- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission report 187 by extending to siblings the title to sue for non-patrimonial loss under the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976.
Answer
The Executive is examining the content of the Scottish Law Commission report 187 and considering what the next step should be in the light of the commission's recommendations. The proposal to extend the title to sue for non-patrimonial loss under the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 to siblings and others with close ties to the deceased is likely to form part of a wider consultation on damages that is planned for 2003.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to Her Majesty's Government about any transfer of power to the Parliament with regard to the Crown Estates Commission and what the reason is for its position on the matter.
Answer
No such representations have been made.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tied houses or other dwellings it owns, or otherwise provides, for the occupation of persons employed by (a) it and (b) other public sector bodies.
Answer
The Scottish Executive currently provides nine residential properties for occupation by its employees. In addition, the Scottish Executive owns several estates which are leased to Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes, the Scottish Agricultural College and the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Within these estates there are 51 residential properties of which 44 are currently occupied by employees of these institutions.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 16 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of the new arrangements to be made for the payment of benefits and allowances due to come into effect next year, whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the impact on local economies of people continuing to be able to use their local post office for the payment of benefits and allowances and, in particular, on equal treatment of banks and post offices in this respect.
Answer
The Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues and it takes a wide range of factors into account in formulating its social and economic policies. Whilst Royal Mail Group, post offices and postal services are a reserved matter, I understand that all the major banks have signed contracts with Post Office Ltd to make their own basic bank accounts accessible at post offices and that the Post Office is also in discussion with the banks about wider access to their other bank accounts.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will arrange for representatives of bodies representing the fishing industry to be seconded to it for the purpose of maximising its effectiveness in the impending EU negotiations.
Answer
No. Member states cannot bring representatives of their industry to a Council as part of the official delegation. I will continue to consult closely with the industry in the run-up to the Council.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 13 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure has been incurred by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) since 1997 in connection with the protection of (a) predator species, including pine martins, sparrow hawks, merlins and eagles, and (b) smaller prey species such as waders, winchats, wheaters, woodpeckers and finches; whether SNH distinguishes between different species perceived to be under threat, and whether some threatened species are considered by SNH to be more worthy of support than others.
Answer
This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to whether sentences imposed for convictions in respect of offences under sections (a) 1 or (b) 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1991 are less severe than sentences imposed for convictions in respect of such offences in courts in England.
Answer
Although the number of cases prosecuted under these sections in England and Wales is much greater, there is no significant difference in the pattern of sentences imposed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require the Food Standards Agency to make available all information the agency has regarding scallops and amnesic shellfish poisoning, including research data, correspondence with representative bodies of the scallop industry and all other relevant documents.
Answer
Food Standards Agency Scotland advise me that they will adhere to their stated policies of openness and accessibility in dealing with material concerning scallops and amnesic shellfish poisoning. All information the agency has which can be released to interested parties will be made available upon request.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new tiered testing system for scallops will have on the scallop industry; when any economic appraisal of the impact of such a system will be completed, and when any such appraisal will be made available to (a) it and (b) the Parliament.
Answer
Food Standards Agency Scotland advise me that they are developing a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) designed to evaluate the impact of the proposed tiered system on all parties affected. The RIA includes costings provided by the scallop industry. Once completed, it will be submitted to ministers before being made publicly available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it has made in the scallop industry in each year since 1999-2000 and what steps it is taking to ensure the industry's survival.
Answer
Funds committed to scallop sector projects from the Scottish Executive and Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) grants schemes since 1999-2000 are as follows:
| 1999-2000 | £409,296 |
| 2000-01 | Nil |
| 2001-02 | £9,500 |
| 2002-03 | £250,713 |
If projects are completed as planned, total investment in the sector will amount to around £3 million. Some £462,000 of the committed funds have already been paid to claimants.In acknowledging the difficulties experienced by the scallop sector, the Executive will continue to look sympathetically at applications for FIFG funding from the sector. My officials are currently looking at an application from industry for a scallop portion size study which is designed to inform the science behind the proposal for a tiered testing regime for amnesic shellfish poisoning. The Executive also commissioned an analysis of the economic impact of toxin fishery closures up to 2002 and this was published recently. The analysis will be considered by the Scottish Scallop Advisory Committee.
