Fergus Ewing

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer on what date the decision was taken to put out to tender the works package for the windows and cladding work for the MSP block of the new Parliament building at Holyrood, which was subsequently awarded to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; who took the decision; whether it was an al…

Answer · David Steel: The procurement strategy for the project was developed by Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Limited following their appointment by The Scottish Office in January 1999. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that the strategy always included one…

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what the total cost has been of fees (a) paid and (b) payable to Shepherd and Wedderburn WS for legal advice provided in connection with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, Flour City International Inc. and the Holyrood project.

Answer · David Steel: Further to my answer to S1W-30169 on 10 October 2002, the expected costs (invoice awaited) for the additional work by Shepherd and Wedderburn, solicitors, in advising on claims against both Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the annual report of the Forestry Commission will be published soon; whether it will be published during the parliamentary recess, and, if so, whether any decision was taken specifically to delay publication until during recess.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The annual report for the Forestry Commission in Scotland was placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25806), on Monday 23 December 2002. No decision was taken specifically to delay publication until during recess.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be taken on the distribution of national lottery funds, given that the consultation period on Review of Lottery Funding - A consultation paper on Lottery distribution policy, issued jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Executive, the National As…

Answer · Elaine Murray: Ministers are currently considering options in the light of the responses to the consultation which closed on 30 October. I expect that the final conclusions of the review of lottery distribution policy will be announced by the late spring or early summer.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to resurface the A9 at Altnaslanach.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Maintenance works, such as resurfacing, are identified and carried out on a needs basis taking into account safety, operational issues, budgetary restraints and competing priorities across the entire trunk road network. There are no current plans to resurface…

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what records there are of the number of road traffic accidents at the Tomatin junction on the A9.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive Road Information System contains details of all injury accidents which occur on the Scottish trunk road network.<P>Between January 1997 and June 2002, three slight injury accidents have been recorded at the northern Tomatin junction. <P…

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Strathdearn Community Council in respect of the Tomatin junction on the A9; if so, what action it intends to take and, in particular, whether it will implement (a) improved lighting, (b) coloured hatched markings similar to those in place at t…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes, the Strathdearn Community Council wrote to the Executive on 5 December 2002. The answers to your specific queries are:<P>(a) there are no plans to install lighting at the Tomatin junctions,<P>(b) red infill material within the hatched area at the norther…

11 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-30339 on 4 November 2002, whether further updated information in respect of the finances of, and assets owned by, Flour City International Inc. is now available and whether a copy of such information can now be placed in the Scottish Parliament Inform…

Answer · David Steel: A report has been received from Shepherd and Wedderburn. I shall write to you further early in January.

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government about increasing the number of inquiries undertaken by the Inland Revenue into the financial affairs of any person convicted of supplying drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and about whether such inquiries could consid…

Answer · Hugh Henry: Under the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995 where a person is convicted of a drug trafficking offence (which includes supplying drugs) under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the court can order the confiscation of all assets obtained by him over the previous…

11 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed statement setting out the prospects of recovery of some, or all, of the losses from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. under (a) th…

Answer · David Steel: A report has been received from Shepherd and Wedderburn. I shall write to you further early in January.

11 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-30623 lodged on 15 October 2002.

Answer · David Steel: The answer is given today

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the full text of the letter to it from the European Union (EU) regarding EU structural funds for the Highlands and Islands that the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services referred to in The Herald on 3 December 2002.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures were provisional, and have since been withdrawn by ONS. The letter from the Commission confirmed my view that retrospective consideration of eligibility is not possible, and followed a telephone call I received…

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to address the declining population and, in particular, whether any consideration has been given to introducing measures that would encourage people that have left Scotland to return.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The projected modest decline in Scotland's population is attributable to the declining birth rate rather than net out-migration. Measures that ease the financial and practical difficulties faced by parents will help to address the declining birth rate. These …

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland should be promoted to prospective students from overseas as a place to study and whether such students should be encouraged to stay following completion of their course.

Answer · Iain Gray: Yes.

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether financial support should be provided to enable people wishing to return to university following redundancy.

Answer · Iain Gray: Financial support is provided to enable people to return to university, irrespective of their reasons for doing so.<P>Tuition fee support is not generally available to students to undertake a higher education course leading to a qualification at a level which…

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the establishment of a competitiveness council.

