To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider investigating the practices identified in the Soil Association’s report, Soil Carbon and Organic Farming: A review of the evidence on...

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of developing the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill to date, also showing the cost of (a) the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting, (b)...

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the fairness and proportionality of the single farm payment penalty system.

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding the single farm payment penalty system.

To ask the Scottish Executive when it next expects to meet stakeholders to discuss the single farm payment penalty system.

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that penalties imposed under the Single Farm Payment Scheme are fair and proportionate.

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking to examine the fairness and proportionality of fines imposed under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to farmers who believe that they may have been disproportionately penalised under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it planned to contribute to the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 at the start of the programme, also expressed as a percentage.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projections are for its spending on the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 over the course of the programme, also expressed in percentages.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projections were as at 1 January 2009 for the (a) national and (b) European spend on the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 until the end of 2009,...

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it does not publish the national score benchmarks, which determine an application’s success under the Scotland Rural Development Programme,...

To ask the Scottish Executive how long after meetings of regional proposal assessment committees it has made its decisions to endorse or overturn the committees’ recommendations to grant...

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it has taken, after announcing the successful applications for grant aid under the Scotland Rural Development Programme, to send contracts to the successful...

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it has taken to review the tenders for grant aid for capital projects made under the Scotland Rural Development Programme, broken down into each (a) round...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the formal guidelines it issues to applicants for grant aid under the Scotland Rural Development Programme include a requirement or recommendation that...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were made in 2009 to the Scotland Rural Development Programme by Shetland applicants; how many of these included agri-environment proposals,...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are collecting rents for allotments using regulations that have not been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority allotment tenants who have been charged rent as a result of the implementation of regulations that have not been confirmed by the Scottish...

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to compel the operators of aquaculture and fisheries equipment to fit and use benign acoustic deterrent devices to discourage seals and other...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many significant case reviews have been carried out in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the geographic areas are of Scotland’s six city regions and what towns are included in each geographic area.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister plans to visit the Maldives to follow up the commitments made to that country at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the First Minister wrote to invite representatives of the Maldives Government to meet him to discuss climate change at the UN Climate Change Conference...

To ask the Scottish Executive what commitments the First Minister made to the Maldives Government at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in respect of tackling climate change.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff will be working on its climate change programme with the Maldives Government during 2010, broken down by directorate.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make funding available to support (a) voluntary organisations and (b) faith groups to engage with civic society in the Maldives on climate change...

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29269 by Jim Mather on 3 December 2009, when it expects discussions between officials and others on the most effective...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates have been created or supported by its (a) economic recovery plan, (b) economic strategy and (c) accelerated capital investment and how...

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to help local authorities grow their own economies.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school pupils have been sent home as a result of alcohol misuse in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are awaiting the installation of home insulation under the free home insulation scheme, broken down by local authority area.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are awaiting the installation of home insulation under the free home insulation scheme, broken down by Scottish Parliament constituency.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what contracts have been placed by Scotland Excel.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be in each year from 2010-11 onwards for which information is available to (a) each NHS board, (b) each local authority and (c) the remainder of...

To ask the Scottish Executive which projects are shovel ready, as stated by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in the news release, Pre-Budget Report , on 9 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive which infrastructure projects are at risk due to a lack of accelerated capital in the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred by the First Minister’s office in respect of (a) accommodation, (b) travel, (c) transport, (d) stationery and (e) hospitality...

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it and its agencies are giving to communities and farmers at risk of flooding once the snow thaws.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has expressed a view to the European Commission or the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on proposals to allow member states to make...

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason optometrists are not used to carry out pre-school vision screening in cases where orthoptists are not available.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been treated at emergency units due to falls during the recent cold weather conditions and what proportion was represented by individuals aged...

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average NHS expenditure is on a person in receipt of specialist palliative care services.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average NHS expenditure is on a person in receipt of generalist palliative care services.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual number is of people receiving either generalist or specialist palliative care.

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs to train a palliative care generalist.

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are associated with delivering Living and Dying Well: A national action plan for palliative and end of life care in Scotland .

To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-28470 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 November 2009, what progress has been made with establishing a norovirus reference laboratory...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions were carried out by each housing association in 2008-09.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions were carried out by each local authority in 2008-09.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions were carried out by social landlords in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09.

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations have received funding under the £70 million lending facility offered by the European Investment Bank and the Housing Finance Corporation and...

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations applied unsuccessfully for funding under the £70 million lending facility offered by the European Investment Bank and the Housing Finance...

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in establishing a housing investment bank.

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29915 by Alex Neil on 6 January 2010, on what risk basis the Scottish Housing Regulator will determine its regulatory...

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29109 by John Swinney on 1 December 2009, how assessments of progress are being made in relation to affordable housing by...

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions its officials have had with the European Commission regarding new cross-compliance enforcement procedures, particularly in relation to livestock...

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27485 by Richard Lochhead on 1 October 2009, whether it will permit producers to carry out, record and report within-business...

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to EU Regulation 21/2004 on the identification of sheep and goats, whether the implementation of critical control points will be dependent on the...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to produce guidance on the meaning of equivalent environmental benefit as referred to in section 72(4)(b) of the Marine (Scotland) Bill.

To ask the Scottish Executive how frequently it expects the exception under section 85(1)(b) of the Marine (Scotland) Bill to be disapplied by marine conservation orders in order to restrict the...

To ask the Scottish Executive how existing leasing arrangements for renewables installations will be taken into account by the designation process for marine protected areas under the Marine...

