- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a reported drop in recruitment levels in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, resulting in a possible reduction from five battalions to three in five years, would have on the Scottish economy over that time period.
Answer
Defence is a reserved matter.The Ministry of Defence have not announced any plans to reduce the number of battalionsfrom Scotland beyond the five battalions that will be created by themerger of The Royal Scots Battalion and The King’s Own Scottish Borderers on 1 August 2006.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recently reported allegations anent plans to undermine the Wilson government in the 1960s, whether it holds any intelligence regarding potential subversive activity to undermine the democracy of Scotland by (a) senior British military officers and (b) the British Security Service and, if so, what that intelligence is.
Answer
In line with established practice,it would not be appropriate to comment on operational matters relating to the Securityand Intelligence Service.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 30 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what contingency plans are in place should the debating chamber be temporarily unavailable.
Answer
The SPCB adopted contingencyplans for the loss of the Holyrood Chamber in September 2005, following areport by officials on alternative venues considered or used by the parliamentsince 1999. These plans address the implications of using various alternativevenues for meetings which would otherwise be held in the debating chamber.Contingency plans identify the facilities available at a number of them and thestaffing and other resources required to procure, set up and run meetings atthose alternative venues.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the social and medical impact on vulnerable, frail and elderly people of the replacement of a meals-on-wheels service with a frozen-meals service.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has notcarried out any such research and is not aware of any other research into the socialand medical impact of a frozen meals service.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek views on the impact of replacing daily hot meals with frozen meals during its Strategy for an Ageing Population consultation.
Answer
The consultation on the Strategyfor a Scotland with an Ageing Population has six broad ranging questions, anddoes not ask about any particular existing service. However, it encourages respondentsto contribute their views on a wide range of topics, including the provision ofservices.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide a frozen-meals delivery service as standard to vulnerable, frail and elderly people.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which specific Executive policy or policies will lead to the eradication of child poverty by 2020.
Answer
We are working with the UK Governmentto tackle poverty in Scotland, taking forward activities at our own hand through ourClosing the Opportunity Gap approach.
Details of Scottish ExecutiveSpending on Initiatives Aimed at Eradicating Child Poverty was published on 22 July 2004 andcan be accessed at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/FOI/19260/poverty.This includes on-going programmessuch as Working for Families and the Changing Children’s Services Fund.
The need for additional programmesto eradicate child poverty will be considered at the next and subsequent SpendingReviews.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 29 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident will be revoked, in part or in whole.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that Chernobyl-related restrictions will continue until thereis no longer a risk of sheep which exceed the control level entering the foodchain.
Since1987, the number of restricted farms in Scotland has gradually reduced from 73 to 10 as of 10 February 2006. Radioactive levels continue to decline on the fewremaining restricted farms in Scotland; however environmental variability ofthese levels means it is not possible to specify when restrictions may beremoved.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 28 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments made by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 15 March 2006 in respect of my national concessionary travel pass application (Official Report c. 24045), whether his assurance on timescales applies to all individuals whose applications have been received.
Answer
We will make every effort toensure that everyone who submitted a valid application before 20 March will receivetheir entitlement card by 1 April 2006. Those who for whatever reason do not have a new EntitlementCard by 1 April will be able to use their old travel card for local travel for alimited period of time thereafter.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of children living in poverty are from an ethnic minority group, expressed also as a percentage of the total ethnic minority population.
Answer
It is only possible to identifythe ethnic group of the head of household.
In Scotland in 2002-03to 2004-05, after housing costs, an estimated 6% of children living in householdsthat are in relative low income poverty, have a minority ethnic head of household.Before housing costs the figure is estimated to be 7%.
In Scotland in 2002-03to 2004-05, after housing costs, an estimated 42% of children with a minority ethnichead of household, live in households that are in relative low income poverty. Beforehousing costs the figure is estimated to be 41%.