Answer · Iain Gray: I recently attended a meeting of the European Competitiveness Council with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to set up a Scottish competitiveness council.

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the secondment to it of persons with specialist expertise and, if so, whether it will provide a list of any such secondees.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive supports the secondments to it of persons with specialist expertise as they allow the Scottish Executive to benefit from skills and knowledge which cannot be provided by existing staff and for which recruitment to permanent posts is not…

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the creation of a gap year travel fund initiative for school leavers as a means of stimulating the economy.

Answer · Iain Gray: Whilst I support and encourage young people to travel to broaden their horizons it is an individual's responsibility to fund his/her own travel. Young people may wish to take up one of the many volunteering opportunities, where volunteer engaging agencies may…

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the work carried out by teachers under the Scottish Teacher Release Scheme enabling them to participate in the organisation of national and international competitions and to accompany national teams in training or competition; whether such work has been …

Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Teacher Release Scheme has provided a valuable means by which National Governing Bodies and School Sports Associations can secure the services of key members of staff to help in the organisation of national and international competitions.<P>The s…

11 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31113 by Ross Finnie on 11 November 2002, whether it has received a response from European Commission officials with regard to the UK obtaining a contribution from the EU to the 2003 transmissible spongiform encephalopathies surveillance programme co…

Answer · Ross Finnie: I can confirm that the European Commission responded on 11 November to the UK Government's request to submit a late application for co-financing of its TSE monitoring programme for 2003. The Commission rejected that request on the grounds that it would be ill…

10 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Transport Group pension scheme members the statement made by the Deputy Minister for Education, Transport and Lifelong Learning in his letter of 12 June 2002 that "where there is no surviving widow or widower or child as described above, the individual's share of the sur…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive will not be in a position to provide the data requested until the consequences of the exercise utilising the Department of Works and Pensions' (DWP) tracing service become clear in the first quarter of 2003. This exercise will identify …

10 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it now estimates that the second tranche of ex-gratia payments will be made to Scottish Transport Group pensioners and whether it will abide by the indication given in the letter of 1 November 2002 by the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning to the Convener…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The position remains as described in my letter of 1 November 2002 to the Convener of the Petitions Committee.

5 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission report 187 by extending to siblings the title to sue for non-patrimonial loss under the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is examining the content of the Scottish Law Commission report 187 and considering what the next step should be in the light of the commission's recommendations. The proposal to extend the title to sue for non-patrimonial loss under the Damages …

5 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to Her Majesty's Government about any transfer of power to the Parliament with regard to the Crown Estates Commission and what the reason is for its position on the matter.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No such representations have been made.

5 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of the new arrangements to be made for the payment of benefits and allowances due to come into effect next year, whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the impact on local economies of people continuing to be able to use their local pos…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues and it takes a wide range of factors into account in formulating its social and economic policies. Whilst Royal Mail Group, post offices and postal services are a reserved ma…

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what target it has set for the number of jobs to be relocated to rural areas in each of the next five years and, if no such target has been set, whether it has any plans to do so.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We have no such plans. However, in the answer given to question S1W-30915 on 25 October 2002, my colleague Mr Andy Kerr announced additional reviews which will provide further opportunities for rural areas. Organisations covered by the relocation policy will …

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will arrange for representatives of bodies representing the fishing industry to be seconded to it for the purpose of maximising its effectiveness in the impending EU negotiations.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. Member states cannot bring representatives of their industry to a Council as part of the official delegation. I will continue to consult closely with the industry in the run-up to the Council.

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will relax planning rules and other regulations that govern the development of housing in locations that are sited off trunk roads.

Answer · Des McNulty: Where a proposed development involves taking access from a trunk road, planning authorities are required to consult the Scottish ministers, as the trunk roads authority, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotlan…

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sums have been invested in tackling drug abuse within the Highlands and Islands in each year since 1999; what plans it has to provide enhanced facilities for this purpose; what new facilities will be created for this purpose, and where any such facilities will be located.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Details of drug specific funding at a local level is not held centrally. However, some of the information requested is available in the Corporate Action Plans of Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team; Orkney Drug, Alcohol and Smoking Action Team; Shetland Dru…

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of freight traffic travels between the mainland and the northern isles annually.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information in the form requested is not held centrally. However, a limited picture for seaborne freight can be obtained from various tables in <I>Scottish Transport Statistics 2002</I>, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Centre (Bib. number 233…