- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many crofting communities there are and what the average si'e of a crofting community is.
Answer
The phrase "crofting communities" is a generic term, describing communities involved in crofting and located on or associated with crofting land. Like other communities, the areas and numbers of people included may be as wide as one decides e.g. one could talk about the crofting community of the Highlands and Islands, or of Skye, or Balmacara. The draft Land Reform Bill provides a means of defining a crofting community for the purposes of the Bill. It is not known how many communities in crofting areas could meet that definition or what the average size of such a community might be.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what budgetary estimate it has made in respect of possible costs, including compensation to be paid, arising from implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
In developing the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill for introduction to Parliament, the Executive will continue to consider all likely costs relating to access, the community right to buy and the crofting community right to buy.The Executive is required to publish a Financial Memorandum to accompany each Bill on its introduction to Parliament, which provides details of budgetary estimates following implementation. Estimated costs relating to the Land Reform Bill will be provided at that time for, inter alia, the set-up and maintenance of core path networks, and the costs of the community and crofting community rights to buy, including compensation. In relation to both rights to buy, costs will largely be dependent on the level of uptake.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details regarding the proposed operation of the Scottish Land Fund including its remit, functions, membership, responsibilities and jurisdiction.
Answer
The operation of the New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund is a reserved matter for the Department of Culture Media and Sport. Can I invite the member to write to Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of Countryside Management Agreements, and in particular Access Agreements, administered by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has been since the inception of SNH.
Answer
This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Community Right to Buy proposals in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, whether this right will be demand-led and, if so, what its policy will be if the Land Fund resources become exhausted and there is a backlog of applications.
Answer
The draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill places no limit on the number of land registrations which can be made by community bodies.The New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund is one possible source of funding for community land purchases. Any future allocations beyond the Land Fund's current £10 million budget can be considered in the light of experience of its operation.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in analysing the 3,500 representations received during its consultation on the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
Good progress is being made. The issues raised are being considered, prior to decisions on what changes should be made to the draft Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament later this year.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 6 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in considering proposals to reopen the Waverley line.
Answer
Scottish Borders Council has appointed consultant Turner & Townsend to lead the project towards its next major stage. This is to seek parliamentary approval for the promotion, construction and reopening of the line to the central Scottish Borders.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many crofters, and what percentage of their total number, have purchased or own their own crofts; how many crofters have purchased their crofts from the state or public sector since the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 came into force, either directly or through crofters' trusts, and what percentage the land so acquired has been of the total area of crofters' land held by the state or public sector.
Answer
3,534 crofts are owned by crofters, representing 20% of all crofts.A total of 45 crofters have purchased their crofts directly from Scottish ministers since the enactment of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993. The land so acquired represented some 3% of the croft land in the ownership of Scottish ministers.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases under consideration by procurator fiscals offices were marked "no proceedings" due to a lack of resources in each of the past three years.
Answer
The following number of cases were marked "no proceedings" due to Procurator Fiscal staff shortages:1998-99Elgin 3Kirkcaldy 88Paisley 61999-2000Elgin 1Kilmarnock 22000-01Peebles 1No other cases were marked "no proceedings" on grounds relating to the resources of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what stage the proposal to construct an underpass at the Sheriffhall roundabout on the A720 Edinburgh city bypass is at and what its policy is in respect of this.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to construct an underpass at the Sheriffhall Roundabout.
