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-06611

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much traffic uses the A82 from Tarbet to North of Inverarnan on a daily basis; whether this stretch of the A82 is in need of improvement to the same standard as the section of the A82 lying between Balloch and Tarbet and what impact it anticipates the passage of the National Parks (Scotland) Bill and the designation of inter alia this section of the A82 as lying within a National Park area will have upon the prospects for such improvement.

The average daily traffic flow on the A82 trunk road between Tarbet and north of Inverarnan is 3,000 vehicles compared to 12,000 vehicles between Balloch and Tarbet. The Scottish Executive is aware that the section between Tarbet and north of Inverarnan requires upgrading and has included two improvement schemes on this section within the current three-year road improvement programme.

National Parks are to be designated as "Statutory Consultees" on matters relating to roads and traffic management. In this way they will be invited to comment on any road matters within their area.

Question reference: S1W-05900

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 17 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail in what circumstances it believes referenda should be held.

Question reference: S1W-06469

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the impact on the economy of the Highlands and Islands, and in particular the likelihood of attracting future inward investment and promoting indigenous existing businesses within the area, of the exclusion of Inverness, Nairn, Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey from the assisted areas status map.

Question reference: S1W-06468

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to The Scotland Office that the consultation period permitted for submissions to be made to them on the assisted area status map should be extended to allow all interested parties a further and full opportunity to make their case.

Question reference: S1W-06479

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport and the Environment's letter to me dated 13 April 2000, on what research or other evidence the statement that "the quarrying industry is imposing costs on the rest of society, that are not presently reflected in the price of its product" is based and what opportunities the industry has been given to address these costs.

Research carried out by London Economics on The Environmental Costs and Benefits of the Supply of Aggregates - Phase 2, was published in July 1999. This confirmed that there are significant environmental costs associated with quarrying which are not covered by existing regulation. The industry was given numerous opportunities to develop proposals of its own which would address these costs as well as, or better than, a tax. A package of proposed voluntary measures, which was to be applied throughout the UK, was submitted by the Quarry Products Association, the industry's main representative body.

Question reference: S1W-06460

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra jobs will be (a) created and (b) sustained if Nairn is excluded from the assisted area status map and what its estimate is of the impact on the local economy if the area is excluded from the map.

Question reference: S1W-06459

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra jobs will be (a) created and (b) sustained if areas of Inverness are excluded from the assisted area status map and what its estimate is of the impact on the economy if these areas are excluded from the map.

Question reference: S1W-06458

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive on what grounds Badenoch and Strathspey is being excluded from the assisted area status map and what specific representations it will be making to The Scotland Office on this matter.

Question reference: S1W-06454

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will be making to The Scotland Office on the proposed assisted area status map and whether it will place a copy, and any response, in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas map. A number of representations were made to The Scotland Office during the consultation period following the 10 April announcement of revised map proposals. Copies of such representations are available on a public file held by The Scotland Office. The Secretary of State will place a copy of the public file in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre for members' convenience. I shall in addition place there, a copy of another public file, including copies of representations received during this period by the Scottish Executive.

Question reference: S1W-06466

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the consequences for the economy of Nairn in the decision not to include the area in the assisted area status map, bearing in mind the current state of the local oil fabrication sector, and whether it will make specific representations to The Scotland Office to ensure that these factors are given full consideration.