Fergus Ewing

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any possible benefits arising from the delayed introduction of all of the provisions of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 are outweighed by the continued possession of powers of feudal superiors to extract payment from vassals in exchange for the grant of Min…

Answer · Iain Gray: The delay is required in order to allow transitional arrangements to be put in place. Both the Scottish Law Commission and the Law Society of Scotland have suggested that commencement of the 2000 Act should be delayed for a period of at least two years to all…

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates bringing into force all of the provisions of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000.

Answer · Iain Gray: As indicated in the answer to question S1W-12490 on 29 January 2001, we will bring forward the commencement order in due course. The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 is the first part of our programme of property law reform, and we will ass…

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many quarries there are in Scotland; what the name and location of each quarry is; how many quarries it anticipates will be in operation five years after the introduction of the Aggregates Tax, and what consideration it has given to the impact of any closures of quarries on the enviro…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Information on the number, names and locations of quarries in Scotland can be found in the British Geological Survey's <I>Directory of Mines and Quarries 1998</I>. A copy of this is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17129). We are no…

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the level of Aggregates Tax will have on local government finance and, in particular, whether it will cause increases to council tax and/or non-domestic rates as a result of potential building and maintenance costs to be met by local authorities.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The financial impact of Aggregates Tax on local authorities will depend on their individual purchasing policies. The aim of the new tax is to promote a change of behaviour amongst purchasers by encouraging the use of recycled aggregates and other alternative …

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the European Commission in respect of the impact on the Scottish economy of the introduction of the Aggregates Tax at a flat rate levy of #1.60 per ton, given the lower rate levied in some other European Countries.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19492.

29 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform the law in relation to rights of servitude and whether the power of feudal superiors and landowners in relation to the law of servitude and, in particular, on denial of rights of access should be reformed.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive has no plans to introduce a fundamental reform of the law relating to servitude rights, but the proposed Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill contains a number of consequential changes to the law on servitudes as a result of the reform of the law on…

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget of Scottish Natural Heritage was in each year since 1997 and how much was spent on (a) the environment and (b) internal organisational functions.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The table shows the budget and a breakdown of expenditure for Scottish Natural Heritage since 1997-98.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=406><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALI…

25 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any published evidence that wild fowl are at particular risk from lead poisoning and, if so, whether it will place a copy of such evidence in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The poisoning of wildfowl from lead deposited through shooting is widely accepted as a serious problem. The Scottish Executive was consulted in July of this year on the possible restriction on the use of lead shot and the responses are being analysed.<P>A num…

25 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the North of Scotland Water Authority (NOSWA) to make available immediately to residents in Dalfaber, Aviemore, details of the flood risk assessment which it commissioned from Earthtec on the risk of flooding of the proposed sewerage treatment plant in Dalfaber an…

Answer · Ross Finnie: I understand that NOSWA received the final report on 4 October, analysed its content, and passed it to the member on 29 October, and to local community representatives.

24 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether VisitScotland has made any agreement to make payment of any sum to Mr Rod Lynch; if so (a) what the amount of the sum is, (b) what such money would otherwise have been spent on, (c) with whom the responsibility for any such payment lies and (d) whether there are any precedents of…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: VisitScotland has made no agreement to any payment. The other questions do not therefore apply.

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on 22 August 2001 of #12 million of funding for schools under the Grants for Improvements in School Education (Scotland) Regulations 1998, (a) what actual amount of funding was received by each school, (b) whether the school roll was the sole basis of distribu…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The announcement on 22 August was about the School Buildings Improvement Fund, which provides for capital grants to education authorities under the Grants for School Improvements (Scotland) Regulations 1997 for expenditure on school buildings. These resources…

19 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the programme for digital hearing aids on the NHS as recommended by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (Scotland).

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Good Practice Guidance on Adult Hearing and Fitting Services issued to NHSScotland in March 2001 recommends that digital aids should be supplied whenever clinical judgement indicates that they would provide benefit to the patient involved that would not b…

17 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that there is an independent investigation into the actions and conduct of Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the designation of Sunart as a proposed site of special scientific interest and potential special area of conservation.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: No. I am confident that Scottish Natural Heritage have conducted an open and constructive consultation process, and that no further independent investigation is necessary.

17 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the hydroelectric power production of British Alcan at Kinlochleven and Fort William will qualify for the incentives to be introduced as from 1 January 2002 under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Draft Order 2001.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: No final decisions on the detail of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) have yet been taken. A statutory consultation exercise has just ended, and as part of this, my officials are meeting with representatives from British Alcan to discuss that company's vie…

12 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make representations to both Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the local enterprise companies to provide matching funding towards the costs of Volunteering Highland taking on a senior development officer.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive provides all local volunteer development agencies (LVDA's), including Volunteering Highland, with generous grant towards their running and programme costs. In 2001-02, Volunteering Highland will receive over £41,000 from the Scottish Ex…

8 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when its Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) will reply to the letter of 15 August 2001 from my constituent Mr Andrew S. Nobel from Newtonmore seeking the views and support of SEERAD to "Farms Mart", a new on-line farming community business website.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I regret that this letter does not appear to have been received by the Department. If Mr Nobel could re-send his letter to my office I will ensure that it is dealt with as a matter of urgency.

