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: S3W-34627

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive with what regularity Keep Well health checks will take place.

Question reference: S3W-34633

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with Community Pharmacy Scotland regarding the introduction of universal health checks for 40 to 74-year-olds.

Question reference: S3W-34630

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the cost of providing Keep Well health checks.

Question reference: S3W-34626

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive with what regularity universal health checks for 40 to 74-year-olds will take place.

Question reference: S3W-34631

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the cost of providing Life Begins at 40 health checks.

Question reference: S3W-34629

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the cost of providing universal health checks for 40 to 74-year-olds.

Question reference: S3W-34625

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people will be entitled to Life Begins at 40 health checks.

Question reference: S3W-34628

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive with what regularity Life Begins at 40 health checks will take place.

Question reference: S3W-34632

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the British Medical Association regarding the introduction of universal health checks for 40 to 74-year-olds.

Question reference: S3W-34572

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the reported statement by a Scottish Government spokesman in relation to wind farm applications in The Press and Journal of 10 June 2010 that “we are working to deliver an increasingly effective and efficient planning system and have introduced simplified policies and procedures to speed up the decision-making process”, what changes have been introduced to speed up the decision-making process for onshore wind farm applications since May 2007.

The requirements for processing planning applications are set out in Planning Circular 4/2009 “ Development Management. The procedures are intended to improve efficiency in developing and determining applications as well as providing greater certainty and speed of decision making. The circular is available on the Scottish Government''s website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/07/03153034/0.

Most of the changes to the planning system came into force on 3 August 2009 and, for the most part, apply only to planning applications or appeals made on or after that date.

Planning application procedures only apply to proposed wind farms up to 50 megawatts, while proposed developments exceeding 50 megawatts are determined under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Scottish Ministers. Accordingly, the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit have revised the pre-application scoping process for developers. This fresh approach re-emphasises the need to focus on early engagement and on efforts to assist the developer in identifying the key environmental issues of their proposal by drawing on the knowledge and experience of local authorities, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage and other bodies such as the Forestry Commission at pre-application stage thereby reducing the need for later alterations that could lead to delay. The introduction of focussed and specific gate-checking meetings has been warmly received by planning authorities and other consultees. Gate-checking is carried out following receipt of an applicant''s Environmental Statement and allows the parties involved to test understanding and clarify issues directly with the developer. It has proven to be particularly useful when dealing with complex, large scale applications.

With reference to The Press and Journal article of 10 June 2010 regarding Calliachar, the earlier decision related to an application made under the Electricity Act, with the current application being subject to a planning decision by the Scottish Ministers under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. A decision on the case will be made as soon as possible.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) was launched on 4 February 2010 and includes the Scottish Government''s planning policies on the siting of wind farms. The SPP is part of the recent reforms to the planning system and states that planning authorities should prepare spatial frameworks for wind farms in their development plans. Development plans will be reviewed on a five-yearly cycle providing more confidence to investors, communities and to planning authorities in the decision making process. The SPP is available on the Scottish Government''s website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/03132605/0.

Planning Advice Note 45 Renewable Energy Technologies is currently being reviewed to provide up-to-date advice, signposting sources of technical guidance and the latest good practice approaches.