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-16891

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 6 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16022 by Mr Jack McConnell on 13 June 2001, whether any institutions offer a part-time course for qualification as a primary school teacher that is recognised by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and, if not, whether it will take steps to ensure that such a course is provided.

A part-time Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) primary course at Strathclyde University, accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and approved by the Scottish Executive, will be piloted in session 2001-2002.

A key feature of this part-time route is a formal agreement with four local authorities in the west of Scotland (Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Stirling) to recommend and sponsor students from their non-teacher school employees. The first cohort in session 2001-2002 will have 20 students.

Question reference: S1W-16888

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the contract let to Environmental Resources Management Ltd on 30 October 2000 in relation to the need for improved information on rural land holdings and on beneficial ownership.

Question reference: S1W-16795

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects demand for primary aggregates to change in the next five years and what factors it expects to account for any change in the level of demand.

Question reference: S1W-16796

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform regulations on the specifications of construction materials and waste management in relation to the use of aggregates and whether any such changes will lead to a lower proportion of waste material and produce environmental gain.

The Scottish Executive is fully committed to seeking opportunities for sustainable construction and current standards already encourage such techniques.

As an example, the Scottish Executive Development Department is a signatory to the latest May 2001 version of the Specification for Highway Works, which incorporates new specification clauses permitting wider usage of recycled or secondary materials in road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance. This Specification will be utilised for all trunk road new works projects and will also be available for use by other clients, such as local authorities, where appropriate. Additionally, the Scottish Executive's Trunk Roads Divisions are actively involved in research and site trials of recycled road materials where it is hoped that these will provide further valuable support in promoting a sustainable approach to techniques for road construction.

In relation to reform of regulations for waste management, there is a long-standing governmental commitment to review the exemptions set out in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Regulations 1994. DEFRA is taking the lead on a UK basis, with a view to the production of a consultation paper by the end of this year. The purpose of the exemptions is to encourage the re-use and recycling of waste. Specifically in terms of Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency published, in 1999, the National Waste Strategy, which sets out a framework for reduction, re-use and recycling of waste.

Question reference: S1W-16801

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the imposition of groundwater charges upon sheep producers.

Question reference: S1W-16802

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the imposition of groundwater charges upon sheep producers constitutes an unfair competitive disadvantage in comparison with the position of sheep producers in England and Wales.

The annual maintenance charge levied by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency under the Groundwater Regulations 1998 is not unfair. The charge, which for the great majority of farmers is £127 or less, covers the costs to the agency of monitoring and administering the scheme.

Special dispensation will be made for those sheep farmers that have lost stock because of foot-and-mouth disease. Charges will be waived for the current financial year and farmers wishing to delay restocking until 31 March 2005 will be able to have their authorisations revoked without incurring extra fees when reapplying.

Question reference: S1W-16803

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its policy in relation to the dipping of sheep.

Question reference: S1W-16797

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 1 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects demand for recycled aggregates to change in the next five years and what factors it expects to account for any change in the level of demand.

Question reference: S1W-15580

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received or is aware of any veterinary advice that the human disease Ebola might reach the UK in consignments of smuggled meat.

The Ebola virus has not been found in meat imported into the UK. In countries where Ebola occurs, it may affect non-human primates. It has not been found in any other type of animal. As such the virus could in theory be present in meat from primates in outbreak areas. Import of meat from affected animals is however extremely unlikely, not least because infected primates develop the same severe illness as humans. Moreover, as most viruses require living cells in which to survive, it is highly unlikely that the virus would survive in meat.

Question reference: S1W-16281

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to ScotRail that it should review the reduction in the number of carriages from four to two operating on the Glasgow to Mallaig rail route on the 12:42 train from Glasgow and the 16:08 train from Mallaig.