- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations have been made into any concerns expressed in respect of linkage between incidences of ill-health in Fife and the operation of TETRA masts in the area.
Answer
The Executive is aware of the allegations of ill-health in proximity of the TETRA mast at Drumcarrow, Fife. The issue has been raised in both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments, and highlighted in the media.
In keeping with the normal approach to local health concerns this issue is being addressed by the local NHS board. We are advised that the Director of Public Health, NHS Fife has set up an Environmental Hazard Investigation Team with a remit to look at allegations of ill-health in the Drumcarrow area of north east Fife. This team includes representation from the public health department, councillors, community councillors, local pressure groups, Health Protection Scotland (formerly SCIEH), Fife Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
A separate technical sub-group of the Environmental Hazard Investigation Team has been collating information provided by local community councils and residents in the Drumcarrow area and has also examined available health statistics relevant to the alleged ill-health in the area. A report has been prepared by the sub-group which is due to be considered at the next meeting of the Environmental Hazard Investigation Team.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it provides incentives for the uptake of micro combined heat and power gas boilers in domestic and public buildings.
Answer
This is a reserved matter.
Micro combined heat and power(mCHP) technology is in its infancy and as such the Department for Environment andRural Affairs (DEFRA) is currently supporting field trials of mCHP being undertakenby the Carbon and Energy Saving Trusts. DEFRA is awaiting the results of these fieldtrials before taking any firm decisions on the best way to support mCHP in the future.However, in the meantime the Chancellor has announced a reduced rate of VAT formCHP in the Budget.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 27 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to zometa are recommended by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to treat skeletal-related events in prostate cancer patients.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15637 on 25 April 2005. 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.Taking account of the bestinformation and evidence available decisions about treatment options forpatients with skeletal related events in prostate cancer are made jointlybetween individual patients in consultation with their clinician.
It is not SMC’s role torecommend alternatives to newly licensed medicines, new formulations ofexisting medicines and any major new indications for established products that itconsiders.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it envisages micro combined heat and power gas boilers will make to the production of baseload electricity.
Answer
The planning and regulation of baseload electricity is a reserved matter, responsibility for which lies with Ofgem and the DTI.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 22 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether TETRA base stations produce a continuous transmission or whether there is any modulation of the carrier signal.
Answer
TETRA uses TDMA (Time Division Multiplexing) and the modulation system used is a digital modulation system called Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its views are on the model of housing development known as "cohousing".
Answer
The Executive has previously examined the concept of cohousing as a model for housing and community development. While we do not consider the model as a whole is appropriate for promotion, we recognise that the concept has many positive elements, in terms of resident participation, community development, physical design and environmental sustainability - elements which have featured in different combinations in different housing developments in Scotland.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the potential benefits to communities of promoting cohousing as a model for housing and community development and, if not, whether it will consider doing so.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14999 on 18 March 2005. 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: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 16 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has investigated the reported withdrawal by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency of a public warning about pollutants entering Loch Lomond following lobbying from the detergents industry and, if so, what conclusions have been reached.
Answer
This is an operational matterfor the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken in respect of the reintroduction of species listed under Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
Answer
The Government is obliged, under Article 22(a) of the
EU Habitats Directive to study the desirability of re-introducing certain formerly native species to the UK, listed under Annex IV of that Directive.
Scottish ministers are responsible for any decisions on re-introduction of species to Scotland after due consideration of advice from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) as statutory advisers on nature conservation to the Scottish Executive.
Scottish ministers are currently considering a proposal by SNH to trial a
re-introduction of the European Beaver which is one of the species listed in AnnexIV of the above Directive. No other proposals to re-introduce species to Scotland are currently being considered by the Executive.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 11 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the capabilities which mmO2 agreed to supply in its initial contract have been supplied to the police forces to which the TETRA system has so far been rolled out.
Answer
The Airwave system is being rolled out to Scottish police forces in the phased manner specified in the contract. Some system functions have not yet been provided, for example, discrete listening, call forwarding of group and individual calls, and forwarding short text messages. The Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland and the Police Information Technology Organisation are in discussion with O2 about these matters.
