Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-08504

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by John Home Robertson on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the powers of fishery boards and if so, when and what the details of its plans are.

A consultation paper outlining proposals for possible legislation to enhance conservation of salmon was issued on 5 June. Against the background of worrying stock declines, the proposals envisage the extension of the management powers of District Salmon Fishery Boards and, as a fall-back, those of the Scottish Executive.

Copies of the consultation paper are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Comments have been invited by 2 August.

Question reference: S1W-07442

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the names of the chairmen of each of the water authorities specifying in each case their salaries, any pension or other benefits received, the overall cost of these positions to the water authorities, and whether any of the chairmen are members of any political party and, if so, which party.

Information on the level of each Chair's remuneration is set out in the table below. Information is not held on membership of political parties. On appointment, water authority Chairs are, however, required to declare any political activity within the past five years. Robert Cairns, Chairman of East of Scotland Water, is a Labour Councillor on Edinburgh City Council. Colin Rennie, Chairman of North of Scotland Water was a Labour Councillor on Dundee City Council until May 1999.

Authority	Chairman	Annual Salary	Annual Benefits
East of Scotland Water Authority	Councillor Robert Cairns	£27,000	£1,648 pension contribution
West of Scotland Water Authority	Professor Alan Alexander	£25,000	£4,000 pension contribution
North of Scotland Water Authority	Colin Rennie	£27,000	£3,000 pension contribution.£8,000 taxable benefit to meet commuting and subsistence costs between Dundee and the Head Office in Inverness.

Question reference: S1W-07989

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive who the new chief executives of the water authorities are, what the current value is of their individual salaries and benefit packages and what the last place of employment and former job title was of each.

All three chief executive appointments were made following open competition. Two new chief executives were appointed by the North and East of Scotland Water Authorities and will take up post in July 2000. West of Scotland Water Authority re-appointed their incumbent chief executive. The information requested is as follows:

Water Authority	NoSWA	ESWA	WoSWA
Chief executive appointed	Katharine Bryan	Jon Hargreaves	Ernie Chambers
Basic Salary	£105,000	£130,000	£120,000
Performance-related bonus	Up to 10% of basic salary	Up to 10% of basic salary	Up to 10% of basic salary
Non-pensionable & taxable benefits	£10,000	Nil	Nil
Pension contributions	12%	13.2%	12%
Previous position	Regional Director, Environment Agency - South West	Managing Director, Northumbrian Lyonnaise International	Chief Executive, West of Scotland Water Authority

Question reference: S1W-08135

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by John Home Robertson on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average age is of Scottish fishing vessels and how this compares with the average age of fishing vessels in other EU member states.

Data on the ages of active, Scottish-based fishing vessels are set out in Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics (table 5 and Annex A), the latest version of which was published in September 1999. Copies are available in SPICe and the Scottish Executive website.

Analysis suggests the average age of active Scottish-based vessels over 10 metres is just over 21 years. The Scottish Executive has not carried out any comparison with the average age of vessels in other EU member states' fleets, but the European Commission has published some data. I will have this placed in SPICe.

Question reference: S1W-08129

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by John Home Robertson on 12 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment there has been of the impact of fuel costs on the fishing industry.

Question reference: S1W-08172

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1652 by Henry McLeish on 11 May 2000, how many new posts are due to be created in the Department of Trade and Industry's Oil and Gas Directorate offices in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow and (c) elsewhere; how many of these posts are brand new jobs; where any transferred jobs are being transferred from, and whether it will provide details on the nature of all these new jobs.

Question reference: S1W-08134

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by John Home Robertson on 4 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the eco-system influences the framing of sea fisheries management policy by the Executive and in Europe; whether any developments are likely in this regard, and whether it is aware of any relevant research being undertaken on the link between sea fisheries management and the eco-system.

The integration of fisheries and environment policies is being actively pursued within the European Union and the general principle of applying the Ecosystem approach to fisheries management is now widely accepted. The Scottish Executive supports moves to safeguard the sustainability of fish stocks and the marine environment. The recent establishment of a closed area for sandeel fishing off the east coast of Scotland is an example of the application of the Ecosystem approach.

