Parliamentary questions

Fergus Ewing

2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in SPICe a copy of the contract under which Deloitte & Touche have been appointed to conduct the independent inquiry into the handling of this year's exam results.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The contract with Deloitte & Touche is commercially sensitive and it is therefore not the practice of the Scottish Executive to make this public.

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date Deloitte & Touche were appointed to carry out the independent inquiry into the exams crisis.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: As I announced to Parliament in my statement on 6 September (<I>Official Report</I>, col. 25), Deloitte & Touche were appointed on 5 September.

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9737 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 28 September 2000, on what specific date it first received any report from any school or college of any difficulties in the collection of internal assessment data.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I am not aware of any report of problems collecting internal assessment data prior to the meeting on 16 March to which Sam Galbraith referred in reply to question S1W-9737.

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in SPICe copies of all the tender documents for the contract to conduct an investigation into the handling of this year's exams, in particular the letter or other document specifying the remit of the inquiry, any other specific instructions and the proposed contract …

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Tender documents are commercially sensitive and it is therefore not the practice of the Scottish Executive to make them public. The terms of reference for the independent review being carried out by Deloitte & Touche have been placed in the Scottish Parli…

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in SPICe copies of all the letters or other representations which it received from schools and colleges reporting difficulties with the electronic transfer of information to the Scottish Qualifications Authority or other aspects of the handling of this year's exams, …

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer Mr Ewing to the written evidence submitted by the Executive to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee as part of its inquiry into this year's exam results, in particular to paragraph 4.17 of the Education Department's Memorandum (which is availabl…

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any records exist of its quarterly liaison meetings with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) since March 1999 which contain more detailed information than the minutes made available to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee; whether any such records are held by the…

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question on 2 October.

2 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates the proposed climate change levy will have on the forestry industry.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The climate change levy aims to encourage energy efficiency by all industries to help meet the UK's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The direct financial impact of the levy on the forestry industry has not been assessed because information on ene…

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research into anti-cancer drugs has been conducted, including any carried out in the private sector which it is aware of, and what resources have been devoted to this area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of 1,961 current or recently completed projects into anti-cancer<I> </I>drugs in the UK, of which 161 are in Scotland, with seven of those funded by the CSO. Details inc…

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet with Scotia Holdings to discuss any implications for their Breasclete plant, Isle of Lewis, in the light of the US Food and Drug Administration not giving approval to the anti-cancer drug Foscan.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I met with Scotia Pharmaceuticals Limited on Thursday 28 September 2000 and discussed several business issues relating to the company.

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage public sector take-up of communications systems such as Integrated Services Digital Network and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line and what the potential cost of such take-up might be.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Many public sector bodies already make extensive use of high speed communications links to facilitate dealings with the public and businesses; to provide access to information sources on intranets and the world wide web; and to speed up internal public sector…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for the funding of improvements to take advantage of the new economy, in particular to widen access to high speed data services such as Integrated Services Digital Network and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I refer Mr Ewing to the answer I gave in response to oral question S1O-2316 on 28 September.

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult teachers, parents and others directly involved in education regarding its response to any interim conclusions of the reports of the Education, Culture and Sport and Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committees into this year's exam results.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I will have to see the nature of any interim conclusions in the reports of the two committees before deciding whether any consultation on the Executive's response is appropriate.

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to develop an informal communication channel or formal concordat or other form of direct relationship with the UK telecoms regulator (OFTEL) in order to ensure that its policy reflects conditions in Scotland, including its substantial information communications techno…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Telecommunications regulation is reserved. The Scottish Executive holds discussions with UK Departments and other organisations, including OFTEL, as necessary.

25 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is open to non-departmental public bodies to raise actions of judicial review against it and, if so, on what grounds and whether it will provide details of any such actions ever raised.

Answer · Angus MacKay: There is no rule of law which would prevent a non-departmental public body raising an action of judicial review against the Scottish Executive, nor are any of the usual grounds for judicial review not available to such a body. There has not to date been any i…

25 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions a direction has been issued to a non-departmental public body and the direction has not been complied with.

Answer · Angus MacKay: No directions have been given which have not been complied with.

25 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the powers of direction granted by (a) section 11 of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 and (b) section 9 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1996 have been exercised.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The powers of direction granted by section 11 of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 and section 9 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 have never been used.

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish public bodies spent on consultancy services in each of the last five years and how much they expect to spend in the current year and the following two years.

Answer · Jack McConnell: There are a variety of categories of public bodies including Executive, Advisory and Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Bodies, NHS Bodies, state-owned companies and public corporations. They operate at various levels of delegated responsibility, including the …

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Office spent on consultancy services in each year from 1995-96 to 1998-99; how much the Executive spent on consultancy services in 1999-2000, and how much it expects to spend on such services in each year from 2000-01 to 2002-03.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer Mr Ewing to the answer given to question S1W-6883. Spending on external consultancy between 2000-01 and 2000-03 is not expected to differ significantly from 1999-2000 levels.

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8302 by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2000, in respect of which lifeline air routes a public service obligation has been imposed; whether it considers that there are any other routes in respect of which a public service obligation should be imposed, in p…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The lifeline air routes on which public service obligations have been imposed are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=302><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Glasgow-Campbeltown-Tiree</TD></TR><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"…

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of all work and procedures, including time expended by its own and Scottish Natural Heritage's employees, involved in consulting on and making a designation order in respect of (a) a Special Area of Conservation and (b) a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The process of designating Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) is not yet complete and it is not possible, therefore, to provide the detailed costs requested.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) are currently engaged in a programme of consultati…

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the net outward migration from the Highlands and Islands in the 18 to 30 age group was in each year from 1996 to present.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Estimates of net migration in the 18 to 30 age-group for the Highlands and Islands consistent with the Registrar General's mid-year estimates of population are given in the table below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Net migration for Highlands and Islands; 1996-1999<TABL…

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the report in the Scottish Daily Express of 19 September 2000 that Scottish pupils who wish to study at Oxford or Cambridge or to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine courses in 2001 require to have their applications completed by 15 October 2000, whether such…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Qualifications Authority put arrangements in place to process appeals for those candidates affected in time for the 15 October deadline. I am told by the SQA that the timetable was achieved in all cases.

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will withdraw the proposal in the Transport (Scotland) Bill which enables a levy on workplace parking to be introduced following recent reports that Edinburgh City Council would not introduce such levies.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.