Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the number of residential properties held under long leasehold tenure in Scotland, and whether it intends to introduce interim law reforms to provide security of tenure to tenants under such leases where those leases are close to expiry.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer Mr Ewing to the reply I gave on 19 July to question S1W-00275. We have no plans for interim measures.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>To provide an estimate of the number of residential properties held under long leasehold tenure in Scotland w…
29 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to recommend to the Scottish Law Commission that it incorporates the issue of long leases of residential property into its seventh programme of law reform.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer Mr Ewing to the reply I gave on 19 July 1999 to his question S1W-00275.
29 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reform the law relating to long leasehold tenure
Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an area on which the Scottish Executive would prefer to await recommendations from the Scottish Law Commission before legislating.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>The Commission has given some attention to leasehold tenure in its 1998 report on…
29 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of its policy on freedom of information, it intends to make representations to Her Majesty's Government to publish all of those Cabinet papers which, under the 30 year rule, have not yet been published and which relate to matters which would now be devolved under th…
Answer · Jim Wallace: UK Cabinet papers, whether on devolved matters or not, are the property of Her Majesty's Government and their release as public records is a matter for Her Majesty's Government.
25 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland of the proposed greenhouse gas emission tax.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The UK Government is considering responses to consultation on the proposed Climate Change Levy, which is a reserved matter. They are also holding discussions with energy intensive sectors, including the paper industry, on possible agreements to give rebates …
25 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will accept the recommendation of Chantrey Vellacott DFK that the rate of return should be published in all PFI contracts.
Answer · Jack McConnell: No. I refer Mr Ewing to my reply given to his question (S1W-00261) on 9 July 1999.
25 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends in future to publish the rate of return received by private sector investors in respect of each contract for a private finance initiative project on which public money is spent.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has no plans to publish this information. The rate of return achieved by the private sector will depend on how successful they are in managing risk during the life of a contract. The operators' accounts will be publicly available.<P>I…
25 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the current law and practice in relation to the means assessment of residents in residential and care homes.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Royal Commission on Long Term Care was set up to consider the system of funding care, including means assessment, in residential and nursing homes, as well as in people's own homes. The recommendations made in their Report about health, housing and socia…
24 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for the names of those persons sitting at the tables at the rear of the Assembly Hall chamber to be printed on name cards along with a description of their position.
Answer · David Steel: There are three tables in the rear of the Assembly Hall, access to which is authorised by the Interim Clerk in terms of Business Bulletin Number 5/1999 published on 24 May 1999.<P>The eastmost table is used by civil servants supporting the Scottish Executive.…
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends that the proposed policy of road tolls will apply to motorways, trunk routes and any other roads, and if so, whether the proposed tolls will apply to all roads within each category.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No decision has been made on the introduction of road user charges on any trunk road or motorway, the roads for which the Scottish Executive is responsible. If any such proposals are developed in the future, they will be the subject of full consultation. In…
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of the proposed annual expenditure on the Lomond & Trossachs National Park, whether it will state from what source this annual expenditure will be funded and whether it proposes that any part of the expenditure will be met from road tolls and, if so, wh…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Natural Heritage's published advice to Government includes the estimate that total core operating costs for a National park in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, once up and running, would be £2.4m per year. New and existing programme costs were estimat…
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the law relating to sequestration in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Consultation papers were issued by The Scottish Office in July 1997 and September 1998 on problems which had arisen with the application of the insolvency procedures under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985. We are considering the need for legislation in the…
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A82, particularly the section between Tarbet and Inverarnan, and whether any upgrading would be affected by the proposed designation of the area as part of the Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no proposals to upgrade the A82 between Tarbet and Inverness.
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce road tolls for the Fort William to Mallaig road, and if so, at what point or points would the toll booth or booths be placed.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the Member to the answer I gave to question (S1W-00218).
24 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to place a toll booth on any single track road, and if it does, whether it will be able to ensure that this will not breach health and safety standards or road traffic regulations.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the Member to the answer I gave to question (S1W-00218).