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunity it will give to licensees to put their case to the Scottish Ministers before a licence is suspended, revoked or varied under section 23 of the...

To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards it will put in place to ensure the independence and impartiality of decision making on the suspension, revocation or variation of a licence under...

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it will make for reasons to be given to applicants for a licensing decision under section 22 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill.

To ask the Scottish Executive what grounds of appeal there will be against decisions taken by the Scottish Ministers under section 22 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill and what powers sheriffs will...

To ask the Scottish Executive what grounds of appeal there will be against decisions taken by the Scottish Ministers under section 23 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill to suspend, revoke or vary a...

To ask the Scottish Executive what official engagements were undertaken by (a) the First Minister, (b) each cabinet secretary and (c) other ministers between 18 December 2009 and 6 January 2010.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many practising palliative care specialists there are.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many palliative care specialist posts there are.

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to implement the recommendations in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report, Tackling Indifference: Healthcare Services for People with...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list every (a) non-departmental public body, (b) Executive agency and (c) associated department for each year since 1998.

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide an update on its policy for the long-term management of higher activity radioactive waste arising in Scotland.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rail franchise operator is required to run six-carriage trains on the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the passenger rail franchise requires specific capacity for particular services.

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the Review of the General Permitted Development Order 1992: Final Report in any recent reviews of permitted development rights.

To ask the Scottish Executive which sections of the A82 it regarded in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009 as being statistically the most likely for accidents.

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that the new special roads and trunk roads of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will all be open.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to proceed with the Fastlink between Milltimber and Stonehaven as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many gritters were in operation on the A76 in East Ayrshire between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many snow ploughs were in operation on the A76 in East Ayrshire between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the A76 in East Ayrshire was treated with grit and salt between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times pavements and footpaths adjacent to the A76 in (a) New Cumnock and (b) Mauchline were treated with salt and grit between midnight on 21 and midnight...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many gritters were in operation on the A77 south of Ayr between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many snow ploughs were in operation on the A77 south of Ayr between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the A77 south of Ayr was treated with grit and salt between midnight on 21 and midnight on 22 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times pavements and footpaths adjacent to the A77 in (a) Ballantrae, (b) Lendalfoot, (c) Girvan, (d) Kirkoswald, (e) Maybole and (f) Minishant were treated...

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will lay before the Parliament the orders necessary to allow work to commence on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the proposed A92 Road Orders in relation to the A92 east of Newport-on-Tay, Fife.

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government and its appropriate agencies regarding resources and supplies of grit and salt should these be required.

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release on 26 November 2009, More new schools , on what grounds one further primary school in Glasgow has been included among the primary...

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release on 26 November 2009, More new schools , for what reason the one further primary school in Glasgow included among the primary...

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release on 26 November 2009, More new schools , what negotiations there were regarding the inclusion of one further primary school in...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill as passed by the Scottish Parliament on 19 November 2009 pertain to nursery schools.

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on establishing the Finance and Investment arm of the Scottish Futures Trust.

To ask the Scottish Executive what work is being carried out by the Finance and Investment arm of the Scottish Futures Trust.

To ask the Scottish Executive, following publication of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014, whether it now considers the Scottish Futures Trust to be fully operational.

To ask the Scottish Executive, following publication of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014, whether it expects the Scottish Futures Trust to realise annual savings of...

To ask the Scottish Executive, following publication of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014, what proportion of savings and benefits it estimates will be derived from each of the...

To ask the Scottish Executive what public and private organisations have been involved in discussions with the Scottish Futures Trust, as stated on page four of the Scottish Futures Trust...

To ask the Scottish Executive for how many years revenue from the Scottish Government will be the Scottish Futures Trust’s main source of income.

To ask the Scottish Executive when it considers that the Scottish Futures Trust will be ready to form joint ventures and make investments that will allow other sources of income to be developed.

To ask the Scottish Executive what important performance measures will be externally validated, as stated on page six of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014.

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Futures Trust’s objectives, as described in the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014, differ from those outlined in the Scottish...

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Futures Trust is providing "more bang for the people’s bucks", as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable...

To ask the Scottish Executive what fees are or will be charged by the Scottish Futures Trust to the Scottish Government for the services it provides and how these fees are or will be calculated.

To ask the Scottish Executive what deadline has been set for the Scottish Futures Trust’s delivery of £100-£150 million of savings per annum, as stated on page four of the...

To ask the Scottish Executive how and by whom the performance multiplier of a minimum of x7 referred to on page 19 of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014 was set.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust will be audited by Audit Scotland.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of any bonus schemes in place for Scottish Futures Trust staff.

To ask the Scottish Executive what journeys have been undertaken by public transport by ministers since 18 December 2009.

To ask the Scottish Executive on what occasions the Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Executive was at work in his office between 18 December 2009 and 6 January 2010.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases regarding hill tracks have been brought before the Scottish Land Court.

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to help introduce reduced ignition propensity cigarettes, following the publication of Scotland Together: A Study examining fire deaths and...

To ask the Scottish Executive how many landfill consignments in 2008 contained ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households suffered a loss of water supply in November 2009, broken down by (a) Scottish Parliament constituency and (b) local authority area.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households suffered a loss of water supply in December 2009, broken down by (a) Scottish Parliament constituency and (b) local authority area.

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional finance will be made available to local authorities to deal with the consequences of the extended period of snow and low temperatures.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people accessed employment through Inspiring Scotland in 2009.