- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the North of Scotland Water Authority has complied with Annex B, Flood Risk Assessment: A Generic Format and Standard, in particular paragraphs 2, 3, 5 and 10, of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's document Planning Authority Protocol Development at Risk of Flooding: Advice and Consultation in respect of its flood risk assessment of possible locations for wastewater treatment works at Aviemore.
Answer
In the first instance, this is a matter for the North of Scotland Water Authority (NoSWA) to resolve with the planning authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as part of the planning process. I understand that you have written to NoSWA's Chief Executive requesting this information and she will respond to you directly in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, where planning permission for the erection of residential property is granted and there is a privately-owned existing road or pathway, there should be a presumption in favour of a right of pedestrian and vehicular access and whether the law of servitude should be reformed accordingly.
Answer
Planning applications for developments taking access from a trunk road must be assessed on their individual merits. Such proposals are likely to lead to an increase in the amount of traffic entering and leaving the trunk road. Road safety issues are extremely important and I do not accept that a blanket presumption in favour of a right of access in these circumstances would be appropriate. Development proposals that seek to take access from local roads are for planning authorities to consider.Regarding the law of servitude, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19442 on 12 November 2001.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether VisitScotland has made any agreement to make payment of any sum to Mr Rod Lynch; if so (a) what the amount of the sum is, (b) what such money would otherwise have been spent on, (c) with whom the responsibility for any such payment lies and (d) whether there are any precedents of payments being made to an individual appointee to a post in a non-departmental public body or other executive agency who did not go on to take up post.
Answer
VisitScotland has made no agreement to any payment. The other questions do not therefore apply.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes have been implemented for the improvement of maternity services, including the upgrading of maternity units; how much has been spent on the improvement of maternity services in the Highland Health Board area over each of the last five years, and what the breakdown of this expenditure was for each year.
Answer
The Executive attaches a high priority to ensuring that the NHS offers high quality maternity services in all parts of Scotland. Among the comprehensive principles identified in the Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland, published in February this year, were safety, choice, quality and access. Within the guidelines set out in the framework, it is for the NHS locally, working with service users and planning partners, to determine what initiatives and investment are necessary to develop services in their areas. Information about the cost of service developments is not held centrally.Highland NHS Board carried out a review of maternity services throughout the Highlands earlier this year. The review was informed by wide public consultation with local communities. The review report, published in August, made 41 recommendations for developing Highland maternity services in line with the Scottish framework. NHS Highland has started to implement these recommendations, in consultation with service users and planning partners.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that there is an independent investigation into the actions and conduct of Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the designation of Sunart as a proposed site of special scientific interest and potential special area of conservation.
Answer
No. I am confident that Scottish Natural Heritage have conducted an open and constructive consultation process, and that no further independent investigation is necessary.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make representations to both Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the local enterprise companies to provide matching funding towards the costs of Volunteering Highland taking on a senior development officer.
Answer
The Scottish Executive provides all local volunteer development agencies (LVDA's), including Volunteering Highland, with generous grant towards their running and programme costs. In 2001-02, Volunteering Highland will receive over £41,000 from the Scottish Executive, via Volunteer Development Scotland. In total, Scottish Executive grant funding for the LVDA network in 2001-02 will be around £1.2 million. As a condition of grant, each LVDA is expected to secure match funding. It is incumbent on each LVDA to arrange match funding as part of its on-going business.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the programme for digital hearing aids on the NHS as recommended by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (Scotland).
Answer
The Good Practice Guidance on Adult Hearing and Fitting Services issued to NHSScotland in March 2001 recommends that digital aids should be supplied whenever clinical judgement indicates that they would provide benefit to the patient involved that would not be provided by other types of hearing aid. There are currently 11 different types of digital hearing aid included within the wide range of hearing aids available through central contracts arranged by Scottish Healthcare Supplies for NHSScotland. Having already introduced digital aids onto their contract range, NHSScotland is not involved in the pilot scheme currently being conducted in 20 sites in England. We will, of course, be interested to see the results of the studies as and when they become available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 22 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers in relation to attracting individuals from the public or private sector into the teaching profession.
Answer
The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) is not a free-standing organisation, but is a forum through which the Scottish Executive, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the teacher organisations can reach collaborative decisions. Negotiations on a range of issues relating to pay and conditions are continuing through the SNCT.In these discussions we are conscious of the commitment of Scottish ministers to attracting a range of talented and committed individuals to the profession, from across the spectrum of Scottish society.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will grant or seek aid, under article 4 of the EEC Council Regulation No 26 of 1962 on rules of competition in agricultural products in respect of potatoes other than starch potatoes in order to support the potato industry in Scotland and, in particular, in the Montrose area.
Answer
The Scottish potato industry has not sought assistance under this regulation and we have no plans to offer financial support to an industry that has traditionally been self-sufficient.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs of special advisers to the First Minister were for the financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01, what the estimated total costs of such advisers are for the financial years 2001-02 and 2002-03 and whether it will provide a breakdown of such costs and estimated costs.
Answer
The total cost for the financial year 1999-2000 is £398,062 and for 2000-01 it is £560,843. Details are:
| | Salary | ERNIC | 16% Pension Contribution | Total |
1999-2000 | £310,530 | £37,847 | £49,685 | £398,062 |
2000-01 | £440,884 | £49,842 | £70,117 | £560,843 |
It is not possible to estimate the total costs for the years 2001-02 and 2002-03 as the number of special advisers in post from time to time is a matter for the First Minister.
