- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-29131 on 26 September 2002, when Shepherd and Wedderburn WS was first invited to provide legal advice on prospects of recovery of losses from Flour City International Inc and on what date, or dates, advice was provided by Shepherd and Wedderburn WS on this matter.
Answer
The Corporate Body has noted that these 36 questions are in addition to the 113 the member has already asked about the Holyrood Project. Accordingly, I shall write at length to the member in due course, placing a copy in SPICe.The following is a further answer (published on 13 February 2003); see below.Sir David Steel: Pursuant to my Answer of 12 February 2003. I have written to the Member and placed a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Information Centre (Bib. number 26936).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-29129 on 26 September 2002, whether the legal advice referred to is still applicable and how disclosure of the documents identified could prejudice such action.
Answer
The Corporate Body has noted that these 36 questions are in addition to the 113 the member has already asked about the Holyrood Project. Accordingly, I shall write at length to the member in due course, placing a copy in SPICe.The following is a further answer (published on 13 March 2003); see below.Sir David Steel: Pursuant to my Answer of 12 February 2003. I have written to the Member and placed a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Information Centre (Bib. number 26936).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer what the total cost of bomb proofing in relation to the Holyrood project has been, broken down by works package; what the original estimate of this cost was in respect of each package; whether any provision for bomb proofing was made in each contract when it was awarded and, if so, whether details of each such provision will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, and what the reasons are for any extra costs incurred in each case.
Answer
The Corporate Body has noted that these 36 questions are in addition to the 113 the member has already asked about the Holyrood Project. Accordingly, I shall write at length to the member in due course, placing a copy in SPICe.The following is a further answer (published on 13 March 2003); see below.Sir David Steel: Pursuant to my Answer of 12 February 2003. I have written to the Member and placed a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Information Centre (Bib. number 26936).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 11 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive into which category of care service, as set out in the draft statutory instrument attached as appendix A to The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 - Regulation of Care Services by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care: Proposals for Maximum Fees to be set by Scottish Ministers for 2003-04: Consultation Paper, organisations such as Crossroads would fall; what registration fees such bodies would pay, and whether such bodies would need to pay any annual continuing charge.
Answer
It is for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission) to determine which of the definitions in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 apply to any particular service. The Care Commission will take into account the service's statement of function and purpose in making this decision. Maximum fees are set each year by Scottish ministers for each type of regulated service, for applications for initial registration or cancellation of registration; for the annual continuation of registration; for applications for variation or removal of a condition of registration, and for the issue of a new certificate of registration. Each year the Care Commission sets fees for each type of regulated service within these maxima. Not all of the services defined in the act are already regulated by the Care Commission - regulation is being phased in.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer what the installation cost was of each window in the MSP block west elevation of the new Parliament building at Holyrood under the (a) Flour City contract and (b) current contract.
Answer
It is not possible to provide window installation costs only, as both contracts in question stipulated supply and installation. The Convener of the Holyrood Project Team has informed me that different models of bay windows are involved but, on average, the costs from the tender bids for supply and installation of bay windows on the west elevation of the MSP block were as follows:(a) Flour City: £5,633 per window (excl VAT)(b) Current Contract: £17,174 per window (excl VAT).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30353 by Dr Elaine Murray on 24 October 2002, on what date the final year of the three-year funding commitment to the teacher release scheme will end; when sportscotland will take a decision about reviewing the scheme; whether there has been any delay in the making of such a decision and, if so, whether the Executive will direct sportscotland to take a decision on the matter; whether funding for the scheme has been fully utilised in each year that the scheme has been in operation; what the total cost of the scheme has been, and what the average cost of the scheme has been per day in each year of operation
Answer
The three-year funding commitment will end on 31 March 2003. As I have said previously,
sportscotland is currently reviewing the scheme and a decision is expected following its council meeting in March.£150,000 was committed to this scheme and the information requested is in the following table.
| Year | Budget | Actual Spend | Average Cost Per Day |
| 2000-01 | £50,000 | £49,650 | £130 |
| 2001-02 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £145 |
| 2002-03 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £156 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32954 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 January 2003, when the Sociable Neighbourhood National Co-ordinator completed the audit of local authorities and their strategies to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Answer
Audits of the 32 local authorities took place between March and November 2001. Individual reports and recommendations were made to each local authority by the Sociable Neighbourhood National Co-ordinator. A report distilling the information from all 32 audits will be published in the spring and copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether membership of area tourist boards should not be made compulsory for tourist businesses.
Answer
The review of area tourist boards is still under way and the outcome will be announced in due course; this will include the relationship between boards and tourist businesses in the area.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Land Court will have any power under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill to be arbiter of consent similar to that under section 1(5) of the Lands Tribunal Act 1949.
Answer
In their report on Jurisdictions under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Acts (Scot Law Com No 178), upon which Part 7 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill is based, the Scottish Law Commission recommended that the Land Court be given power to act as arbiter of consent on a contractual reference, similar to the power available to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland under section 1(5) of the Lands Tribunal Act 1949.New section 60(2)(d) of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 (as introduced by section 59 of the bill) makes such provision as is appropriate in relation to tenancies under the 1991 act.Section 61(2)(d) of the bill makes equivalent provision in respect of tenancies under the bill.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Land Court will have the required number of members necessary to perform the functions that will be conferred upon it under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill; and whether it will remove the maximum age limit at which existing members must vacate office, and whether it will make a permanent appointment of a deputy chairman.
Answer
The Executive has always provided the Scottish Land Court with the staffing resources it requires. We envisage no difficulty about continuing to do that in future.We have no intention of removing the maximum age limit at which existing members must vacate office. None of its members is near the retirement age of 65. That retirement age was part of the package on pay and conditions that members freely entered into when appointed. There is no business case at present in either the Land Court or the Lands Tribunal for Scotland for the creation of a permanent post of Deputy Chairman. Powers for the ad hoc appointment of a deputy chairman already exist (see paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 to the Scottish Land Court Act 1993). These have been used once in the last eight years and they worked perfectly satisfactorily. Staffing levels are kept under regular review in consultation with Lord McGhie. The Executive stand ready to respond to bids for more staff when the workloads justify this.
