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-26165

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 18 June 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not make any minister available to participate in "Newsnight Scotland" on 14 May 2002 to discuss the Members' Business debate in the Parliament on the Scottish Criminal Record Office (S1M-3076) which was due to be held on 15 May 2002.

Question reference: S1W-25854

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 June 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has on whether any legal challenge in regard to the proposed distribution and mode of distribution of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes surplus would delay interim payments; whether it is aware of any legal action which postponed interim payments to persons entitled to pensions from the National Bus Company pension scheme, and whether all relevant correspondence relating to any such action will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S1W-25853

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 June 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what enquiries it has made and what information it has received on the tax liability of the recipients of payments under the distribution of the National Bus Company pension scheme; whether these payments were free of tax; whether copies of all relevant correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, and whether it will meet the members of the Scottish Bus Group Pensioners Action Committee who submitted petition PE500 and who appeared before the Public Petitions Committee on 7 May 2002 to discuss points of concern raised at that meeting.

The tax liability of individuals under the National Bus Company (NBC) distribution will depend on the method of distribution determined by the trustees of the NBC pension schemes in individual circumstances. Some pension scheme members will receive an element of their share of the distribution in tax-free payments as well as increased pension benefits. This is allowable in the NBC case because payments are being made directly from a pension scheme. This is a matter for the trustees of the NBC pension schemes and the Inland Revenue. I will respond to the Petitions Committee on matters they have raised with me following the meeting in question.

Question reference: S1W-25852

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 June 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to question S1O-5128 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 May 2002, whether the whole net surplus of #174 million from the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes will be paid out to pensioners, and, if not, what sum will be withheld from pensioners and to whom that sum will be paid.

As at 22 March 2002, the Report and Accounts of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes showed the total value of the surplus as £174 million net of tax. HM Treasury will retain £50 million, and have agreed following representations from Scottish ministers to provide £118 million for the Scottish Executive to disperse to pensioners. Scottish ministers will make further representations to HM Treasury to retain the additional surplus (£6 million at 22 March) for disbursement to the former Scottish Transport Group pension scheme members.

Question reference: S1W-26365

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 13 June 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18874 on 1 November 2001, whether the design and specialist cladding services work provided by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited is being used in the final cladding contract or contracts and whether it will detail the amount or value of these services provided by Flour City which is not being used.

Question reference: S1W-26364

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 13 June 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list all those present at the meeting on 4 September 2001 at which John Tang of Flour City International and his senior officials were present and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of any memorandum, notes or other documents relating to this meeting.

I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that in attendance on 4 September 2001 were John Tang, Chairman of Flour City International; senior site based representatives of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; the Managing Partner of Flour City International's investment banker; Bovis Lend Lease Project Director; representatives of the Bovis Lend Lease Commercial team, and members of the Holyrood Project Team. The Parliament has received legal advice that documents should not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre while the SPCB's rights and entitlements are still being evaluated, as they may form part of the productions in any litigation which may follow.

Question reference: S1W-26367

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 13 June 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer, what specialist cladding services were carried out by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited and how much they were paid for these.

Question reference: S1W-26366

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 13 June 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to questions S1W-19252 and S1W-20308 on 16 November and 7 December 2001 respectively, on what date the technical information from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited should have been provided; what the information was which was "considerably overdue"; to whom the concerns by EMBT/RMJM were expressed; whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the whole document or documents in which such concerns were expressed; in the event that any of this information is deemed to be commercially confidential, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) will state on what basis and why and whose interest would be damaged by its disclosure, and whether the losses emanating from the insolvency of Flour City are deemed to fall within the category of force majeure on the risk register.

Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were due to produce control samples for the oak windows in June 2001. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that concerns arose during a routine project meeting between the Design Team and project personnel in May 2001 when it became clear that there might be a delay. However, assurances were given that recovery measures were in place. The Parliament's position on the disclosure of commercially confidential material has not changed and is set out in my answer of 19 September 2000 to question S1W-9469. It remains the case that documents should not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre while the SPCB's rights and entitlements are still being evaluated, as they may form part of the productions in any litigation which may follow. Costs emanating from the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd fall within the category of force majeure on the risk register.

Question reference: S1F-02023

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 13 June 2002

To ask the First Minister whether sufficient measures have been taken to prevent any recurrence of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

Question reference: S1W-24877

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 6 June 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to include in its housing policy proposals similar to those operating in Norway, where the state provides a level of loan for housing based on meeting certain criteria for example in providing benefits to the environment.