Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

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-31273

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to its consultation document Registration of Sellers and Buyers of First Sale Fish, why a registration system is necessary; what the estimated cost of putting the system in place would be, and whether a registration system is required given that it is a proposal contained in the review of the Common Fisheries Policy and, under Council Regulation EEC 2847/93, it is not a requirement of EU legislation.

EU legislation (Council Regulation 2847/93) envisages that auction centres or other bodies or persons responsible for the first marketing of fishery products and therefore, the submission of sales notes to the control authorities shall be authorised by member states. The proposed system of designated auction centres and registered sellers currently under consultation with industry has been designed to allow the UK to comply with that provision with little or no change to current practice. The registration of buyers of first sale fish is not yet a requirement of EU legislation, although Regulation 2847/93 places responsibility for submission of the sales note on the buyer in circumstances where first marketing takes place other than through an authorised auction centre or other seller. The registration of buyers of fish is also proposed as part of the review of the CFP. It seems sensible, therefore, to propose also the registration of buyers, in anticipation of possible EC requirements; to ensure buyers of fish who may be responsible for submission of sales notes can be identified, and as a logical extension of traceability and control arrangements.The Fisheries Departments view the registration processes as simple and straightforward and unlikely to result in any additional costs to industry. Consultation and discussions continue with industry on detailed implementation arrangements, on which decisions remain to be taken.

Question reference: S1W-30602

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 15 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its projected trunk road spending will be in 2003-04, broken down by project and detailing the work to be carried out, the road and exact location.

Projected motorway and trunk road spending plans for 2003-04 are shown in the recently published Building a Better Scotland. It is not possible at this stage to provide a detail allocation of spending to individual schemes but specific projects on which funding will be incurred for next year include the following:

Project by Location	Brief Description of Works	Road
Bowerhouse-Spott	Upgrade from single to dual carriageway.	A1
Haddington-Dunbar	Upgrade from single to dual carriageway.	A1
Howburn-Houndwood	Upgrade from single to dual carriageway.	A1
Thistly Cross-Bowerhouse	Upgrade from single to dual carriageway.	A1
Barfill-Bettyknowes	Overtaking section.	A75
Cairntop-Barlae	Provide overtaking opportunities.	A75
Dunragit Re-alignment	Replace bridge and provide overtaking opportunities.	A75
Hardgrove-Kinmount	Overtaking section.	A75
Newton Stewart	Acceleration lane north of roundabout	A75
Planting End to Drumflower	Eastbound overtaking section.	A75
Crossroads	Conversion of staggered junction to roundabout.	A76
Gateside	Widen and create straight section of road.	A76
Ardrossan-Stevenston	Bypass of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston	A78
Baillieston-Newhouse	Refurbishment of carriageway	A8
Shawhead Junction	Safety and congestion improvements.	A8 and A726
Auchenkilns	Grade separated junction	A80
Arisaig-Kinsadel	New 2 lane road.	A830
Kincardine Bridge	New crossing and refurbish existing structure.	A876
Forfar Grade Separation- Kirriemuir and Glamis	Road safety works.	A90
Glendoick Interchange	Grade separation.	A90
Inchture	Road safety works.	A90
Kinfauns Interchange	Grade separation.	A90
Preston-Balfarg	Upgrades of route junctions.	A92
Coachford	Climbing lane.	A96
Fochabers-Mosstodloch Bypass	Single carriageway bypass.	A96
Newtongarry-Adamston	Climbing lane.	A96
Kincardine Eastern Link Road	New wide single carriageway eastern link road.	A985
M74 Completion	Provision of link between M74 and M8	M74 & M8
Fenwick-Malletsheugh	Motorway extension between Glasgow and Kilmarnock.	M77
Enterkinfoot	Removal of road stability problems	A76
Burnside Improvement	Provision of overtaking opportunities	A77
Turnberry Climbing Lane	Provision of overtaking opportunities	A77
Symington Roundabout	Junction Improvement	A77
Roadhead	Roundabout Improvement	A737
Helmsdale	Road re-alignment and new climbing lane	A9
Bankfoot	Junction Improvements	A9
Ballinluig	Grade separated junction	A9
Hatton Bends	Road Re-alignment	A90
Gaich to Craggan	Road Re-alignment	A95
Lighting	Refurbishment of High Mast Lighting	M8
Overhead Gantries	Refurbishment of Overhead Gantries	M8

Question reference: S1W-31222

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30423 by Ross Finnie on 1 November 2002, whether it will give a brief analysis of each response to its consultation on technical conservation measures for the scallop industry, showing (a) the name of the individual or body responding to the consultation, (b) the date of the submission, (c) a short synopsis of the content of the points made in the submission and (d) whether the respondent supported or opposed a weekend ban; if so, whether it will do so before any statutory instrument on this matter is laid before the Parliament, and whether it will ensure that the Rural Development Committee has an opportunity to consider fully such an analysis before any such instrument is laid.

Question reference: S1W-31223

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will not lay any statutory instrument on technical conservation measures in respect of the scallop industry in light of (a) opposition to the measures expressed in evidence to the Rural Development Committee by representatives of the industry on 8 October 2002 and (b) the recommendations of the committee expressed in its letter of 11 October 2002 to the Minister for Environment and Rural Development.

Question reference: S1W-31225

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs there are in the scallop industry.

Question reference: S1W-31226

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the impact of the proposed weekend ban for the scallop industry on the industry's ability to continue to send scallops to the major Spanish market on Thursdays, which caters for Spanish weekend consumers.

Question reference: S1W-31224

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of any threat to the future of the scallop industry from the Food Standards Agency's proposed tiered testing regime, it is premature for any technical conservation measures to be introduced until the impact of implementing European Directive 91/492/EEC or the derogation under European Commission Decision 2002/226/EC has been promptly considered.

Question reference: S1W-30624

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 14 November 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-26366 on 10 June 2002, which individual expressed concerns about Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd during the routine project meeting between the Holyrood design team and project personnel in May 2001.

In my answer on 7 December 2001 in response to question S1W-20308, it was noted that concerns were expressed by EMBT/RMJM Ltd in May 2001 and that is to be taken as being their corporate view. Accordingly the "who" within that group is not relevant. Representatives from consultants to the parliament are expected to state a view on behalf of the body concerned and therefore naming of individuals is inappropriate and may also inhibit the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views.

Question reference: S1W-30568

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 14 November 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer how much expenditure, excluding entertainment and hospitality costs, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has authorised in each year since July 1999 for the Office of the Presiding Officer, showing costs associated with the Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officers and staff of the office and travel costs separately.

The Office of the Presiding Officer has incurred the following expenditure (excluding hospitality costs) in each year since 1999:

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03(6 months)
Staff Costs	34,000	78,000	95,000	53,000
Travel Costs	7,000	3,000	7,000	1,000
Other Costs	18,000	18,000	27,000	14,000
Total Costs	59,000	99,000	129,000	68,000

These figures incorporate the salaries and on-costs of the four staff providing support to the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers. The lower staffing costs in 1999-2000, and to a lesser extent in 2000-01, reflect the initial set-up of the organisation when posts had not been filled.

Question reference: S1W-30747

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 14 November 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer what the meaning was of Paul Grice's statement that "there is an issue around performance bonds, which the corporate body is sei'ed of and is pursuing at the moment" (Official Report, Finance Committee, 8 October 2002, c 2231).