Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to consult the Federation of Small Businesses in connection with the impending revaluation of non-domestic rates, and the rules and principles to be applied in that revaluation.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The GB-wide non-domestic rates revaluation, which is to take effect from 1 April 2000, will be carried out by the Assessors in Scotland, in liaison with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in England and Wales. They are statutorily independent of Central and L…
17 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what instructions, directions or advice, if any, have been given to Enric Miralles regarding the shape of the debating chamber in the proposed Holyrood Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: The Design Team (principal consultant Enric Miralles) have been working to the Scottish Parliament Building User Brief which states that "a horse shoe or semi- circular arrangement would appear to be the most appropriate". They receive advice from a…
17 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many seats there will be for visitors in the proposed Holyrood Parliament and how many there are in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall Chamber.
Answer · David Steel: There will be approximately 560 seats for visitors to the Holyrood Parliament building, of which 170 are in the main chamber. There are 456 seats for visitors to the Assembly Hall Debating Chamber.
15 Jun 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures does it intend to introduce to promote tourism in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Together with my Ministerial colleagues, Alasdair Morrison and Nicol Stephen, I have had a useful preliminary meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourist Board. We discussed some of the opportunities and challenges that face the tou…
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures does it intend to introduce to promote tourism in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Henry McLeish: <FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=4>Together with my Ministerial colleagues, Alasdair Morrison and Nicol Stephen, I have had a useful preliminary meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourist Board. We discussed some of the oppo…
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to seek an assurance from the Scottish Legal Aid Board that either - (a) the targets within which Advice and Assistance, Civil and Criminal accounts should be paid are being met; or, (b) arrangements are being made to ensure that the targets will be met in future.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The targets set out in the Board's annual Corporate Plan are the subject of monthly monitoring by the Board. Recently the Board has fallen seriously behind the targets on the payment of criminal legal aid accounts, and slightly behind in other areas. The Boar…
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has entered into any correspondence with the Forum of Private Business and whether it intends to meet representatives of the Forum
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Forum of Private Business has written to me and I met representatives of the organisation on Wednesday 30 June.
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the Housing (Right to Buy)(Cost Floor)(Scotland) Order (S.I. 1999/611) and the Right to Buy Cost Floor Determination.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. However, the Housing Green Paper sought views on the Right to Buy more generally. Responses to the Green Paper on this and other issues are currently being collated and analysed.
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to restore, for a period of six months or other trial period, to those tenants affected by the Housing (Right to Buy)(Cost Floor)(Scotland) Order (S.I. 1999/611) the right to purchase their council house with the benefit of the discount which they would have received un…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. The Housing (Right to Buy) (Cost Floor) (Scotland) Order took effect on 1 April 1999 and applies to all applications to purchase served on or after that date.
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to lay before the Parliament the 38 responses made to the February 1998 consultation paper on changes to the Right to Buy scheme and cost floor rules.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Copies of 37 of the responses are being placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. In the remaining case, comments were provided on an "in confidence" basis.
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make extra financial provision for the costs of police overtime during the Millennium holiday period.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Police grant-aided expenditure for 1999-2000 was set at a level which assumed full use of Government funds available for expenditure on police services. However, while forces must plan to meet their expenditure from within the resources available to them, th…
10 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to meet with members of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to discuss delays in Legal Aid payments.
Answer · Jim Wallace: My officials have met senior officers at the Board twice recently and this matter has also been discussed with the Board in the Tripartite Group which also includes the Law Society of Scotland. I am being kept fully informed and plan to meet the Board in due…
4 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish a map of the European Union showing those areas in respect of which valid derogations have been granted from the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) as areas of high natural dispersion.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Office published a map showing high natural dispersion areas around Scotland in October 1998 and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Scottish Parliamentary Information Centre. There are no derogations from the requirement for secondary…
4 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to seek information from Her Majesty's Government on any derogations from the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) which were sought for areas of high natural dispersion and, if so, whether it will make this information available.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that Her Majesty's Government submitted an application to the European Commission for a derogation under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for the discharge from Aberdeen in February 1998. The UK withdrew the application after discussions…