Fergus Ewing

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) widows, (b) widowers and (c) children of members of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes have made applications for ex-gratia payments from the schemes.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Data is not held in the form requested. However, of the 10,515 payments made to date, 738 were made in situations where the original member shown in the 1993 data has died. Of these, 680 recipients are female and 58 male.

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29484 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 October 2002, what information it holds on the number of persons eligible for payments under the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes and what its estimate is of the total number of such persons based on the records…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The initial records showed 13,369 potential beneficiaries satisfying the conditions for an ex-gratia payment. We have been notified of a number of deaths of which the majority have led to payments to dependants. We are seeking to identify any additional benef…

15 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-26366 on 10 June 2002, which individual expressed concerns about Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd during the routine project meeting between the Holyrood design team and project personnel in May 2001.

Answer · David Steel: In my answer on 7 December 2001 in response to question S1W-20308, it was noted that concerns were expressed by EMBT/RMJM Ltd in May 2001 and that is to be taken as being their corporate view. Accordingly the "who" within that group is not relevant.…

15 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has obtained a list of the creditors in connection with the liquidation of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and whether he will place a copy of any such list in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · David Steel: No, the SPCB has not obtained such a list.

15 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list, for each works package under the Holyrood project where no performance bond was obtained, (a) the name of the company awarded the contract, (b) details of the work involved, (c) the total value of the contract as awarded and (d) …

Answer · David Steel: My answer to question S1W-30170 on 16 October 2002, explained that negotiations on trade contracts for the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood are carried out on a commercially confidential basis, and that it would not be appropriate to name publicly…

15 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list, for each works package under the Holyrood project where a performance bond was obtained, (a) the name of the company awarded the contract, (b) details of the work involved and (c) the dates on which (i) the tenders were to have …

Answer · David Steel: My letter of 5 December 2002, to the Convener of the Finance Committee, reported that a list of individual contractors or contracts, where performance bonds have, or have not, been requested, cannot be provided for reasons of commercial confidentiality. I am,…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28916 by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2002, what its estimate is of the area of land that is under traditional secure tenancy arrangements; what the source and date is for such an estimate; how many farm units are held under such tenure, and what the …

Answer · Ross Finnie: Over 1.7 million Ha of agricultural land in Scotland are rented under full tenancy agreements (that is, tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 with traditional secure tenants or limited partnership tenants, including minor holdings) (so…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will invite the Food Standards Agency Scotland to submit the data on samples taken from (a) scallops and (b) mussels since amnesic shellfish poisoning testing was introduced, showing the levels of algal toxins, in order to challenge scientifically the trigger level of 4.6 micro…

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) advise me that they wrote to the Commission on 15 October to ask their thoughts on how a review of the 4.6mg/kg trigger level could be pursued. The FSAS will be happy to provide data on scallops and mussels, should the re…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will postpone bringing forward any statutory instruments on the introduction of technical conservation measures for the scallop fishing industry until all issues in relation to amnesic shellfish poisoning are addressed and whether it will consult further with the industry prior…

Answer · Ross Finnie: No, amnesic shellfish poisoning is a matter of public health. Its existence increases the need for further conservation of scallop stocks, and I am persuaded following extensive consultation that technical conservation measures are the best way of achieving s…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it stands by the statement in its announcement on 22 August 2002 by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on proposals for the protection of the scallop industry that a majority of the scallop industry supports its proposals

Answer · Ross Finnie: In my statement of 22 August, I did not say that a majority of the scallop industry supported our proposals for scallop conservation. I said that a majority of the industry supported our proposals. That reflected the fact that our consultation exercises were …

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) spent on the issue of amnesic shellfish poisoning, including research and the taking of samples, and whether it will show these figures against the overall budget of the FSAS in each year since the agency was established.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: FSAS have advised me that between the years 2000 and 2002 they have spent £238,000 on research into amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). In the case of monitoring and the taking of samples, it is impossible to separate spend on ASP from other algal toxins. The …

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all research and the cost of such research into amnesic shellfish poisoning commissioned or carried out by the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS).

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The FSAS have advised me that the following table details all research they have carried out or commissioned into amnesic shellfish poisoning. <P>Food Standards Agency Scotland Research into ASP<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people work in the scallop industry, broken down by fishermen, processors and others.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive does not hold details of people employed in the scallop industry. There are currently 191 Scottish vessels licensed to fish for scallops, of which 102 have caught scallops in 2002 and 51 have caught scallops only.

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its projected trunk road spending will be in 2003-04, broken down by project and detailing the work to be carried out, the road and exact location.

