Parliamentary questions

Fergus Ewing

2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when phase one of the upgrade and refurbishment of Waverley Station will be completed; whether this will increase the capacity of the station from 24 to 28 trains per hour, and, if so, when the station will be operating at this new increased capacity.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The target date forcompletion of the re-development of Waverley Station is November 2007. Thiswill increase the number of trains which Waverley can accommodate from 24 per hour to 28.The station will have thecapacity for four more train paths. Operatio…

8 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total cost of the Waverley phase one works to increase the capacity of Waverley Station, broken down into the main components of the work, including the work on the Waverley Steps, and also allowing for any optimism bias.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is fullyfunding the redevelopment of Waverley Station at an estimated cost of £150 million,broken down into the following components: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=305> <thead> <tr> <td width=212 valign=top> …

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates that the proposed review of the Sport 21 programme will cost.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The review of Sport 21 will cost in the region of £30,000.

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed review of the Sport 21 programme can be regarded as independent if sportscotland and the Scottish Sports Association are appointed to the group which conducts the review.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The review of Sport 21 has been established to produce recommendations on how the key partners in Scottish sport might better support the delivery of the Sport 21 aims and objectives. I believe it would be inappropriate for the review to exclude any of the ke…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed review of the Sport 21 programme should be carried out by a body independent of sportscotland and the Scottish Sports Association.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: No. The review of Sport 21 will build on the established vision for the development of Scottish sport but take into account the need to secure legacies from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and if successful, the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Therefore, it would …

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grant assistance Forscot has received from (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and (b) other public bodies in respect of a proposed integrated pulp mill, paper mill, chemical plant, bio-energy scheme, rail heads and sawmill in Invergordon; whether the Executive will consult HI…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Forestry Commission Scotlandhas granted Forscot £10,000 towards studies of the pulping properties of Scotspine and Sitka spruce. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise(SEn) have contributed towards Phase 1 of the project’s feasibility …

3 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking as a result of a letter, dated 5 December 2005, to it from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in respect of the Electricity Act 1989 and an application for the development of the Muaitheabhal Windfarm in the Western Isles, in which SNH states that the methodology emp…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The letter from SNH referred to by Fergus Ewing, was a revision of the advice in its earlier response to this application and arose from the error identified in the original collision risk assessment, which was undertaken as part of the Environmental Assessme…

3 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is of SEPA View, the magazine of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; whether it considers that the magazine is necessary, and how many statements or articles it has carried in any of its 28 issues from MSPs outwith the Scottish Executive parties.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I believe that SEPA View provides a useful means for SEPA to communicate with its stakeholders, schools, NGOs, other interested parties and the general public about the agency’s activities and wider environmental issues. It is, however, for the agency …

25 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the natural life of the buildings comprising the Belford Hospital is nearing its end and, if so, whether contingency plans will now be made for a new purpose-built hospital in Fort William.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is not for the Scottish Executive to form an opinion on such issues as operational responsibility for the strategic planning and day-to-day operational management of health care buildings is delegated to NHSScotland bodies, in this case NHS Highland. <…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that Her Majesty’s Government will bring forward the new grant programmes intended to replace the PowerShift scheme and on what date applications for grants under the new programmes will be considered.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The UK Government Department for Transport (DfT) is developing a new scheme. The timescale for introduction is dependent on clearance by the European Commission. The Energy Saving Trust (EST), which administers transport programmes on behalf of the Dep…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the request by Shona Robison MSP during the debate on future arrangements for health services in the Argyll and Clyde area for a guarantee that the Minister for Health and Community Care will formally review the sufficiency of the financial settlement and how se…

Answer · Andy Kerr: As outlined in the debate in Parliament regarding the future arrangements for health services in the Argyll and Clyde area, the area’s financial resources will be allocated to the successor boards using the Arbuthnott formula. The formula ensures that funds a…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Health and Community Care in the debate on future arrangements for health services in the Argyll and Clyde area that “the key requirement now is for the outgoing board and the two successor boards to work closely together to agree realistic fi…

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Argyll and Clyde, in line with all NHS boards, is expected to agree a local delivery plan (LDP), including a five year strategic financial plan, with the Health Department by the end of March 2006. The plan will be allocated between the two successor boar…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of disclosing public sector comparator calculations on PFI and PPP contracts and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Final Business Case of a PPP project that has reached financial close contains calculations on the Public Sector Comparator. Since June 1999, Scottish Executive policy has been to publish Final Business Cases, having due regard to issues of commercial con…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, once the PFI contract for the Inverness Airport terminal building has been bought out, whether it will publish the public sector comparator used at the outset to compare the relative estimated costs of PFI with public sector funding and, if not, whether it will give its reasons for decli…

Answer · Tavish Scott: Yes.

