- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed reduction in Supporting People funding to the City of Edinburgh Council may have jeopardised a project that was designed to relieve delayed discharge.
Answer
We are very conscious that the City of Edinburgh Council and providers have concerns about the allocations announced. I have met with COSLA on several occasions to discuss their concerns and have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution with the aim of ensuring that the pace of change and redistribution is manageable locally.
A new announcement on Supporting People allocations is expected shortly.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been received from the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its allocation of funding under the Supporting People initiative and the impact that the allocation will have on its ability to deliver core support services to vulnerable members of its community.
Answer
We have received representations from COSLA, local authorities including Edinburgh, providers, stakeholders and a range of other organisations and individuals.
I have met with COSLA on several occasions and listened to their concerns about the allocations announced on 1 October. I have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution to provide greater protection for those councils most affected. I hope to make a new announcement shortly.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10364 by Mr Tom McCabe on 30 September 2004, what national awareness campaigns it will introduce to support the voluntary proof-of-age scheme, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement.
Answer
Through the Dialogue Youth Project young people are being made aware of the potential value of the local authority/Young Scot card in providing voluntary proof of age as the card scheme is currently being rolled out across Scotland. In addition, there will be a publicity drive surrounding the launch of national guidance currently being developed by the Scottish Retail Consortium which will emphasise to retailers the need to adopt a “no proof, no sale” approach to the sale of age restricted products.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the creation of green jobs.
Answer
We are committed to working withbusiness to produce a green jobs strategy.
I am confident that there arereal opportunities for Scottish businesses in the developing environmental sectors– particularly the three “big wins” of renewable energy, waste and recycling, andresource efficiency. I believe that Scotland is well-placed to establish itself as a world leaderin these fields.
We received 92 responses to ourconsultation paper “Towards a Green Jobs Strategy: opportunities for business”.We are now at the final stage of the consultative process - Ross Finnie and I willaddress a conference tomorrow in Glasgow to give key stakeholders a further opportunityto discuss how best to take forward this policy.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect harbour porpoises in special areas of conservation in accordance with its responsibilities under the Habitats Directive.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S2W-10994 answered on 26 October 2004. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive in which special areas of conservation the harbour porpoise has been designated as a protected species and at what level of protection.
Answer
There are no candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) for harbour porpoise within Scottish waters.
The Habitats Directive states that sites for wide-ranging aquatic species willbe proposed only where there is a “clearly identifiable area representing the physical and biological factors essential for their life and reproduction”. At this time no such areas have been identified for harbour porpoise in Scottish waters, but this position will be kept under review.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 98 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Braes of Doune near Dunblane.
Answer
I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent to this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
This announcement follows a lengthy consultation process which involved environmental groups, government bodies and members of the public. Following consultation with Stirling Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 112.5 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Farr near Tomatin in the Highlands.
Answer
I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally, this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
This announcement follows a lengthy consultation process which involved environmental groups, government bodies and members of the public. Following consultation with Highland Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a publicity campaign to encourage Scotland’s school and college students to carry a PASS-accredited proof-of-age card if intending to buy age-restricted products.
Answer
There are no plans for a national publicity campaign. However, 12 to 18 year olds are encouraged through the Dialogue Youth project to voluntarily take up the offer of a combined local authority/Young Scot card. Supporting materials underline to young people the value of these PASS accredited cards in providing proof of age when purchasing age restricted goods. Retailers are also encouraged to adopt a “no proof, no sale” approach to age-restricted sales.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a national PASS-accredited proof-of-age card, as recommended by the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
Answer
There are no plans to introduce a national proof of age card. However, the Scottish Executive continues to support the development of the Dialogue Youth project and associated local authority/Young Scot card which is PASS accredited and, amongst other things, provides proof of age. The card will be rolled out to all local authority areas by the end of 2004.
