Fergus Ewing

10 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average council tax bill is for 2003-04 in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area, broken down by council tax band.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Council tax by band for each local authority, and the average for Scotland, is given in the following table. This is before the effect of any exemptions, disregarded adults, reductions for disabled band relief, discounts or council tax benefit.<P>Council Tax …

10 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether BEAR Scotland has adequately performed its obligations in respect of the management of the millennium cycle route from Drumochter to Dalwhinnie; whether the trunk road maintenance contract provides adequate management of this route; what powers it has to direct BEAR Scotland to ca…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The trunk road maintenance contracts specify the level of inspection and maintenance required to be undertaken by the operating companies in respect of cycleways. The Scottish Executive believes these requirements to be adequate having due regard to usage and…

9 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) invited the Auditor General for Scotland, in preparing his 2001-02 audit of the SPCB and, in particular, the consideration of the Flour City contract in respect of the Holyrood building project, to interview those companies and indi…

Answer · George Reid: No. The SPCB cooperated fully with the Auditor General's 2001-02 audit, but did not in any way attempt to lead or direct his enquiries. It will be a matter for Lord Fraser to determine what evidence he will consider and from whom. The SPCB shall fully co-oper…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-530 by Ross Finnie on 10 June 2003, whether a decision will be announced during the parliamentary recess regarding technical conservation measures for scallops; whether the Minister for Environment and Rural Development will meet with representatives…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive announced a decision on scallop technical conservation on 3 July 2003. The announcement included an undertaking to conduct a study into the potential economic impact of a weekend ban on the scallop industry and all key stakeholders, inc…

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the decision not to publish documentation in relation to the Holyrood building project on the grounds of commercial confidentiality will now be reviewed and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will give precise details of the legal basis of the decision.

Answer · George Reid: I shall reply to the Member as soon as possible.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether Flour City satisfied the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) in relation to health and safety standards and whether the company breached any contractual obligations in respect of these standards.

Answer · George Reid: The SPCB is not aware of any breaches of contract on health and safety grounds by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK), in relation to the MSP Building Cladding contract.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, with regard to paragraph 19 of The 2001/02 Audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by the Auditor General for Scotland, what companies other than Flour City were assessed; what points each such company scored, and, if it is not possible to disclose the names of the companies, w…

Answer · George Reid: I shall reply to the Member as soon as possible.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, and in what journal or journals, the tender for the contract for wall cladding and windows for the MSP block was advertised.

Answer · George Reid: A Works Directive Periodic Indicative Notice, which advertised external cladding and windows packages for the new Parliament building, was published in the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC) in February 1999.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, with regard to paragraph 16 of The 2001/02 Audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by the Auditor General for Scotland, what legal provision entitled the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) to withhold payment to Flour City in respect of the claims submitted for paymen…

Answer · George Reid: Payments to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were withheld since the work in respect of which payment was claimed did not meet quality and delivery requirements in the contract.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how many of the 456 design drawings supplied by Flour City in respect of the contract for the MSP block have been used without any alteration by the contractors subsequently appointed to carry out the works.

Answer · George Reid: The design work undertaken by Flour City has provided an important basis upon which further design requirements have been built. I understand that a separate audit, to properly determine the extent of alterations which may have been made to the design work, c…

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre copies of the six contractual notices of failure in specified areas referred to in paragraph 13 of The 2001/02 Audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by the Auditor Gener…

Answer · George Reid: These notices are part of the documents concerning Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd which, on legal advice, should not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, as the documents may form part of the productions in any litigation which m…

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Holyrood building project construction managers have, at any time since the recommendation of January 2001 that Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd be awarded the wall-cladding and windows contract in respect of the MSP block, passed to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporat…

Answer · George Reid: I shall reply to the Member as soon as possible.

2 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre unpriced copies of any contract documents between the Parliament and Bovis Lend Lease in respect of the Holyrood building project that existed before the signing of the main contract…

Answer · George Reid: I shall reply to the Member as soon as possible.

