Parliamentary questions

Fergus Ewing

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

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to prevent the predation of capercaillie by pine martins and whether it will consider introducing legislation to allow for the control of pine martins under license in areas where capercaillie are present.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Current legislation does notallow measures to prevent the predation of capercaillie by pine martens. The Scottish Executive is currently considering a range of proposals for possible inclusion inthe Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill.

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many capercaillie have there been in each year since records began.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Petty Report lodged inthe Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 29055) contains references topast population records. The first national survey conducted in 1992-94estimated the population to be 2,200 individuals (1,500-3,200, 95% confidencelimits) (…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any audit of measures to conserve the capercaillie are carried out independently.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2064 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_w…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assess the effectiveness of the measures to conserve the capercaillie and who will be responsible for such an assessment.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Highland Birchwoods is responsible for collecting data oncapercaillie populations on LIFE project sites and reporting this to the EU onbehalf of the organisations involved in the EU LIFE Nature project to conservecapercaillie. These monitoring activities are …

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre any evidence which suggests, or proves, that capercaillie are killed by flying into deer fences.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Relevant information isavailable on section 2.8 page 25 of Capercaillie: A Review of Research Needs,Steve J Petty (June 2000). A copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 29055).There are also variousreports …

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made under the #2.5 million fund of the European Union LIFE Nature programme and the match funding made available by the Executive for the conservation of capercaillie, detailing (a) the name of the applicant, (b) the purpose of each application, (c) whethe…

Answer · Allan Wilson: One application has beenmade under the European Union LIFE nature programme. The Scottish Executive has made available direct match funding totalling 138,571 euros. Other matchfunding has been provided by other organisations involved in this Life Natureprojec…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister, or Deputy Minister, for Environment and Rural Development have visited the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No ministerial visits havebeen made in the recent past.

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding research under its strategic framework for aquaculture and when such research will be commissioned through the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has been in discussion with a range ofstakeholders about the establishment of the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum(SARF). SARF held its first meeting on 2 September where the group consideredadministrative arrangements, membership, budget and…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to safeguard jobs at the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit; what assistance it will provide to safeguard these jobs, and whether it will make an announcement on the future of the unit before the end of August 2003.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Ardtoe Marine FarmingUnit is currently an asset of the Seafish Industry Authority. Any announcementon its present or future operation is a matter for the Seafish Board.

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from any potential new owner of the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit for assistance; if so, on what date any such request was first made, when it responded, and what its response was.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has maintained contact with the principals during the on-going negotiations over recent weeks,in the course of which the possibility of financial assistance being providedby the Executive to prospective new owners was discussed. I informed thepa…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34338 by Ross Finnie on 7 March 2003, what steps it has taken to support the continued existence of the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Sea Fish IndustryAuthority has operational responsibility for the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit. Weunderstand that the Seafish Board will meet on 24 September to consider furtherthe future of the unit. The Executive and the Enterprise Network stand ready toa…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland will be located in Inverness.

Answer · Allan Wilson: <div class=Section1>I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2059 on 19 August 2003, announcing details of the outcomeof the review for the location of the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland.All answers to written parliamentary questi…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the location for the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: <div class=Section1>I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2059 on 19 August 2003, announcing details of the outcomeof the review for the location of the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland. Allanswers to written parliamentary questio…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reform licensing laws and, in particular, whether it will simplify the number and types of licence and alter the frequency of meetings of licensing boards from quarterly to a less frequent schedule.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Nicholson Committee intheir report on liquor licensing law recommended changes in both these areas.Its report, which was published on 19 August 2003,has been issued for consultation until 19 December 2003.

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it first received the report of the Nicholson Committee on licensing; whether it previously received the report in draft and, if so, on what date or dates, and when the report will now be published.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The report was published on 19 August 2003.Sheriff Principal Nicholson outlined the recommendations likely to be made inthe report to my predecessor prior to the election. The report was received bythe Executive in final form at the end of March, but could no…

6 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will maintain the present year's Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments at the total of #63 million paid out last year; what representations it has received on this issue, and whether it will make an announcement on the matter.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The current budget of theLess Favoured Area Support Scheme is £61 million per year. An additional £2million was made available in 2003 only, in recognition both of the importanceof the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme to farmers and crofters, and of thediffi…

31 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer to whom the minutes of the Holyrood Progress Group meeting of 26 March 2003 were circulated.

