- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its available landholdings in Moray will be used to create new crofts as outlined in the proposal to create new crofting areas.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5255 on 31 October 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: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that new crofts will be created in Moray.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentwill be consulting later in 2007 on proposals to designate new areas, includingin Moray, where crofts may be created. I refer the member to the answer to questionS3W-4768 on 1 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.If theconsultation demonstrates support for these new crofting areas the power toextend crofting tenure beyond the crofting counties rests in section 3 of theCrofters (Scotland) Act 1993, as amended by the Crofting Reform etc. (Scotland) Act 2007.
Land in Moraybelonging to the Scottish ministers will be parts of the National Forest estatecurrently managed by Forestry Commission, Scotland who are actively working tofacilitate the creation of woodland crofts on National Forest land, whether inMoray or in other areas where crofting tenure applies. Other public land usebodies will be encouraged to consider whether land they manage is suitable forcrofting.
The Scottish Governmentcannot force anyone to change land to crofting tenure. Land owners will beable to apply to the Crofters Commission for the creation of new crofts withinany areas designated by Ministers. In addition, tenants under the SmallLandholders Acts 1886-1931 may also apply for the conversion of their smallholdingto crofting tenure.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of “equivalent” in respect of its pledge to create “the equivalent of 1,000 additional police officers”, as set out in Principles and Priorities: The Government’s Programme for Scotland.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment’s commitment is not about headline figures or counting heads – that,in itself, will not make our communities safer; it’s about getting the best outof the police service. Our aim is to ensure a more visible policing presence inScotland’s communities.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive with reference to Principles and Priorities: The Government’s Programme for Scotland, whether it considers there to be a difference between an “equivalent” police officer and a police officer and, if so, how the level of service provided by a police officer compares with that of an equivalent.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5168 on 29 October 2007. 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: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide funding for the Intensive Support and Monitoring Service in the Highlands after March 2008, in light of the reduction in the number of persistent offenders in the region over the last two years.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Intensive Supportand Monitoring Scheme, which is due to be completed shortly. Ministers willconsider the evaluation and its implications for current arrangements tosupport and manage high-risk young people. The level of future funding for thiswork is being considered as part of the 2007 spending review.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the challenges of health service provision in rural and remote areas.
Answer
We are currentlyawaiting the final report of the Remote and Rural Steering Group, establishedfollowing the publication of Building a Health Service Fit for the Future.The group has been considering which services, diagnostics and treatments canbe provided appropriately in remote and rural areas and how those services canbe sustained over the long-term. The recommendations of the group will informour new action plan for health and wellbeing due to published by the end of2007.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of health services in rural and remote areas.
Answer
The Remote andRural Steering Group established following the publication of Building aHealth Service Fit for the Future is developing recommendations toensure high quality, safe and sustainable services across remote and ruralareas. In addition, the process of annual review for each NHS board allowsMinisters to discuss progress on both key national targets and particular localissues.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held between it and officials from NHS Highland about improving access to health care in rural and remote areas.
Answer
The Chief Executive of NHS Highland is Chair of the National Remote and Rural Group whichis developing future recommendations designed to sustain and develop healthservices in remote and rural areas of Scotland. This grouphas reported progress to Scottish Government Officials on a regular basis andits work was discussed during the Annual Review of NHS Highland chaired by theMinister for Public Health on 21 August 2007.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to expand prisoner capacity at HM Prison Inverness.
Answer
I have asked MikeEwart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response isas follows:
The Scottish PrisonService has no plans to expand prisoner capacity at HM Prison Inverness.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executivewhen it intends to publish the report on the evaluation of the Rural Voices programme which funded action research projects in rural communities and whether it will consider reviving Rural Voices as part of the new Scottish Rural Development Programme.
Answer
Thegovernment is committed to abolishing the unfair council tax as part of our agendato create a wealthier and fairer Scotland. It is my intention to consult on our proposals before the endof this calendar year, and to introduce legislation to abolish the council tax and replaceit with a fairer tax based on ability to pay in the 2008-09 parliamentary session.
