Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has met representatives of the Assessors to discuss a small business rates relief scheme and when it will next meet such representatives.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive meets regularly with the Scottish Assessors to discuss a number of non-domestic rating matters, including assistance for small businesses.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has had discussions with the Confederation of British Industry regarding a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Confederation of British Industry, CBI Scotland, is represented on a partnership working group which includes representatives from various business organisations and was established to consider aspects of the revaluation of non-domestic rates and the rati…
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has met with (a) the Federation of Small Businesses and (b) the Forum for Private Business to discuss a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive meets on a regular basis with representatives from a wide range of business organisations as part of a partnership working group established to consider aspects of the revaluation of non-domestic rates and the rating system generally. The workin…
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further research will be conducted or information sought on the issue of a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out since 8 December 1999 on the issue of a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Valuation and Rating Council (SVRC) has been considering the issue of small business rates relief and the Small Business Consultative Group (SBCG) has been considering the wider issue of assistance for small businesses.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a small business rates relief scheme on 1 April 2001 and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a small business rates relief scheme; if so, whether the scheme introduced will be that advocated by (a) the Federation of Small Businesses, (b) the Forum of Private Business or (c) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in Modernising Local…
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the conclusions of the Local Government Committee's 8th Report 2000: Non-domestic Rates it (a) accepts and (b) rejects and what the reasons are for its position in relation to each of the committee's conclusions.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it introduces a small business rates relief scheme, it will introduce a scheme under which small businesses occupying premises with rateable values of less than #10,000 receive rates relief according to a set of rateable value bands, with those occupying the lowest value premi…
Answer · Peter Peacock: We are considering the position on rate relief for small businesses and will announce before Christmas what conclusions have been drawn and how we intend to proceed.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions were reached by the Small Business Consultative Group in relation to the small business rates relief scheme advocated by the Forum for Private Business.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Small Business Consultative Group discussed the issue on 4 September. No formal conclusions were reached but the views expressed at the meeting will be taken fully into account in reaching decisions on this matter.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, if small businesses are subject to a disproportionate burden in the level of business rates they are required to pay, why this is the case and what its position is in relation to the evidence given by the Federation of Small Businesses on this issue to the Local Government Committee's in…
Answer · Peter Peacock: There is some evidence which suggests that non-domestic rates for small businesses represent a greater proportion of turnover and profit than their counterparts in larger businesses. We are considering the position on rate relief for small businesses and will…
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether business rates represent a greater burden to small businesses than to larger businesses.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It will depend on the particular business, but in general there is some evidence which suggests that non-domestic rates for small businesses represent a greater proportion of turnover than their counterparts in larger businesses.
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the possible introduction of a tiered system of scallop testing would require a new enforcement regime and, if so, (a) whether such a regime would be more stringent in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, (b) what measures such a regime might include, (c) whether it would be necessa…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Agency has advised me that the possible introduction of a tiered system of scallop testing and processing is likely to require a very robust enforcement regime in order to continue to ensure public safety. Enforcement controls, whilst being…
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will submit a full report to Her Majesty's Government on how another year's cessation of fishing for scallops would impact on the fishing communities and whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to raise at the next Council of Ministers the importance of…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I announced to the Rural Affairs Committee on 31 October that I would commission a full economic analysis of the nature and location of the impact of the closures. I said that this work would also focus on maximising the industry's potential and its scope to …
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding how the army might complement the contingency plans of the police relating to any future protests on the impact of fuel taxation and whether such plans will be made public.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive, through its membership of the Ministerial Fuel Task Force and the Civil Contingencies Committee, has been involved in discussions about how the military might assist the response to any future protests. While there are no plans for the army to …
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the proposed costs to develop the Ossian project will be spent on consultancy fees, including those for lawyers, financial advisers, accountants, computer consultants and any other professional services.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: In the current financial year, consultancy fees will amount to 9% of the planned cost of developing the project,<I> </I>including spend on securing the PPP.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10202 by Sarah Boyack on 20 October 2000, whether the information relating to the number of applications for the use of emamectin ben'oate is held by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and, if so, whether it or SEPA will provide detail…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information sought on the number of applications for the use of emamectin benzoate received and granted may be obtained from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what was (a) the total number of hereditaments on the valuation roll, (b) the number of appeals timeously intimated and (c) the information for (b) as a proportion of (a) in respect of the 2000 rates revaluation.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The total number of subjects on the valuation roll as at 1 April 2000 was 217,000. 81,379 appeals have been lodged with the Assessors in respect of 75,666 property subjects, which represents 35% of subjects on the valuation roll as at 1 April 2000.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals have been initiated against the 2000 rate revaluation assessments.
