Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
31 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who will prepare the new strategy for tourism.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Tourist Board will prepare the strategy, working in partnership with the member organisations of the Scottish Tourism Co-ordinating Group which include the Scottish Tourism Forum, and under my direction.
31 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed by (a) Scottish Enterprise (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (c) each Local Enterprise Company and (d) every other body which has a responsibility in relation to enterprise and is wholly publicly funded.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The information requested for Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Local Enterprise Companies is set out in the table below. A large number of bodies have some involvement in enterprise. There is no centralised account of their total staf…
31 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individual cases since the setting up of the Scottish Legal Aid Board involving (a) refusals of grants of civil legal aid, (b) refusals of increases in advice and assistance and (c) refusals of grants of criminal legal aid have been subject to representations by Members of Parlia…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Between its inception on 1 April 1987 and 31 March 1999, the Scottish Legal Aid Board has dealt with just over 310,000 applications for civil legal aid of which just over 60,000 were refused following a review of the decision; over 1 million applications for …
31 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-616 by Jack McConnell on 3 August, how many miles of upgraded motorways, A class roads and B class roads will be constructed on the basis of planned expenditure in the years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is responsible only for expenditure on motorways and trunk roads. Other A Class roads and B Class roads are the responsibility of Councils and comprehensive information is not available on their construction proposals.<FONT FA…
31 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-189 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 July, how many grants of #500 have been granted under the new Warm Deal in each constituency in Scotland in financial year 1999-2000.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Between 1 July and 31 August, 1,329 Warm Deal grants were made across Scotland. Of these grants, 106 were for the maximum £500. A constituency breakdown is not available.
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the level of fuel prices is having upon the number of visitors to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland this season and what steps it will take to assess this issue.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Latest estimates for Scotland as a whole indicate that spend by UK tourists has increased by 13%. Figures for the Highlands and Islands will be available in the autumn. The Government is preparing a new tourism strategy to ensure that Scotland's tourist indus…
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will cover financially salmon farmers' stock for a 2 year rolling period (with annual review) until such time as the current outbreak of Infections Salmon Anaemia (ISA) is over and whether it will ask commercial insurers whether they will be willing to offer policies which cove…
Answer · John Home Robertson: What the Member suggests is essentially an insurance scheme, similar to that proposed by the fish farming industry, to be run by The Scottish Executive. We have considered this matter very carefully, and we have had discussions with representatives of the ins…
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps which would permit salmon farmers to obtain insurance cover for stocks destroyed by the Diseases of Fish (Control) Regulations 1994 (S1 1994/1447).
Answer · John Home Robertson: The insurance industry has indicated that it is not prepared to provide cover for Infectious Salmon Anaemia so long as EU legislation dictates immediate intervention by Government and compulsory slaughter of all fish when disease is confirmed.<FONT FACE="Aria…
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total annual value of the Scottish salmon farming industry's output and also the export value.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The turnover of the Scottish salmon farming industry in 1997 was estimated to be £265m by farmers and £243m by processors. Around 40 per cent of production is exported.
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs are generated by the Scottish salmon farming industry in Scotland and how many of those are in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Direct and indirect employment in 1997 was estimated to be 6,330 full-time equivalent jobs, of which around 75% are in the Highlands and Islands.
26 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Scottish Salmon Growers Association Ltd in relation to measures it has been asked to take to address the state of the salmon farming industry in Scotland.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with representatives of the Scottish salmon farming industry and the Minister for Rural Affairs and I met a delegation on 11 June 1999. Of late the main topic covered has been Infectious Salmon Anaemia, with p…
26 Aug 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the level of fuel prices is having upon the number of visitors to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland this season and what steps it will take to assess this issue.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Latest estimates for Scotland as a whole indicate that spend by UK tourists has increased by 13%. Figures for the Highlands and Islands will be available in the autumn. The Government is preparing a new tourism strategy to ensure that Scotland's tourist ind…
25 Aug 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will take steps to install effective cooling equipment in the Parliament canteen to address effectively the working conditions of staff and, if so, what the timescale will be for completion of these works.
Answer · David Steel: I visited all parts of the Scottish Parliament's buildings in the Parliament's temporary estate during the recess. A number of alterations are being considered by the SPCB following complaints by Members and staff. Like Members, staff are having to work in le…
24 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal expenses have been incurred by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in connection with the judicial review action raised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) over the Cairn Gorm Funicular Railway, what sum has been awarded…
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of that organisation to write to Mr Ewing.
