- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 April 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19918 by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009, whether it will make further funding available to Dumfries and Galloway Council if the trial use of a falcon to deter gulls from the centre of Dumfries is successful.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22989 on 7 May 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the removal of dead livestock from agricultural land.
Answer
The disposal of fallen stock is controlled by the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003, which require those who possess or control animal by-products, including fallen stock, to dispose of such material in an approved manner and without undue delay.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 April 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed, or intends to review, the requirements under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 for traditional galas, common ridings, ridings of the marches and Remembrance Day parades to be notified to the relevant local authority.
Answer
I recently discussed the current notification system with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). COSLA and ACPOS have advised me that it would be premature to make amendments to the legislative framework after the relatively short period since the law was changed, either on a local or national basis. I agree with this view.
There are important reasons why even non-contentious marches and parades need to be planned carefully. An integrated approach by all involved is essential to achieve this, and I understand that the notification requirements, as amended by the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, have contributed to improving joint working across Scotland.
The notification process, as the Guidance to Local Authorities on Marches and Parades makes clear, is intended to provide local authorities with discretion to deal flexibly with public processions in their areas.
I will review the situation in due course.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 offer any protection to animals that are genetically rare but whose species are not rare, such as white roe deer.
Answer
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 provide protection for particular species which require special conservation attention rather than for rare or unusual individuals.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 April 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Dumfries and Galloway Council that traditional galas, common ridings, ridings of the marches and Remembrance Day parades in Dumfries and Galloway should be exempted from notification under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 and, if so, when it intends to reply.
Answer
Dumfries and Galloway Council wrote to me on 18 November 2008 requesting exemption of Common Ridings, Gala Day Parades, Fun Day Parades and other similar community events and Remembrance Day Parades from notification.
I replied to the council on 22 April 2009.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 April 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought the views of community and marching organisations on the implementation of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 and the guidance to local authorities issued in December 2006.
Answer
A Consultation into Marches and Parades was conducted in summer 2008, to assess the first year of implementation of the changes to the law and practice on marches and parades, introduced by the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, and associated Guidance to Local Authorities.
Information was collected from communities, marching organisations, local authorities and police. A report on the responses received was published on 25 February 2009 and can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/02/24150258/0.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21886 by Keith Brown on 27 March 2009, whether it is aware that the decision to procure replacement buildings for Lincluden, Cargenbridge and Troqueer primary schools via traditional procurement methods was taken by the education and community services committee of Dumfries and Galloway Council on 27 June 2006 and, if so, on what basis it considers that the current administration commissioned these schools.
Answer
Further information supplied by Dumfries and Galloway Council confirms that the committee in question, under the current council administration, took material decisions on 20 November 2007 completely to change the funding strategy for these schools, and on 29 January 2008 to determine the final scope of the project and the funding arrangements. Thereafter, I understand that it was the decision of the Finance Sub Committee on 7 February 2008, giving its approval to the overall package, which paved the way for contract signature and the commencement of construction at these three schools.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21881 by Keith Brown on 26 March 2009, whether it agrees that there has been no increase in the percentage of pupils in primaries one to three in classes of size 18 or less in Dumfries and Galloway between 2006 and 2008.
Answer
The percentage of primary one to primary three pupils in classes of 18 or fewer rose in Dumfries and Galloway from 15.1% in 2007 to 18.1% in 2008. In 2006 the equivalent figure was 18.2%.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce legislation to ban private companies such as Integrated Dental Holdings from running dental practices that offer treatment under the NHS.
Answer
No. There is a long history of dentists providing a mixture of NHS and private treatment and we see no problem with a properly constituted dental body corporate providing NHS dentistry. Dental bodies corporate require to have a majority of directors that are registered dentists or dental care professionals, or a combination of both.
In contrast, general practice accounts for the vast majority of patient contacts with the NHS and often deals with the most important of life events. General practices are the gatekeepers to the rest of the NHS and it is essential that they are owned and run by individuals personally involved in the delivery of NHS services. That is why the Scottish Government does not consider the delivery of general practice by commercial organisations, driven by financial interest of shareholders, to be compatible with our policy of a mutual NHS.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 23 March 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 23 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding amounts previously allocated to Dumfries and Galloway Council as Quality of Life funding continued to be allocated following the ending of ring fencing.
Answer
I can confirm that the Quality of Life funding, which was previously separately identifiable, but not ring-fenced, continues to be allocated as part of the annual local government finance settlement. It is then for each local authority to allocate the total resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities and outcomes.
