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-16279

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 28 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that it should ensure that the leaflets produced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions which set out basic rules about driving in the United Kingdom, including advice on driving on the left, turning right at junctions and roundabouts, alcohol, accidents, motorways, speed limits and special motorway signs, are reprinted and made freely available through car rental companies and other outlets to tourists visiting Scotland from outwith the UK and whether it has any plans to produce a version of this leaflet specific to Scotland similar to Driving in Scotland, produced by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign.

The Scottish Executive is in touch with Her Majesty's Government on a wide range of issues.The leaflets produced by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, formerly the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which set out basic rules about driving in Great Britain, are currently being revised. It is intended to make the new versions widely available later this year to a range of bodies in Great Britain including local authority and police Road Safety Units, ports and car hire companies.The Scottish Executive has no plans to produce Scottish versions of the GB leaflets. The Executive will continue to provide funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of road safety education and publicity materials, including leaflets such as Driving in Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-16277

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 28 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the Scottish Tourist Board to conduct specific marketing of the West Highland Way in specialised publications and maga'ines in Germany, Holland and any other countries which constitute significant markets for the West Highland Way.

Question reference: S1O-03668

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 28 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the marketing of Badenoch and Strathspey as "Monarch Country" and whether it will urge visitscotland to investigate the feasibility of purchasing brief television advert slots at the end of episodes of "Monarch of the Glen" which are shown in other countries.

Question reference: S1O-03599

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what difficulties the 20-day standstill rule following the movement of cattle and sheep could cause farmers, especially those in peripheral areas, and whether it has any plans to modify the rule in the light of any difficulties experienced.

No decisions have yet been taken on the 20-day standstill rule. The consultation period on the proposal has just ended and the responses, along with comments from meetings with key industry sectors, are being carefully considered.I am of course well aware of the far-reaching implications that such a standstill would have for Scottish farming. I am also aware, however, that we must do all we can to prevent any repetition of the rapid and unchecked spread of foot-and-mouth disease which has had such devastating effects on almost everyone in rural areas.

Question reference: S1W-16252

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of BP to discuss ways in which the work connected with the development of the Clair field for which contracts will shortly be issued can contribute to the Scottish economy, in particular with regard to employment opportunities.

Question reference: S1W-16250

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 27 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what position it took on the choice of Mellon Charles near Aultbea in Wester Ross as the location for a repository of nuclear waste material from decommissioned nuclear submarines in any consultation with the Ministry of Defence on the environmental and other implications of the proposed location.

Question reference: S1W-16249

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 27 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by the Ministry of Defence on the environmental or other implications of the Interim Storage of Laid-up Submarines Project and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre any documents and communications in respect of such consultation.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on a wide range of issues including the Interim Storage of Laid-Up Submarines Study.I understand that at this stage no sites have been selected as the MOD have not concluded how the submarines would be stored on land.The information requested meets the requirements of commercial exemption in Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information.

Question reference: S1W-16190

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to any grant which may be awarded by Scottish Natural Heritage to the National Trust for Scotland for the proposed visitors centre at Inverigan, taking into account the study received by the local enterprise company showing the centre's potentially adverse impact on the local economy.

Question reference: S1W-16189

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct Scottish Natural Heritage to (a) allow sufficient time for the application by the National Trust for Scotland for #200,000 assistance with the costs of providing interpretation facilities in the visitors centre at Glencoe to be considered by the Parliament if the Parliament so wishes and (b) carry out a public consultation on whether to award grant for this purpose prior to a decision being reached.

Question reference: S1W-15543

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive why a fee of #50 is imposed on farmers and crofters by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department in respect of applications for a license to move stock.

No fee is imposed on farmers and crofters by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department in respect of applications for a license to move stock. If a proposed livestock movement is not covered by the General Movement licence (possible only in the Provisionally Free Area), an application must be made to the local SERAD Area Office for an individual licence to move livestock. This is processed by SERAD staff without any charge. The farmer or crofter is required to abide by the conditions of the licence which may incur costs.