- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 11 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice received by the First Minister in respect of whether he would give oral evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
It was a matter forthe inquiry to decide whether to ask the First Minister to supplement his writtenevidence by attending the inquiry in person. As was made clear in their statementof 25 March 2004, they decided not to do so on grounds thatall the relevant issues they wished to ask the First Minister about had been answeredin his letter to the Inquiry of 23 March. A copy of that letter has already beenpublished on the Holyrood Inquiry website, as has the inquiry’s response.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what requests it has received from NHS Highland, or its predecessor body, with regard to the review the board is currently conducting with NHS Argyll and Clyde into the provision of health services in the west Highlands; in particular, whether it has received any request for advice, information or policy direction in respect of (a) training consultants, (b) the application of clinical standards, (c) the working time directive and its application, (d) importing elective surgery from outwith the NHS Highland area and (e) rural general specialism, and whether the Executive will provide any advice or assistance to the boards in respect of these matters.
Answer
There have been no specific,formal requests from NHS Highland for advice or direction on health services inthe West Highlands. The Executive’s policies are clearly set out in the WhitePapers Our National Health (December 2000) and Partnership for Care(February 2003), as well as in Health Department Letters. There are frequentopportunities for NHS board members and executive staff to discuss policyissues, including those listed in the question, with ministers and officials inthe Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will urge Caledonian MacBrayne to enter into discussions with Highland Council to consider the introduction of an additional service on Friday afternoon and Monday morning for those children resident in the small isles who attend Mallaig High School.
Answer
This matter was raised in responseto our consultation exercise on the draft Invitation to Tender for the Clyde and Hebrides ferryservices. We received a good response to the consultation and we are currently finalisingthe service specification, reflecting points made through consultation. I will announcemy conclusions in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7089 by Ms Patricia Ferguson on 1 April 2004, whether copies of all documents referred to have been provided to the Holyrood Inquiry and what the reasons are for this information not being placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7428 on 4 May 2004, which I believe also provides an appropriateresponse to this question. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports or advice the First Minister has received from the current Chief Executive of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Head of Legal and Parliamentary Services regarding the Holyrood project.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7428 on 4 May 2004, which I believe also provides an appropriate responseto this question. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament'swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forestry Commission or Forestry Enterprise use electric fencing in order to control deer and, if so, why such fencing is used; whether this type of fencing can be used by private landowners; what information it has received in respect of the use of this type of fencing; whether the Deer Commission for Scotland have received such information; what commission internal documents there are relating to the matter, and whether any such reports will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Forest Enterprise, Scotland currentlyhas 13.5 kilometres of electric fencing along boundaries in three locations, Mull, Glen Prosen and Rannoch. In twoareas Mull and Glen Prosen they are regardedas temporary measures to be used until agreement is reached on the erection of conventionalfencing along mutual boundaries. In Rannoch the electric fence is being used tostrengthen an existing conventional fence to protect woodland from red deer incursion during periods of heavysnowfall.
Electricfencing is used on private estates. However, there is no Scottish Forestry GrantScheme support for the erection of this type of fence.
The ForestryCommission produced a Research Information Note (Number 206) in 1992 on the useof electric fences following two year trials in Argyll and the North of England.The project identified that electric fencing is not such an effective barrier tored and roe deer as conventional line and wire mesh fencing. Roe deer in particularare very resistant to electric current. There have been a number of more recentreports that have reached similar conclusions.
The DeerCommission Scotland (DCS) is aware of this information and is currently workingwith Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish ExecutiveEnvironment and Rural Affairs Department to produce a joint policy statement ondeer fencing. Once published, this will be made available in Parliament’s ReferenceCentre. What internal documents DCS have is a matter for the Commission and thisinformation is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all correspondence with the Holyrood Inquiry regarding the evidence of the First Minister to the inquiry will be published.
Answer
It is a matter for the Inquiryto decide which documents they make public. The First Minister's evidence was submittedin writing and has already been published on the Holyrood Inquiry website as document MS/25/001-002.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the use by the Deer Commission for Scotland of emergency powers under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 to effect the mass cull of deer; whether it is seeking any information from the commission regarding the recent use of such powers at Glenfeshie; whether it will consider the introduction of a moratorium pending a full investigation of the issues involved, and whether, in particular, it will instruct the commission not to implement any further mass cull without a debate in the Parliament where the issues can be fully explored.
Answer
Parliament placed duties on theDeer Commission for Scotland (DCS) under the Deer (Scotland) Act1996 to take action when it is satisfied that serious damage is being caused toagriculture, woodland the natural heritage or a risk to public safety. That actionincludes the emergency culling of deer under section 10.
On the carrying out of this dutyin respect of Glenfeshie, I refer the member to the answer given to questionS2W-7432 on 4 May 2004 . All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be foundat:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.Ministers will reflect on whatconclusions to draw in the light of the report on the Glenfeshie operations. Giventhe obligations on the DCS under the Deer Act, the options available are unlikelyto include a moratorium on culling.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that proper practices have been followed in respect of the mass cull of deer at Glenfeshie, and whether it will seek an independent opinion in respect of the commission's actions.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7432 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reports to the First Minister referred to in evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry by the Chief Executive of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Head of Legal and Parliamentary Services included information on the rising costs of the Holyrood Project and, if so, when such reports were made.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7428 on 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
