- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26372 by Rhona Brankin on 14 June 2006, whether the Scottish Ministers' approach, as outlined in the answer, is consistent with that of the European Court's judgment in C-6/04 Commission v United Kingdom in respect of the conservation of natural habitats.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27549 on 21 August 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what cognisance it has taken of the European Court's judgment in C-6/04 Commission v United Kingdom in respect of the conservation of natural habitats.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is fullyaware of the judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in case C-6/04. We have recentlyconsulted on proposals to amend the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations1994 and these include changes which reflect the findings of the ECJ in relationto the matters raised by the European Commission in case C-6/04. A Scottish Statutory Instrumentwill be laid in Parliament in due course.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-9423 by Ross Finnie on 23 March 2006, what the outcome was of the meeting held on 14 February 2006 between the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and representatives of the Royal Mail Group regarding the availability of postal services throughout rural Scotland.
Answer
We discussed issues related tothe post office network, in particular in rural areas. Royal Mail and Post Officerepresentatives explained the work that has been on-going to explore alternative,more sustainable means of service delivery. I made clear my view of the importanceof post offices to rural communities and the need to explore various delivery models– including co-location of public or private sector services – in attempts to ensurethe continuation of viable services and facilities wherever possible. It was agreedthat officials should keep in touch and the Environment and Rural DevelopmentDepartment would seek to assist where possible towards that aim, within the limitsof devolved powers.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-9423 by Ross Finnie on 23 March 2006, what the outcome was of the meeting between the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and Barry Gardiner MP regarding the erosion of rural postal services.
Answer
At my meeting on 6 March 2006 with BarryGardiner MP, then minister with responsibility for postal services, I had a constructivediscussion about post offices and rural service provision which gave me an opportunityto hear the problems that the post office network faces while expressing my ownviews on the importance of the network in Scotland. The meeting was one of a series of meetings the DTIhad with departments across the UK to allow them to hear views and take an informed decisionon the future of the network in due course.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any financial contribution to the costs incurred in building the second weather forecasting station needed to ensure adequate radar coverage when the original was relocated from Corse Hill to enable the development of the Whitelee wind farm site.
Answer
The Executive has made no financialcontribution towards the building of the second weather radar station.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any financial contribution to the costs incurred in relocating the Met Office's weather forecasting station from Corse Hill to enable the development of the Whitelee wind farm site.
Answer
The Executive has made no financialcontribution towards the cost of relocating the Corse Hill weather radar station.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider establishing arms-length management organisations for local authorities whose tenants have voted against large-scale voluntary housing transfer.
Answer
There is alreadyprovision in the law which enables councils to set up bodies such as Arms LengthManagement Companies. Section 20 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003 gives wide powers to local authorities to create orenter into arrangements with other persons or companies if that is likely to promoteor improve well-being. Creating an ALMO would not, however, qualify the councilfor Treasury funding to redeem residual housing debt which is available to councilsthat transfer ownership of their housing to a Registered Social Landlord.
The consent of the Scottish ministers is required under section 92(5) of the Housing (Scotland) Act2001 should a local authority wish to provide assistance, including financial assistance,to a person or company managing housing and that assistance is carried to the debitof their housing revenue account.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what commitment it makes to the partial transfer of local authority housing stock.
Answer
We believe that in certain circumstancespartial transfer may be an appropriate option for some councils as part of a strategyto meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for all of their stock. Detailsof the support available for partials transfers is set out in the guidance on localauthority housing transfers which is published on the Communities Scotland website.The key criteria governing the acceptance of a partial transfer proposal on to theCommunity Ownership Programme are that the council must have a viable and acceptableStandard Delivery Plan for the stock which it plans to retain and that the businessplan support that is offered for partial transfers will not exceed the support thatwould have been given if the council had undertaken a whole stock transfer.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26407, how it defines “routine use” in respect of mixed-sex general wards.
Answer
The answer to questionS2W-26407 means that the Executive is not aware of any general wards whichordinarily accommodate patients of both sexes at the same time. In extremesituations where patient numbers outstretch bed availability, patients may beplaced in mixed sex accommodation. Patients should be advised of this situationand re-allocated as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Office in relation to the reinstatement of the concession that allowed asylum seekers to apply for permission to work.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasdiscussions with Home Office colleagues on a regular basis and raise with thema number of issues including immigration policy and its impact on Scotland.During these discussions the concern within Scotland over the removal of the right to work for asylum seekers and the calls for this to be reinstatedhave been brought to their attention.