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-25912

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 29 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Coal, the parent company, were required to act as guarantor for Scottish Coal (Deep Mining) Ltd as part of the agreement which Scottish Enterprise entered into to underwrite bank borrowings.

Mining (Scotland) Limited, the parent company of Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd, did contribute to the refinancing package agreed for Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd in April 1999, and, prior to that, had invested substantially in the development of the company's Longannet and Kincardine mining operations, but were not asked to act as guarantor for the additional bank borrowing identified as necessary to meet the company's cash flow requirements in April 1999.

Question reference: S1W-25908

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 29 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Enterprise entered into an agreement with Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd to provide a guarantee to underwrite bank borrowings and whether this agreement was approved by ministers.

Question reference: S1W-25893

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 28 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the directors of Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd were required to give a personal guarantee to financial institutions to underwrite borrowing as a condition of the guarantee from Scottish Enterprise.

Question reference: S1W-25891

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 28 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies Scottish Enterprise has provided a guarantee to underwrite bank borrowing, how many such companies have gone into liquidation and what the cost to Scottish Enterprise has been of repayments to financial institutions in respect of such liquidations, all in each of the last three years.

The information requested is set out in the following table. In these three years none of the companies whose bank borrowings had been guaranteed by Scottish Enterprise were placed in receivership.

	As at 31 March
Scottish EnterpriseGuaranteed Bank Borrowings	2002		2001		2000
Scottish EnterpriseGuaranteed Bank Borrowings	No. of Companies	Value(£000)	No. of Companies	Value(£000)	No. of Companies	Value(£000)
Guaranteed Loan and Bank Overdrafts	2	4,539	2	4,539	4	4,689
Bank Mortgage Guarantee Scheme	8	1,891	11	2,188	16	2,574

Question reference: S1W-25892

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 28 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive under what conditions Scottish Enterprise agreed to act as guarantor for Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd.

Question reference: S1W-25771

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a lump sum payment was paid to Mr Frank McAveety when he ceased to be a junior minister and, if so, how much the payment was.

Question reference: S1W-24907

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 13 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it approved the arrangement entered into by Scottish Enterprise to act as guarantor for Mining (Scotland) Ltd.

Question reference: S1W-24906

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 13 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Enterprise invested in the Longannet coal mine and what the prospects are for the recovery of the money.

In June 1999, Scottish Enterprise provided a guarantee to underwrite £5.4 million of bank borrowing by Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd in order to allow the company to continue trading. The level of this guarantee was varied on several occasions in line with the company's bank borrowing requirements.Under the terms of the guarantee agreement, Scottish Enterprise has now paid out £4.514 million to the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-24908

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions took place between it and Her Majesty's Government prior to 1 March 2002 in regard to the proposal to reclaim #4.5 million for the development of Longannet coal mine.

Question reference: S1W-24909

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with Her Majesty's Government about the future of Longannet coal mine since 29 March 2002.