- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the role of police forces, under their statutory duties set out in the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, in the investigation of allegations of criminality related to breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
Answer
Police forces havea duty, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, where an offence has been committed to take all such lawful measures,and make such reports to the appropriate prosecutor, as may be necessary for thepurpose of bringing the offender to justice. Such action is taken under appropriateguidance from the Lord Advocate.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Tricia Marwick on 16 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the announcement of the appointment of MSPs to the Art Advisory Group, which MSPs applied for membership but were unsuccessful; whether unsuccessful applicants were notified prior to the announcement being made; what the process was for selection; what criteria were used to make the selection, and whether those selected have any background or expertise in design or fine art.
Answer
The Art Advisory Group was firstestablished in 2005. Its membership included MSPs and three experts. The three expertshave agreed to be members of the new group. The SPCB invited expressions of interestfrom MSPs on 8 October 2007 for the remainder of positions but did not require membersto provide details of background or expertise in design or fine art.
The following members expressedtheir interest:
Labour (4): Patricia FergusonMSP, Ken Macintosh MSP, Frank McAveety MSP, Cathy Peattie MSP
SNP (4): Roseanna CunninghamMSP, Christine Grahame MSP, Ian McKee MSP, Mike Russell MSP
Liberal Democrats (3): AlisonMcInnes MSP, Jeremy Purvis MSP, Jamie Stone MSP,
Conservative (1): Ted BrocklebankMSP
Other (1): Robin Harper MSP.
The matter was considered bythe SPCB on 7 November 2007 and given the level of interest in membership SPCB askedofficials to discuss membership of the group with the parties to establish a practicalnumber of members. The outcomes of these discussions with parties was presentedto SPCB and approved by them at their meeting on 19 December 2007. There was noformal communication back to individual members who were not selected in advanceof the confirmation of membership by the SPCB.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have achieved a diploma in asthma under Education for Health's education and training programme in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
The informationis not available in the format requested, but I understand that 450 nurses havebeen supported to undertake this course.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 13 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund remains unallocated.
Answer
The value of the currentfund is £13 million. To date £9 million has been allocated from the fund, therefore,at this time £4 million is unallocated.
However, six additionalprojects to the value of £1.3 million are currently under consideration throughthe Strategic Timber Transport Scheme and another four, to the value of £700,000,are under revision by the applicants. If all are accepted this will leave £2 millionunallocated, pending a final round of submissions in January 2008.
Pre-submissions indicatethat potential applications for the final round on 31 January 2008 already total £1.9 million. If this came to fruition,then only £100,000 of the original fund would be unallocated by the end completiondate of 31 March 2008.
Due to the long lead-intimes associated with many of the approved partnership projects, there has beena delay in actual uptake of the grant monies. Projected total cash expenditure inthe life of the Fund, by the end of March 2008, is approximately £4 million. Thereforethe carry over into the next tranche of the fund could be as much as £9 million,dependant on performance of the projects up to 31 March 2008.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 13 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to continue the Strategic Timber Transport Fund in its current form or to review it after 31 March 2008.
Answer
I have today announcedthat the fund will continue for a further three years until March 2011. I have agreedan allocation of £5 million per annum, a total of £15 million, to finance carry-overprojects approved before 31 March 2008 and future projects thatcomply with the conditions of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund. The fund willcontinue to be managed and delivered through Forestry Commission Scotland. As partof their continuous improvement process, Forestry Commission Scotland, in conjunction,with The Strategic Timber Transport Forum, have commissioned a review of the currentawarding process, to explore ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiencyof the delivery mechanism.
Dates of future roundsof applications will be announced some time after March 2008.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff are tasked with assessing and banding colleagues under Agenda for Change, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information isnot held centrally.
The implementationof Agenda for Change locally, including populating job matching and evaluation panels,is a matter for each individual health board in partnership with the NHS tradesunions and professional organisations.
I can also reportthat health boards are close to concluding the implementation of Agenda for Changepay, with the vast majority of staff now assimilated to the new pay bands and inreceipt of arrears of pay. There has been no target set for conclusion, buthealth boards are aware that it needs to be done as quickly and effectively as possible.Progress continues to be closely monitored and supported where possible by the ScottishGovernment.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS staff are still waiting for a salary banding under Agenda for Change, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) profession.
Answer
At the end of Novemberthere were around 18,000 substantive staff still to be assimilated to the new Agendafor Change pay bands across NHSScotland. However, the substantial majority of thosehave been through the job evaluation process, and therefore know which pay bandthey are to be assigned to.
A table outliningthe position with substantive staff by health board and profession at the end ofOctober has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib.number 44256). This is the latest date that data at that level of detail is available.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 10 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3598 by Michael Russell on 5 September 2007, which local authorities applied for flood prevention funding but were unsuccessful and for what reasons they were unsuccessful.
Answer
Grant is only availableto those authorities carrying out this year confirmed flood prevention schemes whichmeet our criteria. No others applied.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 10 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3598 by Michael Russell on 5 September 2007, to which local authorities the £19.5 million for flood prevention was allocated, showing the original bid made by each.
