Fergus Ewing

6 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its Records Management Manual, whether it will publish a list of lost files as referred to in paragraph 3.9 and give brief details of the subject matter of its lost files since 1999, and prior to that of each lost file of the Scottish Office which it is now responsible for…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The list referred to in paragraph3.9 of the Executive’s <i>Records Management Manual</i> is a means to track downfiles which have been mislaid. It is not intended to be an ongoing list of lostfiles. However, we will publish a list of lost files as part of the…

31 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been made in respect of which company or companies will provide the completion of access to broadband to rural areas and whether it will publish the terms of any tender awarded for provision of these services and the costs involved.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A contract was signed on 15 April with BT for the provision of broadband services in 378 exchange areas in Scotland.</p> <p>An award notice will be published on the website of the Official Journal of the European Communities which will include details of the …

21 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in relation to local loop unbundling; whether it is consulting on problems affecting the provision of broadband access, and whether it considers that Scotland is at a disadvantage in comparison with England on this issue.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Telecoms regulation is reserved and the matters raised, such as on local loop unbundling, are within the responsibilities of the UK-wide regulator, OFCOM. The Executive has expressed its views on these issues through responses to relevant OFCOM consultations,…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Remuneration Committee of Network Rail in respect of the level of bonuses proposed for Network Rail directors in view of any breach of its operating licence through failure to provide train companies with sufficient notice of engineering works.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As a public member of Network Rail the Scottish Executive would not make individual representations to the Remunerations Committee. Collectively, members perform a corporate governance role and can hold the Network Rail Board to account for its management of …

15 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport will respond to my letter of 5 January 2005, acknowledged on 11 January, regarding the future of the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I replied to the members letter on 12 April 2005.</p>

11 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost has been of the Trunk Roads Network Management Division in each year since 1999; how many staff were employed in the division in each year; how many of the division's staff will be transferred to the proposed National Transport Agency, and how the process of selectio…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The annual costs and staff numbers of the Trunk Roads Network Management Division, in each year since 1999, is set out in the table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p></td> <td> <p align=center>(Di…

11 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the determination of speed limit orders should continue to be dealt with by its Trunk Roads Network Management Division; whether it is satisfied that the division has sufficient local knowledge to be best placed to determine such matters, and whether there are an…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The determination of speed limit orders is currently dealt with by the Trunk Road Network Management Division on behalf of Scottish ministers, as the Trunk Roads Authority. Consideration of such orders is progressed in consultation with other stakeholders inc…

11 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an order to lower the speed limit to 30 mph on A95 at Cromdale, as indicated on the plan sent by the Secretary of Cromdale and Advie Community Council to it on 9 February 2004, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter; whether any objections were raise…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As stated before, I wish to overrule the objections and proceed. It is now one year since the objections were received and officials have had more than adequate time to carryout all investigations. In the absence of this work being done timeously, I wish to c…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out the methodology to be applied for Freight Facilities Grants where the operation is cross-boundary.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The standard procedure for handling cross-border Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) applications is for the assessment process to be undertaken by the administering authority in the country in which the capital expenditure will take place and for any award of gra…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to vary the requirements for strictly modern equivalent renewals where this could inhibit rail development projects.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No, there is no requirement for strictly modern equivalent renewals. The Scottish Executive will be responsible for specifying the outputs from the rail network in Scotland, which Network Rail, through the Office of Rail Regulation, will be tasked with delive…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, (a) the Office of Rail Regulation and (b) Network Rail will be accountable to the Parliament and, if so, in what ways; in particular, whether these bodies can be required to provide an annual report to be laid…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Network Rail is a private sector company accountable to its members and regulated by the independent Office of Rail Regulation. The Office of Rail Regulation is the independent body responsible for the economic, and in future, safety regulation of the GB rail…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out its relationship with the Office of Rail Regulation, in particular in what way the office will be accountable to the Parliament.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Office of Rail Regulation is the independent body responsible for the economic, and in future safety, regulation of the GB rail network.</p> <p>The Office of Rail Regulation will have the same responsibilities in Scotland as in England and Wales and will …

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to seek variations in Network Rail's licence conditions where these result in negative incentives, for example with respect to certain modern equivalent renewals.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Responsibility for Network Rail licence will remain a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation.</p>

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers in respect of railways it considers should be conferred on regional transport partnerships.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: It is our intention that the new regional partnership in the west of Scotland will have a role in the development, management and monitoring of rail services in its area. Other regional transport partnerships could, in due course, request a similar role.</p>

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to seek derogations from Railway Group Standards for certain routes, such as the West Highland line and the Far North line and, if so, whether it will exercise these powers.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No, only operators such as Network Rail or Train Operating Companies who are subject to Railway Group Standards can apply for derogations from them. The Scottish Executive will be responsible for specifying the outputs from the rail network in Scotland which …

