Parliamentary questions
Annabel Goldie
508 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23688 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2002, what procedure is in place to deal with a situation where an E1 form, issued by a procurator fiscal in relation to the disposal of mortal remains by cremation and requiring a cause of death, contains no spe…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in the answer given to question S1W-23688, Procurators Fiscal are aware that under the provisions of the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 1935, cause of death should be detailed on Form E1. Final authorisation for cremation lies with the Medical Ref…
22 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in its consideration of responses to the consultation on the draft designation order for the Loch Lomond the Trossachs National Park.
Answer · Allan Wilson: We have completed our consideration of responses to the consultation on the draft Designation Order for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The draft Designation Order and the draft Elections Order were laid before Parliament on 26 February. The …
22 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Real Learning Centres are now open in libraries.
Answer · Elaine Murray: Real Learning is a brand name created by the key providers for learning in Glasgow (Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and other partners). I understand that at present there are 15 Real Learning Centres open at various locations in the city, w…
18 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why management and administration costs in the Scottish Enterprise Network in 2000 rose from 15% to 17% of total costs when compared with the previous year, as outlined in the network's Annual Report Summary 2000-01.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The increase reflected short-term pressures, including organisational restructuring costs and severance, on administration costs, and was agreed by my department.<P>Departmental officials have recently concluded a review of Scottish Enterprise's administratio…
18 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any biomass project under the Scottish Renewables Obligation is currently operating.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Three biomass schemes were awarded contracts under the Scottish Renewables Obligation, one of which is currently operating. That is a chicken litter-fired power station at Westfield in Fife.
8 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5443/2002 of 4 March 2002, whether it will list the economic development projects in the west of Scotland that will benefit from the new round of support from European Structural Funds under the Objective 2 programme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The list of projects that will benefit from my announcement on the latest awards of European Structural Funds announced on 4 March 2002 is shown in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="42%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Pro…
8 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21633 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 23 January 2002, when it will reach a decision on the advice submitted to it by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council in respect of the Research Assessment Exercise of 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In light of the advice of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, I announced, on 26 February, an additional funding package of £25 million for research in higher education over three years, consisting of £5 million in 2001-02, and £10 million each yea…
8 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any call centres are considering a move to India in order to reduce operational costs.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is not, as a matter of course, involved, or necessarily informed, on every occasion a business considers a change of location, for whatever reason.
8 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Charter for Small Enterprises will lead to a reduction in red tape for Scottish businesses.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The charter raises the prospect of improvement in a range of areas, including administration procedures to better reflect their impact on small- to medium-sized enterprises, opportunities for cheaper and faster start-ups and reductions in barriers to the rais…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2903 by Susan Deacon on 8 February 2001, whether it is acceptable that form E1 issued by a Procurator Fiscal in relation to the disposal of mortal remains by cremation should contain no specific cause of death.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 1935 provide that, when applicable, the Procurator Fiscal should complete form E1. This form requires that cause of death should be given.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-19124 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 October 2001, when it expects the national advisory forum set up to look at the implementation of the review of charity law to complete its deliberations.
Answer · Jim Wallace: No specific date has been set by which the advisory forum has to complete its deliberations. We anticipate that the forum will contribute to the analysis of issues and options for implementation. We will make available to the forum, and will publish more wide…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Business Link Network is operational in disadvantaged communities.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the Business Link Network, which falls under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service and operates in England only.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Phoenix Fund is available in Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Phoenix Fund comprises a number of strands, only one of which is available in Scotland. The loan guarantees element, to help co-finance commercial lending to Community Finance Initiatives, is applicable across the UK. Organisations based in Scotland are f…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Charter for Small Enterprises will improve attitudes towards starting a business, given that in the household survey by the Department of Trade and Industry 33% of people hoping to start a business thought they would achieve their goal.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In its recent report on the implementation of the charter, the European Commission recognised the charter as a pillar of the Commission's enterprise policy and the cornerstone of the policy of the member states. The Commission report revealed that real progre…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of research post-graduates is sufficient for the future enhancement of research, given that 4% of current students are pursuing a research post-graduate course.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The number of students undertaking post-graduate research in Scottish higher education institutions has increased in recent years. A key objective of our Science Strategy is to ensure that enough people study science to a standard which will enable the future…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the level of public funding for higher education is adequate.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The level of funding provided to the sector by the Executive has risen by 20% from £551 million in 1997-98 to £660 in 2001-02. This does not include additional funding allocated for newly designated institutions of UHI Millennium Institute, Open University an…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has had its budget reduced by #141.7 million as detailed in Scotland's Budget Documents 2002-03.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The main reasons detailing the reduction in the budget of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, amounting to £141.7 million, is set out in the following paragraphs. However, as all adjustments are being made in Annually Managed Expenditure, the amount avail…
8 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether traffic congestion is damaging to business.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Road congestion imposes significant costs on business and the wider economy. The 1999 Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment report, <I>Transport and the Economy</I>, acknowledged the fact that traffic congestion can act as a constraint on econo…
8 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how research funding will change in the light of the Research Assessment Exercise in 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21633 on 23 January 2002.
8 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by local economic forums in determining what they do in Year 2.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Local economic forums first responsibility will be to continue to focus on delivering their action plans to reduce overlap and duplication, streamline access to business support services and deliver real improvements. Some forums may also wish to address issu…
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions involving fraudulent procurement of goods and services on the internet were brought in 2001; what proportion of cases were brought (a) in the High Court and (b) in sheriff courts; where High Court sittings in respect of such prosecutions were held and how many sittin…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information held on the Scottish Executive Justice Department's court proceedings database does not separately identify prosecutions for fraudulent procurement of goods and services on the internet from other cases of fraud.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases involving fraudulent procurement of goods and services on the internet were referred to the Procurators Fiscal in 2001.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Records of fraud cases do not distinguish between different methods of committing the offence and the information is, accordingly, not available.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Enterprise spent on contracted public relations services in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Enterprise spent on public relations staff in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was paid by Scottish Enterprise to contracted consultants in 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary members of staff were employed by Scottish Enterprise on 1 January in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many permanent members of staff were employed by Scottish Enterprise on 1 January in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.
23 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address any decline in exports, given that, as reported in the Edinburgh Evening News on 14 January 2002, 33% of exporters experienced an increase in turnover in the second half of 2001 compared with 52% in the second half of 2000.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Global Connections Strategy, launched in October 2001, sets out the Executive's aims for future international economic development activity. The strategy led to the creation of Scottish Development International which brings together the experience and ex…
23 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the level of business rates on firms' cash flows, given that, as reported in the Edinburgh Evening News on 14 January 2002, 29% of Scottish firms are experiencing cash flow problems.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A number of factors affect the cash flow of a business.<P>Business rates affect firms' cash flows to a greater or lesser extent depending on the rateable value of the property or properties involved. An assessment of the impact would therefore vary from busin…
23 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much non-domestic rate revenue each local authority collects from businesses with rateable values of (a) less than #10,000 and (b) #10,000 or more.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.