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the buy-out of the PFI contract for the Inverness Airport terminal building will be completed and from what date it will be legally extinguished.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The buy-out of the InvernessAirport PFI is expected to be achieved through the purchase of Inverness AirTerminals Limited (the PFI concession company) by Highlands andIslands Airports Limited (HIAL). As a consequence, the PFI contract will comeunder the contr…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects further delay to the publication of the Route Action Plan for the A82 and, if not, on what date it expects the plan to be published.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The draft report arisingfrom the A82 Route Action Plan Study has been received and is being consideredby my officials. I expect a report to be submitted to me by the end ofFebruary. Following that our consultants will be preparing an executive summarywhich wi…

9 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to implement the resolution of the Parliament on 1 December 2005 on motion S2M-3657 as amended, in respect of onboard observers.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No further action is required. Fisheries Research Services has carried out an onboard observer sampling of demersal boats for 30 years. The sampling is scientific in nature and access to vessels is through a voluntary arrangement with the skipper. We h…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that an economic impact assessement should be carried out before any grant is paid for any environmental assessment or preliminary environmental assessment, with a view to saving public money in the event that there is no need for an environmental report to be car…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Any public sector project shouldbe developed in keeping with relevant requirements for the type of project and bearingin mind the need to ensure effective use of public funds. The order in which thedifferent elements of project assessment are carried out will…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the 30 largest amounts paid by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to enable individual applicants to commission reports, such as preliminary environment and economic impact assessment reports.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Scottish Enterprise andHighlands and Islands Enterprise are responsible, within the requirements of ManagementsStatements, for determining the financial support that they provide to individualapplicants. This is therefore an operational matter for them.

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the 30 largest amounts paid by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, including their local enterprise companies, as financial support to companies in each of the last two financial years for which figures are available.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Scottish Enterprise and Highlands andIslands Enterprise are responsible, within the requirements of Management Statements,for determining the financial support that they provide to companies. This is thereforean operational matter for them.

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum amount is that can be provided to any one applicant to meet the costs of commissioning reports, such as preliminary environmental assessment or economic impact assessment reports, whether there is any requirement for the company itself to meet a proportion of the cost and…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No maximum amount is prescribed.Where the enterprise networks provide support towards the costs associated withcommissioning reports, such as environment or economic impact assessments it isfor the networks to determine appropriate levels, having regard to re…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regard the Scottish Enterprise Network should have, in considering any application for grant assistance or other financial aid submitted by a private company or by a company engaged in the private sector, to the issue of displacement whereby the granting of financial assistance to th…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Management Statement between the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Enterprise Network states that projects with economic objectives should generally be undertaken only where there is the prospect of a net benefit at the level of the Scottish economy. Ho…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to provide grant funding to new businesses in the timber and timber processing sectors and, if so, what limits apply to such funding.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: New businesses in the timber and timber processing sectors can access generic business development support. The provision of advice and support for business start-ups and growing businesses is primarily an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highla…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it may be exposed to legal action, particularly under employment law or the European Convention on Human Rights, if any employee of the Crofters Commission is required to surrender civil service status.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Legislation is underway to change the status of the Crofters Commission. Once this legislation is introduced, staff of the Crofters Commission will be given the choice to transfer to the new non-departmental public body, or to retain their status as civil ser…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that employees of the Crofters Commission can be required to surrender their civil service status; whether any reservations or doubts have been expressed in the legal or other advice received on this issue and, if so, whether it will provide details of such reserva…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies, excluding those in the Crofters Commission, have arisen in its departments, agencies and non departmental public bodies in Inverness in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05, broken down by (i) department agency or non-departmental public body and (ii) grade and whether it will …

Answer · Tom McCabe: In 2003-04 there were nine vacancies within the Scottish Executive in Inverness as follows: Band A1 – 2; Band A2 – 1; Band A3 – 2; Band B1 – 3; Band B2 – 1.In 2004-05 there have been six vacancies within the Scottish executive in Inverness so fa…

29 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sequestrations of individuals have been awarded following petitions raised by (a) HM Customs and Excise, (b) the Inland Revenue and (c) HM Revenue and Customs, since it was established in April 2005, in each year since the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 came into force.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Gillian Thompson,Chief Executive of Accountant in Bankruptcy to respond. Her response is asfollows:The following table shows thenumber of sequestrations awarded annually for each petitioning creditor from theintroduction of the Bankruptcy …

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in favour of establishing Business Improvement Districts.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We said in Partnership for a Better Scotland that we would work with local authorities to establish Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). We have done that. Following extensive consultation with business and local authorities, we announced in June 20…

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will invite representatives from the Mallaig and North-West Fishermen’s Association and the West of Scotland Fish Producers’ Organisation to act as informal advisers to assist it in impending negotiations in Brussels in respect of next year’s west of Scotland nephrops Total All…

Answer · Ross Finnie: I met with Mallaig and North West Fishermens Association on 10 August 2005 to discuss this year’s December Council. The association was also represented at my meeting with stakeholders in Inverness on 1 September 2005 and at a number of preparatory meetings h…

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek approval from the European Union for a 20% harvest ratio in its negotiations in respect of next year’s west of Scotland nephrops Total Allowable Catch, based on advice from the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory that this ratio is more appropriate than the …

Answer · Ross Finnie: I have argued for some time that there is a strong case for an increase in the west coast nephrops TAC. I am pleased to see that the Commission’s proposals for this TAC reflect the advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (ST…