- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 29 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what types of business premise and installation are assessed for non-domestic rates on the same basis as England.
Answer
The valuation of non domesticsubjects in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish assessors. the Scottish Assessors liaise with their counterparts in England and Wales, theValuation Office Agency, to ensure, where practical, harmonisation of valuationtreatment north and south of the border.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5577 by Ms Margaret Curran on 27 February 2004, what sources of funding are available for the urgent repair of places of worship where, for religious reasons, congregations or denominational bodies have reservations about applying for lottery funding.
Answer
The Repair Grants for Placesof Worship Grant Scheme is run in partnership by Historic Scotland and theHeritage Lottery Fund. However, grants are offered by the two organisationsseparately. Accordingly, congregations and denominational bodies can choose toseek assistance from Historic Scotland only.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a variation to the rules governing PFI/PPP contracts for the construction of public buildings to encourage the use of bioenergy heating systems.
Answer
EC public procurementdirectives apply to most purchasing contracts let by the public sector wherethe value exceeds certain thresholds. The EC public procurement directivesprovide scope for reflecting environmental considerations in procurement, whereit is relevant to the subject matter of the contract or based uponenvironmental objectives of the public body concerned. Given that PublicPrivate Partnerships procurements can involve a substantial amount of newbuild, the opportunity exists to deliver public services in a moreenvironmentally friendly way.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include heating systems powered by bioenergy as eligible to benefit from renewable obligation certificates.
Answer
We have no such plans. Thereare no legislative powers available which would allow heating systems poweredby bioenergy to benefit from renewable obligation certificates. Our ScottishCommunity and Householder Renewables Initiative has supported a number of smallheating scheme using biomass, solar or geothermal heating.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the generation of energy from biomass is renewable and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
We do consider the generation of energy from biomass to be renewable. Electricity generated from biomass sources qualifies for support under the Renewables Obligation Scotland. This is wholly consistent with Article 2 of European Directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of renewable energy.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 13 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what compensation will be payable to property owners whose properties are adversely affected by the construction of wind farms in their vicinity.
Answer
It would be for individualproperty owners to consider whether a situation has arisen that gives scope forpursuing a compensation claim.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives towards attracting international cruise ships to call at Scottish ports.
Answer
This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland, which is responsible for maximising the economicbenefits of tourism to Scotland.
VisitScotland does recognisethe importance of the cruise market. It provided start up funding forCruiseScotland to attract more business from this sector, and is now representedon its board. The future structure of CruiseScotland is being discussed withVisitScotland, which has agreed to assist with research and development.
There has of course beenconsiderable private sector investment in the cruise market, for example at OceanTerminal at Leith. The public sector has also been active whereappropriate; for example Highland Council markets its cruise ports in the Northto the international cruise market.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to encourage the growth of indigenous businesses in the small and medium-si'ed enterprise sector.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, and its economic development agencies – Scottish Enterprise andHighlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) - have a range of support in place toassist the growth of indigenous businesses these include measures to helpbusinesses to innovate, invest in capital equipment, export, access equitycapital, improve energy efficiency and utilise broadband technology.
Full details on all theforms of support available to businesses can be accessed through BusinessGateway, in the Scottish Enterprise area, and by contacting directly the LocalEnterprise Companies in the HIE area, who act as a single access point forbusiness support.
Details of ScottishEnterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise performance and finances areavailable from their operating plans and annual accounts which can be obtainedfrom their respective website.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether private membership golf clubs will be eligible for the mandatory rate relief for community amateur sports clubs announced by the Minister for Finance and Public Services.
Answer
Amateur sports clubs whichare registered as Community Amateur Sports Clubs with the Inland Revenue will -on introduction of the necessary enabling legislation - be eligible for 80%mandatory rate relief. The granting or otherwise of community amateur sportsclub status is entirely a matter for the Inland Revenue Sports Club Unit.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it receives value for money for Scottish Enterprise's investment in the Institute for System Level Integration given the number of students enrolling in 2002-03 who were from the United Kingdom.
Answer
As part of project Alba, theInstitute for System Level Integration has been supported in line with thecommitment in Smart Successful Scotland to move to a technologicallyinnovative, knowledge based economy.
Funding issues in relationto the Institute itself are an operational matter for the main funding partners– Scottish Enterprise, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde,Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh University. Non-UK students areself-funding.