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will urge Network Rail to supply maintenance and renewal budgets for Scotland and to appoint a director for Scotland as a single point of contact for the Executive, with the three main management streams af…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In future, we expect Network Rail to report separately on its expenditure and performance in Scotland. The Office of Rail Regulation has outlined its intentions in the <i>Structure of Costs and Charges Review Initial Consultation Document </i>and will shortly…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether raptor study groups, funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to monitor nests, are obliged to disclose nest sites to SNH.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for Scottish Natural Heritage.</p>

9 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that increases in the premiums for insurance cover for businesses which provide outdoor education are a barrier to the provision of outdoor education experiences for young people; whether it will commission research into this field, and, in particular, whether it will…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: We share the general concern over increases in the cost of liability insurance premiums. The level of premium costs is of course an issue for the insurance market as a whole. We keep in touch with the work of the Insurance Cover Working Group, established by …

7 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the follow-up report to the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme Report on Huntington's Disease, Acquired Brain Injury and Early Onset Dementia.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) issued its report on Huntington’s Disease, Acquired Brain Injury and Early Onset Dementia in February 2000 in order to assess progress in implementation. The Scottish Executive Health Department then commissioned…

7 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to promote the use of deer whistles to prevent accidents and whether it will invite the Deer Commission for Scotland to study the findings of the project funded through the Californian Office of Traffic Safety in the County of Modoc, California, which showed that,…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Deer Commission for Scotland will consider all viable options in their on-going research, consideration and priority site action on deer related road accidents.</p>

7 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who would be responsible for independent monitoring of whether more than 200 people use a beach for bathing; how much this would cost; what purpose this expenditure would serve, and whether such expenditure would be justified.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Under forthcoming bathing water identification proposals, to be run on the Executive’s behalf by Clean Coast Scotland, owners or operators of bathing water sites wishing to be identified under the Bathing Water Directive will be required to provide data indic…

7 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the costs of any measures to be introduced in relation to bathing water; what estimate it has made of the total costs which may be required to introduce such measures, and whether it will provide a breakdown of these costs.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In order to meet the microbiologicalwater quality requirements of the Bathing Water Directive, the Executive is evaluatinga number of measures designed to reduce the impact of diffuse pollution on susceptiblebathing waters. These projects include farm managem…

2 Mar 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on what date it obtained legal advice in respect of its legal remedies in relation to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; whether that advice contained recommendations that further inquiries be made and, if so, and whether those inquiries have been made and whethe…

Answer · George Reid: A report containing legal advice on the Flour City issues was received on 4 December 2002, and was first considered at a meeting of the corporate body on 17 December 2002. The advice contained a number of recommendations, and the corporate body has been and c…

2 Mar 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in relation to the introduction of the national concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The national free bus schemefor older and disabled people is on track for introduction in April 2006.</p>

28 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the competence to establish a rail passengers' committee to represent the interests of passengers; if so, whether it will establish such a committee, and whether it will confer on it legal powers identical in substance to those of the current rail passengers' committee whi…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish ministers have the competence to establish a rail passengers’ committee in Scotland.</p> <p>Passenger representation will continue to have an important role in Scotland. We are considering the best arrangements for achieving that.</p>

22 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide full details in respect of all outstanding claims from each valuer who acted for its Environment and Rural Affairs Department in respect of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The resolution of all outstanding claims arising from the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001 is a matter for Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs with whom the valuers have a contractual relationship.</p>

17 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or will make, of the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has not carried out an assessment of the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector and has no plans to do so. The future sustainability of dairying will be determined by decisions taken by individual dairy farmers in response to a range of fa…

17 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or will make, of how many farmers may cease milk production after 31 March 2005.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has not carried out a specific assessment of the number of farmers likely to cease milk production after 31 March 2005 and has no plans to do so. Any change to the number of milk producers will be affected by a range of factors including persona…

17 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on the dairy sector of the provision of school milk to primary and secondary children and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.

Answer · Ross Finnie: There are no current plans to undertake such an assessment. It is clear, however, that educational establishments provide a useful outlet for drinking milk, for the benefit of the industry and child health.</p>

17 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-4899 by Mr Euan Robson on 13 January 2005, whether it will provide details of the evidence that the nutritional value of milk is "equivocal" and place any research material on the issue in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Euan Robson: I must clarify that my previous answer stated that nutritional opinion on the merits of increasing milk consumption, other than low fat milk, is equivocal, rather than the nutritional value of milk is equivocal. Milk does have a clear nutritional value on man…