- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations about the provision of additional assistance to low income consumers, in light of research by energywatch which indicates that higher tariffs charged on gas and electricity prepayment meters disproportionately disadvantage low-income households.
Answer
Energy pricing and regulationof energy supply companies are matters reserved to Westminster.Nevertheless I will meet over the next few weeks with representatives from the mainenergy suppliers in Scotland to discuss the measures they are taking to protect vulnerable,low-income customers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since 1999 officials from its Justice Department with responsibility for civil contingencies planning have met to discuss plans in the event of possible accidental leakage of chemical weapons disposed of in Beaufort’s Dyke and what the worst estimates are of the number of likely casualties as a result of such an accidental discharge.
Answer
There are well-established proceduresinvolving the Police, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and, where required, MOD ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal (EOD) personnel for the removal and/or disposal of munitions beachingon land in Scotland. Detailed information on past UK sea-dumpingof munitions in Beaufort’s Dyke and elsewhere is held on the MOD website at
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/HealthandSafety/DSC/DsandcEnvironmentSeaDumping.htm.The Executive and Scottishministers maintain close contacts with emergency response organisations. The basisof any emergency response is based on the principle of subsidiarity in which controlof operations is exercised at the lowest practical level. This approach has provenrobust in Scotland. Further information can be found in the Civil ContingenciesAct 2004 and its accompanying guidance Preparing Scotland published on the ScottishExecutive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/02/27140215/0.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 12 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what role Scottish Enterprise is playing with regard to Edinburgh Crystal.
Answer
As part of the Partnership for Action on Continuing Employment (PACE)team, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothianwill contribute to action to ensure thatif employees are affected by the situation, they receive the necessary support.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 12 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why it has not sent in a task force to assist Edinburgh Crystal in continuing in production in response to my request to the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
Answer
It will be for theadministrator to decide on the future of the business. I understand that the companycontinues to trade and that the aim is to sell it as a going concern.
The Partnership for Action onContinuing Employment (PACE) team is monitoring the situation closely to ensurethat if employees are affected, they will receive the necessary support.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27465 by Mr Tom McCabe on 14 August 2006, whether it will list the names of those individuals with a known or declared membership of the Labour or Liberal Democrat parties appointed by Scottish ministers to (a) NDPB and (b) NHS boards.
Answer
The Executive’s public appointmentswebsite details the declared political activity of current appointees, includingthe name of the party for which the activity was undertaken. This information canbe found at:
http://194.247.95.101/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory/Q/apptlist/true.The Executive does not retainhistorical data in relation to the political activity declarations of named individualswho are no longer appointees.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date ministers were first notified that a death from anthrax had taken place in the Scottish Borders.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27842 on 11 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the sample which subsequently confirmed that a man from the Scottish Borders had died from anthrax was tested.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-27842 on 11 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive who the experts on the panel were that Health Protection Scotland consulted in respect of the incident of, and subsequent death from, anthrax in the Scottish Borders in July 2006.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27842 on 11 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out in the last five years into the prevalence of anthrax among wild mammals.
Answer
Anthrax is a rare disease inthe UK. Experience of dealing with anthrax in domestic animals over many decadesby the State Veterinary Service has not led to suspicion of anthrax in the wildanimal population to date.
No research to determine theprevalence amongst wild animals has been conducted by the Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 5 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its position on the provision of additional resources for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration to support front-line staff in tackling persistent young offending, in light of recently published figures showing an increase in the number of offenders.
Answer
The Scottish Children’s ReporterAdministration (SCRA) is not responsible for managing or delivering services totackle the needs and behaviour of persistent young offenders. SCRA’s overall annualgrant-in-aid has increased by over £10 million since 2001 to over £24 million thisyear. We continually monitor resourcing requirements, in discussion with SCRA management,in order to optimise the administration’s effectiveness.
