Parliamentary questions

Tavish Scott

2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

12 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with the position adopted by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on the licensing of Alfamax for use on fish farm sites.

Answer · Michael Russell: The VeterinaryMedicines Directorate has not yet had an application for licensing of Alphamax.

12 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is for the use of Alfamax on fish farm sites and whether it proposes to amend the policy in light of the treatment having successfully passed the requirements of the EU’s mutual recognition system for medicines used in EU waters.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The regulation ofveterinary medicines is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of theVeterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).ScottishGovernment policy is supportive of the use of the sea lice medicine Alphamaxonce marketing authorisation in the UK…

12 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what direction it has given to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with regard to the EU’s mutual recognition system for medicines used in EU waters and its application to the aquaculture industry.

Answer · Michael Russell: The regulation ofveterinary medicines within the UK is a reserved matterand the responsibility of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. The Scottish Governmenthas therefore not given direction to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA) on mutual reco…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3940 by Kenny MacAskill on 14 September 2007, what action the Scottish Legal Aid Board will take if its survey of the particular types of work which registered providers of civil legal assistance undertake identifies areas where there are few solicit…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Solicitors in privatepractice are free to choose whether or not to provide a legal aid service and, ifso, to what extent. Solicitors cannot be compelled to provide particular servicesin particular places for particular clients. It is, therefore, possible that…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3939 by Kenny MacAskill on 14 September 2007, how many solicitors’ practices received payments from the Scottish Legal Aid Board in excess of £50,000 per annum in each of the last five years, broken down into firms offering (a) only civil legal aid w…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The following tableprovides information on the number of firms receiving payment of over £50,000 fromthe Scottish Legal Aid Board in respect of fees (for solicitors or solicitor advocates,and including VAT where applicable) in each of the financial years show…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3940 by Kenny MacAskill on 14 September 2007, when the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s survey of the particular types of work which registered providers of civil legal assistance undertake will be completed and how the results will be made available to po…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish LegalAid Board will be seeking information from all firms registered to provide legalassistance throughout November 2007. The information collected will be used to supportboth the board’s telephone helpline service and its interactive online soli…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, what plans it has to establish industry sector advisory bodies; when any such bodies are expected to be in place; which industry sectors such bodies will serv…

Answer · Jim Mather: These will beoperational matters for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and IslandsEnterprise.

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it intends to provide to local authorities for local regeneration and how this compares with the existing local regeneration budgets of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Answer · Jim Mather: Although there islikely to be some future re-alignment in the budgets of the enterprise networksand local authorities to take account of the reforms, no changes will be made inthis current financial year, and so it is not possible at this time to provide thec…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint members of the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise following its reform; whether members of the board will receive remuneration, and to whom the board will report.

Answer · Jim Mather: Members will continueto be appointed to the board of Highlands and IslandsEnterprise by the Scottish ministers in accordance with paragraph 6(a) of Schedule1 of the 1990 act. Appointments will be made in line with the Code of Practice issuedby the Commissione…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint members of the board of Scottish Enterprise following its reform; whether members of the board will receive remuneration, and to whom the board will report.

Answer · Jim Mather: Members will continueto be appointed to the board of Scottish Enterprise by the Scottish ministers inaccordance with paragraph 5(a) of Schedule 1 of the 1990 act. Appointments willbe made in line with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint the board members of the planned single skills body encompassing Careers Scotland, learndirect Scotland and other skills functions of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise; when it expects the new body to be in place; what budget will be allocated to it…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish ministerswill appoint the chair and board members of the new skills body.I expect to havea shell organisation set up by the start of 2008, with a more formalised bodyin place by the end of this financial year.The annual budgetto be allo…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce primary legislation to establish its new skills agency and, if so, when it expects to do so.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is not theintention of Scottish ministers in the first instance to introduce primarylegislation to establish the new skills body. Ministers will consider whetherprimary legislation is required in the future.

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint members of the business-led boards of the regional operations that will replace the local enterprise companies; what budget will be allocated annually to running each operation; how that overall budget will compare with the current local enterprise company budget; whether…

Answer · Jim Mather: These will beoperational matters for the enterprise networks.

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint members of the strategic forum for enterprise; what budget will be allocated annually to running the forum; whether members of the forum will receive remuneration for their duties, and to whom the forum will report.

