Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of any net loss to the Scottish economy as a result of tobacco smuggling.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has not made an estimate of the effects of tobacco smuggling on the Scottish economy. Tobacco taxation is reserved to Westminster. However, data on the effects at the UK level of tobacco smuggling are available from Customs and Excise. …
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many criminal prosecutions relating to tobacco smuggling there have been in each year since 1997 and how many such prosecutions resulted in an (a) custodial and (b) non-custodial sentence.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Offences involving tobacco smuggling are prosecuted under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and the records of prosecutions under that Act do not distinguish between different types of contraband. Customs and Excise estimate that cases concerning the…
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9988 by Henry McLeish on 30 October 2000, whether it provided any funding to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in the last three financial years other than that made available under section 13 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996 and how mu…
Answer · Jack McConnell: All payments made to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have fallen under section 13 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive is currently considering information supplied by the SQA on additional expenditure inc…
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet in full the costs of any additional expenditure which the Scottish Qualifications Authority requires to incur on information technology, staff training, staff wages and consultants' reports.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I have given a commitment to fund the difference between the Scottish Qualifications Authority's income and expenditure, during the current financial year and financial year 2001-02, within limits to be agreed with the Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottis…
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Qualifications Authority's total expenditure was in each of the last three financial years; how much it spent on (a) information technology, (b) consultants' fees, (c) staff training and (d) remuneration for those marking exam scripts in each of these years, and what th…
Answer · Jack McConnell: Information on SQA's expenditure is available in the annual statement of accounts which it submits to the Scottish Ministers and the Comptroller and Auditor General and which are laid before the Parliament each year. Copies are available from the Parliament's…
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to article 1.1(b) of the tri-partite agreement between Lombard Corporate Finance Ltd, Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd and the Scottish Ministers as set out in schedule 2 of the draft undertaking by the Scottish Ministers under section 2(1) of the Highlands and Islan…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive wishes to ensure that any incoming operator in future is financially robust (or guaranteed by another entity to be financially robust) to perform the approved services. The criteria to determine whether an incoming operator is financially robust…
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding guidance it has given or plans to give the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council regarding the current pay dispute with university staff over lecturers' pay; whether any such guidance will be the same as that issued by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, …
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Pay negotiations are a matter for employers and the representatives of employees in the higher education sector. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is not an employer body nor does it take part in pay negotiations for the sector. I have had no disc…
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the European and external affairs responsibilities are of the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs; whether there is any concordat or agreement regarding the Minister's interaction with Her Majesty's Government in relation to those responsibilities, and in what areas t…
Answer · Henry McLeish: Many of the devolved<B> </B>matters for which<B> </B>Scottish Ministers are responsible have a European Union (EU) or international dimension. The concordats on EU and international issues provide that Scottish Ministers pursue these interests within the fram…
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the budget for higher education proposed in the Comprehensive Spending Review will be increased should Bell College and/or the University of the Highlands and Islands become the responsibility of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council for future funding; if so, what the lev…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The funding proposals for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council previously announced take into account the possibility of these designations. In addition, there will be a further increase in the funding proposed for the SHEFC when Bell College and the…
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was paid by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to the Joint Information Systems Committee in each year since 1997; how these figures were calculated by the council and by each university; whether any representations were made regarding the amounts paid, and how m…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The information requested is not held centrally.
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the process is for seeking membership of or observer status to the Nordic Council and whether it has any plans to make any such application.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive has no plans to enter into discussions about membership of, or observer status to, the Nordic Council. Scotland has longstanding links with the Nordic countries which we value and which have involved co-operation on matters of mutual interest.
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to encourage a low cost or other operator to fly from Amsterdam to Inverness.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In conjunction with airlines it is for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), along with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and local stakeholders, to assess the potential for a direct air link from Amsterdam to Inverness. HIAL has had discussions wit…
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been or are being taken to encourage low cost carriers to fly to and from Scotland.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd have had discussions with low cost carriers about new services to and from Scotland.
