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: S3W-25746

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations ministers have received from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) about the impact that reductions in the HIE budget would have on the ability to support economic development in the Highlands and Islands.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s budget was reduced to reflect the refocusing of the organisation as part of this government''s reform of the enterprise networks.

While Highlands and Islands Enterprise has had regular dialogue with Scottish Government officials and ministers in the context of Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s operating plan, there have been no specific representations by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to ministers about the impact of reductions in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise budget.

Question reference: S3W-25738

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what formal criteria are set for significant and high growth businesses, as referred to in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s operating plan.

Question reference: S3W-25739

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many considers it believes fall into the category of significant and high growth businesses, as referred to in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s operating plan.

Question reference: S3W-25748

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how the reduction in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s budget over the spending review will impact on the creation of replacement high quality jobs as Dounreay continues to decommission.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s budget was reduced to reflect the refocusing of the organisation as part of this government''s reform of the enterprise networks.

Rather than having a negative impact on the economy, the reforms will enable it to maximise its contribution to economic recovery and growth by focusing more clearly on those activities likely to have the greatest economic impact on economic recovery and increased sustainable economic growth.

The Caithness and North Sutherland action plan, in which Highlands and Islands Enterprise is an active partner, is one such transformational project which focuses on the future of the area, post decommissioning.

Question reference: S3W-25736

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated in the Highlands and Islands in each of the last five years to (a) supporting small businesses, (b) the third sector, (c) tourism, (d) innovation and (e) renewable energy and how these figures compare proportionally with the spend across the rest of Scotland.

The funding for business support, including support for small businesses, across Scotland is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. Budget allocations to the two agencies are not disaggregated on a small business basis and the requested data is not centrally held or collated.

Local authorities, VisitScotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise also assist small businesses and I would suggest the member contact the relevant organisations to obtain this data.

Similarly, funding allocations in relation to the third sector, tourism, innovation and renewable energy in the specified area and time frame is not held or collected centrally.

However, an indicative analysis of renewable energy budget spend in 2008-09 shows estimated proportional spending in the Highlands and Islands as follows:

Total spending in the Highlands and Islands - £7,756,140.00.

Total spending in Scotland - £10,656,675.00.

Percentage spend in the Highlands and Islands - 72.78 per cent.

Question reference: S3W-25734

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the budget allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each year from 2002-03 was spent in full and, if not, by how much it was underspent in each year.

The budget allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise has been utilised as follows for each year from 2002-03 to 2008-09:

2002-03: under spent by £0.9 million,

2003-04: under spent by £2.27 million,

2004-05: under spent by £5.6 million,

2005-06: under spent by £0.05 million,

2006-07: under spent by £0.4 million,

2007-08: under spent by £0.01 million.

Audited accounts for 2008-09 are not yet available.

Question reference: S3W-25741

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses or organisations have applied to Highlands and Islands Enterprise for assistance since its refocus of priorities and how many of these were successful.

Question reference: S3W-24946

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions of the Marine (Scotland) Bill will make it easier for public bodies to tackle the pollution of beaches by litter from land and sea.

The Scottish Government is supporting initiatives on marine and coastal litter and expects local authorities and other bodies to continue to work together to take action to tackle the problem.

The Marine (Scotland) Bill includes proposals for a new system of marine planning including new powers to define Scottish marine regions for which a local marine plan should be prepared in consultation with stakeholders. The proposals also include provisions for the co-ordination of plans covering the terrestrial and marine environment. These proposals provide an opportunity for better consideration of beach and marine litter issues where necessary.

Question reference: S3W-24945

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the existing legislation that can be used to tackle the pollution of beaches by litter from land and sea.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the act) places a duty on various bodies to clear litter from their land. For many beaches the duty body is the local authority. However, as independent organisations how they fulfil that duty and with what resources is for each local authority to determine, provided they meet the standards in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (COPLAR).

COPLAR provides practical guidance on the discharge of duties imposed on Scottish local authorities and other duty bodies by the act to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse.

COPLAR was published by Scottish ministers in December 2006 following a revision of the litter and fly tipping provisions of the act. COPLAR helps to explain who has a duty to clean public places, what their responsibility is, how individuals can tell if a place is clean, and what to do if you don''t think public places are of an acceptable standard in terms of litter and fly tipping.

Major amendments to the code included a greater focus on beach cleansing standards and guidance on issuing fixed penalty notices. Further information, including an electronic copy of COPLAR is available from http://www.littercode.co.uk/.

This website is operated by the independent environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

However that the duty to clean beaches extends only to above the high water mark and litter from ships and marine installations is the responsibility of the UK Government.

Question reference: S3W-24947

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with HM Government or any other government options for international efforts to tackle the pollution of Scotland’s beaches by litter from the sea.

The Scottish Government is actively involved in discussions with the UK Government and devolved administrations as part of our involvement in wider international efforts on control of marine litter. The Fishing for Litter initiative was recently considered at the British-Irish Council Environment Group on 19 April 2009. Also, the OSPAR Biodiversity Committee and its Environmental Impacts of Human Activities Working Group continue to consider the issue of marine litter.