Answer
The following awardshave been made;
| Local Authority | Grant Offer |
| Moray | £455,000 |
| West Lothian | £22,000 |
| South Lanarkshire | £836,000 |
| East Ayrshire | £6,672,000 |
| Fife | £3,638,000 |
| City of Edinburgh | £7,900,000 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 10 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27234 by Rhona Brankin on 20 July 2006, whether it will list subsequent (a) projects and (b) applicants seeking financial assistance from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund, also showing whether each application was successful and, if so, the amount (i) applied for and (ii) awarded.
Answer
To date, 20 projectshave been approved and awarded financial support through the Strategic Timber TransportFund. Six further projects are under consideration with another four under revisionby the applicants. Three projects have been rejected, but two of these have beensubsequently accepted as new applications after significant revision.
Full details of all applications received to date underthe Strategic Timber Transport Scheme are summarised in the following table:
| Project Title | Applicant Name | Amount Awarded | Potential Award | Current Position | Overall Project Value |
| Timber Transport Officer – Stirling and Tayside | Stirling and Tayside Timber Transport Group | £25,000 | | On target | £34,000 |
| South of Scotland Timber Logistics Programme | Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway | £68, 900 | | On target | £457,645 |
| Programme Manager/Co-ordinator (Argyll) | Argyll and Bute Council | £94,000 | | On target | £152,000 |
| Rosneath | Tilhill Forestry Ltd | | | Rejected | |
| Eskdalemuir | Tilhill Forestry Ltd | £2,918,448 | | On target | £4,468,448 |
| Study of performance of forest and public roads under construction | Forest Enterprise | £232,500 | | On target | £336,500 |
| Project Co-ordinator, Highland and Grampian | Forestry Civil Engineering | | | Rejected | |
| Floating Pier | Scottish Woodlands Ltd | | | Rejected | |
| Rannoch Rail Head | Tilhill Forestry Ltd | | £128,000 | Under consideration | £371,500 |
| Developing and promoting a Timber Transport Strategy and solutions for the Highlands | Forest Enterprise on behalf of the Highland Timber Transport Group | £43,333 | | On target | £65,000 |
| Fersit Road, Lochaber | Highland Council | £100,000 | | On target | £850,000 |
| Dunoon Timber Haul Route | UPM Tilhill | £324,034 | | On target | £586,200 |
| Glen Masson – B836 link | Scottish Woodlands Ltd | £44,085 | | On target | £92,771 |
| Barrhill railhead catchment | FCS Galloway Forest District | £1,682,337 | | On target | £2,687,437 |
| B8024 Tarbert Bypass | Argyll and Bute Council | £600,000 | | Delayed | £802,000 |
| Argyll Central Tyre Inflation | Argyll and Bute Council | | £237,000 | Being revised | £355,000 |
| Rathad-Mara (Sea Road) | Scottish Woodlands Ltd | | £150,000 | Being revised | £190,000 |
| Arran Link Road | Forest Enterprise | £318,000 | | Delayed | £623,680 |
| South of Scotland Timber Transport Officer | Dumfries and Galloway Council | £85,000 | | On target | £135,000 |
| Driver Training Programme | FC Learning and Development | £17,725 | | On target | £34,445 |
| Facilitating change in Forestry Industry supply chains, South of Scotland Focal Study | ConFor | | £77,500 | Being revised | £118,500 |
| Ardfern Bypass | J Robin Dixon | £39,990 | | On target | £99,975 |
| B836 phase 2 | Argyll and Bute Council Operations Department | £655,000 | | On target | £1,230,000 |
| Glenstriven Timber Haul Route | UPM Tilhill | | £218,000 | Being revised | £396,700 |
| Peaton Hill Link Road | Tilhill Forestry Ltd | £45,000 | | On target | £90,000 |
| Hareshawmuir Road Project | UPM Tilhill | £37,000 | | Delayed | £120,000 |
| Moray Strategic Timber Transport Road Infrastructure Project | Moray Council | £65,000 | | On target | £131,000 |
| A897 Partnership Project | Highland Council | | £400,000 | Under consideration | £500,000 |
| Upper Loch Fyne Pier, Technical and Financial Feasability Study | Argyll and Bute Council | £6,000 | | On target | £12,000 |
| Marr area | Aberdeenshire Council | | £82,900 | Under consideration | £165,800 |
| Tomdoun Link Road | J Robin Dixon | | £74,579 | Under consideration | £186,447 |
| South West Glendaruel Timber Haul Route | Argyll and Bute Council | | £253,450 | Under consideration | £741,500 |
| North West Mull Community Woodlands | North West Mull Community Woodlands Company Ltd | | £398,530 | Under consideration | £936,465 |
| Timberlink Project (inshore shipping from Argyll) | Forestry Commission Scotland | £1,800,000 | This project is supported through the Fund and not the Scheme | On target | £1,800,000 |
| Total | | £9,201,352 | £2,019,959 | 33 | |