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support or assistance it has given directly or indirectly to low cost carriers to fly within or to and from Scotland.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has provided no direct financial assistance to low cost carriers to fly within or to and from Scotland. The Scottish Executive does, however, support Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, which has provided discounted airport charges to o…
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10876 by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000, whether it will detail, for each air route within the Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd area, the reasons or criteria according to which each route is or is not subject to a public service obligation.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The criteria used for the assessment of the current PSO routes were the same in each case and are contained within Article 4.1(a)-(d) of EC Regulation 2408/92. The other air routes in the Highlands and Islands are operating commercially and have not been subj…
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-4517 and S1W-4518 by Colin Boyd QC on 20 March 2000, whether it has considered the recent findings of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee in relation to the crash of the Chinook ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994 and, if so, what a…
Answer · Colin Boyd: The Public Accounts Committee Report <I>Ministry of Defence: Acceptance of the Chinook Mk 2 Helicopter </I>has been considered. The committee was critical of the acceptance procedure and critical of the RAF Board of Inquiry. It considered that it was "ve…
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: There have been no further costs associated with the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance since Henry McLeish's response of 22 March 2000 to question S1W-5137. The figure of £472,111.73 represents the final costs for that inquiry.
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11315 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 30 November 2000, what (a) actions have been taken and (b) financial contributions have been made by (i) the Scottish Executive, (ii) Scottish Enterprise and (iii) the Scottish Tourist Board over the last three years …
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive has no role in the promotion of new air services. As indicated in the answer to S1W-11315, the development of additional routes and services is a matter for the commercial judgement of the airlines themselves.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scottish…
6 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed in the Energy Division of its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department, specifying the number of staff at each grade, what the equivalent figures were in each year since 1997 and, of these staff, how many in each year had or have duties relating (a…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Since 1997, the staffing levels of the department's Energy Division, which includes the six staff of the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office, have been as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=415><TR><TD WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Grade</TD>…
6 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local enterprise company has spent on modern apprenticeships for 18 to 24-year-olds in each year since 1997.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer Mr MacAskill to the answer given to question S1W-11801.
6 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships for 18 to 24-year-olds each local enterprise company has funded in each year since 1997.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I have asked Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise to provide the details requested. The data will be sent to Mr MacAskill and copies placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Department of Trade and Industry in support of licences for North Sea exploration being withheld from companies who are choosing not to develop, or free up, "fallow field" sites.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10861 on 17 November 2000.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government in support of a reduced rate of VAT for youth hostels in Scotland as applies to youth hostels elsewhere in the EU in order to counter any impact this present disparity is having on tourism in rural areas.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Any such representations would be made on a confidential basis.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it is using to measure the level of success in widening access to higher education.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: There is a variety of sources of data which we are monitoring to gauge progress on widening access. These include socio-economic data provided by UCAS on applicants and accepted applicants to higher education institutions; the annual Performance Indicators pu…
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, for each of the first five years of the initiative, what the budget is for Individual Learning Accounts, what the financial headings within the budget are and how much is allocated under each heading.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The budget for Individual Learning Accounts for this and the next three years is given below. The budget for 2004-05 has yet to be set.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="59%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"…
29 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it proposes to allocate funding announced in August 2000 for the Powershift programme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: A total of £125,000 has been made available for vehicle conversions in urban areas, and £265,000 for this purpose in rural areas. The latter have been defined as areas over 30 minutes drive from places with 10,000 of a population. Funds for vehicle conversion…
28 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional #50 million allocated for flood prevention, coastal protection, access to the countryside, air quality and to deal with waste and contaminated land will be allocated to each of these issues, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The increased local authority resources for the environment, announced by Sarah Boyack on 22 September, comprised £20.4 million for capital expenditure on flood prevention and coast protection, air quality monitoring and contaminated land, and £29.2 million f…
22 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any increased costs to Scottish ports or harbour boards caused by light dues levied on visiting cruise liners and ships using cargo freight who call at Scottish ports and harbours and whether it will detail any representations made regarding this.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no responsibilities in relation to light dues. This is a reserved matter and the responsibility of the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions. The Executive has received no representations on this issue.
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10756 by Angus MacKay on 13 November 2000, whether it will provide specific details of any representations it has made or intends to make to the Chancellor of the Exchequer or any other UK Minister or Department regarding extending a reduced rate of …
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including taxation and tourism. No assessment has been made on the possible effect on tourism as a result of reducing the rate of VAT paid by youth hostels.
16 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many business start-up grants each local enterprise company (LEC) paid in 1999-2000; what the average time taken between applications being submitted and start-up grants being paid was in each LEC area, and what the total value was of the start-up grants paid in each LEC area.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the Chairmen to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.