Jim Mather

29 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) parliamentary body and (b) social partners in Scotland have been consulted in respect of a national programme for growth and jobs to be submitted to the European Commission in autumn 2005 by (i) the Executive and (b) the UK Government.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: National reform programmes arebeing produced at member state level. The UK position on economic reform is consistent with that of the Executive. The Lisbon Strategy and the renewed EU focus on growth and jobs fitswell with existing Executive policy, as set ou…

29 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the particular challenges facing Scotland in respect of growth and employment under the revised Lisbon agenda of spring 2005.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The economic challenges facingScotland with respect to the Lisbon agenda of growth and employment are similar to thoseidentified and discussed in <i>The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland(FEDS)</i>. These relate primarily to the productivity chall…

29 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it intends to take in order to support growth and employment under the revised Lisbon agenda.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The new guidelines establishedin the revised Lisbon Strategy, which focus greater attention on productivity andemployment, align the Lisbon policy priorities closely with those that currently existin Scotland and the United Kingdom. The economic development …

29 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16312 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 May 2005, whether it has reconsidered its position on the production of a separate Scottish national reform programme for growth and jobs under the Lisbon agenda; if so, whether this will be ready to present in autumn 20…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will notproduce a separatte national reform programme. National reform programmes are beingproduced at member state level. The UK position on economic reform is consistent with that of the Executive.</p><p>The refocus of the Lisbon Stra…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any complaints made to the European Commission by companies outside the United Kingdom or other European member states regarding the provision of ferry services in the Clyde and Hebrides areas and, if so, when the Executive was informed of these complaints.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive understands that complaints have been made to the European Commission but has not been informed of the content of those complaints or of the identify or nationality of the complainants.</p>

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the establishment of an independent task force to examine the future of Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and, if so, what decision was reached.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive’s consideration of the requirement to tender the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is set out in the document <i>Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services</i>: <i>Scottish Executive’s Consideration of the Requirement to Tender</i> which was published on…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific alternative models to the tender of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services it discussed with the European Commissioner for Transport on 18 July 2005.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Discussions between member states and the Commission are private and inform internal discussion and advice. Such communications are not normally made public and are exempt from disclosure under section 32(1)(a)(ii) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communication it has had with the European Commission regarding the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation prior to the publication of the Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005, and whether any such communication referred…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The European Commission first consulted member states in 2002 on proposals for the “Decision on the application of Article 86(2) of the Treaty on State aid in the form of public sector compensation granted to certain undertakings entrusted with the operation …

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest", whether it consider…

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18551 on 8 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest", whether it now cons…

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18551 on 8 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it now accepts, in light of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interes…

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the question S2W-18551 answered on 8 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest", whether it has recons…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The European Commission’s “Decision on the application of Article 86(2) of the Treaty on State aid in the form of public sector compensation granted to certain undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest” does not seek t…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has taken on the potential impact of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of ge…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive has significant legal advice at its disposal. The Executive does not normally disclose legal advice which it receives.</p>

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned an independent legal opinion on the potential impact of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty on State aid in the form of public service compensation granted to "undertakings entrusted with the o…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive has not commissioned independent legal advice on the effect of the European Commission’s Decision on Services of General Economic Interest in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and has no plans to do so.</p>

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding the Scottish Executive Statistics Plan Overview and Annual Report 2004-05, what statistics have been classed as "no longer needed", as referred to in paragraphs 22 and 23; which of these statistics have been discontinued, and which have been amended and what they now measure.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in <i>Statistics classed as ‘no longer needed’, discontinued or amended 2004/2005</i>, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37324).</p>

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding the Scottish Executive Statistics Plan Overview and Annual Report 2004-05, what it considers to be the "key statistics relevant to measuring the impact of government programmes", as referred to by the Office of the Chief Statistician in paragraph 10.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The term key statistics in paragraph10 of the <i>Scottish Executive</i><i> Statistics Plan Overview and Annual Report 2004-05</i> does not relateto a definitive set of statistics but refers to National Statistics which show outcome trends in the areas of gove…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the review of the Framework for National Statistics.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Preliminary discussions on thereview of the framework for National Statistics have been held at official levelat the Government Statistical Heads of Profession meetings.</p>

