Fergus Ewing

7 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide (a) a detailed statement of the scientific basis for its proposals to designate approximately 18% of Scotland as nitrate vulnerable 'ones, (b) a detailed explanation of why such 'ones are required and (c) details of the scientific or any other evidence upon which t…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive methodology for identification of groundwater nitrate vulnerable zones is detailed at paragraphs 13 to 15 and Annex 3 of the consultation paper <I>Protection of Scotland's Water Environment: Consultation on Further Scottish Nitrate Vuln…

7 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the EU Standing Veterinary Committee in respect of requests by Ireland and France that the committee re-examine its grading of countries as low or high risk for the purposes of BSE and what information it has on any representations to the committ…

Answer · Ross Finnie: As part of the classification process required under Council Regulation 999/2001, as amended, all member states including the UK were invited to make an application to determine their BSE status against agreed criterion.<P>The UK application was subject to di…

2 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-23245 on 18 March 2002, whether no further amounts will be paid to Flour City Architectural Metals UK Limited and whether he will clarify what costs are "yet to be agreed", what work these costs relate to, whether these works are those referred to in …

Answer · David Steel: No further amounts will be paid to Flour City Architectural Metals UK Limited. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that, with the exception of one, all trade packages to replace the work contracted to Flour City Architectural Metals UK L…

26 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct BEAR Scotland Ltd to bring forward to May 2002 its proposed repair work to the A830, and whether it recognises the importance of the A830 to the communities of Mallaig, Arisaig and Morar and tourism in the area, in particular the need to keep the road open with min…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In accordance with our contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd and to ensure value for money for the repairs to the section of the A830 between Borrodale and Arisaig, the work will be put out to tender. The design, preparation of tender documents, tender period and t…

26 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any alterations have been made to its contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd; whether any changes have been made in the service specification contained in that contract in relation to the length of maintenance routes, and, if so, whether any alterations are being made to the level of rem…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish ministers have entered into two contracts with BEAR Scotland Ltd, one in respect of the management and maintenance of the North West Unit and one for the North East Unit. There have been a limited number of minor alterations to these contracts si…

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what records are kept in relation to meetings between ministers and MSPs.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Ministers meet regularly with MSPs of all parties, both formally and informally. No central records are kept but, depending on the nature of the meeting, a record may be prepared by the Minister's Private Office or other Scottish Executive officials.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the passing of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, whether it will urge non-departmental public bodies, including Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Enterprise, to respond to requests for information as if the bill was in force from 25 April 2002.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It will not be possible for non-departmental public bodies, including those referred to, to operate as if the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill were in force from 25 April 2002 because many aspects of the Freedom of Information regime t…

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the passing of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, whether it will act as if the provisions of the bill were in force from 25 April 2002.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It will not be possible for the Executive to operate as if the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill were in force from 25 April 2002 because many aspects of the Freedom of Information regime to be established by the bill are not yet in pla…

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet MSPs representing constituents served by the A82 in order to discuss the need for upgrading the road and whether the A82 will be included in the next round of trunk road improvements, detailing the reasons behind is position on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Requests for meetings should be submitted directly for consideration by Ministers. The Executive will review the 1995 Route Accident Reduction Plan (RARP) for the A82 between Tyndrum and Inverness next year to identify priority schemes for inclusion in future…

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are no procedural or technical impediments to the grant of the Public Service Obligation application submitted on behalf of Highland Council in respect of the Inverness to Gatwick air links.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive believes that the case submitted to the UK Government to secure Inverness' access to Gatwick Airport meets the required criteria set out in European Regulations.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet with, and make representations to, any interested parties, other than Her Majesty's Government and civil servants, in regard to the Public Service Obligation application for the Inverness to Gatwick air link and, if so, which organisations and individuals it intends t…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has no plans to meet with other interested parties at this time but will continue to liaise with local stakeholders on the securing of Inverness access to Gatwick Airport.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the comment made by the First Minister that private airlines must recognise their "social responsibility" as reported in the press on 24 April 2002, what the precise meaning is of the First Minister's comment; what action it will take in respect of the First Minister's viewpo…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive meets airlines, including British Airways, on a regular basis to discuss a range of aviation matters, including the cost of flights and the encouragement of new services.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify the precise provisions under which it was required to grant approval for the GM crop trials; whether it had any discretion to refuse such approvals, and whether any such discretion could have been exercised, giving its position on these matters in respect of each t…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is bound, by Article 6.1 and 6.2 of Directive 90/220/EEC, to consider whether an application to release a genetically modified organism into the environment does, or does not, comply with the terms set out elsewhere in the directive. Mi…

25 Apr 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, in light of the passage of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will now disclose information which was classified as confidential in answers to previous written parliamentary questions on the Holyrood Project, detailing the reasons…

