- 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.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 6 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1612 by Donald Dewar on 16 September 1999, whether it will now specify the revised total estimated annual costs of employment of Special Advisors broken down by individual and, including any termination and other payments which have been made to Mr Rafferty and Mr Chalmers.
Answer
There are currently eight Special Advisers employed within the Scottish Executive. The estimated annual cost of employing them (including overheads) is £527,207. Individual salaries are not revealed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. Regarding severance payment, Mr Rafferty received the three month's salary due under the terms of his contract of employment; Mr Chalmers did not receive any such payment. A copy of the Model Contract of Employment for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a detailed analysis of any responses to its New Strategy for Scottish Tourism and, if not, why not.
Answer
The main views of those who contributed to our consultation exercise are summarised in the strategy. I am arranging for a more detailed breakdown of the points raised to be placed in the SPICe.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will add to the list of supplementary industry indicators relating to new research required, an item regarding the Irish tourist industry in order to promote best practice in our own industry, to learn from Bord Failte, and to ascertain any joint tourism initiatives between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland which could be developed.
Answer
There is no need. The tourism strategy commits the Scottish Tourist Board to benchmarking Scotland against countries overseas that offer comparable products and to then disseminate the results to businesses and to public sector partners. These countries will include Ireland.
