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-08071

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of government funding to be made available to Northern Constabulary in each of the next four financial years.

Question reference: S1W-08073

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what efficiency savings Northern Constabulary has to make as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Question reference: S1W-07515

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000, whether, prior to the launching of the Code of Good Practice on rural land ownership, it will consult with the Rural Affairs Committee.

Question reference: S1W-04699

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in considering its future policy directions to the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on the distribution of Lottery funding, it will investigate the level of financial assistance received from the Fund by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); whether it will instruct the NHMF to give priority to any future RSPB applications for NHMF funding or whether it will instruct the fund to give priority to any particular other organisations over any RSPB applications; if so, which organisations and whether these organisations will include farmers in Islay.

Question reference: S1W-08636

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will promote the use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in the Highlands and Islands and, if so, (a) how it will do this; (b) what assistance it will provide to meet the cost of converting motor vehicles to use LPG; (c) what it estimates the average cost of conversion per vehicle to be; (d) how many car owners it estimates would incur such a cost; (e) how many such car owners it estimates would be below-average earners, and (f) whether policy in this area will address any difficulties faced by people in the Highlands and Islands resulting from the high cost of fuel.

The Scottish Executive promotes the use of alternative fuels through its funding of the Energy Savings Trust's "Powershift" cleaner vehicle fuels programme and is currently reviewing funding for Powershift with particular reference to motorists in the Highlands and Islands. Powershift can provide a grant of up to 75% of the cost of converting a vehicle to LPG, which on average is around £1,500 for a private car. It is estimated that converting from LPG to petrol can save a motorist around £700 per year in fuel costs on an annual mileage of 12,000 miles. In addition the scope of the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme has been extended to include for the installation of tanks and dispensers for the supply of LPG.

Question reference: S1W-08613

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the document or documents which set out the remit given to Deloitte & Touche for its study into the issues and options surrounding the development of a Transport Authority for the Highlands and Islands and outline whether that remit includes any instruction to consider (a) the possibility of such a Transport Authority being given the power to buy and sell petrol and diesel, (b) fuel prices in the Highlands and Islands, (c) the total cost to the public sector in the Highlands and Islands of fuel, (d) derogation which would allow a variable duty to be applied to parts of the Highlands and Islands, (e) designation of certain rural petrol stations as essential services, (f) the imposition of price ceilings and (g) the appointment of a regulator to control or influence petrol and diesel prices.

A copy of the tender specification for the Highlands and Islands Transport Authority Study has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The primary purpose of the study is to examine the case for establishing such an Authority. While the tender specification identifies "fuel distribution" as a potential function, finalising the role any such Authority might play on fuel issues must await a decision on whether or not to establish such a body.

Question reference: S1W-08606

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5345 by Sarah Boyack on 29 March 2000, when a formal decision on the Lingerbay Quarry planning application will be announced.

Question reference: S1W-07503

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by John Home Robertson on 9 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release of 16 May 2000 on seal conservation and fisheries, what plans it has for measures to deal with the population of seals in Scottish waters in relation to species such as salmon where numbers are falling; whether it plans to issue any consultation paper on any such measures; who it would consult with and over what time period on such measures, and what impact the lack of any such measures has had on the rural economy over the last 10 years.

I visited the Sea Mammal Research Unit, the statutory advisers on seals, in St. Andrews on 16 May when scientists confirmed that seal predation on salmonids in estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers is probably related to small numbers of "rogue" animals. I am advised that targeted shooting under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 is likely to be the most effective way of addressing this problem.

There appears to be no direct correlation between growing seal numbers in the sea and the decline in salmon stocks. In Scotland, as throughout the rest of the range of Atlantic salmon, catches have been declining for a number of years. The reasons for the decline are not clear but it is acknowledged that the mortality rate in the marine phase of the salmon's life has increased, thus reducing the number of fish returning to our rivers each year. In addition to predation factors such as habitat degradation, disease, water quality and poor weather conditions may also have an effect on spawning populations.

The issue of seal predation on freshwater fisheries already features in the consultation paper Protecting and Promoting Scotland's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries: A Review, published recently. A copy of this is held in the Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S1W-08616

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 1 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8220 by Henry McLeish on 7 July 2000, why it has not yet placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the proposed Assisted Area map showing the possible changes to it currently being considered by the European Commission; whether it will now do so, and when these possible changes were submitted to the European Commission.

The Assisted Areas map is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

Possible changes to the proposed Assisted Areas map (published on 10 April 2000) have been discussed with the European Commission since the close of the consultation period on 2 May: the European Commission may or may not accept these changes.

A copy of the Assisted Areas map will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre once approved by the European Commission.

Question reference: S1W-07768

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5176 by Mr Jack McConnell on 31 May 2000, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed analysis of the computation of the estimate of #1,550 million in respect of non-domestic rate revenue in 2000-01; whether this estimate was obtained using information obtained from local authorities or assessors and to give details; whether it will also provide a detailed breakdown for each local authority of the estimated non-domestic rate revenue for 2000-01, and what its estimates are of any expected losses from (a) appeals and (b) transitional relief for (i) Scotland and (ii) each local authority.

The calculation of the estimate of non-domestic rate income used in financial planning for 2000-01 is detailed below. Estimates were made at a Scotland level, not for individual authorities. A breakdown of estimated rate revenue for 2000-01 for each local authority is not available.

Gross rate income for 2000-01 £1,921 million

minus Transitional Relief £ 70 million

minus Mandatory Reliefs¹ £ 205 million

minus Other reductions² £ 55 million

minus Prior-year adjustments³ £ 40 million

Net rate income for 2000-01 £1,550 million

Notes:

1. Unoccupied/partly unoccupied property, churches, charities, rates rebates and rural rate relief2. Hardship, charities & other organisations, sports clubs, rural rate relief, rates written off and provision for write-offs, refunds of overpayments interest, bad debts previously written off now payable, late additions to the valuation roll now payable and appeals.3. The main element of prior-year adjustments is the repayment of rates for earlier years as a result of successful appeals.

To calculate the gross rate income an estimate of the total rateable value in Scotland in 2000-01 was multiplied by the poundage rate. The rateable value in 2000-01 was based on the rateable value in 1999-2000 (obtained from annual returns made by the Assessors) adjusted by the estimated 12% revaluation factor arising from the revaluation of Scottish business properties in 2000. The rate poundage, set with a view to maintaining the total tax take in real terms, was adjusted to take account of inflation (1.1%) and the ultimate losses to the rates base due to successful appeals (3.6%).

Estimates of the costs of the 2000 Transitional Relief scheme are modelled using the sample survey of 10% of non-domestic subjects in Scotland. Other estimates (including estimates of the continuing costs of the 1995 Transitional Relief scheme) are based on estimates returned by authorities in previous years.The reduction in income in 2000-01 from appeals following the 2000 revaluation is estimated to be less than £0.5 million. As appeals losses transpire they will be included in the prior-year adjustment figures for subsequent years. Experience of the 1995 revaluation has shown that the main reductions from appeals are likely to fall in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

A paper showing how the Scottish Executive calculated the revaluation factor, the rate poundage and a description of the 10% survey of non-domestic subjects is currently available from SPICe.