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-24835

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 29 April 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development to the Parliament on 21 March 2002, Official Report, col. 10615, whether the proposals for the Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive will be submitted in any form for independent assessment or audit and, if so, who will carry out this assessment or audit; with which "major stakeholders" the college will consult and whether it will ensure that this includes representatives from the college students, the local National Farmers Union Scotland and the campaign to retain the college; what it meant by the "range of options that are open to the SAC", and whether it will specify these options.

The member is probably aware that the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) has agreed to conduct a review of its future functions and objectives, in consultation with its key stakeholders. I would expect representatives of the groups to which the member refers to be invited to participate in the consultation process.Following this piece of work, the SAC will examine options - for all of its three campuses - about how it might restructure itself to be able to meet these objectives, prior to putting their conclusions to ministers for consideration. In advance of this work being taken forward, it is not possible to say at this stage what options will emerge for consideration or to comment on any individual one. The SAC will be using external consultants to help it with these major initiatives. The consultants will bring an independent line of thought to bear.

Question reference: S1W-23668

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 8 April 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any (a) powers and (b) plans to give financial relief to fish farms in respect of rents charged by the Crown Estates Commissioners and what information it has received on any such charges collected in other countries for the purposes of assessing their impact on the fish farming industry in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive has no powers and, therefore, no plans to give financial relief to fish farms, in respect of rents charged by the Crown Estates.The fish farming industry has described the effect that the rents have on their competitiveness, in comparison with other salmon-producing countries. However, this is a matter for the Crown Estate and the industry to take account of, in their rent reviews. In the course of the development of our aquaculture strategy, we are considering the future competitiveness of the industry.

Question reference: S1W-23816

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 April 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Boundary Commission for Scotland that, if the boundaries of the constituency of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber are altered, the new constituency name should be "Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey" and not "Inverness and Badenoch".

Question reference: S1W-24169

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 April 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is essential for the future of crofting in the Western Isles that there be a locally-based abattoir facility.

In the interests of sustainable farming, it is important for all producers to have profitable markets for the livestock that they produce, whether that is abattoirs or other farmers who finish the animals. Around two-thirds of livestock from the Western Isles is currently sold to buyers elsewhere in the UK and it is in the best interest of Western Isles producers that the abattoirs that buy their livestock are commercially viable, irrespective of where they are based.

Question reference: S1W-24168

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 April 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance it has provided in connection with Heather Isles Meats Ltd in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S1W-24133

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Elaine Murray on 28 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23591 by Dr Elaine Murray on 7 March 2002, whether the annual Scottish award for the best publicly funded building will be awarded this year; what consultation there will be as to whether an award should be granted this year; whether the award will be open to those buildings in respect of which a certificate of completion is granted in the year of the award and, if not, what other criteria will be applied for eligibility for nomination.

Question reference: S1W-24145

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any additional assistance available to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd in order to enable the company to reduce the standard tariff landing charges at Inverness Airport and, if so, whether such assistance will enable such charges to be reduced to the levels of airports at Glasgow, Edinburgh or London Heathrow.

Question reference: S1W-24147

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what work is to be carried out in order to repair and resurface the single track sections of the A830; by what date any such work will be carried out, and whether BEAR (Scotland) Ltd will consult Mallaig Community Council in connection with these matters.

A structural maintenance scheme has been identified for implementation this autumn. The precise nature and scope of the works is currently under investigation and will be finalised during the design period over the summer months. A consultation exercise involving Mallaig Community Council will be undertaken to ascertain the optimum timing for the road closures. It is anticipated that in order to keep disruption to a minimum, the road closures will take place outwith the tourist season.An interim strategy to undertake urgent repairs and increase the frequency of safety inspections has also been formulated to ensure road safety is maintained until the above scheme is implemented.

Question reference: S1W-24146

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a reduction of landing charges at Inverness Airport would support promotion of the tourism industry and, in particular, increase the number of visitors travelling to Inverness Airport.

Question reference: S1W-24061

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any representatives from the tourism industry sit on the Nicholson Committee and, if not, whether any such representatives can be appointed to the committee and whether the committee can be expected to have full and proper regard to the interests of tourists and the tourist industry as a whole.

There is no representative of the tourism industry as such on the Nicholson Committee, as it is not possible to include every field of interest if the committee is to function effectively. However, that does not preclude the committee having full and proper regard to tourism interests. The Nicholson Committee has consulted widely and I understand that VisitScotland is included among the respondents who have been invited to give oral evidence to the committee.