Answer · Peter Peacock: 81,379 appeals in respect of 75,666 property subjects have been lodged with the Assessors following the 2000 Revaluation of non-domestic rates.
26 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive with regard to the Education and Training (Scotland) Regulations 2000, why classes teaching Gaelic are not included in the categories of education and training which qualify for 80% support, given that an aim of such Gaelic lessons is to enhance communication, an identified criterion.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Under the definition of learning that is eligible for Individual Learning Account incentives, people will be able to receive grants of up to £150 for courses to learn Gaelic if they are in the first 100,000 applicants in Scotland. In most cases these grants s…
25 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to require special advisers to provide services to MSPs who are not members of the Executive and, if so, on the basis of what legal provision and whether such services should be publicly funded or funded by individual political parties.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Special Advisers are appointed to advise the First Minister in the development of Scottish Executive policy and its effective presentation. They discharge this role by carrying out a range of duties as required by the First Minister and set out in their contr…
25 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what links presently exist between its special advisers and a Labour party research unit; whether it plans to improve any such links and, if so, what improvements will be made and at what cost, and whether any such links will involve people who are working for the civil service.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Special Advisers are appointed to advise the First Minister in the development of Scottish Executive policy and its effective presentation.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The arrangements governing the relationship between Special Advisers and party, including party resea…
25 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when there will be a determination as to the application for planning permission for a quarry at Lingerbay, Harris.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The report of the public local inquiry and the judgement on the petition for judicial review are being considered and every effort is being made to reach an early decision.
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any decision on whether to appeal against the decision by Lord Hardie in respect of the Lingerbay Inquiry will be taken by its full Cabinet.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: It has been decided not to appeal against the judgement of Lord Hardie.
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to refer the Report on the Lingerbay Inquiry to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was within its powers; whether it will continue to refer such reports to SNH in future, and in particular whether it will refrain from referring reports to SNH where SNH has been an object…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Lord Hardie's comments in relation to the Lingerbay case have been noted and it has been decided not to appeal against his judgement. A decision as to whether it might be appropriate to refer a matter to Scottish Natural Heritage in any future case will depen…
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce by legislation or other means a requirement which sets a time period within which it must reach a decision following receipt of a report by its Inquiry Reporters.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive aims to issue decisions within three months of a report of a public local inquiry being received. There are no plans to make this a legal requirement.
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a time period of 1 July 1999 to the present for making a decision in respect of the Lingerbay Inquiry report is normal in such applications and what response it has given or intends to give to the local communities affected in relation to the delay in making a decision.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive aims to issue decisions within three months of a report of a public local inquiry being received. The Lingerbay case, however, is exceptional in that it raises a number of very technical and complex issues which require extremely careful conside…
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the report from the Reporter on the Lingerbay Inquiry was received by the Scottish Office on 29 April 1999; on what date it assumed responsibility for determining the planning application originally submitted on 25 March 1991, and what action was taken at that time.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The planning application was submitted to the Western Isles Island Council on 25 March 1991. On 27 September 1991 the then Secretary of State issued a Direction requiring the council to notify him should the council be minded to grant planning permission…
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate was made by it, regarding the Court of Session action by Lafarge Redland Aggregates Ltd. for an order in respect of the Lingerbay inquiry, before it made the decision to defend the proceedings, of the likely level of court expenses in the event that it lost the action and an…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The likely level of court expenses was not regarded as a determining factor in considering whether or not to defend the Court of Session action brought by Lafarge Redlands. No estimate of the possible expenses was prepared and final costs are not known at thi…
3 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitment given in the letter of 14 April 2000 by Sarah Boyack to provide a fuller reply to my letter of 19 November 1999 regarding the Scottish Transport Group pension scheme and the handling of surplus funds, when I will get this reply and how the Executive will ensure …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: My letter of 14 April 2000 promised a further letter when complex processes involved in the wind-up of the STG pension schemes were complete. The matter is under active consideration and I shall write again when I am in a position to make an announcement.