Section E – Written questions lodged from 19 to 23 October 2009

Questions marked with a triangle (Δ) are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.

Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an "R".

S3W-28253 Margaret Mitchell: To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices were served in each year since 2004, broken down by (a) sheriffdom and (b) offence committed.

S3W-28254 Margaret Mitchell: To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases were sent to (a) district and (b) Justice of the Peace courts in each year since 2004, broken down by sheriffdom.

S3W-28255 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on the pilot capture and release of sparrowhawks will be published.

S3W-28256 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since the 2004 consultation, Proposals to Revise Existing Animal Welfare Legislation - A Consultation, in relation to reared birds and raptors.

S3W-28257 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to implement the recommendations from the 2004 consultation, Proposals to Revise Existing Animal Welfare Legislation - A Consultation.

S3W-28258 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated buzzard population is.

S3W-28259 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) level and (b) locations of the buzzard population compare with those of (i) 10 and (ii) 20 years ago.

S3W-28260 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether a pheasant reared for release is considered a wild bird.

S3W-28261 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether a pheasant reared for release is considered a protected species.

S3W-28262 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual number of reared pheasant taken by buzzards is and what the source is of any such information.

S3W-28263 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be acceptable measures to protect from raptors a pheasant reared for release.

S3W-28264 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what powers exist to support and afford legal protection to the Colonsay black bee colony.

S3W-28265 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what additional legal powers it may consider to offer support and protection to the Colonsay black bee colony.

S3W-28266 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any incidence of varroa mite among honey bees on the Isle of Lewis.

S3W-28267 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what restrictions are being implemented to limit the spread of varroa mite to island bee populations.

S3W-28268 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26140 by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009, when its bee strategy will be published.

S3W-28269 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what its understanding is of the extent of (a) American and (b) European foulbrood in Scotland and what action is being taken to impact on their spread.

S3W-28270 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances it recommends the use of (a) antibiotics and (b) other treatments for (i) American and (ii) European foulbrood and in what circumstances it considers the destruction of affected bees the optimal form of intervention.

S3W-28271 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to test for the extent of (a) American and (b) European foulbrood in the spring of 2010 and to assess the impact of any antibiotic or other treatment administered in the weeks prior to the overwintering of bees.

S3W-28272 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the Scottish black bee a native or non-native species and what evidence it has to support this.

S3W-28273 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities regarding the cutting of roadside verges and their importance for biodiversity and pollinating insects.

S3W-28274 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that improved bee husbandry has a part to play in the control of disease in honey bee populations and what steps it is taking to support bee keepers in updating and improving their husbandry skills in light of increased incidence of disease.

S3W-28275 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards wild bees as having homing instincts.

S3W-28276 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards the Atlantic salmon as a wild creature for the purposes of protective legislation.

S3W-28277 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards the swallows that reside in Scotland each summer as native species and wild creatures.

S3W-28278 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27687 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it will make it its policy to collect information from NHS boards on the number of exceptional case requests received.

S3W-28279 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27699 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether the views of (a) patients and (b) patient representative organisations will be considered by the Scottish Medicines Consortium when it reviews its modifiers in April 2010.

S3W-28280 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27696 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it has considered the findings of the Rarer Cancers Forum’s report, Exceptional Scotland?, in relation to anti-emetic treatments.

S3W-28281 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27687 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it will make it its policy to make mandatory the guidance issued by the Scottish Medicines Consortium on the drugs that should be made available by the NHS.

S3W-28282 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27718 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, for what reason data on the direct supply of medicines to patients from hospitals are not available through the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database.

S3W-28283 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the impact on access to medicines for cancer patients of a positive appraisal of a treatment by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

S3W-28284 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of ground investigations at (a) Moss of Rotten, (b) Craiglug, (c) Silverburn and (d) Kingcausie in preparation for the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

S3W-28285 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the relocation of the International School of Aberdeen to Pitfodels in preparation for the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

S3W-28286 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the deaths in police custody in the last five years was as a result of suicide and how many of the individuals concerned had been seen by forensic medical examiners.

S3W-28287 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Grampian regarding changes to its staff nurse development programme.

S3W-28288 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of nurses graduating in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 took up a nursing position (i) with NHSScotland, (ii) elsewhere in the NHS, (iii) in the private sector and (iv) overseas and how many left the profession or are unemployed.

S3W-28289 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding increasing the provision of thermal insulation in domestic homes.

