Parliamentary questions

Kenny MacAskill

2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 May 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what plans it has to acknowledge and celebrate the centenary of Norway's independence in 2005.

Answer · Andrew Welsh: The SPCB has no plans tocommemorate the Centenary of Norway’s independence on 17 May 2005. It is open to members topropose a motion to mark the Centenary if they choose to do so.

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry service will be eligible for a waterborne freight grant and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The primary aim of the waterbornefreight grant (WFG) scheme is to encourage the development of new water freightroutes which take lorries off roads by contributing to possible revenue short fallduring the first three years of operation. In exceptional circums…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates the operator of the proposed Edinburgh tram lines 1 and 2 will be required to pay the British Transport police for its services during their (a) construction and (b) operation.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is an operational matterfor Transport Initiatives Edinburgh as the project promoter.

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is within the powers of a local authority to promote one side in a referendum and, if so, what public funding is available for the opposite side in such a referendum.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7669 on 13 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria, legislation and rules govern a local authority seeking to promote and run a referendum.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Whilst there is no legal basison which local authorities can hold referendums as such, councils are able to canvasspublic opinion on issues that come within their remit by various means such as,for example, an opinion poll or a questionnaire. The method and c…

19 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event of a hardship fund being created by the Scottish Football Association, government funding would be withheld from football clubs refusing to join up to such a fund.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive does not provideExchequer funding for football clubs.

15 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines the creative industries.

Answer · Frank McAveety: We define the creative industriesas those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill andtalent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generationand exploitation of intellectual property. This includes adver…

2 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether public private partnerships will be used in any of the proposed schemes to build full si'e indoor football facilities.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Stage One proposals are currentlybeing assessed and an announcement about which proposal will progress to Stage Two– when financing arrangements will be firmed up – will be made by July 2004.

2 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to have the Scottish Football Association set up a hardship fund, funded by football clubs, to meet claims from players and others who have had their contracts revoked following a club entering administration.

Answer · Frank McAveety: No. This would be a matter forthe football authorities to address.

2 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies will be responsible for implementing its action plan for youth football; what interaction will be required between such bodies, and at what level.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Football Association,as the sport’s governing body, will be primarily responsible for implementing theAction Plan for Scottish Youth Football but many other bodies which contributedto the review will have a role to play. A steering group includin…

1 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is subject to penalty charges if the number of patients treated exceeds a set figure and, if so, what charges the infirmary has incurred.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. The contract between NHSLothian and Consort Healthcare for the provision of facilities and services atthe Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh does not provide for penalty charges to be incurredby NHS Lothian. However, should there be a material failure to delive…

1 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it, or any agency in receipt of public funds, has provided to (a) youth, (b) grassroots and (c) all levels of rugby in each year since 1997, broken down by source of funding.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Rugby has benefited from considerable funding through sportscotland since 1997 as noted in the tables below. However, it is not possible to identify funding over the specific categories requested as an award may cover various categories. Rugby has also…

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the review of area tourist boards, any costs will be incurred as a result of facilities currently provided free of charge by local authorities no longer being provided free of charge or withdrawn and, if so, what the estimated costs are as a result for each of the next …

Answer · Frank McAveety: The extent and future provisionof services currently made available to area tourist boards by organisations suchas local authorities will be reviewed quickly as part of the development of thenew tourism network. The overall aim is to maintain such support to …

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, whether in light of the announcement of additional funding for VisitScotland's marketing budget by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 11 March 2004, funds previously earmarked for marketing by VisitScotland will be reallocated to administration or other budgets.

Answer · Frank McAveety: No. All resources previously assigned to the VisitScotland marketing budgets for 2003-04, 2004-05 and2005-06 will continue to be used to market Scotland as a must visit tourist destination.The additional resources totalling £17 million that I announced in the…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what period any commitment to there being no compulsory redundancies for staff following the review of area tourist boards will apply.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The current terms and conditionsof area tourist board (ATB) staff will remain unchanged until April 2005. VisitScotlandwill ensure that as the new tourism network is developed, all ATB and VisitScotlandstaff are kept fully informed of developments.

26 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a cost-benefit analysis was sought by it or Transport Initiatives Edinburgh into the proposed tram scheme on Edinburgh and, if so, who conducted the analysis, when it was completed and will be published, whether it will detail the findings and conclusions of the analysis and whet…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: City of Edinburgh Council as promoter of the tram scheme has commissioned Transport Initiatives Edinburgh(tie) to undertake detailed analysis of the scheme in accordance with the ScottishTransport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). Publication of this analysis is a m…

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what implications will be for ports of increased security measures; what the estimated additional costs would be to ports of any such measures; who would be responsible for meeting any such costs; what funding will be available to meet such costs and from whom, and which ports would have…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Maritime security is a reservedmatter, and the Scottish Executive is in close contact with the Department for Transport'sTransport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) which is responsible for maritime counter-terroristsecurity policy.The UK already hasa com…

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2344 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 September 2003, when it will be finalising the specific programme details from 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The Scottish Executive’s AffordableHousing Programme announcement for 2004-05 was made on 25 March 2004. Specific programme details for 2005-06…

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-5903 and S2W-6823 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 September 2003 and 24 March 2004 respectively, how many unit approvals are estimated to be provided in each local authority area for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06, broken down into (i) general needs housi…

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Ministers have given a commitment to provide 18,000 new and improved homes for social rent and low cost home ownership in the three years up t…

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ports operating ferry services have adequate disabled access; whether there are any plans to address any lack of adequate disabled access to ports and, if so, when these will be implemented; who will meet the cost of any upgrade or enlargements, and what information it has on what a…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Passenger terminals and publicbuildings at ferry ports are covered by Part III of the Disability DiscriminationAct (DDA). The DDA is a reserved matter. Part III of the act deals with access togoods, facilities and services and imposes specific duties on servi…

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available, and from what sources, to encourage a shift in movement of goods from road to sea and, in particular, what funding is available to promote the carriage of goods by sea from Aberdeen and the Northern Isles to the European ferry service at Rosyth.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The creation of thefacilities required at Rosyth to operate the direct ferry service from Scotland to mainland Europe dependedon a Scottish Executive funded Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) of over £10 million.This grant scheme is open to any company which requ…

24 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact television has upon culture and what strategy it has in place to use television to promote Scotland.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The screenindustries, including television, can provide a showcase for the best ofScottish creative talent. We have engaged with the broadcasters in Scotland andthe independent producers of content for television by establishing the ScreenIndustries Summit Gr…

24 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what relative financial contributions it and the Strategic Rail Authority will make to the upgrade at Waverley Station.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Discussionson the Waverley Station upgrade are continuing and decisions will be announcedin due course.