- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21782 by Iain Gray on 19 February 2002, how many applications have now been received and approved for free central heating installation in the Scottish Borders area under its central heating installation programme.
Answer
The answer to question S1W-21782 gave information on the total number of applications received as at 31 December. Between 1 January and 2 August 2002, Eaga received a further 113 applications for the central heating programme from households in the Scottish Borders area. One hundred and five of these were subsequently found to be eligible for a grant.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12399 by Jackie Baillie on 25 January 2001, whether the Central Heating Working Group has published its report.
Answer
The conclusions reached by the Central Heating Working Group were set out in the enclosure to a letter of 23 February 2001, from the then Minister for Social Justice to the Convenor of the Social Justice Committee. It was copied to all MSPs and copies were placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. It records that priority for free central heating will be given to (a) those aged over 75; (b) the elderly living alone, and (c) the disabled and the long-term ill. These cases are prioritised against other applications received at the same time.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its consideration of the permanent closure of court facilities in Peebles, it is taking into account usage made by the Peebles District Court.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) where the sheriff court service accounts can be accessed and (b) whether such accounts form part of the justice budget.
Answer
The administration of the sheriff courts is the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service whose accounts are published and laid before the Scottish Parliament annually. The service's Annual Report and Accounts for 2000-01 is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report for 2001-02 is currently being prepared.The Scottish Court Service is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive Justice Department and its funding and expenditure forms part of the Justice budget.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the absence of third party rights of appeal in relation to planning issues is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer
The Executive undertook a review of existing planning legislation and concluded that the current planning system, with its inbuilt checks and safeguards, is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without further amendment.However, we keep under review the need to amend existing law and procedures to comply with the Convention and shall continue to do so, particularly in consequence of any relevant developments in ECHR and domestic case law.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary complaints have been dealt with at Peebles Sheriff Court , whether proceeding to trial or otherwise, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002 -2003.
Answer
The information provided by the Scottish Court Service for the number of summary complaints dealt with at Peebles Sheriff Court is set out in the following table. The table includes those summary complaints registered under the jurisdiction of Peebles Sheriff Court. Since December 2001, any court appearances have been held at Selkirk Sheriff Court.Sheriff Court - Summary Criminal
| | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | April-June 2002 |
| Complaints Registered | 142 | 190 | 241 | 45 |
| Complaints Concluded | 176 | 203 | 220 | 61 |
| Trials Evidence Led | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs have accredited training in Parkinson's disease, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
There are no central records kept of courses attended by individual GPs. However, GPs are encouraged to look at their own personal learning needs (based on the principles of adult learning), and the needs of their patients. Each GP receives an annual Postgraduate Education Allowance to support an agreed amount of training in areas approved by the Postgraduate Deaneries. In the future, the GP appraisal process will assist GPs to identify their learning needs with the help of trained appraisers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been initiated using the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27839.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has published regarding the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
The Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 offers an additional, and important, form of protection for individuals at risk of abuse. We issued press releases at the passing of the bill and the coming into force of the act, so as to give widespread publicity to the new measure. However, our main aim has been to ensure that those giving advice to the public should be aware of the Act and be able to give balanced advice on the circumstances in which it may be of help. To that end we have liaised with bodies such as Scottish Women's Aid and Citizens' Advice Scotland to ensure that they are able to give accurate advice, and have asked local multi-agency partnerships on domestic abuse to disseminate information locally. The legal professions were also alerted to the new act.We have commissioned research into the use of the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001. We do not yet have figures for court actions initiated under the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001, nor where a power of arrest has been attached. However, the research is due to report later this year and we will provide the findings to the Parliament at this time.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase public awareness of the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 and, if so, what form publicity to this end will take.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27839.
