Tavish Scott

23 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to remake the Direction to Scottish Water on action to be taken in the interests of national security or in a civil emergency.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Secretary of State for Scotland laid the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Directions in the Interests of National Security) Order 2002 on 8 May 2002. This order will come into force on 31 May 2002 and following the consultation set out in the order, I …

16 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to submit a response to Her Majesty's Government's consultation paper, Energy Policy - Key Issues for Consultation, in respect of the impact of future energy policy on enterprise.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to submit a formal response to this paper. The Executive is, however, fully engaged with the inter-departmental process which is taking forward the UK Energy Review.

1 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the forthcoming report on marine stewardship will be published.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The first Marine Stewardship Report - <I>Safeguarding Our Seas: A Strategy for the Conversation and Sustainable Development of our Marine Environment</I> was published today in London by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.<P>The Sc…

24 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the current annual pay bill and amount paid in employers' National Insurance contributions are for (a) VisitScotland, (b) Scottish Enterprise, (c) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (d) each area tourist board and what the estimated annual amount of employers' Nationa…

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291.

24 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the current annual pay bill and annual amount paid in employers' National Insurance contributions are for further education institutions and what the estimated annual amount of employers' National Insurance contributions will be for each institution in 2003-04 following…

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291.

24 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the current annual pay bill and amount paid in employers' National Insurance contributions are for each higher education institution and what the estimated annual amount of employers National Insurance contributions will be for each institution in 2003-04 following the …

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291.

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the maximum time between the receipt of a valid application for the payment of grant aid under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance scheme and the issue of grant aid and what percentage of applications were paid within that time in the last year for …

Answer · Ross Finnie: The aim is for an initial check on payment claims to be carried out within 30 working days of receipt. If all the requisite documentation is in place 75% of the claimed amount is paid. The balance is paid as soon as a satisfactory physical inspection/survey o…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to recipients of grants under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance scheme on the maximum time between the receipt of a valid application for a grant and the issue of grant and whether the interest charges accrued during this time can be claimed by recipie…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Claimants are advised that an initial claim check will be undertaken within 30 working days of receipt by the department. No deadline is set for payments, which inevitably depend on auditing claim forms and supporting documentation and, in most cases, a physi…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the application from Shetland Seafood Auctions Ltd for grant aid under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance scheme for the development of an electronic auction in Lerwick was received; when the company was notified that its application had been successful; when the applica…

Answer · Ross Finnie: An application from Shetland Seafood Auctions Ltd. for grant aid under FIFG was received by the Executive on 21 February 2001, in advance of the closing date for applications of 31 March. Rhona Brankin announced the outcome of bids on 24 July and the company …

13 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next vessel decommissioning grant offers to fishing vessel owners will be made to use up any money outstanding from the #25 million sum set aside for the decommissioning scheme which may be left as a result of owners who were offered grants in December 2001 subsequently declining…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Offers of grant are made to applicants on the reserve list as and when funding is freed up as a result of withdrawals from the scheme by those offered grant. Since initial offers of grant were made in December 2001, grant offers have been made to eight vessel…

13 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 108 fishing vessel owners offered grants to decommission their vessels in December 2001 have completed the decommissioning work and claimed their grant; how many have notified their intention to complete decommissioning before the end of April 2002, and how many have notif…

Answer · Ross Finnie: As a result of withdrawals from the scheme, and their replacement by vessels from the reserve list, there are now 100 offers of grant to fishing vessel owners. Of these, 82 have notified their intention to proceed with decommissioning. The aggregate level of …

