Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-02636

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in persuading the European Commission to support a significant reduction in industrial fishing in the North Sea.

The Scottish Executive remains concerned about the scale of industrial fishing and itspotential impact on the marine ecosystem and has been active in discussingfuture management options.

In the course ofthis year, we have sought progress on two fronts.

As a result ofbilateral discussions with Denmark, representations have been made to theCommission to extend the sandeel fishery closure in the “Wee Bankie” area for afurther three years. The Commission is, we understand, minded to agree.

More generally,the UK Fisheries Conservation Group (which brings together relevantadministrations, and industry and other representatives) held a seminar in Mayon all issues relating to industrial fishing. Following this seminar a paperwas produced for the European Commission.

For the future,we now await the Commission’s specific proposals for the relevant TotalAllowable Catches (TACs) for agreement at the December council. It isnoteworthy that the International Council for the Exploration of the Seaappears to be implying that TACs in certain industrial fisheries (such as thatfor sandeels) should be reduced significantly.

Question reference: S2W-03162

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last conducted inspections of (a) Eaga Partnership Ltd and (b) contractors implementing the central heating programme and what the results of these inspections were.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

Communities Scotland meetwith Eaga on a regular basis to discuss progress being made on the central heatingprogramme and consider contract compliance issues.

Eaga are responsible for thework undertaken by their contractors and carry out 100% inspections of centralheating installations to ensure quality standards are met. They have in placeprocesses and procedures to deal with issues that may arise.

Communities Scotland iscurrently considering further measures for scrutinising the effectiveness of the delivery programme.

Question reference: S2W-03164

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any serious complaints made against (a) Eaga Partnership Ltd or (b) contractors with regard to implementing the central heating programme and what action has been taken with regard to any such complaints.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

The central heatingprogramme is a major programme of work impacting on the homes of individuals.The Executive expects that high standards of care are applied by thosedelivering the programme, and has contractual agreements in place governingthese aspects.

Concerns have been receivedabout the specifics of eligibility for assistance and about detailed aspects of the implementation programme. Issues of eligibility are for CommunitiesScotland to deal with. The eligibility criteria are set out in ScottishStatutory Instrument 2001 No 267, and this is an issue for the Scottish Executive to deal with. The execution of the eligibility criteria is a matter forEaga, and it is for them to determine whether individuals qualify for assistanceunder the programme.

Question reference: S2W-03167

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out, or commissioned, research into the comparative costs of replacing heating systems and boiler replacements as part of the central heating programme.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

As part of the central heatingprogramme, the comparative cost of central heating systems installed under theprogramme are recorded by Eaga partnership for use in the programme. As part of the pilot project to replace boilers only, a cost analysis of boiler only andfull system replacements will be carried out.

Question reference: S2W-03165

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether boiler replacement schemes are available under the central heating programme and, if not, when these will be made available.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

As part of a pilot project,applicants to the programme who request a boiler only replacement can have thismeasure carried out provided an engineer appointed by Eaga agrees theirexisting system is suitable for boiler only replacement. Applicants will haveto agree to insulation measures, energy advice and alarms being installed whereapplicable.

We will carry out a reviewon the outcomes of the pilot project in due course.

Question reference: S2W-03166

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been cases where independent inspections have not been conducted of work carried out under the central heating programme.

Question reference: S2W-03420

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with food manufacturers in Scotland about making healthier products and whether it has had any discussions about putting this issue on the agenda of the European Union.

Question reference: S2W-03259

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what service standards criteria it has laid down to Eaga Partnership Ltd and to contractors for implementing its central heating programme.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

The Executive has a formalcontract agreement with Eaga Partnership. That agreement sets out the servicestandards such as: technical specifications, technical inspections, qualitymanagement systems and monitoring procedures. Similarly, contractors working onthe programme have a formal contract agreement with Eaga.

Question reference: S2W-03170

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2003
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 18 were taken into custody due to being drunk and disorderly in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area, expressed also as a percentage of all drunk and disorderly offences.

Question reference: S2W-02799

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that people are not priced out of their local housing markets due to increasing house prices.

The Scottish Executive is committed to delivering good quality, sustainable and affordable housingfor all. The mechanisms for doing this are principally through the provision ofsocial rented housing but also through low-cost home ownership options. Developmentfunding of £262 million is being made available this year, and 18,000 new and improvedaffordable homes will be provided in the three years to 2006. Local authorities’local housing strategies, required in terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act2001, will play a major role in ensuring that the distribution of development fundingtakes account of local circumstances.

The Scottish Executive and its agencies are also working with local authorities and other bodiesto deal with other issues, such as availability of land and infrastructure, to ensurethat affordable housing is provided where it is most needed.