- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the costs incurred as a result of the change of name from "The Scottish Office" to the "Scotland Office" will be met from its block grant and, if so, to provide a breakdown of these costs.
Answer
I refer the Member to the answer I gave to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton's question S1W-745.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will cover financially salmon farmers' stock for a 2 year rolling period (with annual review) until such time as the current outbreak of Infections Salmon Anaemia (ISA) is over and whether it will ask commercial insurers whether they will be willing to offer policies which cover ISA.
Answer
What the Member suggests is essentially an insurance scheme, similar to that proposed by the fish farming industry, to be run by The Scottish Executive. We have considered this matter very carefully, and we have had discussions with representatives of the insurance industry. We have concluded that such a scheme would not be an appropriate call on public funds. Instead, as announced on 6 September, we shall be making available through Highlands and Islands Enterprise £3 million per annum for three years to assist those operators directly affected by the disease.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Scottish Salmon Growers Association Ltd in relation to measures it has been asked to take to address the state of the salmon farming industry in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with representatives of the Scottish salmon farming industry and the Minister for Rural Affairs and I met a delegation on 11 June 1999. Of late the main topic covered has been Infectious Salmon Anaemia, with particular reference to the policy of eradicating that disease, and the cost of that policy.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the Scottish schools which employ a sports co-ordinator employ this person for (a) one (b) two (c) three (d) four and (e) five days per week.
Answer
Awards from the Lottery Sports Fund are matched by local authorities and fund the employment of a co-ordinator for one day per week. The pilot programme has highlighted that this arrangement has been very successful. Local authorities or schools are, however, able to expand the time commitment of co-ordinators if they wish to do so. Indeed, this has happened at Banchory Academy (3 days) and Portobello High School (2 days).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding exempting senior citi'ens in Scotland from payment of the television licence fee.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it will introduce to assist small business in Scotland and whether it will work closely with the Enterprise and Life Long Learning Committee to develop a package of measures to promote small business in Scotland.
Answer
We have a range of new measures in place or under consideration to assist small business in Scotland, including the new £12m Business Growth Fund and proposals to establish a mentoring scheme for start-up companies. We are also working with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to improve the quality and consistency of advice provided to small businesses across the Enterprise Network. We are very keen to work with the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee in taking these measures forward.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it will introduce to assist small business in Scotland and whether it will work closely with the Enterprise and Life Long Learning Committee to develop a package of measures to promote small business in Scotland.
Answer
We have a range of new measures in place or under consideration to assist small business in Scotland, including the new £12m Business Growth Fund and proposals to establish a mentoring scheme for start-up companies. We are also working with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to improve the quality and consistency of advice provided to small businesses across the Enterprise Network. We are very keen to work with the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee in taking these measures forward.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide an estimate of the total annual value of feuduties eligible from properties in Scotland and the cost of collection.
Answer
The Scottish Law Commission estimate that under 10% of all feuduties which were exigible prior to the 1974 Act are still extant and payable. It is, however, impossible to estimate the total annual value of the feuduties still exigible or the cost of collection. It would be a massive and costly undertaking to attempt to identify those properties throughout Scotland whose feuduties had not been redeemed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-286 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 June 1999, whether it will publish its proposed modifications to the Scottish Law Commission's draft Bill on the abolition of feudal tenure and whether these will include changing the method of calculation of the amount of compensatory payment from that proposed in clause 9 of the draft Bill to a method using a fixed multiplier.
Answer
The modified Bill will be published when it is introduced for consideration by the Scottish Parliament. We have no plans at present to change the Commission's proposals for compensation.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the level of fuel prices is having upon the number of visitors to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland this season and what steps it will take to assess this issue.
Answer
Latest estimates for Scotland as a whole indicate that spend by UK tourists has increased by 13%. Figures for the Highlands and Islands will be available in the autumn. The Government is preparing a new tourism strategy to ensure that Scotland's tourist industry remains internationally competitive.
