Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4815 by Mr Tom McCabe on 14 March 2000, how it identified those written parliamentary questions lodged by back-bench MSPs which it inspired.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The use of inspired parliamentary questions was considered by the Procedures Committee at its meeting on 15 February, and was acknowledged as a useful method for bringing matters to the attention of the Parliament. Without them some of the wide range of activ…
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge oral parliamentary questions in order to enable it to make an announcement or for any other purpose and whether it will provide a list of such questions, including the dates on which they were lodged and answered.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No equivalent of the process by which the Scottish Executive may inspire the tabling of a written parliamentary question (referred to in questions S1W-4815 and 5379) exists in relation to oral parliamentary questions. The random selection process for oral que…
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of financial assistance will be given towards investment in the water industry other than borrowing consent under the External Finance Limits in the next financial year.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: £9.2 million is set aside for grant assistance to the water authorities in 2000-01. Like borrowing, the uptake of this grant is set against the authorities' External Finance Limits.
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments at what value have been made to salmon farmers as part of the #9 million funding package announced in September 1999.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Formal approval of the funding package was not issued by the European Commission until 30 May 2000. Since then three applications have been approved by Highlands and Islands Enterprise worth £1 million.
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supported a decrease in minimum landing si'es of any species during the last European fisheries council and, if not, what steps it took to oppose any such reductions.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive did not support the Commission's proposal to reduce the minimum landing size of certain fish. Indeed, we argued against it because we believed it sent the wrong signals to the industry.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">However, there was a logic to th…
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available a report detailing the issues discussed and any outcome of the meeting scheduled for April 11 concerning quota trading in the fishing industry.
Answer · John Home Robertson: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-5315.
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the issue of quota trading in the fishing industry and what plans it has to address the implications which current trends in quota trading have for the future of fishing communities.
Answer · John Home Robertson: A joint industry/Departmental Working Group has been set up to consider quota trading and other quota management issues affecting the UK industry.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The first meeting of the Working Group will take place on 11 April, with a second meeting sche…
14 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to bring forward legislative proposals in relation to new technical measures in the fishing industry, such as 90mm square mesh panels for demersal trawls and, if so, when.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Conservation Measures) (Scotland) Order 2000 (S.I. No. 2000/53) comes into force on 31 March 2000. This Order allows for the enforcement of the revised European rules on technical conservation (Council Regulation (EC)…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers and influence it has in relation to the oil and gas industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Oil and gas is a reserved matter. This does not mean, however, that the Executive has no influence in relation to what is one of Scotland's most important industry sectors. I am Vice-Chairman of Pilot, the successor body to the Oil and Gas Industry Task Force…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has met Her Majesty's Government to discuss Scotland's oil and gas industry and, if so, what specific issues were discussed.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive meets HM Government to discuss the oil and gas industry very frequently. My involvement as Vice-Chairman of Pilot, the successor to the Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, involves regular meetings with the Minister for Energy at the Department of …
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop employment opportunities in the offshore industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Industry forecasts predict that employment levels in the offshore industry will fall as the UK Continental Shelf moves further into maturity. One of the main tasks of Pilot is to seek partnership solutions that will extend the life of the UKCS by means of gre…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people of pensionable age receive water bills.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Information at this level of detail is not available.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact climate change has on Scottish fish stocks.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Fisheries Research Services in Aberdeen is actively engaged in research on ocean climate and fisheries. However, it is currently not possible to predict the effect of climate change on fish stocks due to the complex nature of the interaction between climate a…
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the level of capital spending on renewable energy projects in Scotland over the next four years and how much of this spending will benefit Scottish companies, particularly manufacturing firms.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No such estimates have been made, but the Scottish Executive believes that Scottish industry should be able to benefit from any opportunities that may emerge over the coming years from further renewable energy developments across Scotland.
