Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether water and sewerage charges for domestic customers in the North of Scotland Water Authority area will increase in 2000-01 and, if so, by how much; whether it considers any such increases to be excessive, and what steps it will take to protect the public from such increases.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I announced my decisions on the strategic review of charges to Parliament on 26 January 2000. As I made clear then, the larger increase for the north is based on a fundamental reassessment by the authority of the investment that it needs to meet its statutory…
9 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Highlands and Islands Convention will have an opportunity to consider the Highlands and Islands Special Programme 2001-06 and, in particular, whether it will have an opportunity to consider the priorities for action and the project selection criteria listed in the consultative…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Highlands and Islands Special Programme has now been submitted to the European Commission and will be finalised in negotiation with the Commission over the next few months. The plan has already been the subject of widespread consultation throughout the Hi…
9 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Highlands and Islands Convention will next meet and whether all MSPs representing the Highlands and Islands (including both constituency and regional list members) will be members of the Convention.
Answer · Henry McLeish: We are currently considering the future of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands. An announcement will be made in the near future.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Regional Development Fund money being made available through the special programme for the Highlands and Islands 2000-06 can competently be used to improve the area's transport infrastructure, including roads.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The draft Plan for the special programme provides for improvements to communications, including roads, under Priority 2. The Plan is now subject to discussion and negotiation with the European Commission. I understand that the Commission has previously made i…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether recent press reports that it has abandoned its plans to introduce road user charges are true; if so, whether the press was alerted to this change by an Executive spokesman or through other official means, and why this change in policy was not first announced in the Parliament in a…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: On 4 November I announced to Parliament that, after extensive consultation, the Executive would not legislate in the forthcoming Transport Bill to permit motorway or trunk road charging on existing roads. Our proposals to allow local authorities, subject to t…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the current recorded death rate of haemophiliacs from hepatitis C and up to what date was that number last reviewed.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2377.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there were any cases of undiagnosable hepatitis noticed in haemophiliacs in Scotland before 1987 and, if so, how many.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2377.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what action it is taking to limit the risk of disease exposure from blood products factors VIII and IX produced from large donor pools of up to 20,000 donors and (b) what consideration it gave to the risk from the imported blood and blood products which use blood from the paid donor c…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The coagulation factor concentrates prepared by SNBTS use only plasma collected from healthy volunteer unpaid donors from three centres in the US and one in Germany. SNBTS and the Medicine Control Agency have rigorously audited these centres and volunteers mu…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of hepatitis was in whole blood recipients at the time haemophilia treatment with blood products factors VIII and IX was introduced.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally. I have noted the question however and the points also raised in S1W-2379 and S1W-2380, and these will be taken into account in the Department's enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the safety of blood products f…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all public bodies and voluntary organisations whose representatives have (a) supported and (b) not supported the fuel duty escalator.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not have the information requested as the fuel duty is a reserved matter.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the extension to small to medium businesses in Scotland which are not limited liability companies of benefits under the new enterprise management incentive scheme allowing tax relief on share options granted to key…
Answer · Henry McLeish: Enterprise Management Incentives will allow small higher risk companies to grant tax advantaged share options to up to ten key employees with the essential skills vital to the company's growth. The incentives will be based on the award of share options, and t…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce new measures to assist small businesses to raise capital for either new or existing businesses.
Answer · Henry McLeish: A wide range of funding schemes are currently available to small businesses through both the Scottish Executive and the wider Enterprise Network, including the new £12 million Business Growth Fund launched earlier this year. We keep these schemes, and the nee…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is currently being spent in Scotland on research into prostate cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Executive is not currently funding any research projects specifically on prostate cancer. However, in 1998-99, 20 cancer-related research projects with a total value of nearly £2.2M were being funded by CSO. Ma…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to ensure that all GPs in Scotland have access to the best possible information on the available treatments for prostate cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The treatment for prostate cancer involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy in different measures according to factors such as the stage of the disease and the patient's degree of fitness. GPs would not normally decide …
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider launching a public health campaign to help men better understand the treatments available for prostate cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is aware of the threat to male health which prostate cancer can pose, but there is no clear consensus internationally on the best way to treat prostate cancer. The issues involved in improving the care of those with prostate cancer are …
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total cost to date of the Ossian Project and what is the cost of the report by Deloitte & Touche.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The total cost of the Ossian Project in the period to 31 March 2000 is estimated to be £5.1 million. The cost of the Deloitte & Touche consultancy study is £48,250 excluding VAT.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1854 by Ross Finnie on 20 October 1999, whether, for the purposes of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996, Scotland and not the UK is regarded as "the country of origin or provenance".
