Chamber and committees

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Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-14552

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 28 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support businesses affected by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Following extensive consultation with the industry affected, the Executive has decided to put resources behind a three-part emergency package of assistance for 2001-02 to help stabilise businesses in Scotland hit by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. This is in addition to the commitments already provided by the UK Government.The additional Scottish emergency package consists of:First, a range of measures to help affected businesses with their rates will be available, initially estimated to be worth £3.5 million. The Scottish Executive will fund 95% of the cost of hardship relief for the most affected businesses. The funding will be available for businesses with a rateable value up to £12,000 in rural local authority areas. For other businesses we will fund 75% of the costs of hardship relief. We are encouraging local authorities to consider deferring rates payments for affected businesses. Local authorities can grant relief for premises which are not in use because of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Businesses can also apply for a reduction in their rateable value.Secondly, an initial £5 million will be made available now for visitscotland to tackle the misconceptions in key markets about the outbreak, build on the framework provided by the Comeback Code published on Friday 23 March, and to bring forward a range of other measures including support for local marketing initiatives. visitscotland will work closely with the British Tourist Authority to achieve the maximum benefit for Scotland from the work which they are doing around the world to put the facts across. Further support for a longer term recovery plan will be available.

Thirdly, a £5 million immediate boost for the Enterprise Networks to provide emergency advice and assistance to affected businesses to support survival workshops, one-to-one counselling, assistance on minimising liabilities and access to other sources of support such as the banks, the Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise.

The Executive is particularly conscious of the severity of the impact in Dumfries and Galloway and will discuss with the Enterprise Networks and visitscotland ways of ensuring that the help gets to those who need it most.This £13.5 million emergency package adds to the measures announced by the UK Government on 20 March, which include:

1. Request from Ministers to Inland Revenue and Customs officials to take a very sympathetic approach to businesses experiencing financial problems as a result of the outbreak. The Revenue Departments already have power in specific circumstances to defer payment of taxes and National Insurance contributions and agree extended arrangements for time to pay. They will make maximum use of this flexibility for agricultural, transport, tourism and related retail businesses in the countryside that cannot pay debts because of cash flow problems, where cash flow assistance through rescheduling tax or NIC liabilities would help.

2. Discussions with the banks to ensure continuing credit for small businesses badly affected by the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, including the use of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Fund.

3. Indication from the Benefits Agency that Job Seekers Allowance may be available to both employees and self-employed people, out of work as a result of foot-and-mouth; and the Department of Social Security will be making their procedures as fast and flexible as possible.This represents a comprehensive plan of action to tackle the immediate difficulties facing Scottish businesses. The Executive is also engaging in developing plans for longer-term recovery and to build a way forward from the present difficulties.

Question reference: S1W-13688

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 28 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether maternity services will be considered as a special project under the Scottish Telemedicine Initiative and whether financing of such a project would come from the #5 million which the Executive is investing in telemedicine.

In A Framework for maternity services in Scotland, published in February the need for consideration to be given to the inclusion of maternity services as a specific project under the Scottish Telemedicine Initiative was recognised in the implementation strategy. The Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) has been invited to bring forward proposals to be considered by the Scottish Telemedicine Action Forum (STAF), which oversees the development of telemedicine. STAF has invited proposals from all professional groups and other appropriate parties (including patient representative groups working in collaboration with clinical teams). National funding is available to encourage collaborative projects bringing together professionals from two or more health board areas or across specialities, disciplines or sectors.

Question reference: S1W-14126

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 27 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any discussions have taken place, or are planned, with visitscotland regarding the promotion of tourism in rural areas and, in particular, in those areas affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Question reference: S1W-14127

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any discussions have taken place, or are planned, with Scottish Enterprise regarding the problems faced by rural enterprises as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

The Executive is in daily contact with Scottish Enterprise, and especially Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway, to discuss the implications of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on the economy. Both organisations are represented on the Executive's Foot and Mouth Impact Assessment Group, which has now met twice. In addition, the Executive is in discussion with Scottish Enterprise on a series of measures to assist businesses on the immediate difficulties they face and to help in the recovery of the rural economy.

Question reference: S1W-14102

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the surveys being undertaken by the Federation of Small Businesses and the area tourist board in Dumfries and Galloway on the economic effects of the foot and mouth outbreak in the region and whether it will receive copies of the results of the surveys.

I am fully aware of the work being done in the Dumfries and Galloway area. The Federation of Small Businesses survey is contributing to a wider partnership of local organisations, led by Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway, looking at the impact the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is having on the area. On 15 March I chaired the first meeting of the Impact Assessment Group and heard a report of the Dumfries and Galloway work and I look forward to seeing future updates.

Question reference: S1W-14103

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the proposals put forward by the Federation of Small Businesses regarding actions which might be taken by financial institutions and central and local government to help businesses in Dumfries and Galloway affected by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and whether it intends to take any action as a consequence of these proposals.

I am aware of the work that the Federation of Small Businesses is doing in the Dumfries and Galloway area. It is feeding into the impact assessment currently being co-ordinated by Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway which is itself feeding into the Scottish Impact Assessment Group, which I am chairing. I look forward to early results from this group so we can consider the most effective way of helping rural areas through these current real difficulties.

Question reference: S1W-14104

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make any statutory instruments which will allow the transport of uninfected animals to slaughterhouses in areas in which foot-and-mouth disease has been identified.

A Statutory Instrument, The Foot and Mouth Declaratory (Controlled Area) (Scotland) (No 2) Order 2001, was introduced on Friday 2 March 2001. This provides the legislative framework for a licensing scheme for movement of livestock from farm direct to slaughterhouse.The only restriction on the location of the slaughterhouse is that it should not be within 3km of an infected premise.Movement is strictly controlled under these arrangements and poses minimal disease risk with vehicles which deliver the animals being thoroughly cleansed and disinfected before they leave the abattoir. Furthermore, the animals slaughtered will be subjected to the routine ante-mortem inspection before meat is passed fit for human consumption.

Question reference: S1W-13689

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how the public will be made aware of the changes to service delivery proposed in its report A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland and whether it will undertake a public education programme in relation to these changes.

Question reference: S1W-13690

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has made with agencies involved in determining the school curriculum with regard to the inclusion of antenatal health promotion in personal and social development studies, as suggested in its report A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland.

Authorities are encouraged to address health education within a comprehensive programme of personal and social education. This approach is designed to ensure that information is given, not in isolation, but as part of a programme aimed at helping young people to develop sound lifestyle choices and healthy living. Pre-conceptual, antenatal and post-natal care will all feature in an effective health education programme.

Question reference: S1W-13189

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 20 March 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the five recommendations in the Report of the Deferrals Working Group, presented to the Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs on 10 November 2000.