- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake a detailed independent study to determine the underlying factors which result in child poverty and what additional measures will be required to ensure that existing targets to eradicate child poverty are met.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has noplans to commission an independent study into the determinants of child poverty.Extensive independent research already exists, such as the annual Joseph RowntreeFoundation/New Policy Institute report on
Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusionin Scotland.
Poverty is a complex social issuethat has no simple remedy and the Executive considers research from many differentsources in determining how its policies can best tackle poverty in Scottish society.Our Closing the Opportunity Gap (CtOG) approach focuses the efforts of all Departmentson tackling poverty and is consistent with, and complementary to, the UK Government’starget for eradicating child poverty within a generation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether livestock grazing takes place on farms affected by emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident under and, if so, why that livestock is considered safe for human consumption.
Answer
I am advisedby the Food Standards Agency that restrictions resulting from the Chernobyl incidentstill apply to sheep on a small number of restricted farms.
These farms are subject to statutorycontrols under the terms of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. In orderto ensure food safety, all sheep leaving restricted farms are live-monitored usingportable radiation monitors and any sheep exceeding the 1,000 Becquerel per kilogram(Bq/kg) control level is prohibited from entering the food chain.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what restrictions emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident place on the affected farms.
Answer
I am advised by the Food StandardsAgency that affected farms are subject to statutory controls under the terms of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the current restrictions are specifiedin the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Radioactivity in Sheep) Order 1991(SI 1991/20), as amended.
In order to ensure food safety,a monitoring system known as “Mark and Release” is operated to ensure that sheepexceeding the 1,000 Becquerel per kilogram (Bq/kg) control level do not enter thefood chain. Sheep from restricted areas are live-monitored for radioactivity usingportable radiation monitors prior to being moved. Sheep exceeding the control levelmay either be kept on-farm and subsequently re-monitored; or marked with an indeliblepaint and moved under licence. Marked sheep are prohibited from slaughter forthree months and a set rotation of colours under “Mark and Release” allows sheepto be automatically released from slaughter controls three months after the useof a particular colour ceases.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the impact on targets for eradicating child poverty of amending the Scotland Act 1998, particularly in respect of Scottish Ministers having direct powers over the tax and benefits system and the setting of a national minimum wage in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive remainsin regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including theeradication of child poverty. As and when contact on any issue results in agreedproposals for amending the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament orthe executive competence of the Scottish ministers, these are put to the Scottishand UK Parliaments in the normal way (i.e. either through Orders in Council underthe Scotland Act 1998, or through Legislative Consent Motions in the Scottish Parliament associated with bills before the UK Parliament).
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how households should treat housing costs when calculating their household budgets, given the approach adopted by Scottish ministers to determine poverty levels.
Answer
Households should treat housing costs as they would any other relatively, fixed item of expenditure for budgeting purposes. The Scottish Executive publishes low income thresholds on both a “before housing costs” basis and an “after housing costs” basis. This is because some people choose to spend more of their income on housing costs. An after housing costs measure therefore, would understate the relative standard of living of those individuals who were actually benefiting from a better quality of life by paying more for better accommodation. Conversely, any income measure which does not deduct housing costs will overstate the living standards of individuals whose housing costs are high relative to the quality of their accommodation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which farms are affected by emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident.
Answer
I am advised by the Food StandardsAgency that 10 farms in Scotland, comprising nine in East Ayrshire Council Area and onein Stirling Council Area, are still subject to restrictions as a result of the Chernobyl incident.The restricted areas are defined in the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions)(Radioactivity in Sheep) Order 1991 No. 20 (as amended) and sheep from these farmsare required to be monitored for radioactivity prior to being moved off farm.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether delivery of the nationwide concessionary travel scheme passes to those who have applied for them will be completed by 1 April 2006.
Answer
We have made it clear throughoutthat the best way to ensure that individuals have the National Entitlement Cardwhich they will need to access the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme was to submit theirapplications early. We will make every effort to ensure that everyone who submitteda valid application before 20 March 2006 will receive their entitlement card by 1 April 2006. Thosewho for whatever reason do not have a new Entitlement Card by 1 April will be ableto use their old travel card for local travel for a limited period of time thereafter.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid put in compensation to farms affected by emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident in each year since 1999.
Answer
The total amount of compensationpaid to Scottish farmers since 1999 as a result of the Chernobyl incidentamounts to approximately £398,000. Details for each financial year are set out inthe following table.
| Year | £ |
| 1999-2000 | £64,000 |
| 2000-01 | £60,000 |
| 2001-2002 | £61,000 |
| 2002-03 | £63,000 |
| 2003-04 | £57,000 |
| 2004-05 | £49,000 |
| 2005 to date | £44,000 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed in the office of the Deputy First Minister in each year since 1999.
Answer
The total numbers of staff (posts)employed in the Deputy First Minister’s private office since 1999 are set out inthe following table:
| Year | Staff |
| 1999/2000 | 3 |
| 2000-01 | 4 |
| 2001-02 | 4 |
| 2002-03 | 4 |
| 2003-04 | 5 |
| 2004-05 | 5 |
The increase in the number ofposts reflects the need to engage more effectively with the policy detail and administrativerequirements of an increased legislative and parliamentary programme following devolution.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the salaries of staff in the First Minister’s Office was in each year since 1999.
Answer
The costs for staff in the FirstMinister’s office are contained in the following table. These figures are basedon gross pay and include National Insurance and Superannuation costs and overtimepayments. Administration costs are also shown and include travel, hospitality, telecommunications,IT, stationary and other office costs.
| Year | Staff Costs (£) | Administration Costs (£) | Total Costs (£) | Total Costs at 1999-2000 Prices (£) |
| Part-year June 1999-March 2000 | 131,258 | 109,124 | 240,382 | 240,382 |
| 2000-01 | 233,952 | 82,378 | 316,330 | 312,242 |
| 2001-02 | 303,205 | 81,015 | 384,220 | 370,111 |
| 2002-03 | 330,928 | 96,272 | 427,200 | 398,843 |
| 2003-04 | 370,926 | 94,770 | 465,696 | 423,554 |
| 2004-05 | 422,535 | 104,419 | 526,954 | 469,300 |
Increased costs since1999 reflect a range of factorsincluding changes to the grading profile of private office posts to engage moreeffectively with the policy detail and administrative requirements of an increasedlegislative and parliamentary programme and updated rules allowing middle gradestaff in private offices to claim overtime.
Total staff and administrationcosts per member of staff in real terms have increased by less than 0.2% (£104)between 2004-05 and 2000-01, the first full year of devolution (from £52,040 to£52,144).
