- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the contribution that local authority action will make to meeting its climate change targets.
Answer
The Executive collects data on the contribution that the public sector as a whole is making to Scottish greenhouse gas emissions. However, no estimate has been made of the contribution that overall action by Scottish local authorities will make to future levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Given that action by Scottish local authorities can include voluntary measures, it would be difficult to estimate the changes in emission levels that such actions may bring about.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist local authorities in contributing to meet its climate change targets.
Answer
The Executive is working in partnership with the UK Government to deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol and in moving towards the UK domestic goal of a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010.Local authorities have an important role in delivering this commitment and can contribute in a number of ways. Along with COSLA and SOLACE, the Executive published last year Community Leadership and Climate Change in Scotland, which offers guidance to chief executives of Scottish local authorities on action they can take to tackle climate change. The Executive is happy to work with local authorities to develop the response strategies outlined in that document. In this respect, I was pleased earlier this year to have been able to support publication of Aberdeen City Council's Climate Change Action Plan.Another avenue which local authorities may explore is through the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO) which works with public and private sector organisations to improve their energy efficiency. Local authorities are eligible for a free energy audit and can also benefit from the Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme. This scheme offers grants to assist and encourage the development, demonstration, application and replication of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies within Scotland. SEEO is also assisting local authorities in their investigations into innovative measures to improve energy efficiency.We will continue to look for opportunities to deliver our climate change commitments through working in partnership with local authorities and others in Scotland.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been called in as a result of a local authority notification of interest in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is given in the following table.
| Year | Number of Planning Applications Notified due to Local Authority Interest* | Number Called In for Determination by the Scottish Ministers |
| 2002 (to date) | 97 | 2 |
| 2001 | 101 | 11 |
| 2000 | 85 | 6 |
| 1999 | 101 | 6 |
| 1998 | 93 | 3 |
Source: Scottish Executive Development Department.Note: *Referred to the Scottish ministers under the terms of paragraph 16 of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of planning application appeals by developers were successful in each of the last five years.
Answer
It is not possible to distinguish between types of developer. The following information therefore relates to all planning permission appeals decided in each of the last five business years.
| 1997-98 | 38% |
| 1998-99 | 30% |
| 1999-2000 | 34% |
| 2000-01 | 35% |
| 2001-02 | 38% |
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been subject to appeal by developers in each of the last five years.
Answer
It is not possible to distinguish between types of developer. The following information therefore relates to all planning permission appeals received in each of the last five business years.
| 1997-98 | 711 |
| 1998-99 | 743 |
| 1999-2000 | 650 |
| 2000-01 | 678 |
| 2001-02 | 574 |
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been called in as a result of a local authority notification of intention to depart from a development plan in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is given in the following table.
| Year | Number of Planning Applications Notified as Departures from the Development Plan* | Number Called In for Determination by the Scottish Ministers |
| 2002 (to date) | 18 | 5 |
| 2001 | 18 | 6 |
| 2000 | 34 | 9 |
| 1999 | 47 | 18 |
| 1998 | 22 | 3 |
Source: Scottish Executive Development Department.Note: *Referred to the Scottish ministers under the terms of paragraph 8 of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve services for people who are HIV positive.
Answer
Following the publication of the Report of the HIV Health Promotion Strategy Review Group in January 2001, the Executive made an additional 拢7 million available to NHS boards, over the four years from 2000-01, to assist their work to prevent the spread of HIV and other bloodborne viruses. The allocation for 2002-03 is 拢8.1 million.Local authorities also have a key role in supporting those suffering from HIV. Substantial additional resources have been allocated in the local government finance settlements for 2001-02 to 2003-04 for all community care provision.The Executive also provides some 拢500,000 to a range of voluntary organisations responding to the challenges posed by bloodborne viruses, particularly HIV and hepatitis C.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives there are to support the educational attainment of looked-after children.
Answer
We are committed to improving the educational attainment of looked-after children. By the end of this year we expect local authorities to ensure that looked-after children receive full-time education, that they have a care plan covering their educational needs, and that each school has a designated teacher to look after their interests. In 2001-02 we gave local authorities 拢10 million to support the education of looked-after young people. The spending review allocated money to improving outcomes, including educational attainment, for looked-after children. This year we have collected information on the educational attainment of looked-after children for the first time and we have commissioned Who Cares? Scotland to survey looked-after children to find out about their experiences of education, what they want from education and how it can be inspired.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of new houses with solar/photovoltaic tiles.
Answer
We have no such plans. However, the Executive is committed to promoting the development of a range of renewable energy technologies. We have already funded a photovoltaic project at a new ferry terminal under our Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme. We have also put in place a Community Renewables Advisory service to stimulate more renewables development across our communities. We expect solar projects to benefit from the support and expertise which this new service will offer.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1F-2185 by the First Minister on 31 October 2002, what remit has been agreed for the Cabinet sub-committee on flooding; which ministers will be invited to attend meetings of the sub-committee; when its first meeting will be, and whether it will consider general flooding issues or only flooding issues that affect transport.
Answer
The remit of the Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers on Flooding Issues is: (a) To consider current arrangements for addressing flood risk and how advice and support is provided to those at risk from, and affected by, flooding, and(b) To provide advice to Cabinet by the end of February 2003 on how those arrangements can be improved.The Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers will consider general flooding issues within the terms of the group's remit, including, but not restricted to, those issues which affect transport.The members the Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers on Flooding Issues are:
Deputy First Minister (Chair)Minister for Finance and Central ServicesMinister for Environment and Rural DevelopmentMinister for Social JusticeDeputy Minister for Environment and Rural DevelopmentDeputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong LearningDeputy Minister for Health and Community Care (McAveety)The Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers on Flooding Issues met for the first time on 13 November 2002.
