- 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 Henry McLeish on 16 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in the Information Society Initiative (ISI) and whether it will provide details of the number of programmes which have been launched in Scotland under the ISI Programme for Business and, in each case, at what cost.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is actively engaged in the application of the ISI in Scotland. Officials are in regular dialogue with the ISI team at the Department of Trade and Industry, and work to ensure that Scottish policy on related matters, such as the promotion of e-commerce, takes account of UK initiatives.
The ISI is a UK-wide initiative, and consequently there have been no ISI programmes launched solely in Scotland. ISI Centres in Scotland have received almost £1.5 million in UK Government grant-aid. Total grant expenditure on the ISI Centre programme across the UK is about £10 million.
- 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 Ross Finnie on 16 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that additional "agrimoney" compensation be paid to Scottish families this year, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre copies of such representations, and whether it will provide details of how much compensation will be paid.
Answer
The precise amounts of agrimonetary compensation available to UK milk producers as well as other agricultural sectors have yet to be determined. These will not be known until the European Commission publishes a regulation later this month. Payments must be made on a UK wide basis. I am therefore liaising closely with other UK Agricultural Ministers and there is a clear understanding of the issues involved. I will inform the Parliament of the decision on payment at the appropriate time.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to account for the financial effect which the internet may have upon High Street business in Scotland and to ensure that such an effect is taken into account in the non-domestic rating system.
Answer
The effect of the internet on High Street business is still largely a matter for speculation. The rating system in Scotland is designed to have regard to changes in economic and trading conditions.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a public inquiry, convened in Inverness, to inquire into the North of Scotland Water Authority's financial planning, in particular relating to projected revenue and expenditure, and whether it will guarantee that all information relevant to any such inquiry will be made publicly available.
Answer
These matters have already been reviewed. At my request, NoSWA commissioned a review of its corporate planning process. The Authority published the report of the review in January 2000 and is implementing its recommendations. In addition, the Water Industry Commissioner has carried out a strategic review of charges in all three water authorities for the period 2000-02, which encompassed their projected capital investment programmes and revenues. This advice and the Executive's decisions on charges were also published in January 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether water and sewerage charges for domestic customers in the North of Scotland Water Authority area will increase in 2000-01 and, if so, by how much; whether it considers any such increases to be excessive, and what steps it will take to protect the public from such increases.
Answer
I announced my decisions on the strategic review of charges to Parliament on 26 January 2000. As I made clear then, the larger increase for the north is based on a fundamental reassessment by the authority of the investment that it needs to meet its statutory obligations. Both the Commissioner's advice and my determination on charges were published then. It is now for each authority to submit its annual charges scheme to the Water Industry Commissioner for approval.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 10 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what economic development services are provided by Business Shops; whether any analysis has been done or will be done as to whether the nature and range of services provided vary and whether it will place a copy of such analysis in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to my answer to question S1W-4002.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 10 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Business Shops there are and to list their location and the total annual cost of their operation.
Answer
The Scottish Business Shop Network comes under the operational remit of Scottish Enterprise. Details of the annual cost of their operation are contained in the Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Business Shop Network Evaluation Main Report: Final Report February 1999, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The number of Business Shops in existence changes from year to year, but up to date information is available on request from Scottish Enterprise.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 10 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what is (a) the number of post offices outlets in Scotland and (b) the total number of jobs dependant on them both directly and indirectly; what consideration it has given as to the impact upon these employment levels of Her Majesty's Government policy to switch benefit payments to automated credit transfers to bank accounts in a two year move commencing in 2003 and whether it will provide an estimate of the numbers of jobs directly and indirectly dependant on post office outlets in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Answer
The Post Office, post and regulation of postal services are reserved matters. I understand from the Post Office that the number of post offices in Scotland as at end March 1999 was 2,026 and that around 7,000 people are either directly or indirectly dependent on the operation of the post office network in Scotland. In addition, there are a number of people within the Post Office Group who have responsibilities which are partly related to the operation of the post office network and those who are employed in the retail businesses associated with post offices.The automation of the post office network, which is due for completion by the spring of 2001, will enable post offices to enhance and expand the facilities they offer. The UK Government has also given an assurance that benefit recipients who wish to access their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so before and after the move to automated credit transfer. No estimates of job numbers for the years 2003-06 are available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about the advice which business organisations are currently giving their members about the revaluation taking place this year, as referred to by Mr Jack McConnell in column 1490 of the Official Report of the debate on the draft budget 2000-01 on 15 December 1999.
Answer
I have had a number of meetings with business representative bodies on aspects of the revaluation. Following my statement on Local Government Finance on 8 December, the Scottish Executive circulated an information leaflet outlining key facts to the main representative business organisations, who subsequently made it available to their members.In line with the Executive's policy of openness and transparency, I will continue to meet with these organisations in the run up to, and following, the revaluation and will issue further guidance.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the absence of any formal right of appeal under the Sheep Annual Premium Scheme 1999 may constitute a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Answer
The current options available to a farmer to challenge a decision by the Scottish Executive under the Sheep Annual Premium Scheme 1999, or any other agricultural subsidy scheme, include asking for Judicial Review in the Court of Session. Whether Judicial Review provides adequate and full review to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights depends on the applicant's complaints and the context. The European Court of Human Rights has accepted that the availability of Judicial Review may well be adequate. In any case the Scottish Executive has undertaken to create a new right of challenge for administrative decisions (currently out for consultation), which would complement any rights to Judicial Review and would be sufficient for the purposes of the European Convention on Human Rights.
