Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing boats are currently licensed solely to fish for scallops, and of those, how many are affected by the current ban on scallop fishing, and how many people's incomes have been affected as a result of the ban.
Answer · John Home Robertson: There are no vessels currently licensed to fish solely for scallops. At present there are 214 over 10 metre vessels, administered by the Scottish Executive, which are licensed to fish for scallops by mechanical dredge in addition to other species appropriate …
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will grant, for all scallop vessels, a four week extension to the seasonal closure which is due to operate from 23 August 1999 until 1 November 1999, and whether it will ensure that any necessary procedures to obtain such an extension are carried out before 23 August 1999.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is considering a request to extend the exception to the seasonal inshore closure on mobile gear fishing between Lochmaddy south to Barra Head which applies from March until October. The exception applies to scallop dredging between 1 Ma…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will lift the ban on scallop fishing in areas presently affected by the ban which have shown consistently low levels of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The ban on scallop fishing will be lifted when toxin levels are consistently below the legal limit and scientific and medical advice indicate that it is safe to do so.
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when testing for the level of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning was first instituted and how frequently such tests have subsequently been carried out.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Testing for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning was first carried out in 1997 as part of a trial and has been included in the algal toxin monitoring programme since 1998. ASP testing is carried out weekly from April to October and monthly thereafter.
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify how many tourist businesses there are in Scotland, whether it foresees a reduction in that number, and if so, for what reasons.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is estimated that there are around 27,000 businesses in Scotland engaged in tourism and tourist related activities. I have no reason to believe that the number will reduce. The world tourism industry is growing. We are preparing a new strategy that will ai…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the introduction of fixed payments under the Criminal Legal Aid (Fixed Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, it considers that there is any purpose in the retention of time recording in cases which are subject to the fixed payment rules.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The obligation to undertake personal time recording is set out in the Code of Practice issued by the Scottish Legal Aid Board which solicitors undertaking criminal legal assistance agree to adhere to. The Scottish Legal Aid Board has recently undertaken a con…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify total public expenditure on road improvements in each of the last five years and what is the expected public expenditure on road improvements in (a) 1999/2000; (b) 2000/2001, and (c) 2001/2002.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Total public expenditure on road improvements cannot be separately identified from the available information but I refer to the answers (S1W-664 and S1W-665) on total central and local government expenditure on transport which I gave to Mr Tosh on 20 Aug…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify for each local authority area the total length of single track classified roads.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not collect the information requested for the local road network. However, there are two sections of single track road with passing places on the trunk road network. They are both located within Highland Council, and the total leng…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road schemes in Scotland are being considered as part of the strategic roads review and whether it will list the schemes.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Seventeen major road schemes are being considered in the Strategic Roads Review. They are:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">A1 Haddington - Dunbar<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">A68 Dalkeith Northern Bypass<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">A78 Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Bypass<P ALIGN="JUSTIF…
6 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the guidelines governing public appointments in Scotland.
Answer · Donald Dewar: Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that appointments to Scottish public bodies are subject to independent scrutiny and conform to the Commissioner for Public Appointments' guidance. The Commissioner keeps the guidance under constant review.
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the impact on the Scottish economy of the current level of taxation on hauliers and motorists, and if so, whether it will provide information on its findings.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive undertakes regular analysis of the current and future prospects for the Scottish economy. However, decisions on levels of taxation of motoring and haulage are reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act and are therefore a matter for …
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it intends to give to the funding of area tourist boards, and whether it intends to increase the funding available for the present financial year and subsequent financial years and, if so, to specify the amount of the proposed increase.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Area Tourist Boards are local partnership organisations supported by the Scottish Tourist Board. They are core funded by the STB, by local authorities and by their own income. It is for the Scottish Tourist Board to determine the level of grant it provides t…
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Tourist Board will make use of the coverage of the Parliament, and in particular the opening ceremony, as a means of promoting Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Tourist Board. I will ask the Chairman to write to you and I will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Parliament's Library.
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the level of profits made by the following companies which operate in Scotland: Railtrack; rolling stock companies; train operators and freight operators, and if so, what representations it will make.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty's Government, The Office of the Rail Regulator and the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority, on issues affecting the operation of the railways in Scotland.
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Tourist Board has conducted research into whether there are any countries where there is in their national curricula inclusion of Scotland or Scottish history, whether it markets Scotland as a tourist destination in such countries, and if so, in which countries and wh…
Answer · Henry McLeish: I will ask the Chairman of the Scottish Tourist Board to write to you and I will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Parliament's Library.
