- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of student places funded by the Scottish Funding Council at the University of Glasgow's Crichton Campus in Dumfries has increased in line with actual student numbers and what the reasons are for this position.
Answer
The allocation of places to theCrichton Campus is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). It is not anarea in which ministers can intervene.
The SFC has supported highereducation provision at the Crichton campus by allocating an additional 100 full-timeequivalent (FTE) places in 2001-02 and a further 50 in 2002-03, split between theUniversities of Glasgow (88 FTE places) and Paisley (62 FTE). These places are cumulativeand recurring. Total student numbers at the University of Glasgow’s Crichtoncampus were: 2002-03 - 290; 2003-04 - 245; 2004-05 - 270, and 2005-06 - 240.
The Crichton Campus is not aninstitution in its own right. Provision is delivered through the partner institutions.The partner institutions make their own decisions on the allocation of their resourcesto their activity and facilities at Crichton. This includes funded student places.Any decision to allocate additional places above the SFC allocation to Crichtonwould be for the partner institutions themselves to make, in light of their particularcircumstances or priorities.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30371 by Lewis Macdonald on 19 December 2006, why the dental bursary is not available to Scottish students studying in the rest of the United Kingdom who intend to work in Scotland after graduation.
Answer
A dental bursary schemeavailable elsewhere in the UK could not be restricted only to Scottish students.
The main purpose of thebursary scheme is to encourage students, who are studying at the dental schoolsin Scotland, to remain in Scotland and work in NHS dental services in Scotlandafter graduation.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on twin tracking the railway line between Annan and Gretna.
Answer
Network Rail is working towardsa redoubling of the track between Annan and Gretna for completion in February 2008.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been received by Transport Scotland regarding the provision of a new rail halt at Eastriggs in Dumfriesshire.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has receivedtwo responses to the Consultation on Rail Priorities in support of reopening Eastriggsstation in Dumfriesshire. One from Dumfries and Galloway Council, the other did not give permissionfor their response to be made public.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would be possible to repeal section 26(2) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 by means of an amendment to the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
It is not possible to repealsection (26)(2) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland)Act 2003 through the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill. However, we do intend to examine existingarrangements in the Annan and Solway as part of our work on the future offreshwater fisheries management in Scotland. A future legislative opportunity will have to besought to enact any new management proposals, once they have been developed indetail by the Executive and the salmon and freshwater fisheries community.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 24 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are permitted to use the Supporting People grant for the provision of services which are not included in the list of prescribed housing support services in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (Housing Support Services) Regulations 2002, such as the provision of support for garden maintenance.
Answer
Local authorities are notpermitted to use Supporting People grant for the provision of any services other thanthose prescribed by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (Housing Support Services) Regulations2002 These services include the provision of advice and supervision without actuallyperforming the service for the service user. Garden maintenance is nottherefore an eligible service.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 19 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why the River Annan is excluded from the restrictions on fishing without legal right in the Solway in section 26(1) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 2003.
Answer
The Solway Firth Fisheries Act1804 created a separate fishing regime for the Solway Firth and the rivers flowinginto it, including the River Annan. Section 9 of that act provided restrictionson fishing without legal right. The Annan Fisheries Act 1841 removed the River Annanfrom the area covered in the 1804 act, bringing that district into line with therest of Scotland. At the time of consolidation in 2003, section 9 was the only partof the 1804 act still in force, and the Scottish Law Commission did not recommendthat it be repealed without re-enactment. Section 26 of the 2003 act simply consolidatedthe legislation in force at that time.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any indicative figures for Aggregate External Finance to local authorities for 2008-09 and 2009-10 and, if so, what these figures are for each local authority.
Answer
No. The Aggregate External Finance(AEF) totals for the period 2008-11 will not be known until after the conclusionof the 2007 Spending Review. Under the expected timetable, local authorities wouldbe notified of the new figures in late November or early December 2007.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 15 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of funding are available to community groups wishing to promote healthy activity among young people by providing play equipment.
Answer
A number of Scottish Executivefunding streams passed via local authorities can support a range of activity, includingplay and play equipment, but the main sources of funding available to communitygroups are local programmes supported through Community Regeneration and Qualityof Life initiatives.
In addition, the Big LotteryFund (BLF) has named play as one of its priorities. Its Investing in Communitiesprogramme therefore has a number of investment areas that could support play. Throughits Investing in Ideas Fund, BLF also has funding available to help communitiesdevelop their project plans and its Awards for All programme can provide a sourceof funds for small projects up to £10,000 in value.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received representations from Dumfries and Galloway Council requesting that Ward 13, Annandale East, be renamed to include “Eskdale” in its title in the Dumfries and Galloway (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006 (SSI 2006/434) and, if so, what its reasons were for not agreeing to this request.
Answer
Yes, representations were receivedfrom Dumfries and Galloway Council on 7 July 2006 requesting Ward 13be renamed “Eskdale”. I regret this was overlooked by officials.
Dumfries and Galloway Council did not make representations tothe Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland that the ward be renamed“Eskdale” during the public consultation process.