24 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require former superiors, who so wish, to claim compensation from former vassals within a shorter period than the two years proposed by the Scottish Law Commission and, if so, how long this period will be.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The period of 2 years was recommended by the Scottish Law Commission to allow superiors enough time to make the necessary arrangements to serve notices requiring compensation for feuduties which have not yet been redeemed. It is clear that an adequate pe…
24 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-286 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 June 1999, whether it will publish its proposed modifications to the Scottish Law Commission's draft Bill on the abolition of feudal tenure and whether these will include changing the method of calculation of the amount of …
Answer · Jim Wallace: The modified Bill will be published when it is introduced for consideration by the Scottish Parliament. We have no plans at present to change the Commission's proposals for compensation.
24 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide an estimate of the total annual value of feuduties eligible from properties in Scotland and the cost of collection.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Law Commission estimate that under 10% of all feuduties which were exigible prior to the 1974 Act are still extant and payable. It is, however, impossible to estimate the total annual value of the feuduties still exigible or the cost of collectio…
24 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the "appointed day" in terms of clause 1 of the Scottish Law Commission's draft Bill on the abolition of the feudal tenure will be.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The "appointed day", which will be the actual date of abolition of the feudal system, will be fixed by a commencement order made by a Scottish Minister. No decision has yet been taken on the actual date.
10 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given that the National Lottery is a reserved matter, the Parliament has any statutory right to be consulted in relation to decisions taken on applications for Scotland by the New Opportunities Fund.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Arrangements are in place for Scottish Ministers to be consulted about initiatives in Scotland. However, decisions on applications are for the Lottery distributors, of which the New Opportunities Fund is one, and there is no statutory right for either the Wes…
10 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed by each department of the Scottish Executive.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The full-time equivalent of permanent staff employed in the main departments between 1 June 1997 in the Scottish Office and 1 February 2000 in the Scottish Executive are set out in the attached table.<P>In the past three years, the definition of the core Scot…
10 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed by the Scottish Executive, and of these, how many have their main place of work: (a) in Edinburgh, and (b) in the rest of Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: There are 13544.9<B> </B>civil servants employed by the Scottish Executive and Associated Departments. Of these, 6299 have their main place of work in Edinburgh; the remainder (7245.9) are deployed in various locations throughout Scotland.
10 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish, in respect of properties valued on the contractors principle, the decapitalisation rate applying to the rates revaluation effective from 1 April 2000.
Answer · Jack McConnell: An announcement on proposals for the decapitalisation rate and a consultation exercise will be made in September.
10 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a transitional relief scheme in respect of the rating revaluation effective from 1 April 2000.
Answer · Jack McConnell: A decision will be taken in the late autumn on whether a transitional relief scheme in respect of the rating revaluation is appropriate and affordable.
9 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendations by Professor Crick and David Millar in "To make the Parliament of Scotland a model for democracy", prepared for the John Wheatley Centre, with regard to the procedures applicable to public appointments.
Answer · Donald Dewar: Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that appointments to public bodies conform to the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Guidance. The Guidance took into account all the recommendations on public appointments made by Lord Nolan and his Committee, …
9 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government recommending that the remit of the MacFarlane Trust be extended to allow haemophilia sufferers in Scotland inflicted with hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood products in the UK to benefit from the work of…
Answer · Susan Deacon: I would refer Mr Ewing to the answer given to his question S1W-823.
9 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will use powers under Schedule 12 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to make regulations with regard to Section 6 of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956, and in particular whether it will use the powers prescribed thereunder to make regulations in order to reduce…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The powers under Schedule 12 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to make regulations with regard to Section 6 of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956 may be used to prescribe how the Net Annual Value (NAV) of lands and heritages is calculated. It…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a body, similar to the MacFarlane Trust which exists to provide help to people in the haemophilia community who incur extra costs of living arising from HIV or AIDS as a result of having received contaminated blood products in the UK, to provide such support for tho…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The circumstances surrounding those who may have contracted Hepatitis C through treatment with blood products are tragic. I have met the Haemophilia Society to hear their concerns at first hand and officials within my Department are making enquiries into the …
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question number S1O-93 by Sarah Boyack on 24 June 1999, to specify an exact timetable for the announcement of the conclusions of the trunk roads review.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Ewing to the answer I gave to Mr Tosh on 24 June.
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations, dated 4 August 1999, from the Western Isles Fisherman's Association asking it to take steps to alleviate the severe financial difficulties faced by some of its members and, if so, what response it will make to these representations.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Yes. A letter has been received from the Western Isles Fisherman's Association requesting the early opening of specific grid boxes within the scallop grounds which are currently closed due to high levels of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. The letter also express…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at what depth of water testing for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning has been carried out.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Integrated water samples from the top 10 metres of water are analysed for the plankton organisms that produce algal toxins.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Shellfish samples are collected from the sea floor, generally 20m to 100m for scallops. Other mollusc …