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-06454

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will be making to The Scotland Office on the proposed assisted area status map and whether it will place a copy, and any response, in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas map. A number of representations were made to The Scotland Office during the consultation period following the 10 April announcement of revised map proposals. Copies of such representations are available on a public file held by The Scotland Office. The Secretary of State will place a copy of the public file in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre for members' convenience. I shall in addition place there, a copy of another public file, including copies of representations received during this period by the Scottish Executive.

Question reference: S1W-06462

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra jobs will be (a) created and (b) sustained if Badenoch and Strathspey is excluded from the assisted area status map and what its estimate is of the impact on the local economy if the area is excluded from the map.

Question reference: S1W-06460

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra jobs will be (a) created and (b) sustained if Nairn is excluded from the assisted area status map and what its estimate is of the impact on the local economy if the area is excluded from the map.

Question reference: S1W-06465

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the consequences for the economy of Moray in the decision not to include the area in the assisted area status map, bearing in mind the current state of the local oil fabrication sector, and whether it will make specific representations to The Scotland Office to ensure that these factors are given full consideration.

Question reference: S1W-06466

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the consequences for the economy of Nairn in the decision not to include the area in the assisted area status map, bearing in mind the current state of the local oil fabrication sector, and whether it will make specific representations to The Scotland Office to ensure that these factors are given full consideration.

Question reference: S1W-06467

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the consequences for the economy of Badenoch and Strathspey in the decision not to include the area in the assisted area status map, bearing in mind the current state of the local oil fabrication sector, and whether it will make specific representations to The Scotland Office to ensure that these factors are given full consideration.

Question reference: S1W-06423

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 16 May 2000

To ask the Presiding Officer what consideration has been given to the possibility that the construction of the new Scottish Parliament building may cause structural damage to surrounding buildings; whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is aware of any warnings about subsidence within a 300 yard radius of the Holyrood site; whether adequate insurance cover exists in respect of potential claims in this respect, and whether copies of all documents relating to this issue will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

As stated in my answer to Mr Brian Monteith of 2 May (SIW-6146), it is standard practice for structural engineers involved in major construction projects to consider any effect on surrounding areas. The structural engineers for the Holyrood Project are monitoring areas within a radius of 1 kilometre of the site and the recorded evidence shows that no ground movement is being detected. Third party collateral damage is covered by insurance held by the Design Team, the Construction Manager and individual "trade package" contractors. The Project Team will shortly produce a report on this subject for the City of Edinburgh Council. A copy of this and related documents will be placed in the Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S1W-06311

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the test of "substantial loss or disadvantage" in section 19(7) of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill requires clarification and, in particular, whether it should be made clear that the Lands Tribunal for Scotland should not accept that "substantial loss or disadvantage" will occur simply because of the ending of the practice which has developed since the commencement of the Conveyancing and Feudal Reform (Scotland) Act 1970 whereby a grassum is paid to a feudal superior by a vassal in exchange for a minute of waiver so that the vassal need not make an application under the 1970 Act for removal or variation of a burden.

In response to Mr Ewing's amendment on this point at Stage 3 of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill, I explained that the Lands Tribunal does not award compensation for the loss of a right to claim a waiver.

The loss or disadvantage that is envisaged by section 19 is loss to the superior or former superior as owner of the land, and not merely the loss of any personal income that has been derived from the charging for the grant of waivers.

Question reference: S1W-05711

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of any impact which the aggregates tax will have upon employment in Scotland over each of the next three years.

The aggregates tax is unlikely to have any impact over the next two years, as it will not be introduced until April 2002. Thereafter, there may be small reductions in employment in the extraction of primary aggregates, but there could also be increases in employment in the recycling of aggregates. However, the short- term elasticity of demand for these products is low, so it would be surprising if there were major impacts.

In addition, there are likely to be increases in employment stimulated by the sustainability fund, and the reductions in employers' National Insurance contributions.

Question reference: S1W-06422

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 12 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change its working title from "The Scottish Executive" to "The Scottish Government".