Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to write to you in this regard.

The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46240).

The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46240).

The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46241).

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to write to you in this regard.

The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 enables the Scottish ministers to prohibit the manufacture, sale, hire, etc of swords, and to make exceptions for legitimate religious, cultural and sporting purposes. No such prohibitions are yet in place. The policy memorandum for the bill made it clear that Scottish Highland dancing is recognised as a part of our rich cultural heritage and will be one of the exceptions to the general prohibitions. Highland dancers will therefore be able to continue buying swords for use at their classes and competitions.

The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 does not change the law on the carrying of swords in public. It is an offence under section 49 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 to have any article which has a blade or is sharply pointed in a public place without good reason or lawful authority. Any individual instance will be a matter for the police, and ultimately the courts, but transporting a highland dancing sword to and from classes or competitions would generally appear to be a “good reason”.

Different circumstances will apply depending on how individuals pay their council tax and on procedures in place in each council area. The arrangements in each area are a matter for individual councils, in line with the statutory provisions governing the administration and enforcement of council tax.

The relevant statutory provisions are set out in the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 1992.

There is no legal obligation for local authorities to collect council tax on the first day of each month. In practice, local authorities offer residents various payment methods including council payment cards, direct debit and cash payment. Direct debit payments are often restricted to certain dates each month. Dumfries and Galloway Council, for example, require such payment on 1st, 15th or 21st of each month.

Agreement has been reached with COSLA on the key elements of the transfer of local regeneration functions to local authorities in the Scottish Enterprise area, in line with the enterprise networks reform package announced last September. No equivalent transfer of regeneration functions is envisaged in respect of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, recognising that organisation’s continuing role in strengthening local communities. The agreement also covers the transfer of Business Gateway functions to local authorities, reflecting their increased responsibility for local economic development activity.

In line with the agreement, the lead role in local regeneration projects will in future lie with local authorities. There will be a transitional period over the next two to three years during which Scottish Enterprise will conclude its own involvement in a number of such local projects, to ensure continuity of delivery. A list of those projects is set out below. Reflecting the difficulty inherent in categorising such interventions, no firm definition has been set out in the agreement as to what should constitute a local as opposed to regional or national project. However, the list provides an indication as to the range of projects in which local authorities may in future, wish to invest. It has been agreed that the distribution of funding to individual authorities in respect of the transfer of local regeneration functions out of Scottish Enterprise, should be determined in further discussions between the Scottish Government and COSLA.

East Ayrshire	Kilmarnock, Portland Street upgrade
East Ayrshire	Kilmarnock, Heritage Projects
East Ayrshire	Kilmarnock Regeneration
West Dumbarton	Lomond Towns
West Dumbarton	Strathleven Corridor
West Dumbarton	Lomond Towns-Balloch
CEC	Usher Hall Redevelopment
CEC	Capital Streets Grassmarket
CEC	Edinburgh Zoo
CEC	Edinburgh Public Realm
CEC	Princes Street Development Project
CEC	Edinburgh International Gateway
Stirling	Stirling City
Aberdeen	Contemporary Arts Centre
Aberdeen	Aberdeen City Centre
Dumfries	Chapelcross Industry Park
Dumfries	Abbotsford Development Plan
Dumfries	Gretna Tourism
Borders	Hawick Burnfoot
Borders	Netherdale Development
Borders	Charlesfield Redevelopment
GCC	Merchant City Briggait / Public Realm / North Block
Fife	Town Centre Redevelopments Kirkcaldy / Dunfermline
Falkirk	Bo’ness Waterfront
Falkirk	Stirling City - National Wallace Monument
GCC	Broomielaw Tradeston
GCC	BSHI Queen Elizabeth Square Roads
GCC	Port Dundas Canal Reconnection
GCC	Parkhead Townscape Heritage Initiative
GCC	Orkney Street
GCC	Art School - Visitor Centre
GCC	John Wheatley Infrastructure
Aberdeenshire	Banff Heritage Renaissance Project Phase 1
Renfrewshire	Renfrew Riverside
Dundee	Cultural Institution Dundee
Dundee	Albert Square & Galleries
Renfrewshire	Cart Corridor
North Lanarkshire	North Lanarkshire Local Priorities

 

In the meantime, Scottish Enterprise will maintain its involvement in larger scale regeneration projects, including those involving urban regeneration companies. In view of this involvement being an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I shall ask its Chief Executive to write to you, with more detail of such projects.