Answer · Jim Mather: As the CabinetSecretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth set out in his statement toParliament on 26 September 2007, the strategic forumwill be led by myself and Mr Swinney and its membership will include the chairsand chief executives of Scottish Enterpris…

4 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, what plans it has to develop policies for supporting and encouraging the use of local dialects in Scotland, including in Shetland.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5124 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

4 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, whether it has any policies for supporting and encouraging the use of local dialects in Scotland, including in Shetland, and, if so, what these policies are.

4 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, whether it has any plans to consult dialect interest groups and other bodies on the development of policies to support and encourage the use of local dialects and, if so, when the consultation will take pla…

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Governmentis committed to promoting and encouraging the use of Scots in all its regional formsin education, broadcasting and the arts. As stated in the answer to question S3W-4117on 26 September 2007, we have no plans for a formal consultationon …

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the staffing of the VisitShetland offices in Shetland and of other local tourism offices throughout Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to writeto you direct on this matter.

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed abolition of local enterprise companies and reorganisation of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, decisions affecting Shetland will still be taken by those with a full understanding of Shetland's business environment.

Answer · Jim Mather: Under the reform proposals,there will be, as now, a Highlands and Islands Enterprise presence in Shetland.Any decisions which have an impact on Shetland will therefore continue to take intoaccount the appropriate business input and expertise currently provide…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, after its proposed abolition of the local enterprise companies and reorganisation of Highlands and Islands Enterprise have taken place, who will take decisions currently taken by HIE Shetland’s board and where the new decision takers will be based.

Answer · Jim Mather: This will be an operationalmatter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. However, as now, suchdecisions will reflect local Shetland priorities and be informed by a continuedHighlands and Islands Enterprise presence in Shetland.

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed abolition of local enterprise companies and reorganisation of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, current HIE Shetland staff will remain based in Shetland; whether they will be given any decision-making responsibility and, if so, what decisions they will…

Answer · Jim Mather: This will be an operationalmatter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. However, as confirmedin the reply to question S3W-4864 on 23 October 2007, Highlands and Islands Enterprise will continue to maintaina presence in Shetland.All answers to writtenpa…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are currently administered through Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Highlands and Islands local enterprise companies and which of these are (a) under review, (b) to end, (c) to continue to be administered by HIE without review and (d) to continue without review but a…

Answer · Jim Mather: The following schemes,which are administered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, provide grants tobusinesses in the Highlands and Islands area:Initial Investmentand Job Creation schemeFisheries and AquacultureschemeAgriculture and Hortic…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will maintain accountability over the delivery of the skills and training elements of the enterprise network in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise area when they are passed to the new skills body.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Governmentwill maintain accountability over the new skills body:By appointing thechair and board and through contact with the chair and board members.Through frameworkdocumentation (Management Statement, Financial Memorandum and Acc…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the funding provided to run the VisitShetland offices in Shetland and other local tourism offices throughout Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to writeto you direct on this matter.

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the skills and training work currently delivered by HIE Shetland and detail how it will be delivered in Shetland after the skills and training elements of the enterprise network are passed to the new skills body.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The skillsand training work currently delivered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise Shetlandis:Managementand Leadership TrainingFirstSteps into Business coursesFirstSteps into Community Enterprise TrainingShortcourses on general bu…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current Shetland-based staff delivering the services provided by Careers Scotland and those delivering the skills and training elements of the work of HIE Shetland will transfer to the new skills body; whether all the work that they carry out will continue to be carried out by…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: CareersScotland will be part of the new skillsbody and therefore current HIE Careers Scotland staff will transfer to the new body.This will include those based in Shetland. In terms of those staff involved in deliveringskills and training, discussions continu…

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the activities carried out in the VisitShetland offices in Shetland and in other tourism offices throughout Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to writeto you direct on this matter.

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the delivery of the marketing of tourism in Shetland and other parts of Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to writeto you direct on this matter.

2 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, decisions currently taken by staff in VisitShetland offices in Shetland and in other local tourism offices will continue to be taken in the local offices or whether they will be taken at one or more central lo…

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to writeto you direct on this matter.

24 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4066 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007, whether it plans to consider setting limits on the charges that Scottish Water can apply to domestic water and sewerage customers lower than those currently set by the Water Industry Commission for Scot…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Governmenthas no plans to limit the charges that Scottish Water can apply other than as setout in the Water Industry Commission’s final determination of charges for 2006-10.