S3W-28290 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with utility companies regarding increasing the provision of thermal insulation in domestic homes.

S3W-28291 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what role the LEADER programme could have in increasing the provision of thermal insulation in domestic homes in rural areas.

S3W-28292 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase the provision of thermal insulation in domestic homes in South Ayrshire.

S3W-28293 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the ScotRail Franchise Authority Service Level Commitment when setting the winter 2009 timetable for the (a) Stranraer/Girvan - Newcastle service and (b) Glasgow Central - Stranraer service.

S3W-28294 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether ScotRail, in relation to its winter 2009 timetable, sought permission to provide a rail service that did not comply with the ScotRail Franchise Authority Service Level Commitment; if so, for what services, and what decision was reached in each case.

S3W-28295 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents involving tractors and other agricultural vehicles there have been on (a) trunk and (b) non-trunk roads in the last five years.

S3W-28296 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to identify areas of high usage by tractors and other agricultural vehicles on the trunk road network and how it is seeking to improve safety on these routes.

S3W-28297 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support community councils.

S3W-28298 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what support is provided to community councils by local authorities.

S3W-28299 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive how much grant funding each local authority has provided to community councils in each of the last five years.

S3W-28300 Marlyn Glen: To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) number and (b) rate of hospital admissions has been of people aged 65 and over in (i) Dundee and (ii) Angus as a result of falls in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by intermediate geographical zone.

S3W-28301 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision to write off the £180,000 loan to the organisers of The Gathering 2009 was made.

S3W-28302 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the organisers of The Gathering 2009 on repayment of the £180,000 loan before the decision to write it off.

S3W-28303 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what the original repayment schedule was for the £180,000 loan to the organisers of The Gathering 2009.

S3W-28304 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the organisers of The Gathering 2009 submitted a business plan prior to receiving support from the Scottish Government.

S3W-28305 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the loan given to the organisers of The Gathering 2009 is a cost against the budget line for Homecoming Scotland or whether it will be met from elsewhere in the Scottish Government’s budget for 2008-09.

S3W-28306 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died in police custody in each year since 1999 as a result of suicide and how many of those were known problem drug users.

S3W-28307 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died in prison in each year since 1999 as a result of suicide and how many of those were known problem drug users.

S3W-28308 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died in psychiatric hospitals in each year since 1999 as a result of suicide and how many of those were known problem drug users.

S3W-28309 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the publication of the joint COSLA and Scottish Government best practice guidance on commissioning of social care.

S3W-28310 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive when the analysis of the reports from local authorities on implementation of the first round of single outcome agreements will be published.

S3W-28311 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have not submitted reports on the implementation of the first round of single outcome agreements.

S3W-28312 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over 65 have been referred to each local authority under the terms of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007.

S3W-28313 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support people with myasthenia gravis.

S3W-28314 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have myasthenia gravis, broken down by NHS board.

S3W-28315 Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31889 by Andy Kerr on 2 March 2007, what the median hospital waiting time is for patients diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

S3W-28316 Jackson Carlaw: To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of influenza A (H1N1) infection trends in Scotland and the experiences of countries throughout the world, how many patients it forecasts will require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment and how many ECMO machines it will require access to in order to cope with this demand.

S3W-28317 Gavin Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government over the repealing of the furnished holiday lettings rules proposed in the UK Budget.

S3W-28318 Gavin Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the impact that the proposed repeal of the furnished holiday lettings rules will have on the holiday lettings industry.

S3W-28319 Gavin Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of (a) how many people claimed for and (b) how much was claimed in tax relief for expenditure on furnished holiday letting properties in each of the last five years.

S3W-28320 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it included in its consideration when setting Priority 1 and 2 objectives for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014.

S3W-28321 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive what factors led to its identifying climate change and adaptation as a Priority 2 (Desirable) objective for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014.

S3W-28322 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that identifying climate change and adaptation as a Priority 2 (Desirable) objective for Scottish Water for 2010 to 2014 will limit Scottish Water’s ability to deliver on the public body duties to be introduced under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

S3W-28323 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take prior to the publication of public body duty guidance, expected in 2011 under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation are sufficiently prioritised by Scottish Water.

S3W-28324 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27011 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, how its policy on carbon capture readiness contributes to the target of 42% emissions reductions by 2020, as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

S3W-28325 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27005 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, whether the target of 42% emissions reductions by 2020, as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and compared with 34% across the rest of the United Kingdom, is part of its considerations in finalising its thermal generation guidance.

