- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 2 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.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 1 September 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will take steps to install effective cooling equipment in the Parliament canteen to address effectively the working conditions of staff and, if so, what the timescale will be for completion of these works.
Answer
I visited all parts of the Scottish Parliament's buildings in the Parliament's temporary estate during the recess. A number of alterations are being considered by the SPCB following complaints by Members and staff. Like Members, staff are having to work in less than ideal conditions, and in the case of the kitchen, unacceptable.The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body agreed at its meeting on 23 August that additional air conditioning should be installed in the restaurant and kitchen in Parliament Headquarters. There are planning and procurement procedures to be followed but it is hoped that the work will be completed by mid-November.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 31 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the guidelines governing public appointments in Scotland.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that appointments to Scottish public bodies are subject to independent scrutiny and conform to the Commissioner for Public Appointments' guidance. The Commissioner keeps the guidance under constant review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 31 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify how many tourist businesses there are in Scotland, whether it foresees a reduction in that number, and if so, for what reasons.
Answer
It is estimated that there are around 27,000 businesses in Scotland engaged in tourism and tourist related activities. I have no reason to believe that the number will reduce. The world tourism industry is growing. We are preparing a new strategy that will aim to make the tourism sector in Scotland more competitive and therefore increase business.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the administration of justice in civil actions by rendering the Court of Session competent to raise in the Sheriff Court some forms of civil action for which the Court of Session at present has exclusive jurisdiction, in particular whether jurisdiction will be granted to the Sheriff Court in respect of the following civil remedies: (i) declarators of nullity of marriage; (ii) for reduction of a decree of divorce; (iii) adjudication; (iv) the grant of a warrant for inhibition, and (v) reduction relation to questions of heritable right or title and recall of sequestration.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans for a general review of the jurisdiction of the sheriff court in relation to matters which are currently within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Session. As regards the matters referred to particularly in the Question the following is the position:
1. In relation to declarator of nullity of marriage this was a subject of consultation in Improving Scottish Family Law and will be considered in relation to family law matters generally; 2. For reduction of a decree of divorce: this is not a matter which was included within the recent consultation on family law but will be considered in relation to the responses to that consultation; 3. Adjudication: this matter is currently the subject of consideration by the Scottish Law Commission as part of its Fifth Programme of Law Reform - Ministers will consider the Law Commission's recommendations in due course when received;
4. The grant of a warrant for inhibition: this has been the subject of recommendations by the Scottish Law Commission in its Report "Diligence on the Dependence and Admiralty Arrestments". In the recommendations the Scottish Law Commission has recommended that the sheriff court should have jurisdiction to grant a warrant for inhibition. Ministers are currently considering this Report and will make a public announcement about its recommendations in due course; andReduction in relation to questions of heritable right or title and recall of sequestration: These are not matters which are currently under review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify total public expenditure on road improvements in each of the last five years and what is the expected public expenditure on road improvements in (a) 1999/2000; (b) 2000/2001, and (c) 2001/2002.
Answer
Total public expenditure on road improvements cannot be separately identified from the available information but I refer to the answers (S1W-664 and S1W-665) on total central and local government expenditure on transport which I gave to Mr Tosh on 20 August. Information on expenditure planned by local authorities in 2000-01 and 2001-02 is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a transitional relief scheme in respect of the rating revaluation effective from 1 April 2000.
Answer
A decision will be taken in the late autumn on whether a transitional relief scheme in respect of the rating revaluation is appropriate and affordable.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish, in respect of properties valued on the contractors principle, the decapitalisation rate applying to the rates revaluation effective from 1 April 2000.
Answer
An announcement on proposals for the decapitalisation rate and a consultation exercise will be made in September.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed by the Scottish Executive, and of these, how many have their main place of work: (a) in Edinburgh, and (b) in the rest of Scotland.
Answer
There are 13544.9 civil servants employed by the Scottish Executive and Associated Departments. Of these, 6299 have their main place of work in Edinburgh; the remainder (7245.9) are deployed in various locations throughout Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that on 7 July 1999 the Fort William to Mallaig road was blocked for a period of approximately 4 hours and whether it intends to make an announcement with regard to the prioritisation of an upgrading programme of the trunk routes in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive was aware of the incident. On 7 July 1999 an articulated lorry loaded with fish ran off the road, resulting in a temporary road closure between 1540 hours and 1900 hours.An announcement concerning the Strategic Roads Review will be made to Parliament after the summer recess.