Answer · Ross Finnie: For the purposes of the Food Labelling Regulations 1999 Scotland can be regarded as a "country of origin or provenance".
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order 1998 (SI 1998/46) to ensure that employment defined therein as "customary" is not excluded from protection.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Under the current Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (No 46) 1998, hill shepherds are paid at a weekly rate for all hours worked on the "customary" duties related to tending sheep. This rate includes a notional allowance for overtime. Actual overti…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the burden of business rates falls disproportionately on smaller businesses in Scotland and, if so, what measures it is considering to tackle this issue.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The issue of rate relief for small businesses was covered in my Statement to Parliament on 8 December.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will obtain from the assessors and local authorities information that may be necessary in order to produce a scheme to provide relief from the burden of business rates for small businesses for the period 2000-05.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Yes. The issue of rate relief for small businesses was covered in my statement to Parliament on 8 December.
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a consultation paper on the provision of a scheme for rates relief for small businesses in relation to the rates revaluation to take effect on 1 April 2000, and whether it will include in such a paper the text of the schemes submitted by the Federation of Small Busin…
Answer · Jack McConnell: I made a Statement about this in Parliament on 8 December. I announced a rates discount scheme for small businesses in 2000-01 and that consultation on a transitional relief scheme will follow in January. I intend to examine the case for a rate relief scheme …
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in view of the estimate of 16-18 million of the number of corncrakes globally, Scottish National Heritage have funded or are to fund any projects involving corncrakes and, if so, whether it will provide full details of the funding provided or to be provided.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There is no evidence to support the quoted figure of 16-18 million corncrakes. The internationally accepted method of calculating the corncrake population is by numbers of singing males. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently …
3 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to enable or require the appointment of a curator ad litem in litigation where (a) one of the parties is a body funded in whole or in part from public funds, and (b) where there is, in the conduct by such body in relation to such litigation, a conflic…
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are no plans to introduce such legislation. In addition to the powers to appoint curators <I>ad litem</I> in specific circumstances provided for in primary and secondary legislation including the Rules of Court, Judges and Sheriffs have an inherent comm…
2 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the rules governing the Victims Notification Scheme, in particular to permit notification to victims of the release of a person from custody where, although the person in custody was under 18 years of age at the time of the commitment of the crime, he or she is over…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The present Victim Notification Scheme would not prevent the victims of crime being notified of the release of a person from custody in these circumstances. The age of a person at the time of committing a crime would not in itself prevent the victim or, in th…
2 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend Schedule 7, paragraph 3 of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 to permit the appointment of more than eleven members of water and sewerage authorities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: We have no plans to expand the membership of the Water Authorities beyond that currently allowed under the Act.
29 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult with interested bodies as to how the Scottish University for Industry will add value to existing provision and how adequate performance measurement mechanisms will be instituted.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The <I>Opportunity Scotland</I> consultation paper of September 1998, the "Skills for Scotland" paper of March 1999 and the SUfI Development Plan of October 1998 all invited comment on our plans to establish the Scottish University for Industry by a…
29 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will launch a marketing campaign aimed at small and medium si'e businesses to highlight the potential benefits of the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish University for Industry's branding and communications strategy will be central to stimulating the demand for learning. The Scottish UfI will develop an extensive communications strategy, targeted at a number of sectors including SMEs. The Scottis…
29 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed salaries are of the Chairman and other Directors of the proposed Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Chief Executive post was advertised at circa £80,000, and the 4 Executive Directors at circa £50,000. Non Executive Directors of the Scottish UfI will not be paid. The question of an honorarium for the Chairman has yet to be decided.
29 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual operating costs are of the proposed Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: £5 million a year has been identified for the development and operating costs of the Scottish UfI for the period to 31 March 2002.
29 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of funding are of the #16.3 million costs for the proposed Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: £16.3m over 3 years has been allocated for the development of the Scottish UfI. £445,000 was allocated from the Windfall tax. The remainder was allocated from the Industry, Enterprise and Training budget of the Scottish Block. Funding for the development phas…