- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Government plans to ensure that sports parks and facilities owned by local councils are refurbished and maintained to a standard that will encourage people to become more active.
Answer
The new organisational structurehas led to some changes in roles and responsibilities. Some redeployment has alreadytaken place. For example a small number of staff have moved to other roles as aresult of the reduction in the number of ministerial private offices. As work continuesto implement the new structure it is likely that there will need to be some furtherredeployment activity but it is not anticipated that the numbers involved will besignificant.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Fergusson on 7 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S2W-31152 by Kenny MacAskill on 29 January 2007, what stage has been reached in assessing the energy efficiency rating of the Parliament under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC).
Answer
We are in contact with the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA) on this matter and understand theyare working with professional organisations to identify members who can do theeventual certification work. Progress is at an advanced stage with theChartered Institute of Building Services Engineers, Scotland (CIBSE), and weunderstand members who are competent to produce an Energy PerformanceCertificate will be identified later this year. Guidance for building owners iscurrently being prepared by the SBSA for publication and we expect details of the method of modelling to be part of this guidance. Our intention is to applythis method to the Holyrood building to calculate its rating as soon as we arein a position to do so.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 27 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what input the Crown Office has had in discussions about the definition of aggression in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Answer
International negotiations,as a reserved matter in terms of the Scotland Act 1998, is the responsibilityof the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Assembly of StateParties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court has establishedthe “Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression” which is discussing,among other issues, a definition of the crime of aggression and the conditionsunder which the Court might exercise jurisdiction over that crime.
The Working Group’sconsiderations will continue ahead of the Review Conference on the Rome Statute(to take place in 2009 or 2010), where any proposals to amend the Rome Statutewill be discussed.
The Foreign and CommonwealthOffice will develop its strategy in preparation for the Review Conference inconsultation with, among others, the Advocate General for Scotland and the Scottish Executive (including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service(COPFS)). In absence of any formal proposal at this early stage, COPFS has notyet been consulted.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 23 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in the last 20 years the Crown Office has considered prosecutions for war crimes and on how many of these occasions charges were (a) made and (b) not made.
Answer
Allegations that persons livingin Scotland were responsible for war crimes committed during theSecond World War were investigated by a specialised Crown Office unit formed in1991. The results of those investigations were reported to Crown Counsel, who decidedin 1994 that there was insufficient available evidence for a criminal prosecutionagainst any persons.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the exemption from the payment of water and sewerage charges extended to Church of Scotland congregations will be continued after 2010.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31878 on 2 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 12 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the exemption from the payment of water and sewerage charges extended to Church of Scotland congregations will be continued after 2010 when the current scheme is due to end.
Answer
Although benefits is a reservedmatter, I understand that a local authority is not permitted to deduct communitycharge arrears from housing benefit payments. The only debts that can be recoveredfrom on-going payments of housing benefit are housing benefit overpayments.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 8 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of its strategies in respect of healthy living, it will consider, and provide the opportunity for an open debate on, introducing a structured scheme whereby older people may be prescribed exercise by their GP rather than conventional medication.
Answer
General practitioners in manyhealth boards already refer patients on to exercise. The most common model thatexists is where a general practitioner or other professional allied to medicinerefers a patient to facilities such as leisure centres or gyms for supervised exerciseprogrammes. I recognise that while this is appropriate it may not suit older peoplewho might benefit more from home or community-based interventions, with fewer sportand fitness connotations, which are at least as effective and support the need fora variety of approaches and settings.
We recognise the potential ofGP Referral Schemes, if properly managed and supported, to provide an opportunityto address inequalities in health care and disease prevention. That is why we areinvesting and evaluating referral schemes in Glasgow and Highland NHS board areas.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 16 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recent judgement in the case of The Scottish Ministers v The Scottish Information Commissioner (William Alexander’s Application) and The Scottish Ministers v The Scottish Information Commissioner (David Elstone and Martin Williams’s Applications), regarding the disclosure of ministerial and inter-departmental papers relating to sections 25 to 29 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990, whether it will now publish those papers without delay and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The Opinion of the Court of Sessionhas been received and its terms and implications are being considered. Any furtherappeal would be to the House of Lords. At this stage it would be inappropriate tomake any further comment.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 5 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the joint ministerial (a) committee and (b) sub-committee meetings held since November 2005, including attendees.
Answer
There have been no meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee since 1 November 2005.
The following table providesa complete list of Scottish Executive ministerial attendance at all Joint MinisterialSub-Committee meetings that have taken place since 1 November 2005.
| Subject | Date | Venue | Scottish Minister |
| Europe | 14 November 05 | London | Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform |
| Europe | 17 January 06 | London | Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform |
| Europe | 13 March 06 | London | No Executive Minister was able to participate |
| Europe | 6 June 06 | London | Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform |
| Europe | 10 October 06 | London | Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning |
| Europe | 27 November 06 | London | Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform |
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 31 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards full compliance with the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC), which came into force on 4 January 2006.
Answer
I have asked Dr. PaulStollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer.His response is as follows:
The amendment to Scottishbuilding regulations, which comes into effect on 1 May 2007, is a significantmilestone, as all the secondary legislation necessary to implement theDirective will be in place. It is intended that the remaining requirements of the Directive will be phased in by January 2009.
