- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to make the manufacturing industry aware of the opportunities for production of the necessary plant and equipment offered by the renewable energy sector.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise has carried out research into the business opportunities offered by renewable energy, and has presented the results to Scottish companies using a series of roadshows. These events have attracted interest from a variety of companies and, as a direct result, several of these companies are already pursuing opportunities for new business.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 19 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans any measures to increase voters' awareness of the fact that it is not necessary to take along their polling cards when going to vote in local elections.
Answer
The polling card itself informs voters that it is not necessary to take the card to their polling station in order to be able to vote. We do not plan any further publicity at present but the matter will be kept under review.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 14 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans to review charges in the fishing industry.
Answer
DETR announced recently proposals for amended charges for maritime services. Otherwise, I am aware of no plans to review charges in the fishing industry.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 14 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out in the last 12 months into charges in the fishing industry and whether it is aware of any studies planned in the future.
Answer
I am not aware of any studies into charges in the fishing industry which have been carried out in the last 12 months or are planned for the future.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 14 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has or is aware of any plans to introduce new charges in the fishing industry.
Answer
We have no plans to introduce new charges in the fishing industry; nor are we aware of any such plans.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a legal obligation to licence the carrying out of genetically modified crop trials if an application is submitted.
Answer
The growing of GM crops is highly regulated at European level. It is for Scottish Ministers to decide whether or not to grant consents for Scottish trials, including farm scale evaluations, of genetically modified (GM) crops. We do so upon the advice of our independent scientific advisers and the only ground for refusal is that we have sound scientific reason for so refusing.
Refusal to grant deliberate release consent would be illegal under governing European and domestic law unless such refusal was, as stated above, based on sound scientific evidence.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers and remit the Food Standards Agency will have in relation to food labelling.
Answer
Food labelling is a devolved matter and the Scottish Parliament has powers to legislate in this area but only within the parameters of EU legislation. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for implementing EU legislation as it relates to labelling standards and for providing advice to Scottish Ministers on food labelling and other issues. The Food Standards Agency will require enforcement authorities to ensure that standards are met, so that consumers have sufficient information to make informed choices about the food they buy.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 4 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of all money received from Her Majesty's Government under the Barnett Formula for specific purposes since 1 July 1999 and to detail the purpose of each allocation.
Answer
The table below sets out the cases where Scotland has received additional resources from the UK Reserve since 1 July 1999. In each case the rules set out in the Statement on Funding Policy, published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999, have been applied.
Programme | Reason | 1999-2000 (£000) |
Schools | Consequential upon DFEE access to the Reserve for New Deal for Schools | 4,330 |
Scottish Courts Services, Crown Office and Police Services | Access to UK Reserve for contribution to Lockerbie trial costs | 26,440 |
Health | Consequential upon DOH access to Reserve | 13,857 |
Agriculture | Access to UK reserve for additional funding for Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances Scheme | 21,500 |
European Funds | Draw forward of structural funds | 32,583 |
Law, Order and Protective Services | Access to the UK Reserve for "The Giving Age" | 150 |
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department | Access to the UK Reserve for Postponed sale of the Student loan book | 120,800 |
Note: The table excludes the in-year routine take up of underspends from the previous financial year under the End Year Flexibility arrangements.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many violent assaults on staff took place for each of the last five years in each NHS trust.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally, but will be held locally by each Trust.As recommended in the Occupational Health and Safety Service Strategy Towards a Safer Healthier Workplace, a working group is currently being set up to identify minimum datasets relating to staff health and safety. These will set employers a minimum standard of data collection, strengthen local monitoring and provide a platform on which to base local decisions and local action.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the level of capital spending on renewable energy projects in Scotland over the next four years and how much of this spending will benefit Scottish companies, particularly manufacturing firms.
Answer
No such estimates have been made, but the Scottish Executive believes that Scottish industry should be able to benefit from any opportunities that may emerge over the coming years from further renewable energy developments across Scotland.
