Fergus Ewing

10 Jun 2002 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether sufficient measures have been taken to prevent any recurrence of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We are implementing a whole series of measures that will minimise any chance of another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

6 Jun 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is bound by any code of practice on access to information and whether it voluntarily follows any policy similar to that set out in Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information where information which wo…

Answer · David Steel: The SPCB is not at present bound by any code of practice on access to information but it will be subject, in the same way as any public authority, to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

6 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any instances where information which would not normally be published for reasons of confidentiality under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information has been published on the grounds that the public interest outweighed the harm or prejudice,…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive does not hold information in the form requested. <P>Information on the operation of the <I>Code of Practice</I> is published annually, and the report for 2001 is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the Executive's website.

28 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer on what date (a) Bovis Lend Lease, (b) EMBT/RMJM and (c) any member of the Holyrood Project Team expressed any doubts to the Holyrood Progress Group, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body or any other person about the financial viability of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd or i…

Answer · David Steel: Certain concerns about Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd's finances were reported to the HPG at a meeting on 12 July 2001. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that representatives of Bovis Lend Lease, EMBT/RMJM and the Holyrood Pr…

28 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the letter of 8 May 2002 from the convener of the Public Petitions Committee to the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning about public petition PE500 on behalf of the Scottish Bus Group Pensioners Action Committee, whether it will make a written r…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A reply to the letter of 8 May will be issued in advance of the Public Petitions Committee meeting on 18 June 2002. I will respond to the Petitions Committee on matters they have raised with me following the meeting of 7 May 2002.<P>The member will be interes…

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the statement in the Holyrood Progress Group Newsletter No.7 that "factory inspections have already taken place in Thailand", who from Bovis Lend Lease carried out these inspections; when they took place, and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) will place i…

Answer · David Steel: Bovis Lend Lease did not carry out inspections of Flour City's window supplier's manufacturing facility in Thailand. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that representatives from RMJM's local offices in Bangkok undertook inspections,…

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how much of the #854,067 fee paid to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited was paid to (a) Flour City and (b) contractors on behalf of Flour City.

Answer · David Steel: All of the £854,067 was paid directly to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited.

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, what specialist cladding services were carried out by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited and how much they were paid for these.

Answer · David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd undertook design works in association with stone, precast concrete and stainless steel cladding, glazing and blast resistant secondary support structures to the various cladding components on the MSP block. The Convene…

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to questions S1W-19252 and S1W-20308 on 16 November and 7 December 2001 respectively, on what date the technical information from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited should have been provided; what the information was which was "considerably overdue"; to who…

Answer · David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were due to produce control samples for the oak windows in June 2001. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that concerns arose during a routine project meeting between the Design Team and proje…

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18874 on 1 November 2001, whether the design and specialist cladding services work provided by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited is being used in the final cladding contract or contracts and whether it will detail the amount or value of the…

Answer · David Steel: I understand that all the design work done by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd has been used.

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list all those present at the meeting on 4 September 2001 at which John Tang of Flour City International and his senior officials were present and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of any memora…

Answer · David Steel: I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that in attendance on 4 September 2001 were John Tang, Chairman of Flour City International; senior site based representatives of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; the Managing Partner of Fl…

27 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the statement made by a Parliament spokesman on 10 September 2001 that "we have been aware for a number of weeks through our construction managers (Bovis Lend Lease) of some difficulties within Flour City relating to worldwide financial and management restructuring", on what da…

Answer · David Steel: In late July 2001, Bovis Lend Lease advised the Project Team, of financial difficulties emanating from Flour City projects within the far east, and consequential management restructuring to manage the financial situation. The latest position was discussed at …

23 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in the Highland NHS Board area have reported an assault; how many of these cases were subsequently reported to the procurator fiscal; in how many of these cases criminal prosecutions were subsequently raised, and how many of these resulted in a conviction, in each of the la…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The first national collection of data from NHS Boards and Trusts on Violent and Aggressive incidents took place in 2001 for the financial year 2000-01. Collection of the 2001-02 data is currently on-going. Quality assurance of the 2000-01 data has started and…

22 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify under what circumstances it considers it justified not to make a minister available to participate in a Members' Business debate.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Ministers make every effort to participate in Members' Business debates on subjects for which the Executive is responsible. The Executive may exceptionally conclude that it would not be appropriate in the particular circumstances for a minister to participate…

22 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not make any minister available to participate in "Newsnight Scotland" on 14 May 2002 to discuss the Members' Business debate in the Parliament on the Scottish Criminal Record Office (S1M-3076) which was due to be held on 15 May 2002.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: As Scottish ministers are amongst the parties involved in the action brought by Ms McKie it would have been inappropriate for them to participate in the programme.