Answer · George Reid: A copy of the full minutes was circulated to members of the Holyrood Progress Group, members of the project team and the Clerk/Chief Executive. An extract of the minutes, excluding the private discussions, was circulated to the consultants in attendance, BLL,…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1214 by Mr Jack McConnell on 17 July 2003, by what means Lord Fraser will secure the co-operation of those witnesses whom he wishes to question in relation to the inquiry into the Holyrood building project if they refuse to co-operate and whether he …

Answer · Jack McConnell: As noted in the reply to given to question S2W-1214 on , Lord Fraser has made clear his view that he can secure the co-operation of those whom he wishes to question, without a power to compel them to give evidence. It is for Lord Fraser to decide on the condu…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the Highlands and Islands will continue to receive regional development aid after the expiry of the existing budget and whether there have been any meetings between ministers and (a) European Commissioners and (b) officials since June 1999 on this is…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive supports reform of the Structural Funds post-2006 to ensure they are targeted where they are most needed following enlargement of the European Union. The debate on the future of European regional policy still has some way to go and we r…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support establishment of a special EU designation for regions that are characterised by being mountainous, peripheral and sparsely populated and, if so, what steps it will take to campaign for such a designation.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive supports reform of the Structural Funds post-2006 to ensure they are targeted where they are most needed following enlargement of the European Union. While mountains, peripherality and sparse population are not in themselves justificati…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to ensure that the transport system meets the needs of business, transport users and the environment by extending public transport concessionary fare schemes, including a national free off-pea…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Work is being taken forward regarding the partnership commitment to extend concessionary travel schemes on public transport. This work includes discussions with key stakeholders which took place recently and shall be followed by the issue of a formal consulta…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the National Farmers' Union Scotland urging that the Executive make payments of interest on IACS payments to farmers whose set-aside land has been down to grass and whether it will ensure that Scottish farmers are treated in the same way as farme…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The National Farmers' Union Scotland has made a number of representations to the Executive since this issue was the subject of a ruling in the European Court of Justice in 2000.In response to a further decision by the English High Court last year, we made …

29 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the minutes of any meetings of its Cabinet at which the relocation of the Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters was discussed and any Cabinet memoranda and papers that explain the reasoning behind the decision to relocate the headquarters to Inverness.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-919 on 1 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

24 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a copy of the unpriced trunk road maintenance contracts with BEAR Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25884 on 28 May 2002. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…

24 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any safety concerns regarding the height of grass and plants obscuring traffic signage on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area and what action it has taken, or will take, as a result.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Potential safety issues on the trunk road network are dealt with by the Performance Audit Group issuing hazard notices to the operating company. A hazard notice requires immediate action by the operating company to address the safety problem.No hazard noti…

24 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns regarding the frequency and standard of grass cutting and ground maintenance on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area and, in particular, on the A9, A82, A87 and A96 and what action it has taken, or will take, as a result.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive monitors BEAR's performance with help from the independent Performance Audit Group (PAG). In some instances contractual obligations have not been met and the Executive has taken the necessary action to ensure that BEAR rectifies the ide…

24 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding ground maintenance on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area under the trunk road maintenance contract and what action it has taken, or will take, in response to any such representations.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has received a number of representations from MSPs, councillors and members of the public about grass cutting and ground maintenance in the Highland Council area. Where concerns are drawn to the attention of the Executive, they are inve…

24 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the responsibilities of BEAR Scotland Ltd are in relation to ground maintenance on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area and, in particular, on the A9, A82, A87 and A96; what monitoring the Executive carries out to ensure that the ground maintenance responsibilities of …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: BEAR's responsibilities for ground maintenance are specified in the Term contract for the management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 16573).BEAR's per…

18 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-568 by Mr Andy Kerr on 12 June 2003, how much non-domestic rates income was received from public sector bodies and what proportion of total non-domestic rates income this represented in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1102 on . All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_w…

10 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are liable to pay council tax for 2003-04 in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area, broken down by council tax band.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The number of households liable to pay council tax for 2003-04 in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area, broken down by council tax band is given in the following table. This is the number of properties on the valuation list on 2 September 2002, the …