- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9968 by Mr Jack McConnell on 19 September 2000, of the five responses concerning better provision for pensioners, how many of those advocated implementation of the Sutherland recommendations with regard to personal care "in full" and, with regard to the issues raised at away days regarding "properly funding care in the community", what the majority view was on the funding of personal care and which organisations' representatives supported this view.
Answer
Five of the 172 written responses received to the Executive's consultation document
Investing in You concerned better provision for pensioners. Of these, one suggested the full implementation of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly recommendations. The other responses raised a range of issues including increased financial support to local authorities to enable them to provide better support for care for the elderly and care in the community; and provision of free long-term care for the elderly.
The views expressed at the away days suggested that increased funding to provide better support to look after older people in their own homes and support for carers should be a key priority. These views were supported by representatives from the Prince's Trust, Elderly Forum and Community Care Forum.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Sunday, 12 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the continued provision of consultant-led specialisms at the Borders General Hospital.
Answer
The Borders General Hospital is an essential part of healthservice provision in the Scottish Borders and it continues to provide highquality consultant-led services. In recent months new consultants have beenappointed in anaesthetics, radiology and haematology services.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 16 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the security of employment of the 1,000 Burton's Biscuits employees in Edinburgh following the sale this week to the venture capital firm Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst, the same investment firm that financially backed Viasystems.
Answer
The Scottish Executive always takes an interest in any take-over which may have employment consequences in Scotland. The new owners of Burton's Biscuits have stated that they intend to rationalise production across various sites, following merger with another biscuit company. We shall therefore monitor developments closely.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any jobs were lost and, if so, how many as a result of the transfer of Sea-cats operations from Stranraer to Troon; whether job losses are projected as a consequence of the further relocation from Troon to Belfast in 2001, and if so, how many, and what steps are being taken to prevent the loss of any jobs to Northern Ireland.
Answer
I understand that there were no overall job losses associated with the relocation of Seacat's operating base from Stranraer to Troon in July this year. Similarly, none are planned as part of the relocation of the company's operational base to Belfast. The relocation to Belfast is a commercial decision by Seacat.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment to the reinstatement of a railway through the Scottish Borders from Edinburgh to Carlisle in order to address the impact of any future main line rail closures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently considering an application from Scottish Borders Council for support from the Public Transport Fund (PTF) to meet the costs of securing the necessary parliamentary permissions for reopening the line from Edinburgh to the Central Borders. I hope to make an announcement on this and 25 other PTF applications in the near future.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the letter of 4 October 2000 from Ross Finnie to me regarding the Climate Change Levy (CCL) and the Scottish tomato industry, whether, given that the CCL discount amounts to 50% whereas Dutch tomato growers are to receive 100%, it is making representations to Her Majesty's government with regard to this differential and whether any assessment has been made of the impact of this differential discount on the viability of the Scottish tomato industry.
Answer
The 100% exemption from the energy tax enjoyed by the Dutch horticulture sector ended in 1999 and only covered natural gas, LPG, semi-heavy oil and gas oil. They still benefit from a much reduced rate for these fuels, but this is balanced by the fact that they pay the full rate for electricity, and receive no special treatment under other taxes on energy products.
The Scottish Executive's position on greenhouse gas reductions is that every energy user in every sector and geographical area in Scotland should contribute to meeting the UK's Kyoto commitments. However the UK Government has recognised the special position of horticulture as an energy intensive sector, exposed to international competition but not eligible for a negotiated agreement. In addition to the 50% discount, which applies for five years not only to gas and oil but also to coal and electricity, the package of benefits to the horticulture sector will also include:
- targeted support from the climate change levy energy efficiency fund;
- an extension to the list of investments qualifying for enhanced capital allowances to include thermal screens.
It is extremely difficult to make a meaningful comparison between the horticulture sectors in different countries because several other factors affecting costs need to be taken into account in addition to Climate Change Levy arrangements, including the relevant rates of other forms of taxation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether charging older people for personal care through compulsory sale of their home accords with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10578.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether charging older people for personal care through compulsory sale of their home accords with Article 1 of The First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer
Interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights legislation is a matter for the courts in the particular circumstances of each application.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9447 by Henry McLeish on 18 September 2000, with which organisations within the agricultural industry and which other interested parties it is in contact with regard to the strategy to assist the future viability and sustainability of Scottish farming.
Answer
The Executive has engaged in wide-ranging consultation and discussions with interested parties from all sectors of the agriculture industry in Scotland. These contacts have ranged from individual farmers and bodies representing farmers' interests, other parts of the food industry, including those involved in the marketing and processing stages, through to retailers and consumers. Additionally there has been contact with many bodies and organisations with environmental, other specialist rural and professional agricultural business interests.
