- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in ensuring that railway stations are accessible.
Answer
The primary statutory responsibility for access for disabled people rests with the UK Government and is currently being delivered by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). However, the Executive has been working closely with the SRA to provide a more accessible rail transport network in Scotland.
For example, the new ScotRail franchise includes a £40 million rolling programme of investment throughout the life of the franchise, which includes £20 million scheduled for station upgrades. In planning and delivering these investments, account will be taken of the particular needs of disabled people.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take in light of the recent Policy and Financial Management Review (PFMR) of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board (SIDAB).
Answer
The review concluded that SIDAB makes a valuable contribution to the consideration of large Regional Selective Assistance cases and should continue as an non-departmental public body. However, some minor changes to operating practices were recommended and these are currently being implemented.
Copies of the SIDAB PFMR have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34419).
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Seeds (National List of Varieties) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 will be made.
Answer
These UK regulations were laid before both Houses of the UK Parliament on 11 November 2004. A copy of the instrument has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34509).
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed reduction in Supporting People funding for the City of Edinburgh Council may jeopardise the council’s ability to maintain its rough sleeper initiative and therefore the Executive’s commitment that no one should need to sleep rough.
Answer
We are very conscious that the City of Edinburgh Council and providers have concerns about the allocations announced. I have met with COSLA on several occasions to discuss their concerns and have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution with the aim of ensuring that the pace of change and redistribution is manageable locally.
A new announcement on Supporting People allocations is expected shortly.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed reduction in Supporting People funding to the City of Edinburgh Council may have jeopardised a project that was designed to relieve delayed discharge.
Answer
We are very conscious that the City of Edinburgh Council and providers have concerns about the allocations announced. I have met with COSLA on several occasions to discuss their concerns and have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution with the aim of ensuring that the pace of change and redistribution is manageable locally.
A new announcement on Supporting People allocations is expected shortly.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been received from the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its allocation of funding under the Supporting People initiative and the impact that the allocation will have on its ability to deliver core support services to vulnerable members of its community.
Answer
We have received representations from COSLA, local authorities including Edinburgh, providers, stakeholders and a range of other organisations and individuals.
I have met with COSLA on several occasions and listened to their concerns about the allocations announced on 1 October. I have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution to provide greater protection for those councils most affected. I hope to make a new announcement shortly.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10364 by Mr Tom McCabe on 30 September 2004, what national awareness campaigns it will introduce to support the voluntary proof-of-age scheme, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement.
Answer
Through the Dialogue Youth Project young people are being made aware of the potential value of the local authority/Young Scot card in providing voluntary proof of age as the card scheme is currently being rolled out across Scotland. In addition, there will be a publicity drive surrounding the launch of national guidance currently being developed by the Scottish Retail Consortium which will emphasise to retailers the need to adopt a “no proof, no sale” approach to the sale of age restricted products.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the creation of green jobs.
Answer
We are committed to working withbusiness to produce a green jobs strategy.
I am confident that there arereal opportunities for Scottish businesses in the developing environmental sectors– particularly the three “big wins” of renewable energy, waste and recycling, andresource efficiency. I believe that Scotland is well-placed to establish itself as a world leaderin these fields.
We received 92 responses to ourconsultation paper “Towards a Green Jobs Strategy: opportunities for business”.We are now at the final stage of the consultative process - Ross Finnie and I willaddress a conference tomorrow in Glasgow to give key stakeholders a further opportunityto discuss how best to take forward this policy.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect harbour porpoises in special areas of conservation in accordance with its responsibilities under the Habitats Directive.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S2W-10994 answered on 26 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive in which special areas of conservation the harbour porpoise has been designated as a protected species and at what level of protection.
Answer
There are no candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) for harbour porpoise within Scottish waters.
The Habitats Directive states that sites for wide-ranging aquatic species willbe proposed only where there is a “clearly identifiable area representing the physical and biological factors essential for their life and reproduction”. At this time no such areas have been identified for harbour porpoise in Scottish waters, but this position will be kept under review.