20 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the provision of a local CCTV system in Grantown-on-Spey and, if so, how such a scheme can be funded; what budget lines are available for the funding of such schemes, and whether its policy on this matter will be reviewed in order to ensure that CCTV schemes are availa…

Answer · Richard Simpson: On 31 October 2001 we announced details of a new community safety award programme to supersede both the CCTV and Community Safety Challenge Competitions. The new scheme gives all local authority-led Community Safety Partnerships a share of £12 million over th…

20 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether there was an analysis of and report on the tender submitted by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd for work on the MSPs' block by architects and quantity surveyors on the Holyrood Project Team and whether a copy of any such analysis and/or report will be placed in the Scottish…

Answer · David Steel: All tender bids received for Trade Packages are analysed by the Construction Managers, Design Team and Quantity Surveyors. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that following recommendation by the Construction Manager, the tender bid from…

20 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18865 on 12 October 2001, which companies on the short leet (a) did not submit a tender bid and (b) submitted a bid that did not comply with the tender documentation and why each such bid was not compliant.

Answer · David Steel: Three contractors from the short list of five invited to tender for the MSP block cladding package did not submit bids. Details of non-compliant bids are considered commercially confidential.

16 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ministerial visits there have been to each constituency in the last (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not held centrally. It is Executive practice to write to MSPs to tell them about forthcoming ministerial visits in their constituency and list area.

15 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25402 by Lewis Macdonald on 10 May 2002, whether it will place copies of the two contracts, including the alterations referred to, with BEAR Scotland Ltd for the management and maintenance of the north west and north east units in the Scottish Parlia…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A generic copy of the contract document applicable to all four management and maintenance contracts is already available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 16573). The minor alterations to the two contracts with BEAR Scotland Ltd came into effe…

15 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the A830 trunk road is in a safe condition; what response it has made, or plans to make, to the claim by Mallaig Community Council that the road is not in a safe condition and the request made by the council to BEAR Scotland Ltd in a letter of 12 May 2002 to bring the road up to a…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive and BEAR Scotland Ltd are aware of the condition of the A830 which has been caused mainly by the wet weather and the freeze/thaw conditions over last winter. The action to repair potholes and undertake patching on the route has ensured it h…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has on whether any legal challenge in regard to the proposed distribution and mode of distribution of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes surplus would delay interim payments; whether it is aware of any legal action which postponed interim payments to person…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No legal entitlement to the surplus funds on the part of the former Scottish Transport Group pension schemes members has been established.<P>It would be inappropriate for the Executive to provide information which would harm the frankness and candour of discu…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what enquiries it has made and what information it has received on the tax liability of the recipients of payments under the distribution of the National Bus Company pension scheme; whether these payments were free of tax; whether copies of all relevant correspondence will be placed in t…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The tax liability of individuals under the National Bus Company (NBC) distribution will depend on the method of distribution determined by the trustees of the NBC pension schemes in individual circumstances. Some pension scheme members will receive an element…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to question S1O-5128 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 May 2002, whether the whole net surplus of #174 million from the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes will be paid out to pensioners, and, if not, what sum will be withheld from pensioner…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As at 22 March 2002, the Report and Accounts of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes showed the total value of the surplus as £174 million net of tax. HM Treasury will retain £50 million, and have agreed following representations from Scottish ministe…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to question S1O-5128 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 May 2002, whether the audited accounts of the trustees of the Scottish Transport Group will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre; whether it is obliged to lay the accounts …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No, the Scottish Transport Group is not obliged to lay the report and accounts of the individual pension schemes before Parliament. There is, however, a statutory requirement to present the Scottish Transport Group annual report and accounts to Parliament. Th…

10 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the cost of reducing the non-domestic rates poundage to 43.7p and how this estimate is computed.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive's current estimate, based on the first estimates of non-domestic rate revenue for 2002-03 received from local authorities, is £149 million. This figure represents the difference between the amount of non-domestic rates that local author…

10 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it will make to its policies or programmes in the light of the article by Henry McLeish MSP in Business AM on 9 May 2002 and, in particular, whether it plans to establish a "super-ministry" for enterprise.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive has set out a clear direction in <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland</I> and we will follow this. There are no plans for a super-ministry.

10 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is appropriate that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) should be landowners; whether such ownership may create conflicts of interest in relation to the SNH's duties, and, if so, what steps it will take in respect of this matter, with particular regard to the ownership of the Islan…

Answer · Allan Wilson: In terms of section 2(1)(g) of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 Scottish Natural Heritage is empowered to acquire, hold and dispose of land or any interest in or right over land. Most land owned by SNH consists of areas designated as National Nature R…

10 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) provided all relevant scientific evidence to the community of Barra in relation to the proposed designation of the Sound of Barra as a special area of conservation; whether, in determining whether SNH made full disclosure in such a case, it relies …

Answer · Allan Wilson: As is its standard practice, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) provided consultees, including community representatives, with all the scientific evidence relevant to the selection of the Sound of Barra as a possible Special Area of Conservation during it's cons…

10 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any directions to Scottish Natural Heritage under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991; if so, whether it will specify under what the circumstances each such direction was issued and provide a copy of the direction as issued in each case; if no such directions ha…

Answer · Allan Wilson: Ministers have not issued any directions to Scottish Natural Heritage under the 1991 act. It is standard practice for executive non-departmental public bodies to be subject to directions given by the relevant minister, but this is regarded as a power of last …