- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the forthcoming Council Tax (Discounts) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2011 can make it possible for students, including those who take non-traditional routes to university, to benefit equally from council tax discounts and, if so, whether it plans to use these powers to do so.
Answer
All students who meet the relevant qualifying criteria will be eligible for an exemption from council tax charges and thus will benefit equally.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on students taking a non-traditional route toward a degree qualification and who move from one institution to another over a summer break benefiting from the same council tax discounts during the summer as other students.
Answer
The Scottish Government is supportive of students accessing education through all routes. Students leaving one institution before enrolling at another to commence further studies are not deemed to be students during that period. Consequently, they may be liable to council tax. However, where they are liable, they may be eligible for council tax benefit of up to 100% to help pay their council tax bill.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 17 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assurances, statements, views or comments were given by the First Minister to the Trump Organization on the likely outcome of its planning application for the Menie Estate at his meeting with their representatives on 3 December 2007.
Answer
No. Mr Salmond undertook this meeting in his capacity as the MSP for Gordon and was excluded from the decision making process on this application.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 17 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) phone calls, (b) letters, (c) emails and (d) other communications were made between its ministers, officials and representatives and the Trump Organization between 29 November and 10 December 2007.
Answer
Substantial information was published by the Scottish Government on the Menie Estate planning application. These documents, which include the period between 29 November and 10 December 2007, are available on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/1997/03/17133808/0.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 17 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that any communication from ministers or civil servants between 29 November and 10 December 2007 could be interpreted as encouraging the Trump Organization to expect that its planning application for the Menie Estate would be granted and, if so, who was involved in any such communications.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the minimum standards for pre-application consultation as set out in planning regulations are adequate.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38300 on 12 January 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse exists for communities seeking to oppose a planning application where minimum standards of pre-application consultation have not been met.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38300 on 12 January 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the minimum standards for pre-application consultation as set out in planning regulations are being complied with in all cases.
Answer
This is a matter for individual planning authorities. Planning legislation specifies that if an applicant has not complied with the statutory requirements for pre-application consultation (PAC), or any additional requirements requested by the planning authority, the planning authority cannot process the planning application.
Where members of the public feel their concerns about the proposal itself have not been addressed by the prospective applicant as a result of PAC, they should make representations to the planning authority on the eventual application. The authority can give due consideration to such representations when deciding whether or not to grant planning permission.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 5 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the interim practice guidance published on 20 December 2010 by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales regarding the use of live text-based forms of communication, including Twitter, from court for the purposes of fair and accurate reporting will lead to similar measures allowing such communication from Scottish courts
Answer
Matters relating to rules of court and the efficient disposal of business in the Scottish courts are a matter for the Lord President of the Court of Session under section 2(2)(a) of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects Scottish Natural Heritage to consider the contribution that development proposals would make to increasing or decreasing greenhouse gas emissions when providing advice to the Scottish Ministers on applications for planning consent or consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Answer
The Scottish Government requests that developers estimate the carbon payback time of developments applied for under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, and that where appropriate they use the carbon calculator available through the Scottish Government website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/25114657/0. SNH may comment on this aspect of applications but are under no obligation to do so. The Scottish Government currently seeks advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the carbon impacts calculated by developers.