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the administration of justice in civil actions by rendering the Court of Session competent to raise in the Sheriff Court some forms of civil action for which the Court of Session at present has exclusive jurisdiction, in particular whether jurisdiction will be…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans for a general review of the jurisdiction of the sheriff court in relation to matters which are currently within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Session. As regards the matters referred to particularly in the Ques…
5 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that on 7 July 1999 the Fort William to Mallaig road was blocked for a period of approximately 4 hours and whether it intends to make an announcement with regard to the prioritisation of an upgrading programme of the trunk routes in Scotland.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive was aware of the incident. On 7 July 1999 an articulated lorry loaded with fish ran off the road, resulting in a temporary road closure between 1540 hours and 1900 hours.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>An announcement concerning the Strate…
4 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the costs incurred as a result of the change of name from "The Scottish Office" to the "Scotland Office" will be met from its block grant and, if so, to provide a breakdown of these costs.
Answer · Donald Dewar: I refer the Member to the answer I gave to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton's question S1W-745.
4 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the impact which the Department of Social Security's decision to pay benefits by automated credit transfer from 2003 will have on the viability of many sub Post Offices in Scotland, particularly in rural areas.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government across a range of issues, including those relating to the Post Office.
26 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will oppose any calls for the privatisation of Caledonian MacBrayne.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive have no plans to privatise Caledonian MacBrayne Limited.
26 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the names of all those who applied for the position of chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne, the names of those selected for interview and the criteria against which the candidates interviewed were judged.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The advertisement for the post of Chairman to Caledonian MacBrayne Limited stated that all applications would be treated strictly in confidence. It would therefore, be a breach of that confidence to name the applicants who applied for this appointment. I can …
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of the annual revenue from tourism in Scotland in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Tourism spend in Scotland in 1997 was estimated to be £2.6 billion, a record sum, and in 1998 to be £2.5 billion, both at today's prices. The Scottish Tourist Board is forecasting modest growth for the industry in 1999.
13 Jul 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Mace gifted to the Parliament by Her Majesty The Queen has any constitutional significance and if so whether he will provide in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a statement regarding its significance.
Answer · David Steel: The Mace was presented by Her Majesty to The Scottish Parliament. It is a modern embodiment of an ancient symbol of power, legitimacy and the relationship between Parliament and the Crown, and is a reminder of the Parliament's authority.<P>The Mace is at pre…
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will request that the Scottish Tourist Board introduce a marketing campaign to promote Scotland as an autumn holiday destination in order to boost the tourist industry in Scotland this year.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The STB in partnership with the industry has since 1995 undertaken a campaign focused on generating additional business in the October and November period. This is estimated to have generated an additional £5 million spend in 1998. Plans for a 1999 campaign…
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether steps have been taken by the Scottish Tourist Board to promote Scotland as a holiday destination in the Highland Games events which take place in Canada and the United States of America and whether the Scottish Tourist Board has advertised or intends to advertise in the "Highlande…
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Tourist Board. I will ask the Chairman to write to you and I will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for details of the marketing budget in each of the area Tourist Boards in Scotland for each of the last three financial years and the estimated budgets for the next three financial years.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Area Tourist Boards are independent local partnership organisations. The information requested is not held centrally.
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the impact on Scottish Postal services of the possible sale of the Post Office and, if so, what representations it will make.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government over a range of matters, including those relating to the Post Office.
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any independent assessment of the impact of the Ossian project and, if so, whether it will place the results of the assessment in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre
Answer · Henry McLeish: Project Ossian is not yet fully on stream and the impact will not be felt until next year. The Scottish Tourist Board believe that the introduction of Ossian will make the industry more competitive.
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of how the #700,000 additional funding for the Ossian project made available to the Area Tourist Boards in 1999 was spent.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Tourist Board, which leads the Ossian project, was asked to allocate this funding between the ATBs. I will ask the Chairman to write to you with the information and I will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Scottish Parliament I…
13 Jul 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to study the impact of the use of the internet as a means of promoting tourism in Scotland and, if so, what will be the nature of the study, and whether it will seek to involve those in the industry already engaged in the use of the internet.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Tourist Board is undertaking research. The results will be used to inform the new Tourism Strategy on which the industry will be fully consulted.