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many turbines at wind farms in Scotland were manufactured in this country.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The origin of equipment installed on wind farms is entirely a matter for the developers. The Scottish Executive is, however, keen to see an indigenous industry being developed to benefit from any opportunities which could emerge from renewable sources of ener…
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to make the manufacturing industry aware of the opportunities for production of the necessary plant and equipment offered by the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Enterprise has carried out research into the business opportunities offered by renewable energy, and has presented the results to Scottish companies using a series of roadshows. These events have attracted interest from a variety of companies and, as…
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has targets for offshore renewable power generation and, if so, how these targets compare with targets adopted by other countries in the European Union.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is not the Executive's policy to set specific targets for any individual renewable energy technology, such as offshore wind.
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3365 by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000, whether it is its policy to refrain from answering written parliamentary questions until it has made a related oral ministerial statement.
Answer · Donald Dewar: No.
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken or plans to introduce measures to encourage the oil and gas industry to exploit the commercial potential of renewable energy.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is committed to the<B> </B>promotion of renewable energy. There may be some commercial opportunities for the oil and gas fabrication sectors from the expected growth in this activity. The likely scale of work that might become available…
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge parliamentary questions in order to enable it to make an announcement; whether it will provide a list of such questions, including the date on which they were lodged, and whether any of its officials have written authorisations t…
Answer · Tom McCabe: There are occasions when, for the convenience of members, the Executive brings a matter to the attention of the Parliament by means of a Written Parliamentary Question. This is an appropriate mechanism for matters which are not so significant as to require a …
29 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available any written legal advice from the Scottish Law Officers received by The Scottish Office relating to the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999, prior to or since it completed the legislative process.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive does not have access to advice which may have been given to a previous administration.
18 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it established its policy not to pay compensation to scallop fishermen who incurred losses as a result of amnesic shellfish poisoning.
Answer · John Home Robertson: It has been the policy of successive governments not to compensate for losses due to disease or other natural phenomena in the marine environment. The Scottish Executive see no case to change that position.
18 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that its policy of not paying compensation for losses suffered as a consequence of infectious salmon anaemia is compatible with human rights legislation.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is content that the policy which implements our obligations under Community law in respect of infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is compatible with fundamental rights. We await the outcome of the reference to the European Court of Justice,…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to seek the cancelling of debt in the water industry and, if so, what percentage of debt will it seek to write off.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make representations to Her Majesty's Government about the impact which proposals to increase Marine Survey fees for the second time in less than a year will have on the Scottish fishing fleet.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The proposed increase would comprise, I understand, the second increase over a period of more than three years to reflect inflation and the economic costs of conducting marine surveys.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The added costs to individual vessel owners ar…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the recent report by the Scientific Technical and Economic Fisheries Committee on the effectiveness of the European Union's multi-annual guidance programmes on the preservation of fish stocks and what its views are on this policy.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive fully supports the aim of the multi-annual guidance programmes, which is to ensure sustainability of fishing by balancing fishing capacity against resource availability. That is in the long-term interests of our industry, as is the impo…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware by Her Majesty's Government of any plans regarding reorganisation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which impact on the fisheries division of its Rural Affairs Department and, if so, what this impact will be.
Answer · John Home Robertson: I am not aware of any such plans.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Minister for Transport and the Environment has had with the Water Commissioner since his appointment and when the next meeting is due to take place.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I have had three meetings with Alan Sutherland since his appointment as Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland on 1 November 1999. I expect to have further meetings with him from time to time, but no date has been set yet for our next meeting.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the electronic tagging of cattle and the associated database and whether it will make a statement on the funding of this development.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I believe that Electronic Identification of the Scottish Cattle Herd in tandem with Electronic Data Transfer is capable of delivering significant benefits and would put Scotland's farming industry at the forefront in world terms, for traceability and efficien…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to secure access to international blue whiting for the Scottish fleet.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Access to international blue whiting fisheries is established following negotiations between the EU and other coastal states, most notably Norway under the aegis of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). Recent years have seen a considerable an…