Parliamentary questions

Fergus Ewing

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

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that the Scottish mountains are included within United Nations' promotion of 2002 as the year of the mountains, and whether it will convene a group or committee, to include all interested parties, to ensure that Scotland does not lose out on any benefi…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Dealings with the United Nations remain a reserved matter for the UK Government. Niche markets such as walking and climbing which take advantage of Scotland's spectacular environment and particularly its mountains are a vital element of the country's tourism …

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all small businesses within the tourism sector have full access to e-commerce and the OSSIAN Project and how it will achieve this.

Answer · Henry McLeish: All businesses who are members of an Area Tourist Board will have access to the Ossian system and will be encouraged to use the e-commerce facility available after June 2000.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of all publicly funded positions, including the name of the person currently in post, where the total package of remuneration received exceeds that received by the First Minister.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive does not hold information centrally on the remuneration packages of all persons holding publicly funded positions. The publication Appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies, updated in February 2000, gives the names and remuneration …

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an investigation into the remuneration levels of management posts in the public sector; whether the highest level of public sector salary should be paid to the First Minister on a pyramidal structure and whether all public positions should be remunerated upon a pay…

Answer · Jack McConnell: There is a very wide range of public sector organisations in Scotland, with very varied functions and responsibilities. This is reflected in a similarly broad range of pay arrangements for management, staff and other public sector appointments. It would there…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to re-allocate the total expenditure on employing special advisers to fund an enhanced pay award in 2000-01 to the lowest paid in (a) the health service or (b) further education colleges.

Answer · Donald Dewar: No.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce an ombudsman for Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the local enterprise companies, local authorities and other bodies who provide local enterprise development services and, if so, whether it will include within the remit of any such ombudsman…

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no plans to introduce such an ombudsman.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the numbers who will be employed or working within the tourist industry, in each local authority area, (a) this year and (b) for each of the next three years.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The latest data is in respect of 1997. Estimates for the next three years are not held.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=410><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">Local Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in determining the allocation of (a) public funds, whether from Scottish Natural Heritage or other sources and (b) funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The allocation of public funds to RSPB by Scottish Natural Heritage is made on exactly the same criteria as for any other applicant. Applications for funding are subject to a detailed assessment process, the key criterion of which is that the project for whic…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, for each of the last 10 years, the total public funds received, from all sources, including the Scottish Executive, The Scottish Office, Her Majesty's Government and other UK wide public bodies, by all charities registered in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken or plans to take in relation to its policies following the "Business in the Chamber" event on 18 February 2000 and whether it will specify any new or supplementary polices in detail.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I will respond to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee Inquiry on local economic development when the final report is published.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a course or courses in song writing within the tertiary education system and, if so, with whom it will consult regarding establishment and delivery; whether, as part of any such course or courses, advice would be issued to ensure control over all intellectual pro…

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no plans to do so.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will announce details of the funding available under the "Modernising Government" initiative and whether this funding will be available to (a) small businesses (b) the voluntary sector (c) The Family Association for Children with Extra-Special Needs (d) other voluntary bodies a…

Answer · Jack McConnell: I announced the establishment of the £25 million Modernising Government Fund during the parliamentary debate on modernising government on 23 February. Applications for funds will be invited from a wide range of public sector bodies, including Scottish Executi…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require the Scottish Tourist Board to make available to non-members of the area tourist boards membership of the OSSIAN project so that they are not excluded from any benefits of it.

Answer · Henry McLeish: No. The Scottish Tourist Board's policy ensures that all accommodation providers and visitor attraction operators whose details appear on the Scotland website offer a quality assured product.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a system to provide any necessary assistance to meet any costs of bed and breakfast businesses in hooking up to the Internet and project OSSIAN and any membership costs thereof.