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers to support the Thumbprint Signature Scheme.

Answer · Iain Gray: This a matter for the banking sector to consider, in relation to the range of new technologies available and fraud prevention procedures currently in use or being developed.

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received concerning the Thumbprint Signature Scheme, which is being used in Inverness to combat credit card fraud; whether it will endorse the use of the scheme and the associated Thumbs Up campaign, and whether it will encourage all towns and cities to participate…

Answer · Iain Gray: Whilst the Executive welcomes such a crime prevention initiative, the scheme relies upon the voluntary co-operation of the public and the support of the retail sector. We will be interested to see any evaluation of the effectiveness of the scheme.

3 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet representatives from the Highland Council to hear their case for improvements to the A82.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I met representatives of the Highland Council, including the Lochaber Area Convener, when I visited the area in August. We discussed a range of transport issues, including the A82 trunk road, and the convener has since written to the department setting out hi…

3 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the campaign by the Highland Council for improvements to the A82, in particular (a) the introduction of lay-bys and passing places to provide overtaking opportunities for the Loch Ness length of the road between Fort Augustus and Inverness, (b) removal of the "pinc…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The three-year programme of motorway and trunk road improvements, which I announced on 27 March, does not include any major schemes between Loch Lomond and Inverness. However, minor maintenance and improvement schemes are being progressed, including works on …

3 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the A82.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The three-year programme of improvements to the motorway and trunk road network, which I announced on 27 March, included one major scheme on the A82. This project will improve capacity at the A82/A814 Dumbuck Junction, Dumbarton and allow further safety impro…

3 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will now implement the recommendation contained in the 1st Report 2000, Inquiry into the Delivery of Local Economic Development Services in Scotland, by the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, that there should be an ombudsman created to consider complaints made in resp…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: We are taking forward the recommendation to create an ombudsman to investigate complaints against the enterprise networks as part of our wider exercise to establish modern arrangements for public sector ombudsmen in Scotland. In July we published a paper, <I>…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has received representations from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) recommending that additional steps must be taken to protect the capercaillie population and, if so, what response it will make to the proposal by the SGA that SNH should fu…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I understand that SNH has received a letter from the SGA seeking grant aid for foot-packs on a twice-yearly basis in areas where capercaillie are resident. SNH is taking action to enhance the capercaillie population through the Biodiversity Species Action Pla…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the capercaillie is facing possible extinction and, if so, what measures it will take to prevent its extinction

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The decline of the capercaillie population, to around 1,000 individual birds, is undoubtedly serious. If the decline continues the future of the species in Scotland would be seriously threatened. It is widely recognised that the decline is related to climatic…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures additional to the Species Action Plan and the proposed management trial need to be taken to protect capercaillie from predation and, if so, what the additional measures should be.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In addition to the actions set out in the Biodiversity Species Action Plan for capercaillie, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission, Caledonian Partnership, RSPB and others have developed a bid for funding from the EU LIFE Natu…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the relocation of the Scottish Arts Council to Inverness would assist any bid by the City of Inverness to become the European City of Culture.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The most appropriate location for the Scottish Arts Council will be considered during the council's forthcoming quinquennial review and will be based on a range of criteria that will include the needs of the arts sector across all parts of Scotland.

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support a bid by the City of Inverness to be the European City of Culture in 2008 and, if so, what (a) practical and (b) financial assistance it will provide to support the bid.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is pleased to support the costs of preparation of the proposed Highland bid for designation as European Capital of Culture 2008. We are making available £50,000 towards those costs in both this and the next financial year. This is in addition to…

27 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the full terms of the contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd for the management and maintenance of the trunk road network and why BEAR Scotland Ltd are not permitted to communicate directly with MSPs on any representations which…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: In respect of access to the contract, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18616. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In respect of communication between the company and members of the Scottish Parliament, I refer the member to the answer given to question S…

21 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any licences have ever been granted under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the purpose of controlling predators and, if so, what the specific purpose of each licence was.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes no specific provision for licences to control predators. Section 16 of the Act permits licences to be issued, in certain circumstances, for the purpose of conserving wild birds and wild animals and in order to preve…

21 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for licences under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the purposes of (a) preserving public health or public air safety, (b) preventing the spread of disease, (c) preventing serious damage to livestock, (d) preventing serious damage to foodstuffs…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I wrote to the member on 22 July enclosing three tables showing individual licences granted by the Scottish Office and the Scottish Executive under section 16 since 1990. My answer to S1W-16300 explained that comprehensive information is only readily availabl…