- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any representation on the working group set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs into fisheries quota management and, if so, what position it has taken with regard to the introduction of individual transferable quotas and what steps have been taken to consult the fishing industry prior to any recommendations being made by the working group.
Answer
SEERAD and the other three fisheries administrations are partners in the joint UK Quota Management Change Programme.
The use of the term individual transferable quotas (ITQ) can be confusing as there is no single model for how so-called ITQ systems operate. We want to improve quota management. No decisions have yet been taken on the specific changes needed. That will only happen after in-depth consideration of the options in consultation with stakeholders.
All stakeholders will have the opportunity to input into the Change Programme, and fisheries administrations are currently planning a number of mechanisms to achieve this. A Consultative Group is planned, which will comprise 14 stakeholder representatives – 12 of whom are drawn from the catching sector, including six Scottish representatives. This group will not be the only method of consulting stakeholders. It is anticipated that working groups will be established to discuss specific issues as the Change Programme progresses.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the European Union regarding assistance for the fishing industry to alleviate, or offset, the rising costs of fuel.
Answer
I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 20 to 21 June which included a discussion on these issues. The Commission now plans to convene a further meeting to take forward its consideration of the issues. The Scottish Executive will attend.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 16 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any approaches to the European Union by the Irish Government in respect of proposals to change the penalties in respect of agricultural subsidies and, if so, whether it intends to support these proposals.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any such approach having been made. Were any proposal tobe made we would of course wish to consider our position, in conjunction with otherparts of the UK.
The Scottish Executive is of course committed to ensuring that a penalty regime for the SingleFarm Payment is proportionate and fair and to learning from experience elsewherein the implementation of farm subsidies.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 10 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16376 by Euan Robson on 19 May 2005, whether it plans to carry out any studies on the effects on children of exposure to advertising and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not currently planning to undertake any studies of the effects of exposure to advertising on children. However, work is currently in hand on an Executive-commissioned study to establish the nature and extent of commercial activity in schools in order to develop the evidence-base for future policy making.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of applicants is for each place available on (a) speech and language therapy, (b) orthotics and (c) physiotherapy courses.
Answer
On average there are nine applicants for each place available on speech and language therapy, three applicants for each place on orthotics and 10 applicants per place for physiotherapy.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many training places for (a) speech and language therapists and (b) physiotherapists there are currently and have been in each of the last three years.
Answer
Information on the number of training places available in physiotherapy and speech and language therapy is set out in the following table:
| | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005* |
| Physiotherapy | 191 | 192 | 196 | 187 |
| Speech and Language Therapy | 76 | 86 | 92 | 96 |
Notes: *Estimates.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the impact of renewable energy on the Scottish economy has been measured.
Answer
The Renewables Supply Chain Gap Analysis Study, published by Renewables UK in January 2004 assessed the status of the renewables industry in Scotland including its related economic impact. The study estimated the monetary value of the Scottish renewable industry output at £80 million
1. The study also estimated that there were around 2,000 jobs
2 in Scotland associated with the renewable energy sector.
Source: Renewables Supply Chain, Gap Analysis.
Notes:
1. The monetary value estimate adjusts for imports and is based on the assumption of no net cross border flows.
2. The jobs estimate is expressed in full-time equivalents and includes induced jobs. Induced jobs are defined as jobs outside the renewable energy industry and its associated supply chain that are created because of activity in the renewable energy industry; e.g. additional jobs in retail arising from the increased economic activity.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 8 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times for speech and language therapy for (a) children and (b) adults are currently in each NHS board area and have been in each of the last three years.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
The level of service, to meet the needs of their population, is determined at health board level.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any decision by the UK Government to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland will have on the Scottish block grant.
Answer
There are no applications for new nuclear power stations in Scotland. As nuclear power is a reserved issue, and we would expect any new nuclear power station to be built by the private sector, under current financial arrangements we would not anticipate any significant implications for the Scottish block grant if a nuclear power station were built in Scotland.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) speech and language therapist and (b) physiotherapist vacancies there have been in each NHS board area in each of the last three years, expressed also as a percentage of established posts in each area and nationally.
Answer
Information on staff in post and vacancies in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at
www.isdscotland.org/workforce.
Section F gives vacancy information for Allied Health Professionals employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, table F8 shows the whole-time equivalent (WTE) and the total vacancies shown as a percentage of the establishment, broken down by specialty and NHS board area for years 2000 to 2004. WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.
