- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of farmers and crofters who it anticipates will be sequestrated in each of the next five years and the associated cost to public funds and whether it considers that additional support provided now to farmers and crofters would cost less to public funds in the long term.
Answer
It would be inappropriate for the Scottish Executive to seek to forecast decisions taken by thousands of businessmen and women. These decisions are based on a multitude of factors, most of which are outwith the control of the Executive. The aim of the Executive is to work with the farming industry to help it create a more viable and sustainable future.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3711 by Ross Finnie on 27 January 2000, whether it will detail for each of the years mentioned the sums actually taken up from those sums referred to as "offers of financial assistance" and why this information was not provided in response to the original question which asked for it.
Answer
The following table shows the actual take-up of known financial assistance made to the pig industry in Scotland out of the provision made for it during the period 1995-1999. As the table demonstrates there can be a lag between provision and uptake.Financial Assistance paid to the pig industry 1995-99 (£000s)
1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
282 | 61 | 403 | 248 | 428 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-3702 and S1W-3706 by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000, how the #12 million Business Growth Fund will be administered, whether copies of the application forms will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, whether Local Enterprise Companies (LECs) will have total responsibility for determining applications and whether not giving LECs total responsibility will result in unnecessary delay and bureaucracy in applications to the fund.
Answer
The Business Growth Fund is administered by Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Copies of the application forms for the fund have been placed with SPICe although any applicant should be encouraged to discuss the fund with their local LEC in the first instance. The LEC will be able to provide scheme details, as well as general advice on applying. Final decisions are taken centrally by SEn and HIE, taking account of advice from the LEC dealing with each application. This ensures a consistent approach in delivering this national programme across the SEn and HIE areas.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3713 by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000, whether it (a) will publish details of the precise way in which it calculates the number of new businesses created, (b) will explain this process to the Parliament, (c) agrees that the methodology for the calculation should be transparent and clearly understandable, (d) will consult, or has consulted, business representative bodies as to how they calculate the number of new businesses created and (e) will consider how the performance of the Scottish Executive in achieving the targets it has set itself can be assessed, in the event that its methodology is not recognised and acknowledged by business representative groups and the Parliament as valid.
Answer
The recently published Scottish Economic Report, which was laid before the Scottish Parliament in January, provides details of the methods used to calculate new business starts and the business stock. I would be happy to discuss these data with business representative groups.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3763 by Mr Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000, whether it will answer parts (a) and (b) of the original question and explain why it did not do so in the original answer.
Answer
My answer of 28 January explained that any economic consequences of revaluation will follow from the differential changes in sector and location of individual businesses and that revaluation is intended to achieve a neutral effect overall.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3614 by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2000, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government and to the National Heritage Memorial Fund that the new opportunities funding available for community land purchase should be extended to allow inclusion of applications by retiring crofters and farmers.
Answer
The Scottish Land Fund which is an initiative established within the Lottery funding channelled through the New Opportunities Fund, and unrelated to the National Heritage Memorial Fund, will complement new land reform legislation by contributing to funding for land purchase by rural communities, in addition to providing funding for feasibility studies and for community land management and development projects and community-based business and management training and support. It is, therefore, not a suitable vehicle for funding retiral schemes. Accordingly I will not be making any proposals for such modifications to the directions to the New Opportunities Fund in respect of the Scottish Land Fund. Directions in respect of initiatives which apply only in Scotland would be a matter for the Scottish Executive, subject to the agreement of Her Majesty's Government.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of new businesses created for each year from 1999-2000 to 2008-09.
Answer
We have a set an overall target of creating 100,000 new businesses by 2009. Achievement of this target year by year will depend on the success of specific initiatives and on the general performance of the economy, which is currently very good.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list further education (FE) colleges which are close to insolvency and detail any written recovery plans agreed, or awaiting agreement, between FE colleges and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and outline any other measures planned to address the problems which colleges with large deficits face.
Answer
The report of the Audit Committee of the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Further Education Colleges: Managing Costs, which was published on 9 February, identified 13 colleges with particular financial health problems.The report also summarises the status of the recovery plan for each of the 13 colleges. The components of these plans are specific to the circumstances of each college and reflect realistic options to address the college's future income and expenditure profiles in order to eliminate the deficit and restore financial health. The plans have to be agreed with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council but their implementation is the responsibility of the college Board of Management.Another measure, which will assist colleges with large deficits to address their problems, is a review of management within the Further Education sector. The Funding Council expects to report to Scottish Ministers by May with recommendations on what range and mix of management skills will best serve colleges, and how the best management practice can become the norm.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3702 by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000, whether the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit will consider any concerns of businesses regarding the burden of regulation in all sectors including farming, crofting, fishing, quarrying, tourism and whisky and, if not, why not.
Answer
The IRIS unit will follow up representations from businesses in any sector on any regulatory concern.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take immediate action to ensure the Scottish National Championship in ice-skating, due to take place on 11 and 12 march in Irvine, goes ahead and that participation in this competition by Scottish skaters will not affect their eligibility for the UK team, in light of the apparent refusal by the National Ice Skating Association to recognise the Scottish Ice Skating Association (SISA), and whether it will report to SISA on any such action taken.
Answer
I understand that the Scottish National Ice-Skating Championships will go ahead as planned. The National Ice Skating Association (NISA) has now retracted its eligibility statement and Scottish skaters will be able to participate without any threat of action from NISA.
