- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any advice from Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the meeting which took place, and the content of the discussions at the meeting, on 4 May 2006 at the Astley Hall, Arisaig and whether it will place copies of all such advice and documents in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The Scottish Executive receivedby email a report from SNH on the local meeting that was held at Arisaig on 4 May 2006 on Coastaland Marine National Parks. The documents have been placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 39771).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the issue of a coastal and marine national park has been discussed in its Cabinet and, if so, on what date or dates.
Answer
Cabinet regularly discussesissues related to the marine and coastal environment and our PartnershipAgreement commitments. However, Scottish ministers operate on the basis ofcollective responsibility and do not disclose details of private deliberations.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any coastal and marine national park could prevent tankers from using the Minch.
Answer
The location of Scotland’s firstCoastal and Marine National Park has not yet been decided and will be one of a numberof issues on which the Executive will seek the views of the public through a consultationexercise during the summer.
Rights of navigation under internationallaw are a matter for Her Majesty’s Government.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has yet agreed with the Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) pension fund trustees and CalMac a method of ensuring that the interests of the members of the pension fund will be protected, irrespective of the outcome of the tender for the Clyde and Hebridean ferry routes; whether it considers that the lack of any such agreement is an impediment to the tender process or requires alteration of the tender timetable; whether it will confirm that the tender process will not proceed if there is no agreement reached to protect the interests of the members of the pension fund, and whether it will make a ministerial statement on the matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is continuingto work within the parameters of domestic and European legislation to ensure thecontinuation of pension rights and entitlements of transferring staff. As a resultof a recent proposal put to the CalMac Pension Fund Trustees by the Executive, wehope that early agreement will be reached and that the tendering process can proceed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether only two companies remain interested in tendering for the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services; if so, whether that situation is in accordance with the law in relation to tendering and what the position will be in the event that one of the companies withdraws from the tendering process.
Answer
There remain two companies interestedin tendering for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. There is no legal impediment that preventsthe Executive from continuing with the competitive tendering exercise with onlytwo potential tenderers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies remain interested in submitting tenders for the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services and which companies these are.
Answer
Following the decision by WesternFerries in early May to withdraw from the tender process there remain two companiesinterested in tendering for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. The Executive’spolicy in procurement exercises such as this is not to reveal the identities of the companies who have submitted Pre-Qualification Questionnaires to the Executiveas part of the tender process.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25389 by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2006, whether any official in the minister’s department received the advice from Scottish Natural Heritage, or information about what that advice would be or would be likely to be, on an earlier date and, if so, which official or officials were involved and on which date or dates the advice or information was received.
Answer
Scottish Executive officialsfrom the Landscapes and Habitats Division in the Environment and Rural Affairs Departmentsat on the Coastal and Marine National Parks steering group which had oversight of Scottish NaturalHeritage’s work and the report. They were asked to provide comments on a draft paperwhich was presented to the SNH Board on 14 March. My officials in the Marine ManagementDivision of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department, who have policy responsibilityfor Coastal and Marine National Parks, also saw a copy of the draft advice that was consideredby the SNH Board.
My officials in the SNH SponsorshipTeam routinely see SNH Board papers which are submitted to them, prior to SNH Boardmeetings. These papers are, however, for the board to consider.
I understand that the board recommendedchanges to the Coastal and Marine National Parks paper and that a board sub-groupmet on 28 March to incorporate these in the final version of SNH’s paper. The paper was cleared by SNH on the afternoon of 30 Marchand sent to ministers that evening.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 18 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding to the Scottish Funding Council to enable the deficit of Inverness College to be reduced by £1 million; whether it has received any representations from any politician to that effect and, if so, from whom and on what date.
Answer
We are already providing recordlevels of resources to the Scottish Funding Council. Annual funding will reach£620 million by 2007-08, a cash increase of 45% in four years. Fundingdecisions in relation to individual institutions are entirely a matter for theFunding Council, free from ministerial interference.
The Executive has receivedvarious representations from political representatives about the deficit of Inverness College. Ourrecords indicate that this is the first request made in these precise terms.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 4 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of the criticisms expressed by the Auditor General in each of his three reports into the Holyrood project, what action it will take, or has considered taking, in relation to the findings of fault and, in particular, whether it has sought to take, or considered taking, any action in relation to the criticisms of the Chief Executive of the Parliament.
Answer
The Corporate Body consideredthe reports of the Auditor General and in particular conclusions of the Audit Committeeresponded as appropriate at the time. It has no further comment to make.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 4 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any possible court action or actions for recovery of sums due from contractors or others in respect of the Holyrood Project have become extinguished through the operation of prescription.
Answer
The Corporate Body continuesto take advice on relevant matters concerning closure of the Holyrood Project andis alive to consideration of such matters as prescription.