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many venture capital firms are registered in Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Regulation of financial institutions is a reserved matter. We are informed by the Financial Services Authority that, at 30 November 2001, there were 12 firms in Scotland authorised by IMRO with a permitted activity in venture capital.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, whether any rules will apply to the expected internal rate of return on any investment by a private sector fund manager in any one company using finance from the venture capital Investment Fund and to the return on any asso…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23964.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, whether Audit Scotland will report regularly on investments made using finance from the venture capital Investment Fund.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Full monitoring, reporting and evaluation arrangements will be a key element of our venture capital investment proposals. Details of this and other parts of the package are currently being put together by Scottish Enterprise, in collaboration with my Departme…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, what role (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (c) local enterprise companies will play in the investment of finance from the venture capital Investment Fund.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: We are working closely with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in developing the detailed arrangements for operation of the new venture capital investment fund. We will be looking to the enterprise network to manage the operational arran…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 on 12 February 2002, what criteria will be used by the private sector fund managers when making decisions on investments using finance from the venture capital Investment Fund and what conditions will apply to any such investments in order to s…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23964.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, what (a) conditions will apply to and (b) objectives will be required of the private sector fund managers in respect of handling investments using finance from the venture capital Investment Fund.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23964.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, what criteria will be used to select the private sector fund managers for the venture capital Investment Fund and what the selection and appointment process will be.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The detailed arrangements for operation of the £20 million venture capital fund, announced on 12 February, are currently being worked up by Scottish Enterprise in collaboration with the Scottish Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department and Highla…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5330/2002 of 12 February 2002, why finance from the venture capital Investment Fund will be co-invested in funds set up and managed by private sector fund managers.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The new £20 million venture capital investment fund will have a strong commercial orientation and is intended to strengthen the venture capital structure in Scotland. By co-investing in funds set up and managed by private sector fund managers, we will add to …

27 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any appointments have been made to the Mobility Access Committee for Scotland and, if so, whether it will detail these appointments.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has not yet made any appointments to the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, but will be doing so shortly. Details of the appointments will be announced publicly.

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are taking place with the European Commission about the impact of the EU minimum price regulations for imports from Norway on the salmon industry in Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is in regular dialogue with the European Commission about the operation of the EU/Norway Salmon Agreement. Close contact will be maintained following the announcement that the Commission intends to conduct an interim review of the present arrang…

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to discussions between it and representatives of the fishing industry on the EU technical conservation regulations under the cod recovery plan before the issuing of guidance on the regulations to fishing licence holders in November 2001, whether there was any disagreement bet…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The new EU technical conservation regulation under the cod recovery plan was published on 19 October 2001. On 19 November, the Executive sent a draft guidance note to the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) for comments. On 21 November, the SFF offered comm…

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the deadline is for applications for assistance under the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Applications to the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2001 had to be submitted by 31 October 2001. Applicants who have been offered a grant will have until 31 March 2002 to decommission their vessel and submit all the relevant paperwork.

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the consultation into the structure of area tourist boards.

Answer · Mike Watson: I am currently meeting with a number of area tourist boards to find out the key issues that matter most to them. I will then decide how best to take forward the review.

13 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22041 by Ross Finnie on 1 February 2002, what duties were performed by the 24 officials with responsibilities relating to the bee-keeping profession in 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Officials' duties relating to the bee-keeping profession in 2001 comprised the following:<U><P>Agricultural Staff (18)</U><P>Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations, and<P>Dealing with general enquiries regarding notifiable bee diseases and, a…

13 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21863 by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002, when it received the results of the research conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College into the impact of various net mesh si'es on the catch of a single seine net fishing vessel; what action it plans …

Answer · Ross Finnie: The data from the research conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College referred to in the question were received in February. Analysis of these data is continuing.<P>The Executive will review all the recent research into technical conservation, includin…

13 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21886 by Lewis Macdonald on 29 January 2002, whether the Scottish Air Transport Consultation document will (a) assess the value of Public Service Obligations already operating on some air services and (b) consider any constraints imposed by high air …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Air Transport Consultation Document will address a wide variety of issues relating to air transport in the Highlands and Islands. This will include the role of Public Service Obligations and the cost of air travel. The consultation process provid…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) it and (b) each of its regulatory bodies will have spent in total on regulation of the aquaculture industry in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01 and (iii) 2001-02.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Actual expenditure by the Scottish Executive on the regulation of the aquaculture industry is not available, but is estimated to be about £2 million in each of these years.<P>Details of expenditure on aquaculture regulation by the Scottish Environment Protect…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the areas currently under consideration for designation as Special Protection Areas and on what dates it is planned that decisions will be made on each designation proposal.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The sites currently under consideration for classification as Special Protection Area's (SPA) are:<P>Arran Moors<P>Cnuic Agus Cladach Mhuile (Mull eagle site)<P>Cuillins (Skye eagle site)<P>Glen App - Galloway Moors<P>Ladder Hills<P>Muirkirk and North Lowther…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many areas are currently proposed for designation as Special Protection Areas in each of 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The current list of Scottish Special Protection Areas (SPAs) is almost complete. I expect a further six sites, and one extension, to be classified between 2002 and 2004. Consideration is currently being given at UK level to a review of the UK SPA network, but…