The work has been taken forward in various ways: the publication in April 2000 of A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture - A Discussion Document (over 3,000 paper copies distributed in addition to the text being available on our website); a major conference in June 2000 with over 170 attendees from over 70 organisations; over 80 public contributions in response to the Discussion Document (see Table 1 for a list of the contributors), and seven regional discussion meetings held throughout the summer months (see Table 2 for meeting locations). I also chair an Agriculture Strategy Steering Group (see Table 3 for the membership list) created to advise me on the development of the Agriculture Strategy.
Table 1: List of Public Contributors
| Aberdeenshire Council |
| Abernethy Trust |
| Angus Council |
| Argos Associates |
| Association of Deer Management Groups |
| The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland |
| Bidwells |
| Cairngorms Partnership |
| Central Scotland Countryside Trust |
| CoSLA |
| Council for Scottish Archaeology |
| The Crofters Commission |
| Dr R H M Hay on behalf of the crop scientists of the International Crop Science Congress |
| Deer Commission for Scotland |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council |
| Easter Weens Enterprises |
| European Rural Exchange (Scottish network) |
| Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd |
| Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group - Scottish Borders |
| Forestry Commission |
| Formartine Partnership |
| The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Committee on Church and Nation |
| The Highland Council |
| Highlands & Islands Enterprise |
| The Law Society of Scotland |
| Macaulay Land Use Research Institute |
| Meat and Livestock Commission |
| Midlothian Council |
| Moray Council |
| National Farmers' Union of Scotland |
| National Farmers' Union of Scotland - Selkirk Branch |
| National Pig Association Scottish Campaign Group |
| National Pig Association Scottish Campaign Group |
| The National Trust for Scotland |
| North of Scotland Water Authority |
| Organic Farmers Scotland |
| Organic Scotland |
| Orkney Islands Council |
| The Paths for all Partnership |
| Perth & Kinross Council |
| The Ramblers Association |
| Renfrewshire Council |
| The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland |
| The Royal Society of Edinburgh |
| The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scotland |
| Safeway Stores |
| Scottish Agricultural College |
| Scottish Borders Council |
| Scottish Borders Economic Development Forum |
| Scottish Consumer Council |
| Scottish Enterprise Network |
| Scottish Enterprise Grampian |
| Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| Scottish Landowners' Federation |
| Scottish Natural Heritage |
| Scottish Organic Producers Association |
| Scottish Retail Consortium |
| Scottish Wildlife Trust |
| South Ayrshire Council |
| The Southern Uplands Partnership |
| Standards Committee of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (Demeter) |
| Stirling Council |
| Tilhill Economic Forestry Ltd |
| The Vegan Organic Network (VON) |
| West Lothian Council |
| West of Scotland Water |
| The Woodland Trust Scotland |
| World Wildlife Fund Scotland |
| 16 Individuals |
Table 2: Meeting Locations
| St Boswells, Scottish Borders |
| Thurso, Caithness & Sutherland |
| Kirkwall, Orkney |
| Lerwick, Shetland |
| Turnberry, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway |
| Inverurie, AberdeenshirePerth, Perth and Kinross |
Table 3: Agriculture Strategy Steering Group Membership List
| Jim Walker | President, National Farmers' Union of Scotland |
| Jonathan R Hall | Rural Policy Adviser, Scottish Landowners' Federation |
| Jim McFarlane | Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise Borders |
| Andrew Raven | Chairman, Deer Commission for Scotland |
| John Markland | Chairman, Scottish Natural Heritage |
| Neil Stoddart | President, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers |
| Chris Gilbert-Wood | Technical Manager, Marks & Spencer |
| Neil Kilpatrick | Chairman, Quality Meat Scotland |
| Jim McLean | Agricultural Services Manager, Royal Bank of Scotland |
| Sandy Cumming | Acting Chief Executive, Highlands & Islands Enterprise |
| Graeme Millar | Chairman, Scottish Consumer Council |
| J Barclay Forrest OBE | Chairman, British Cereal Exports |
| Donald Maclennan | President, Scottish Crofters Union |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 1 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7804 by Iain Gray on 26 September 2000, what the timetable is for (a) the submission of plans by local authorities outlining how they will use the additional monies and (b) the disbursement of the #10 million to help tackle delayed discharges and whether this #10 million allocation will be ring-fenced.
Answer
Each local authority was requested to submit its proposals for the additional monies by 15 September 2000. The letters indicated that, where local authorities could resolve problems of delayed discharge without using all the resources allocated, they could propose to deploy the balance to improve the level and extent of other services.
All authorities provided proposals which, after some adjustment, were considered satisfactory. Letters confirming this were sent to authorities on 5 October. They indicated that, in mid-January 2001, we will require confirmation that the respective proposals (or revised proposals) are being successfully acted upon. Following that, the monies will be disbursed later this financial year as part of the local authority's Revenue Support Grant.
