Parliamentary questions

Kenny MacAskill

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

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the buy-out price for renewable energy is set at the same figure as for England and Wales and at the same level for each of the alternative energy sources.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Our proposal to set the same buy-out price under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (ROS) as for England and Wales will ensure that the UK market for renewable energy is not distorted. A lower Scottish buy-out price would make it difficult for Scottish elec…

5 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) staff were employed in its press office, (b) staff left its press office and (c) vacancies occurred in its press office in each of the last three years.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The following table outlines the number of staff employed in the Scottish Executive's Media and Communications Group (of which the press office is one part) in each of the last three years. The numbers shown relate to all staff in the group, including those i…

26 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has into meetings of the Oslo Paris agreement on the protection of the environment in the North Sea (OSPAR); how many meetings have taken place and how many it or the Scottish Office has attended since 1997, and in what capacity it or the Scottish Office attended these.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) has lead responsibility for arranging UK participation at meetings of OSPAR (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic). There were 80 meetings in…

26 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or plans to make to Her Majesty's Government regarding a review of OSPAR 98/3 on the decommissioning of oil platforms.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The binding Decision 98/3 agreed by Contracting Parties at the First Ministerial meeting of the OSPAR Commission in July 1998 was reached prior to Devolution. Scottish Office Ministers were consulted about, and agreed to the UK policy position adopted for the…

26 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any representations to Her Majesty's Government in support of designating areas adjacent to the proposed M74 north extension as an enterprise 'one.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The designation of Enterprise Zones is a reserved matter. The M74 project is at an early stage, as is consideration for the development of the surrounding areas.

26 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimated costs to it in respect of planning applications, appeals and inquiries in relation to the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transit project, taking into account both costs directly incurred and the use of staff resources.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has received two planning appeals relating to the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transit proposal. The Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit incurred costs totalling some £8,200 in holding a public local inquiry, as requested by the partie…

26 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what public money has been expended on the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transit project in addition to the transport challenge fund project allocations in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of these costs.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive's expenditure on the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transit (CERT) project is limited to the Transport Challenge Fund allocation to City of Edinburgh Council and the public local enquiry costs referred to in my answer to question S1W-12851. An…

25 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any jobs are expected to be lost in Scotland in the event of a merger between the Bank of Scotland and (a) Abbey National plc or (b) Lloyds TSB; if so, how many will be lost in each case and, if it does not hold any such estimates, whether it will investigate the implications for…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive recognise that all three of these companies are important employers in Scotland. While the Executive has been noting developments there are no detailed figures available at this stage on what the possible consequences of any merger woul…

25 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the unit of teaching resource per full-time equivalent student has been in language departments in universities in each year from 1996 to date and what it will be for the coming academic year.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Units of Teaching Resource are determined by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and are published in their Circular series each March. The information requested is included in the Funded Subject Group: Humanities, Languages & Mass Communica…

25 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the report prepared by JMN Consultants on the cost of funding various departments of higher education will be published and, if so, when, or alternatively whether the evidence given to the consultants regarding the cost of funding language departments and students will be publish…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has not commissioned such a report. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council published a report it commissioned from JM Consulting on the costs of provision in higher education on its website on 19 December 2000 as part of its cons…

24 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and what matters were discussed.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Nicol Stephen, when Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, met the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 13 July 2000 to discuss shipbuilding matters. I have recently had meetings with Patricia Hewitt, Minister of State at the Department…

23 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individual learning accounts have been (a) applied for and (b) granted to date and what percentage of accounts have been paid for by credit card.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: To the end of December 2000 a total of 34,361 applications from Scotland for an Individual Learning Account (ILA) have been received, of which 34,192 have been granted.Details of the method by which ILA holders pay their individua…

23 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology will be used to evaluate and collate details of the socio-economic backgrounds of people participating in individual learning accounts through learndirect scotland and what types of courses these accounts will be used for.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: A range of data is being collected to enable us to assess over time the use made of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) and the key characteristics of ILA holders, including age group, gender, occupation, area of residence and type, subject and level of learn…

23 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much EQUAL funding will be allocated to Scotland on an annual basis, in total and broken down by project.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The allocated resources available to support the EQUAL Community Initiative for the years 2001 to 2006 amount to €365 million (approximately £234 million) for Great Britain as a whole. A separate Scottish allocation amounting to €31,730 million (approximately…

23 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12097 by Colin Boyd QC on 16 January 2001, how many reports relating to the illegal smuggling of tobacco were made to Procurators Fiscal by police, Customs and Excise or any body in each year since 1997.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Offences involving tobacco smuggling are investigated and reported by HM Customs and Excise. They are not separately recorded in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service system.

16 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether increased funding will be made available to Visitscotland, the British Tourist Authority or any other relevant organisation to market the Highlands as a tourist destination following the coverage generated by Madonna's wedding and, if so, how much.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The tourism marketing organisations have flexibility to meet emerging, new priorities within the budgets available to them. No additional funding is being made available specifically for this purpose.

16 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its social inclusion strategy takes account of the role played by independent advice services in tackling social exclusion through the provision of free and impartial advice and information; if not, what role it believes such independent advice services have in tackling social ex…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive recognises the role played by independent advice services in tackling social exclusion. For this reason representatives from the sector are involved in our work to develop the national debtline and the community legal service which will…

16 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities to ensure the provision of free, impartial and independent (a) legal advice and information and (b) debt management advice and information throughout Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: There are no plans to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities, but through our work on the community legal service and national debtline we are working to improve access to free, impartial, quality legal and money advice throughout Scotland. My …

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights between (a) Edinburgh and London and (b) Glasgow and London were taken by (i) ministers and (ii) staff of the Scottish Office and the Scottish Executive since 1997 and how many of those flights were made using budget or low-cost airlines.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The number of flights by ministers and officials in the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2000 which were arranged through the business travel agent were (a) 9,935 between Edinburgh and London and (b) 1,287 between Glasgow and London. These flights are rec…

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make additional funding available to Lothian and Borders police to meet any additional policing burden which will result from the Global Forum for Law Enforcement and National Security Conference in Edinburgh in June 2001 and, if so, what funding will be allocated.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is for the Chief Constable in consultation with his joint police board to determine priorities within the budget set for the force. Funding is allocated to forces in total and is not earmarked by the Executive for specific purposes.

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote the Highlands and Islands as a venue for weddings and as a tourism destination following the publicity generated by the wedding of Madonna and what budget will be made available for this purpose.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The STB and the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board (HOST) are working effectively together to take advantage of the recent positive publicity generated by Madonna's wedding. The main responsibility for marketing the area lies with HOST. I understand that HOS…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8563 by Sarah Boyack on 8 January 2001, what the accident rates were involving (i) fatalities and (ii) injuries on a per mile basis, differentiating between the M74 four and six-lane sections.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Over the last 3 years there were 0.30 fatal accidents on a per mile basis and 5.10 serious and slight injury accidents on a per mile basis over the 20 miles of the 4 lane section of the M74.Over the last 3 years there were 0.08 fa…

20 Dec 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Parliament's travel sourcing contract was put out to tender; if so, when, to whom invitations to tender were given and why the contract was given to Carlson Wagonlit.

Answer · David Steel: Pursuant to my previous answer, invitations to tender were issued to the following organisations:<UL><LI>American Express</LI><LI>Bell Travel</LI><LI>Carlson Wagonlit</LI><LI>Gray Daw…