- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee announced in July 2000.
Answer
The report on the first stage of the financial, management and policy review of the JNCC has been published today and copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Copies of the report can also be obtained on the JNCC's website at
www.jncc.gov.uk. Interested parties are invited to offer their considered views on the report within three months.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 12 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of low-income households in the private rented sector applied for Warm Deal grants in the last year
Answer
There is no estimate of the number of households in the private rented sector who are eligible for the Warm Deal. In the 12 months to 30 June 2000, the first full year of the scheme, 697 grants went to households in the private sector. This represents 2.9% of all Warm Deal grants awarded during the period.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 12 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private rented households live in fuel poverty.
Answer
We estimate from the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey that 47% of households in the private rented sector are in fuel poverty. Further information will be available when the results of the 2002 survey are published.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 12 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10048 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 5 October 2000, how many pensioners live in private accommodation; how many private rented sector houses will benefit from the central heating initiative, and what percentage of households living in private rented accommodation will still be living in fuel poverty after the initiative has been implemented.
Answer
There is insufficient data to estimate how many pensioners live in private accommodation. We estimate from the results of the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey that about 8,000 pensioner households in the private rented sector will benefit from the central heating initiative. There is insufficient data to estimate the percentage of households in private rented accommodation who will continue to be in fuel poverty after the central heating initiative is implemented. Further information will be available following publication of the results of 2002 survey.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address the fact that children from low income families are more likely to die in road accidents than children from more affluent families.
Answer
On 26 February I re-launched the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland. The club offers free road safety training to all children in Scotland aged three and four. The club's format and materials have been revised to encourage greater use by lower income families.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 5 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to meet any increased demand for Gaelic-medium education and Gaelic-medium nursery education.
Answer
The provision of Gaelic-medium education is the responsibility of the education authorities. The Scottish Executive provides specific grant for up to 75% of the cost of Gaelic-medium education. This provision will increase by £200,000 to £2.8 million in 2001-02. In addition, the Executive provides £0.3 million a year in specific grant for Gaelic-medium nursery education.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in promoting the use of liquid petroleum gas as a vehicle fuel.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, through its funding of the Energy Saving Trust's "Powershift" alternative vehicle fuel programme, promotes the use of LPG and other alternative fuels in Scotland. The Powershift budget in Scotland is under heavy pressure at the moment and therefore we will make additional funding available over the next three years to meet increasing demand.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to progress the aims of the Better Government for Older People programme in the light of the report from the Scottish pilot projects.
Answer
The work of the Better Government for Older people pilots has been of great value. The Executive's response to the BGOP recommendations in All our futures in Scotland will help to inform future policy development. And we will continue to work with older people, the UK Government, local authorities and others to ensure older people's voices are heard, their needs met and contributions valued. This will assist in delivering more responsive, integrated and high quality public services and in creating a better society for older people in Scotland.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to the practice of "couping" Clydesdale horses.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is aware that a working group consisting of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, veterinary expertise, Clydesdale Horse Society and the Farriers Registration Council is actively considering the issue. We are content that these agencies are best placed to address any concerns about the process.
- Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 19 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the manufacture of wave energy equipment in Scotland.
Answer
Wave energy was supported under the third round of the previous Scottish Renewables Obligation, and as a result 3 Scottish companies obtained contracts to develop wave power devices. One of these is now in operation on Islay. We are currently consulting on detailed proposals for a new Renewables Obligation (Scotland) and on what further support might be needed by particular renewable energy technologies in future.