The FRS Marine Lab in Aberdeen has been engaged in a number of Ecosystem projects including the monitoring of biodiversity in the North Sea, the effects of large-scale industrial fishing on non-target species and the effects of fishing on the marine environment.

Question reference: S1W-06752

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many serving police officers there were, broken down by rank and police force, in each of the last five years.

The information requested, taken from Annual Statistical Returns from forces, is set out in the following tables:

Police Strength by Rank and Force

As at 31 December 1994 (see note below)

Force	Chief Constable	Deputy Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Constable	Chief Supt	Supt	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	Total
Central	1	1	0	3	6	13	32	102	496	654
D&G	1	2	0	1	5	7	19	61	294	390
Fife	1	1	1	4	6	13	39	112	612	789
Grampian	1	1	1	7	12	20	69	181	899	1,191
L&B	1	1	2	12	24	43	123	360	1,990	2,556
Northern	1	1	0	4	4	15	25	109	484	643
Strathclyde	1	1	6	33	78	122	362	977	5,423	7,003
Tayside	1	1	1	5	12	16	59	158	834	1,087
Total	8	9	11	69	147	249	728	2,060	11,032	14,313

As at 31 March 1996

Force	Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Constable	Supt	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	Total
Central	1	1	9	13	32	104	497	657
D&G	1	1	6	7	19	60	296	390
Fife	1	2	10	11	39	111	616	790
Grampian	1	2	19	21	69	186	874	1,172
L&B	1	3	34	43	122	358	1,973	2,534
Northern	1	1	8	13	27	106	484	640
Strathclyde	1	7	112	115	354	972	5,655	7,216
Tayside	1	2	13	14	50	159	874	1,113
Total	8	19	211	237	712	2,056	11,269	14,512

As at 31 March 1997

Force	Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Constable	Supt	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	Total
Central	1	1	8	12	33	101	530	686
D&G	1	1	6	7	19	65	312	411
Fife	1	2	9	11	41	111	657	832
Grampian	1	2	16	19	69	181	885	1,173
L&B	1	3	36	41	125	361	2,124	2,691
Northern	1	1	8	12	27	108	492	649
Strathclyde	1	7	114	110	357	980	5,662	7,231
Tayside	1	2	14	14	51	165	869	1,116
Total	8	19	211	226	722	2,072	11,531	14,789

As at 31 March 1998

Force	Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Constable	Supt	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	Total
Central	1	1	10	7	34	103	547	703
D&G	1	1	6	8	20	68	335	439
Fife	1	2	9	14	36	110	683	855
Grampian	1	3	16	20	68	183	902	1,193
L&B	1	3	37	40	127	368	2,115	2,691
Northern	1	1	7	13	26	108	501	657
Strathclyde	1	7	118	102	374	975	5,722	7,299
Tayside	1	2	14	13	53	163	897	1,143
Total	8	20	217	217	738	2,078	11,702	14,980

As at 31 March 1999

Force	Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Constable	Supt	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	Total
Central	1	1	9	9	34	101	564	719
D&G	1	2	5	8	20	70	331	437
Fife	1	2	9	12	36	109	677	846
Grampian	1	1	17	20	70	187	953	1,249
L&B	1	3	36	37	127	361	2,050	2,615
Northern	1	1	8	13	31	107	499	660
Strathclyde	1	7	105	103	373	974	5,572	7,135
Tayside	1	2	14	12	59	157	904	1,149
Total	8	19	203	214	750	2,066	11,550	14,810

Figures by rank and force are collected annually by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. Until 31 December 1994 figures were collected on a calendar year basis but are now collected annually at 31 March. Figures for 31 March 2000 are not yet available.

The ranks of Deputy Chief Constable and Chief Superintendent were abolished on 1 April 1996.

Question reference: S1W-05326

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of financial assistance will be given towards investment in the water industry other than borrowing consent under the External Finance Limits in the next financial year.

Question reference: S1W-07443

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on salary levels and benefit packages for the chairmen of the water authorities.