Answer · David Steel: The Parliament's position on the disclosure of commercially confidential information has not changed, and is set out in my answer of 19 September 2000 to question S1W-9469. When the provisions of the Freedom of Information Bill come into force, claiming comme…

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the tenure of the present Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne expires; whether the post will be publicly advertised; whether there will be an opportunity for the users of Caledonian MacBrayne services to participate in any selection process for the appointment of a new chairman; what se…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The present Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne was appointed for a three-year term from 1 August 1999. An announcement relating to the future arrangements for this post will be made in due course. The processes and procedures for public appointments, including …

9 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it will have in respect of the appointment of members to the Independent Advisory Panel which will scrutinise the bids from the United Kingdom to be European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Answer · Elaine Murray: The Independent Advisory Panel which will consider the UK's nomination for the European Capital of Culture 2008 competition is to be appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. At least one person from each of the four countries of the U…

9 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Scottish Water and the former North of Scotland Water Authority in connection with the provision of the public water supply for Glenborrodale.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has had no contacts with Scottish Water or North of Scotland Water Authority on the specific issue of a public water supply for Glenborrodale.

9 Apr 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-20304 on 6 March 2002, what trading was being carried out by the parent company of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited as at 1 March 2002; with whom the parent company was trading; from what source the information about the trading position o…

Answer · David Steel: As at 1 March 2002, the shares of Flour City International were listed for trading on the National Association of Security Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDQ.) The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has no further information about the scale and nature of…

9 Apr 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answers to questions S1W-19876, S1W-19886, S1W-20304 and S1W-21037 on 6 March 2002, whether the process of the evaluation of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's rights and entitlements has been completed, or when it is anticipated that the process will be completed;…

Answer · David Steel: The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the process is still under way and is being conducted in a manner consistent with achieving the key objective of the Holyrood construction programme. At this stage and subject to the evaluation of…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to include in its housing policy proposals similar to those operating in Norway, where the state provides a level of loan for housing based on meeting certain criteria for example in providing benefits to the environment.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has no plans at present for the introduction of such loans.

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it has taken or plans to take to promote the use of architects and what action it has taken to ensure that Communities Scotland works in partnership with architects.

Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive is committed to the promotion of good architecture by means of the objectives and commitments set out in <I>A Policy on Architecture for Scotland</I>. The Executive believes that good architecture is the product of the creative collaboration of …

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the consultants report commissioned by Caledonian MacBrayne as part of its fares review in which it considered whether a road equivalent tariff fare structure should be implemented on the Clyde and Western Isles…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I have asked Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd to place a copy of the report in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20611).

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the case for road equivalent tariff to be applied to the costs of travel by ferry; whether it has considered the cost of implementing such a policy and, if so, what the estimated cost would be, and whether it has estimated what the additional traffic would be throu…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to implement a road equivalent tariff (RET) approach to setting fares for ferry services which the Executive subsidises, nor do we intend to conduct research into the cost of implementing such a policy. As I have indicated in previous answers…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support and promote a pilot scheme for the introduction of road equivalent tariff on one of the ferry routes to the Western Isles.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to support such a scheme.

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail each venture written off as a "failed joint venture" as referred to in the director's report on the Scottish Agriculture College (SAC), setting out the reason why each failed and the amount of money that was written off as a result.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The director's report to the Scottish Agricultural Group Accounts, for the year to 31 March 2001, refers to joint ventures that were entered into by SAC Commercial Ltd - the commercial arm of the SAC group. This company is not grant aided by the Scottish Exec…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a detailed breakdown of the estimated #20 million cost of a new campus for the Scottish Agricultural College in Paisley and a move to Aberdeen; whether it is satisfied that these costings are accurate; whether the costings have been submitted for analysis or assess…

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24835.

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development to the Parliament on 21 March 2002, Official Report, col. 10615, whether the proposals for the Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive will be submitted in any form for independent assessment o…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The member is probably aware that the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) has agreed to conduct a review of its future functions and objectives, in consultation with its key stakeholders. I would expect representatives of the groups to which the member refers…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure the provision of specialist drug misuse services within the Lochaber area.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The Executive has allocated additional resources of over £380,000 for treatment and £831,000 for the rehabilitation of drug misusers in the Highland area for the period 2001-02 to 2003-04. Responsibility for how these and existing resources are spent rests wi…

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is essential for the future of crofting in the Western Isles that there be a locally-based abattoir facility.

Answer · Ross Finnie: In the interests of sustainable farming, it is important for all producers to have profitable markets for the livestock that they produce, whether that is abattoirs or other farmers who finish the animals. Around two-thirds of livestock from the Western Isles…

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance it has provided in connection with Heather Isles Meats Ltd in each of the last three years.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has provided no financial assistance to Heather Isle Meats in the last three years.