Answer · Henry McLeish: All accommodation establishments who are members of Area Tourist Boards receive a free entry on the Internet via Ossian. General IT and Ossian specific training is provided through Local Enterprise Companies and Area Tourist Boards.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase its targets of 1,000 modern apprenticeships by 2003 in the tourism industry given that the number of persons employed within the industry is between 170,000 and 180,000 and, if not, why not.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I believe that the target is realistic taking into account the age range for Modern Apprenticeships, which is 16-24, the range of occupations in the tourist industry and the current level of uptake of Modern Apprenticeships in the industry.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate whether the due date for subscriptions and other payments to the area tourist boards by members can be altered in order to minimise any cash flow problems experienced because of the seasonal nature of the tourist trade.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The budgeting arrangements of Area Tourist Boards are a matter for the individual bodies themselves.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will discuss with the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust their expertise in running three pilot accreditation courses and what lessons, if any, it could learn from the Trust in relation to accreditation for business advisers.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I have recently outlined several proposed improvements to the services provided by the Scottish Enterprise Network to assist business start-ups and small businesses, and we are discussing similar developments with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. These inclu…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to cease the operation as independent companies limited by guarantee of local enterprise companies and instead that they should operate as part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Enterprise network and whether it can provide an estimate of the sav…

Answer · Henry McLeish: The status of local enterprise companies is being considered as part of the review of the enterprise networks in Scotland which I announced recently. I encourage all those who wish to have an input to contribute to the debate.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it has chosen Scottish Natural Heritage to provide input and advice as to the boundaries of any proposed National Park area instead of the local residents and Community Councils.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: We have not asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to advise instead of local residents and communities on the boundaries of National Parks. We have asked them to consult with these groups and others on identifying and discussing the options for the detailed a…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include in its draft National Parks (Scotland) Bill a definition of the aims of the national park proposal to include the individual residents and the communities within the area of a Park and, if not, why not; and why in the draft Bill, the term "area" does not include an…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: All the comments made on the draft National Parks (Scotland) Bill are currently being considered.We recognise the importance of communities and local residents in the running of the National Parks they live in. The draft Bill sets…

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3702 by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000, whether it will propose a debate in the Parliament on the burden of regulation, and its associated administration, on business when the first series of meetings which the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong …

Answer · Henry McLeish: I do intend to publish the conclusions of recent meetings between Ministers, the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit and businesses, now that the series is complete. I will discuss with the Minister for the Parliament your suggestion for a debate.

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2406 by Sarah Boyack on 26 January 2000, why details of the contact between itself and the Minister of State at the Scotland Office are "not normally released" and why it will not detail the contact between the parties on this matter.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information, information will be disclosed unless the harm likely to arise from disclosure would outweigh the public interest in making the information available. In this case, the public interest in …

29 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3711 by Ross Finnie on 27 January 2000, whether it will detail for each of the years mentioned the sums actually taken up from those sums referred to as "offers of financial assistance" and why this information was not provided in response to the ori…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The following table shows the actual take-up of known financial assistance made to the pig industry in Scotland out of the provision made for it during the period 1995-1999. As the table demonstrates there can be a lag between provision and uptake.Financia…

29 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of farmers and crofters who it anticipates will be sequestrated in each of the next five years and the associated cost to public funds and whether it considers that additional support provided now to farmers and crofters would cost less to public funds …

Answer · Ross Finnie: It would be inappropriate for the Scottish Executive to seek to forecast decisions taken by thousands of businessmen and women. These decisions are based on a multitude of factors, most of which are outwith the control of the Executive. The aim of the Executi…

29 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3497 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 January 2000, whether it will describe, elucidate and specify any instances where Ministerial access has been, or may in future be, granted to papers dated before 1 July 1999, particularly in relation to the Agricultur…

Answer · Jack McConnell: My answer of 25 January to S1W-3497 outlined the position, and I can, therefore, confirm that pre-1 July 1999 papers relating to the Agricultural Business Improvement Schemes are treated no differently from other pre-1 July papers.