Parliamentary questions

Tavish Scott

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

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all regulatory authorities involved in the design and construction of an offshore wave energy power station founded on the seabed and the regulations which each authority is responsible for applying.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15423.

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all regulatory authorities involved in the design and construction of a floating offshore wave energy power station moored to the seabed and the regulations which each authority is responsible for applying.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15423.

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the regulatory authorities involved in the design and construction of an offshore wave energy power station and the regulations which each authority is responsible for applying.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The design and construction of any power station are matters for the developer, subject to the necessary consents being obtained. Statutory consultees, such as Scottish Natural Heritage or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, may agree to such projects…

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the statutory consultees whom the developer of an offshore wave energy power station founded on the seabed has to consult before construction of the station can commence and when such consultation should take place.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: As a matter of best practice, we advise developers to speak with the relevant planning authority, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency before submitting an application under section 36 of the 1989 Electricity Act. These are…

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the statutory consents necessary for the construction of an offshore wave energy power station founded on the seabed and the authorities to whom each application for such consents must be submitted, what average time is taken to issue each consent and what the curren…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The consents required for an offshore wind or water driven generating station are as follows:<UL><LI>Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 (consent under section 36 is only required if installed generating capacity is in excess of 50 megawatts, with an appli…

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the statutory consultees whom the developer of a shore based wave energy power station has to consult before construction of the station can commence and when such consultation should take place.

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the statutory consents necessary for the construction of an onshore wave energy power station and the authorities to whom each application for such consents must be submitted, what average time is taken to issue each consent and what the current level is of any conse…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: An onshore generating station of 50 megawatts or less will require the consent of the planning authority within whose boundaries the proposed development falls under section 28 of the 1997 Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act. The fee depends on the site …

23 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the research into the importance of the Shetland Box, as announced by the Minister for Rural Development on 7 December 2000, and when this research is expected to be completed.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive has commissioned two reports into the importance of the Shetland Box - one to investigate the socio-economic effects of the box and the other to analyse the biological impact of the box. We anticipate that this work will be completed by mid-May.

23 Apr 2001 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Executive's economic development policies are being adapted to take account of the economic downturn within the electronics sector.

Answer · Henry McLeish: We know that the electronics industry globally is undergoing massive change, and we are determined to move Scottish manufacturing up the value chain to focus more on research, design and development activities. We are therefore accelerating our move into thes…

19 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the energy efficiency of new commercial and shopping developments.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I intend to bring forward legislation in autumn this year that will improve the energy efficiency of new buildings. Currently subject to EC scrutiny, the draft legislation, The Building Standards Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2001, will introduce more oner…

19 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available for small businesses who want to improve their energy efficiency and what the take-up of any available funds has been from 1999 to date.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive's Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO) operates the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme, providing free consultancy advice to businesses and other organisations to encourage more efficient use of energy. Funding in the current…

19 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policies and incentives are in place to encourage the development of community combined heat and power plants.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive, like the UK Government, is strongly committed to the development of CHP. Advice and financial support is available for the development and installation of residential CHP. This assistance is available from the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Pr…

11 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in relation to the initiative on the future of the fisheries sector and its affiliated industries announced on 20 December 2000 and when this work will be completed.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: A group comprising representatives of the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Enterprise Network and the Seafish Industry Authority has been established. We intend that there should be initial consultation with the industry beginning this month. I would expect t…

11 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the first round of the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance has closed for applications; if so, when, and how many applications were received by this date, broken down by sector, and what progress is being made to ensure that payments are made to applicants when originally …

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In the Highlands and Islands, the schemes for all measures except processing and marketing closed for the first round of applications on 28 February. The deadline for processing and marketing applications was extended to 20 April.<P>The number of applications…

11 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a statutory instrument is required to allow payments to be made under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance and, if so, when such an instrument will be laid before the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: A Scottish order is required to provide for the implementation of our FIFG plans.<P>The Fisheries and Aquaculture Structures (Grants) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (SSI 2001 No 140) was laid before the Parliament on 5 April 2001. An entry to this effect can be …

11 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the review of the tariff rebate subsidy scheme for livestock shipments to and from the Northern Isles and when this review will be completed.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive received recently the report of an evaluation of the Tariff Rebate Subsidy Scheme for bulk and livestock shipping conducted by EKOS consultants. The evaluation report is being considered in detail. Ministers will announce their conclusions on th…

5 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what receipts were given to Her Majesty's Treasury via the UK Consolidated Fund in respect of fines imposed by Scottish courts and police, for each year since 1997.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The total of fines income, which was collected by the Scottish Court Service in the sheriff courts and subsequently, paid over to the Consolidated Fund for the financial years 1996-97 to 1999-2000 is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=…

4 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were made in Shetland under (a) the 2000 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance scheme and (b) the 2001 Less Favoured Area Support scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: (a) There were 1,112 applications made in Shetland under the 2000 HLCA Scheme; and (b) There were 1,094 applications made in Shetland under the 2001 LFASS Scheme.

4 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in making this year's agricultural payments to farmers and crofters under schemes administered by the Rural Development Department.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Payments are on schedule and the value of payments issued to date is £143.825 million.

4 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total budget was paid to applicants in Shetland under the 2000 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance Scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The total amount paid to applicants in Shetland under the 2000 HLCA Scheme was £1,978,305.

4 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount is forecast to be paid to applicants in Shetland under the 2001 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, and when it is expected that all applicants will receive payments.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is not available. The vast majority of claims will be paid by the end of April.

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is regarding the judicial appointments machinery following the consultation exercise last year.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have announced today that the Scottish Executive has decided to establish a Judicial Appointments Board.<P>The board will be chaired by a senior non-legal figure, and will have other lay members, who will be appointed following Nolan public appointment proc…

13 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its proposals are for future shipments of livestock to and from the Northern Isles.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Livestock shipping in the Northern Isles is a commercial matter for ferry operators, subsidised by the Executive through the Tariff Rebate Subsidy (TRS) scheme. The new operator, NorthLink, plans to carry livestock in cassettes on their freight vessel. We are…

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3940 by Ross Finnie on 8 February 2000, what progress has been made with the European Union over the imposition of penalties arising under the Integrated Administration and Control System, with particular regard to proportionality.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The penalties arising from claims made under the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) are set down in the EC Regulations. As I indicated following my statement on 4 October, outlining the EU Subsidies Appeals Procedure, I have been pressing the…

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote cycle training for primary school pupils.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign to enable it to develop road safety education initiatives. Following a review of the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme by the campaign, the written training materials were revised and a…

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish school pupils benefited from cycle training in each of the last five years.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: This information is not held centrally.

29 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities make cycle training available to all pupils in primaries six and seven.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: This information is not held centrally.

27 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve transport links to the Northern Isles.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive seeks to ensure that there are affordable air and sea links to Scotland's island communities including the Northern Isles. I am also announcing today that the preferred bidder for the Northern Isles Passenger Ferry subsidy contract from 2002 is …

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are undertaking Stage 3 reviews of air quality under the National Air Quality Strategy, how many of these authorities met the June 2000 deadline for their reports and how many Air Quality Management Areas the Executive expects to be declared in Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Seven Scottish local authorities are currently undertaking Stage 3 reviews and assessment of air quality as required by the Air Quality Strategy. Two local authorities (Edinburgh and Falkirk) met the June 2000 deadline for submitting their Stage 3 reports. It…

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the national public transport timetable is still on schedule to be adopted by December.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The National Public Transport Timetable is being developed in Scotland through a public and private partnership arrangement between local authorities and transport operators. The Scottish Executive is committed to contributing up to £1 million towards the cap…