S3W-28326 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27005 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, in what way it expects its thermal generation guidance to contribute to meeting the target of 42% emissions reductions by 2020, as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, and whether that guidance will include elements specific to Scotland, reflecting its different emissions reduction target from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.

S3W-28327 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27014 by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009, on what date it expects to issue its thermal generation guidance and whether it expects this to be before or after the UK Government issues its guidance.

S3W-28328 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comments of Donald Findlay QC reported in The Times on 21 October 2009 in relation to "googling jurors"; whether it intends to take action, and, if so, what action.

S3W-28329 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19446 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009, what further consideration it has given to plans to make available to communities in Scotland neighbourhood crime maps, as introduced in England and Wales by the Home Office on 6 January 2009.

S3W-28330 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19446 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009, what enhancements it is making to the crime level data for the 2009 index and when it expects this data to be published.

S3W-28331 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of concerns in rural areas that customers in such areas can be charged extra by carrier or courier companies for the delivery of goods; if so, what its position is on this matter, and what relevant discussions it has had with (a) carrier or courier companies and (b) the UK Government.

S3W-28332 Michael Matheson: To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland clinical standards for neurological health services will be published.

S3W-28333 Michael Matheson: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to support the implementation of the forthcoming NHS Quality Improvement Scotland clinical standards for neurological health services.

S3W-28334 Ms Wendy Alexander: To ask the Scottish Executive what the names are of the 14 condition C schools in Renfrewshire as noted in table 6.1 of Schools Estate Statistics 2009.

S3W-28335 Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for charities to receive funds from the £1.7 million Third Sector Resilience Fund.

S3W-28336 Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for the dispersal of funds from the Third Sector Resilience Fund.

S3W-28337 Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications to the Third Sector Resilience Fund from organisations that have been affected by the collapse of the Kaupthing Bank will be given special consideration.

S3W-28338 Nanette Milne: To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to farmers to take forward mini-hydro schemes to help achieve its renewable energy targets.

S3W-28339 Nanette Milne: To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding abstraction licences for mini-hydro schemes to help achieve its renewable energy targets.

S3W-28340 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it had with the organisers of The Gathering 2009 prior to the event taking place.

S3W-28341 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received a copy of the business plan for The Gathering 2009 in advance of the event taking place.

S3W-28342 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the (a) City of Edinburgh Council and (b) Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance regarding debts incurred by The Gathering 2009.

S3W-28343 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what losses have been taken on by the (a) City of Edinburgh Council, (b) Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance and (c) Scottish Government in relation to The Gathering 2009.

S3W-28344 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the creditors of The Gathering 2009, including for any debt written off or payment made by public agencies.

S3W-28345 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it considers need to be learnt from the financial loss incurred by The Gathering 2009, given that it met the ticket sales target set by the organisers.

S3W-28346 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the transfer of support for community services and facilities projects from the Rural Priorities scheme to the LEADER programme will be matched by a transfer of funding and, if so, what funding will be transferred in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

S3W-28347 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be available to the LEADER programme in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12 to support community services and facilities projects; whether it will be shared between regions, and, if so, how.

S3W-28348 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive how it will handle applications to the Rural Priorities scheme for support for community services and facilities projects made before its announcement that such applications are to be transferred to the LEADER programme and whether fresh applications to the programme will be required.

S3W-28349 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the LEADER programme is now able to process applications for community services and facilities projects and, if not, when will it be able to do so.

S3W-28350 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive when the independent evaluation of the campus cop scheme will be published.

S3W-28351 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of test purchasing on the sale of knives to young people.

S3W-28352 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20278 by Fergus Ewing on 10 February 2009, whether it (a) considers that it would be helpful to hold information on the test purchases of knives as it does in relation to alcohol and (b) intends to collect this information in future.

S3W-28353 Jeremy Purvis: To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been saved as a direct result of its accelerated capital programme and where.

S3W-28354 Jeremy Purvis: To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the number of jobs that have been saved as a direct result of its accelerated capital programme.

S3W-28355 Jeremy Purvis: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release on 22 September 2009, Greener business revolution, when it will produce the "robust Scottish employment data".

S3W-28356 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive when North Isles Marine Ltd, of Yell in Shetland, will be informed of the outcome of its appeal against the rejection of its application to the European Fisheries Fund.