24 Jun 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland of the proposed greenhouse gas emission tax.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The UK Government is considering responses to consultation on the proposed Climate Change Levy, which is a reserved matter. They are also holding discussions with energy intensive sectors, including the paper industry, on possible agreements to give rebates …
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the remaining single track sections of the A830 Fort William to Mallaig Road.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Plans for the section of road between Arisaig and Kinsadel are being considered within the Strategic Roads Review. My answer to Mr Tosh on 24 June provides the information on progress of the Review. We have no plans to upgrade the section of road betwe…
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A95.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Since trunking the road in 1996, improvements to a total value of £3.24m have been completed at Dulnain and Craggan. There are no current plans to undertake further improvements on the A95.
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide a list of the members of the Scottish Valuation and Rating Council, and whether it intends to appoint a representative from the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum of Private Business, and the Chambers of Commerce to the Committee.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Appointments to the Scottish Valuation and Rating Council are<B> </B>made on a personal, not a representative basis. The current members are :-<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">	Professor Gordon S Milne,<B> </B>Chairman<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">	Bill Anderson<P ALIGN="JUSTI…
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to grant the Scottish Legal Aid Board competence to make interest payments on overdue accounts under the Scottish Legal Aid schemes and whether it intends to authorise ex gratia payments where legal aid or advice and assistance accounts are not settled within 30 days.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I do not intend to require the Board to pay interest on accounts or to make ex-gratia payments. The Board is making good progress in dealing with outstanding cases and there is no need for such arrangements which would add to complexity and delay.
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of the financial contribution the West Highland Way makes to the Scottish economy each year and the cost of necessary repairs to it.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The West Highland Way is estimated to generate some £3.5m per annum for the local economy and support some 168 jobs. The managing authorities of the Way agreed in 1998 a 3 year improvement package to carry out necessary repairs totalling some £527,554.
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to appoint a Gaelic Officer to promote the development of the Gaelic language and to be responsible for liaison with interested organisations and co-ordination of Gaelic issues within the Scottish Administration.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Within the Scottish Executive, responsibility for liaison with organisations with an interest in Gaelic and the co-ordination of Gaelic issues generally is already assigned to officials in the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division of the Education Department.
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to appoint permanent Sheriffs in order to reduce the amount of time spent by police officers waiting to appear as witnesses in Scottish criminal trials.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Very significant reductions in police waiting time at Court have been achieved through the introduction of first and mandatory intermediate diets. There is nevertheless a continuing need to improve procedures to ensure that waiting time for all witnesses, inc…
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase staffing levels of the Procurator Fiscal service in order to reduce the amount of time spent by police officers waiting to appear as witnesses in criminal trials.
Answer · Andrew Hardie: There are no current plans to increase staffing levels of the Procurator Fiscal Service specifically for this purpose.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scottish Office commissioned research published in August 1998 has shown a substantial reduction in the amount of time spe…
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce measures to reduce the amount of police time spent waiting to appear as witnesses in criminal trials.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The research report "From Citation to Witness Stand: A Study of Police Witness Duty at Court" published last September revealed that since 1991, through the introduction of mandatory intermediate diets and other measures, there has been a 40% r…
23 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the monetary limit of #750 applying to small claims actions in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Lord Advocate last year issued a Consultation Paper in relation to the jurisdiction limits in summary cause and small claim actions in the sheriff court.<P>As a result of the consultation exercise I am currently considering advice proposing variations to …
17 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to encourage local authorities to make free milk available to primary school children.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive is not intending to do so. <FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended, local authorities must provide free milk, meals and other refreshments to children whose parents are entitled to inc…
17 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make available details of which local authorities are currently providing free school milk, including details of the extent of this provision and the annual cost in each case.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Under the Education (Scotland) Act, as amended, all authorities are obliged to provide free school meals, milk or other refreshments for children whose parents receive income support or other income based job seekers allowance. <FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" S…
17 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish the distribution list used to circulate Scottish Office News Release 0553/99.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Scottish Office News Release 0553/99 was issued to main media outlets, and also the relevant specialist trade press list on March 8, 1999. As with all news releases, it is available on the Scottish Office website and was available on the Bulletin Board for a…
17 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the practice in relation to advising the victim of a reported crime of the reasons no proceedings are taken, when that is the decision of the Crown.
Answer · Andrew Hardie: Practice and policy in relation to the disclosure and discussion of reasons by the Crown for not proceeding against an accused is a matter for the Lord Advocate. In general terms, the Crown's reasons for not proceeding are confidential and will not be divulg…