned. It is a major achievement under which over a million older anddisabled people can travel free on buses throughout Scotland at anytime of day. The first two years of operation will be critical in building up theevidence base for future analysis of the scheme. We will be happy to use this evidenceto look at where issues emerge and review the scheme in light of our experience.Meantime, we have no current plans to extend the scheme and therefore no plans to hold discussions with NHS boards.

Question reference: S2W-25006

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scottish Enterprise’s reported overspend of £30 million in 2005-06, what economic development projects in the Scottish Borders the Executive would wish to see continued.

Question reference: S2W-24797

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it offers to the British armed forces in respect of recruitment in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-24799

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many recruits joined the British armed forces at events or recruitment visits organised in conjunction with Careers Scotland in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-24800

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated by Careers Scotland for recruitment events organised in conjunction with the British armed forces in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-25129

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns about any confusion that may arise for Scottish donors to English-based charities which use the term “UK” to describe themselves despite having no base in Scotland or locus in Scotland and, if so, what discussions it has had with HM Treasury about this matter.

The Charities and Trustee Investment(Scotland) Act 2005 addresses this issue.

If the body is registered asa charity in Scotland and entered on the Scottish Charity Register the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is able to require it to change its name under section10 of the act if the name is felt to be misleading to the public as to the truenature of the purposes or activities of the body.

If the body is not registeredas a charity in Scotland, but recognised as a charity under another jurisdiction,such as the Charity Commission for England and Wales, it is required to state that it is a charity registeredelsewhere under section 14 of the act. Therefore, an English based charity whichfundraises in Scotland is required to state that it is a charity registered in Englandand Wales and is unable to refer to itself as a Scottish charity.

Question reference: S2W-25429

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 3 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities which require enhanced Disclosure Scotland checks on drivers transporting children to school apply (a) uniform criteria for assessment of suitability and (b) standardised procedures in respect of such checks.