- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Parcelforce about the impact of additional charges in respect of deliveries to homes in Highlands and Islands postcode areas (a) IV, (b) HS, (c) KA27-28, (d) KW, (e) PA20-49, (f) PA60-78, (g) PH17-26, (h) PH30-44, (I) PH49-50 and (j) ZE and whether it will (i) seek to meet Parcelforce and (ii) make representations to Her Majesty's Government about this matter.
Answer
Consignia, post offices and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including Consignia's parcel delivery services.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the allocation of funding to The Highland Council under the McCrone settlement in light of the representations it has received from the council and from schools within the council's area.
Answer
Both the total provision for Modernising the Teaching Profession and the distribution methodology were agreed with COSLA on behalf of local government.The distribution formula for these resources uses pupil numbers as an objective measure of councils' relative spending needs but also takes account of the additional costs of serving small schools in rural areas and islands. Separate allowances are also made through the Special Island Needs Allowance and Gaelic-medium education specific grant. Highland Council benefits from these adjustments by over £4 million this year - on top of its allocation based on pupil numbers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28257 by Lewis Macdonald on 5 September 2002, how many people have been identified under categories (a) to (e) in the booklet issued by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency regarding the Scottish Transport Group pension fund notes on the disbursement of ex-gratia payments, broken down by category; whether the total number of people so identified is 13,336, and, if the figure is different, what the reason is for the position on the matter.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally in the form requested.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 October 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any pre-tender questionnaire was completed by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited before the award of the contract for cladding in the MSP block at the new Parliament building; if so, what information it disclosed in relation to work which it had completed; whether any references were obtained from the companies by whom Flour City had been instructed to carry out work, as disclosed in any such pre-tender questionnaire, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
As a prerequisite to the tender process all potential contractors are required to complete a pre-tender questionnaire. Flour City were no exception and relevant references were obtained. The information contained in the pre-tender questionnaire cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 October 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the reasons are for the additional cost of the works packages let as part of the Holyrood Project and set out in Annex A to the quarterly report on the Parliament Building Project to be considered at the Finance Committee on 8 October 2002 and, in particular, how much of the additional cost for each package is attributable, or estimated as being attributable, to (a) blast resistance requirements and (b) other reasons, detailing in full what the reasons are for the additional costs in each case.
Answer
As reported to the Finance Committee on 8 October 2002, the Holyrood Project Team are currently in the process of compiling a more detailed estimate of the additional costs associated with the blast resistance requirements for the new building. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the results of this exercise will be made available in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 October 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-29130 on 24 September 2002, whether he will now provide the information requested on how much in total has been incurred in respect of legal advice on contractual and other issues in connection with Flour City Architectural (Metals) UK Ltd, including those involved in examining and preparing the case for action under the parent company guarantee, and details of the invoices issued and the dates when they were paid and those that remain outstanding
Answer
The amount of legal fees incurred to date, relating to contractual and other issues concerning the Flour City trade contract, amounts to £26,124.24 including VAT. The invoice details requested were provided to the member in my letter to him of 3 October, a copy of which will be made available to other members in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the decision of the Inland Revenue not to give a tax concession that would allow ex-gratia payments in respect of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes to be made as tax-free lump sum payments, what action it will now take in the interests of the scheme members, given that the Inland Revenue has allowed tax-free lump sum payments to members of the National Bus Company pension scheme.
Answer
We have made representations to Treasury Ministers. The matter now lies with them and I understand that Scottish Members of Parliament are pursuing these matters on behalf of their constituents.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 9 October 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the total current estimate is of the fees for the Holyrood Project and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide a full breakdown of these fees.
Answer
As reported to the Finance Committee on 8 October 2002, the current estimate for professional fees relating to the Holyrood Project amounts to £38.6 million. A breakdown cannot presently be given as the amounts payable to the individual professional consultants are still regarded as "commercially confidential".
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any physical, practical and financial constraints which may face The Highland Council in implementing an effective waste strategy; whether it will provide assistance to the council to implement such a strategy from the Strategic Waste Fund, and, if so, how much it will provide and over what period.
Answer
As part of the implementation of the National Waste Strategy, an Area Waste Plan is being prepared to establish the Best Practicable Environmental Option for waste in the Highland Council area. A draft plan is available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's website at: http://www.sepa.org.uk/. In preparing the plan the strategy group, which includes the council, followed published guidance and considered physical, practical, financial, social and environmental constraints.The Highland Council is also preparing a public private partnership contract for the treatment and disposal of waste collected by the council. The Executive has been kept informed of the progress of the waste PPP scheme. However, the council has not yet submitted a bid for support from the Strategic Waste Fund. The Executive has not therefore made an assessment about what level of support might be provided to the council to assist in implementing the Highland Area Waste Plan.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the estimated #100 million cost of liability to compensate landowners for losses to the market value of their holdings in the event of the introduction of an absolute right to buy for tenant farmers presumes that the absolute right to buy would extend to all tenant farmers or some only, specifying which ones, and whether it will detail the assumptions made in reaching this estimate.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28916 on 25 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