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has responded to the Statistics Commission report, Legislation to Build Trust in Statistics, published in May 2004; whether it will make any such response publicly available, and whether it supports the introduction of an overall legislative framework, as suggested by the repor…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has not respondedto the Statistics Commission report. Any response will be made publicly available.</p><p>The Executive has not made adecision on whether it supports the need for legislation in Scotland.</p>

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals transferred to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme from other immigration schemes, such as the Science and Engineering Graduates scheme.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We expect information on individuals applying for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme to be published in due course.</p>

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals applied for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, broken down by (a) year of graduation, (b) awarding institution and (c) level of qualification awarded.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information is not currently available. However, the Relocation Advisory Service will be monitoring the success of the scheme by issuing a questionnaire to all successful applicants. This will include questions to collect the information being requested. …

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals who applied for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme graduated in (a) 2005 and (b) 2004.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Information about the year of graduation of successful applicants will be collected through a questionnaire which the Relocation Advisory Service will issue to all successful applicants. A breakdown of the data collected through the questionnaires will be iss…

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals who successfully applied for a Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme visa in the first month of operation are now resident in Scotland and, of these, how many were resident (a) in Scotland and (b) overseas at the time of application.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Information about the current place of residence of successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme will be collected through a questionnaire which the Relocation Advisory Service will issue to all successful applicants. A breakdown of t…

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals applied for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme in its first month of operation and how many of these applications were made (a) in person, (b) from within the UK by post and (c) from overseas, broken down by country, and how many of the applications in each …

Answer · Tom McCabe: We expect information on individuals applying for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme to be published in due course.</p>

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses (a) are eligible for and (b) apply for the higher level of relief through the small business rate relief scheme.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses are eligible for the five per cent discount on non-domestic rates through the small business rate relief scheme including, and broken down by, those eligible for (a) charitable rate relief, (b) disabled persons rate rebate, (c) farm diversification rate relief, (d) rur…

Answer · Tom McCabe: As at 1 April 2005, 137,394subjects on the Valuation Rolls for Scotland were eligible for at least the 5% discount. Informationon how many of these subjects are in receipt of other reliefs is not heldcentrally.</p>

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the small business rate relief scheme has cost businesses with a rateable value of £25,000 and above in terms of the supplement paid on the rate poundage (a) in total and (b) on average in each year since 1997.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Small Business RateRelief Scheme was introduced in 2003-04. The estimated cost to larger subjects is:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Cost to Larger Subjects</p> </td> …

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the small business rate relief scheme has cost (a) central government and (b) local government in each year since 1997.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Small Business RateRelief Scheme was introduced in 2003-04. The estimated cost to the ScottishExecutive since then is given in the following table. The Scheme has no cost tolocal government.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>…

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) total non-domestic rate income and (b) average non-domestic rate bill paid for businesses with a rateable value (i) £3,000 or less, (ii) £3,001 to £4,000, (iii) £4,001 to £5,000, (iv) £5,001 to £6,000, (v) £6,001 to £7,000, (vi) £7,001 to £8,000, (vii) £8,001 to £9,000, (viii…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>

7 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16718 by Mr Tom McCabe on 31 May 2005, what the average non-domestic rate bill was of the businesses rated (a) £1 to £2,999, (b) £3,000 to £3,999, (c) £4,000 to £4,999, (d) £5,000 to £5,999, (e) £6,000 to £6,999 and (f) over £7,000 in April 2005 and …

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>

1 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the fee charged for a Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme visa when applied for from outside the European Union, broken down by country.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The entry clearance fee foranyone looking to return to Scotland under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotlandscheme, irrespective of their country of origin, is £85.</p>