- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the projected outturn efficiency reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 for the Crofters Commission is £0.038 million as compared with the published planned efficiency of £0.225 million.
Answer
The planned efficiency was linked to the transfer of the Crofters Commission office to Great Glen House. Realisation of the planned efficiency is dependent on negotiations with the commission''s previous landlord. Savings are expected to begin in 2010-11.
The Crofters Commission provided £0.038 million efficiency savings from internal restructuring, and the Director General for Rural Affairs, Environment and Services portfolio exceeded the planned efficiency by £1.120 million in 2009-10.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for the notification of new Sites of Special Scientific Interest for biological features.
Answer
The notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest is a statutory duty of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) under section 3 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
SNH regards the SSSI network as being substantially complete but maintains a policy of considering possible additions in certain limited circumstances (e.g. where a new SSSI is necessary to regulate operations in order to fulfil requirements which are associated with Natura 2000 sites).
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered introducing a requirement in public procurement contracts for the use of fresh food.
Answer
Existing Scottish Government guidelines on sustainable development in public sector contracts for food and catering services highlights the opportunity for public bodies to specify fresh and seasonal produce in food and catering contracts. The guidance is currently being updated and will be reissued early in 2011.
The Scottish Government''s own contract for catering services reflects the advantages and importance of fresh produce and is anticipated to deliver an increase in fresh produce within Scottish Government staff restaurants.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it encourages local authorities to support community use of council-owned buildings that they no longer require.
Answer
Decisions on the future of any local authority owned building, including community centres are solely at the discretion of each individual local authority. The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene. However, the Scottish Government awarded £250,000 in 2009 to the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) to undertake a national two year programme of work to explore the benefits and risks involved in asset transfer. The findings from this will help local authorities fully consider their options.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance to local authorities regarding the disposal of buildings that they no longer require and, if so, where it can be accessed.
Answer
Recent guidance to local authorities in relation to the disposal of land (including buildings) was issued by the Scottish Government in May 2010. A copy of the guidance is on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/26124543/0.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities are permitted to use capital receipts from the sale of buildings.
Answer
Local authorities may use capital receipts from the sale of buildings to finance new capital expenditure or to repay the principal element of loans.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to promote the introduction of kerbside collections of used batteries.
Answer
The provision of kerbside collection services and the materials collected is the responsibility of local authorities.
Since 1 February 2010 retailers which place more than 32kg per year (equivalent to approximately 1400 AA batteries per year) of portable batteries on the market have an obligation to take back batteries in-store, free of charge, when they become waste.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding will be transferred from the local authority settlement to support the national body proposed in the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill and, if so, how much.
Answer
The information requested can be found in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill, pages 73 to 86 inclusive at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/41-ChildrensHearingsb41s3-introd-en.pdf.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of the national body proposed in the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Bill compares with the cost of the existing arrangements.
Answer
The information requested can be found in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill, pages 73 to 86 inclusive at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/41-ChildrensHearingsb41s3-introd-en.pdf.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 requires groups that include persons over the age of 65 to have at least one member undertake a disclosure check.
Answer
It cannot be assumed that an adult is unable to protect his or herself in every situation just because they have a specific condition, disability or are of a particular age. It is the receipt of a particular service as defined by the act which confers protected adult status, and the carrying out of regulated work as defined by the act which determines whether or not a person should be a scheme member. Under the PVG Scheme, certain conditions must be satisfied before a person, whether paid or voluntary, is considered to be undertaking regulated work. It is the type of service that the group or organisation is providing, or contracted to provide, to the adult that matters. This means that not every worker who comes into contact with vulnerable groups should be a scheme member. There is no need for blanket-checking of staff, and membership of the scheme must be justified in each case. Any work done in the course of a personal or family relationship for no commercial consideration is specifically excluded from the scope of regulated work.