Answer · Iain Gray: Projected motorway and trunk road spending plans for 2003-04 are shown in the recently published <I>Building a Better Scotland</I>. It is not possible at this stage to provide a detail allocation of spending to individual schemes but specific projects on whic…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates it has met with European (a) Commissioners and (b) Commission officials since May 1999, and what topics were discussed at each meeting.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Executive ministers and officials have held a wide range of meetings, formal and informal, with European Union Commissioners and Commission officials in each of the last three years. It is not our practice to disclose details of such meetings, which are numer…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic impact over the next five years on sub-post offices of the removal of benefit and allowance payments; if it has made no such assessment, what plans it has to commission one; what information it holds on what the estimated number of sub-post offi…

Answer · Allan Wilson: Consignia, post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government. The Performance and Innovation Unit's report <I>Counter Revolution: Modernising the Post Office Network (June 2000)</I> showed that the future viability of the network was challeng…

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for a scheme to assist rural sub-post offices along the lines of the funding made available to support sub-post offices in urban areas.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government. I understand that details of financial support for rural post offices will be announced shortly by the Department of Trade and Industry.

11 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the #3.5 million allocated to it by Her Majesty's Government for the support of pilots of Government General Practitioners and Internet Learning and Access Points in post offices has been spent on and whether all of this allocation will be spent on post offices or sub-post offices.

Answer · Allan Wilson: All funding consequentials contribute to a block allocation to the Scottish Executive. The flexibility this gives ministers is considered a key element of the devolution arrangements. There was not a sufficient case for running a separate Scottish pilot on th…

11 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether there is any conflict of interest between the Parliament and Bovis Lend Lease(Scotland) Ltd in relation to the Holyrood Project.

Answer · David Steel: No.

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-30288 on 18 October 2002, why the breakdown of fees payable to consultants involved in the Holyrood project was commercially confidential, given that the breakdown of fees payable to Davis Langdon & Everest, EMBT/RMJM Ltd, Ove Arup and Partners, RMJM …

Answer · David Steel: The SPCB regards the amount of fees paid to individual consultants as commercially confidential. Publication of such information by the Parliament would generally be considered as something that might impede fair competition between them and their competitors…

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body considers that there is scope for savings in the expenditure of the Office of the Presiding Officer and, if so, whether any such savings can be made in respect of the expenses relating to the (a) Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers and…

Answer · David Steel: No.

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether there has been any expenditure unnecessarily incurred by the Office of the Presiding Officer; if so, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide details, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Answer · David Steel: No.

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how much the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has spent on entertainment and hospitality since July 1999, giving details of each event where such costs were incurred, including the purpose of the event, who attended and on what date the event took place.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has incurred approximately £156,000 of expenditure on hospitality over a 39-month period, since July 1999. The cost of identifying each individual event and those present over the last three years would not be justifi…

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how much expenditure, excluding entertainment and hospitality costs, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has authorised in each year since July 1999 for the Office of the Presiding Officer, showing costs associated with the Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officers and staff of t…

Answer · David Steel: The Office of the Presiding Officer has incurred the following expenditure (excluding hospitality costs) in each year since 1999:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=370><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P></TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP…

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what the reasons are for appointing an Opening Ceremonies Manager for the new Parliament building; when the decision was taken that such an appointment should be made; who has been appointed to the post and, if the appointee was already a member of the Parliament's staff, whether the posth…

Answer · David Steel: A member of the Parliament's staff has been appointed, following an internal competition, to undertake the duties of Opening Ceremonies Manager on a temporary basis. The decision to make the appointment was taken by the Corporate Body on 25 June 2002. The rea…

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has received any correspondence from Prince Charles: if so, whether it will publish any such correspondence and any response made, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · David Steel: No correspondence has been received from HRH The Prince of Wales by the SPCB.

10 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of all communications, including e-mails, letters, telephone conversations and any other methods of communication, it has had with Her Majesty's Government and any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies in regard to Highlands and Islands Airports…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. Disclosure of information which would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion is exempted from the commitment to provide information under the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>.

10 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of all communications, including e-mails, letters, telephone conversations and any other methods of communication, it has had with Her Majesty's Government and any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies in regard to flights to Inverness and the n…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. Disclosure of information which would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion is exempted from the commitment to provide information under the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>.

10 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29308 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 September 2002, what steps it will now take and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government on why it has not provided a response to the application for a public service obligation for the Inverness/Gat…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The next step is a matter for the UK Government. The Executive has liased closely with the UK Government on what we believe is a substantial case for a public service obligation on the Inverness/Gatwick link.

10 Oct 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) will give a detailed breakdown of the #14.2 million landscaping costs in relation to the Holyrood Project; what cost savings the SPCB has considered, detailing which savings have been incorporated and, where cost savings were conside…

Answer · David Steel: The information of the landscaping costs are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=189><TR><TD WIDTH="65%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Category</TD><TD WIDTH="35%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>£ million</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="65%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Construction</T…