25 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether full colour calendars for 2003-04 have been sent in the same envelope as Integrated Administration and Control System forms to all recipients of such forms and, if so, on whose authority the decision to do so was taken and, in particular, whether the Scottish Biodiversity Forum's …

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Biodiversity Forum's IACS Year Calendar 2003-04 was issued with Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) packs to all IACS producers in the spring of this year. The distribution of the IACS year calendars in the IACS packs was jointly …

25 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a letter issued in May 2003 from the Forum of Private Business in Scotland seeking a meeting with the Minister for Environment and Rural Development to discuss water charges for business customers; if so, whether the minister will hold such a meeting and invite all…

Answer · Allan Wilson: A letter from the Forum of Private Business in Scotland has been received and I have agreed to meet them.

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-571 by Allan Wilson on 18 June 2003, whether it has issued any directions to Scottish Natural Heritage under section 11 of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 and, if so, on what occasions and what the directions were.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No such directions have been issued to Scottish Natural Heritage.

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of the investigation into the cost of the Holyrood building project, led by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie; what remuneration terms have been agreed with Lord Fraser, and what the cost will be of the Auditor General's inquiry into matters of financial probity relating to t…

Answer · Jack McConnell: We are discussing with the Presiding Officer how best to establish budgetary arrangements which both enable the investigation to be as thorough and effective as it needs to be and provide for proper financial accountability to the Parliament. In parallel, the…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any documents or papers to which the investigation into the cost of the Holyrood building project, lead by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, will be denied access and, in particular, whether it will have access to all (a) government papers, (b) of Her Majesty's Government's Cabi…

Answer · Jack McConnell: I made clear in my statement on 19 June that Lord Fraser must have access to relevant papers. I am confident that the inquiry will have access to relevant papers.

19 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether more (a) bus and (b) rail services will be introduced during this session of the Parliament and whether it has set any targets in each case.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The provision of bus and rail services is a matter for individual bus and rail operators and local transport authorities. The Executive provides substantial financial support to the bus industry to support the provision of services and is supporting the devel…

19 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of the strategic transport authority referred to by the Minister for Transport during the debate on public transport on 12 June 2003 (Official Report, c 744), broken down by year in respect of which an estimate has been made; how many employees the authority is likel…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will open consultation on our proposals for a strategic transport authority during the summer.

19 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much, and what percentage, of the transport budget will be spent on public transport in each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08, broken down by sector.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Over the next three years the Scottish Executive spending on public transport as a proportion of the total transport budget (excluding capital charges) is budgeted to be: 2003-04: 64.2%, 2004-05: 66.4%, 2005-06 69.2%. The budgets for 2006-07 and 2007-08 will …

19 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it will make of the impact of the rate of taxation per unit of alcohol on the (a) whisky industry and (b) wine industry in other EU member states; whether, in the course of making any such assessment, it will meet with the government of each EU member state that applies lo…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Duty rates, tax differentials and EU minimum rates are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive will continue to support the Scotch whisky industry to secure the best conditions at home and abroad.

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Keepers of the Quaich and when it will next do so.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has not met the Keepers of the Quaich and no such meetings are planned.

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value has been of the whisky industry to the economy in terms of (a) the number of jobs, (b) the gross domestic product, (c) the value of exports in each of the last four years and, in each case, what the value of the industry is estimated to be in the next four years.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: According to figures compiled by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the number of people directly employed by the Scotch whisky industry in the UK over the last four years is 1999 - 11,178; 2000 - 11,091; 2001 - 10,691, and 2002 - 10,438. A recent study by …

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been in contact with (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Commission in relation to (i) any future possible measure that would have an impact on the competitiveness of the whisky industry and (ii) the taxation regime of the industry in comparison with other for…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-928 on 14 July 2003. 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/web…

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the competitiveness of the whisky industry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-927. 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_wa">h…

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the whisky industry is not faced with any additional costs arising from the water framework directive; what advice it has sought from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on this matter; whether it will publish any correspondence with SE…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has stated that the regulatory regimes introduced under the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 will be selective, proportionate and streamlined and SEPA will be required to recover the costs incurred by its new dut…

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Commission that the regulatory burden should take account of the specific needs of the whisky industry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including regulations as they affect the Scotch whisky industry. The Executive works to support Scottish businesses where EU and UK policies have an effect on compet…

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that the level of excise duty on whisky should be reduced.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues affecting the Scotch whisky industry including duty rates, tax differentials and EU minimum rates.

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take over this session of the Parliament to promote the whisky industry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive and the industry have an on-going commitment to work together to secure the best conditions possible, at home or abroad, for the benefit of the industry, the jobs it supports and the wider economy of Scotland.