- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that proper practices have been followed in respect of the mass cull of deer at Glenfeshie, and whether it will seek an independent opinion in respect of the commission's actions.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7432 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any submissions to the consultation regarding the draft Work at Height Regulations conducted by the Health and Safety Executive; whether these regulations will have any adverse impact on the outdoor industry, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
We are aware of the concernsfelt by the outdoor and adventure activities sector about the implementation inthe UK of the EC Directive on Temporary Work at Height. At our request, the Healthand Safety Executive have been copying us into responses from Scotland to theirconsultation on the draft Regulations and, given the importance of this sector toScotland, we will be ready to take this matter up with the UK Government if implementationplans seem likely to be damaging to that sector.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether there should be no reduction of services at the Belford Hospital, Fort William.
Answer
Our policy isto provide services as close as possible to people’s homes, consistent with deliveringsafe and high quality healthcare. What this means at Fort William is a matter forNHS Highland to consider in consultation with local people. Any proposals for majorservice change have to come to me for approval. If and when I receive proposalsfrom NHS Highland I shall consider them.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11086 by Angus MacKay on 23 November 2000, whether it will (a) provide an up-to-date list of the public sector capital projects involving private finance (i) completed, (ii) planned and (iii) under way, giving both the start and estimated completion dates, (b) detail the total estimated capital investment included in the projects, (c) detail the annual public expenditure required to service these projects in both cash and real terms for each year of the life of the projects and (d) give the total lifetime cost of the projects, shown individually and by sector in both cash and real terms.
Answer
An up-to-date list of all currently active public private partnership projects known to the Executive is on the Financial Partnerships Unit website at
www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp under the section projects. The information provided on projects includes stages of procurement, start and estimated completion dates and capital value.The estimated annual expenditure to service these projects on a sector basis is shown in the tables below in both cash and real terms for each year of the life of the projects. Detailed information for individual projects is a matter for the public sector bodies concerned.
Existing Deals (Operational and Signed): Estimated Service Payments on a Sector Basis (£ million)
| | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 112.4 | 115.1 | 117.8 | 120.3 | 123.0 | 125.5 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 112.4 | 112.5 | 112.3 | 111.7 | 111.2 | 110.5 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Health (cash) | 95.1 | 96.6 | 100.3 | 103.4 | 104.3 | 106.3 |
| Health (real) | 95.1 | 94.4 | 95.6 | 96.0 | 94.3 | 93.6 |
| Justice (cash) | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Justice (real) | 13.0 | 13.7 | 13.3 | 13.0 | 12.7 | 13.2 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 23.2 | 23.1 | 31.6 | 35.1 | 40.2 | 39.5 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 23.2 | 22.6 | 30.1 | 32.6 | 36.3 | 34.8 |
| Social work (cash) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| Social work (real) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 112.7 | 119.3 | 130.8 | 135.1 | 137.7 | 136.3 |
| Local authorities (real) | 112.7 | 116.6 | 124.7 | 125.4 | 124.5 | 120.0 |
| Total (cash) | 364.4 | 376.2 | 402.8 | 416.5 | 427.5 | 430.1 |
| Total (real) | 364.4 | 367.7 | 384.0 | 386.7 | 386.5 | 378.6 |
| | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 128.1 | 130.8 | 133.6 | 136.7 | 139.2 | 142.2 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 109.8 | 109.2 | 108.6 | 108.2 | 107.3 | 106.7 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| Health (cash) | 107.8 | 110.2 | 112.9 | 115.5 | 117.4 | 116.7 |
| Health (real) | 92.4 | 92.0 | 91.8 | 91.4 | 90.5 | 87.6 |
| Justice (cash) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 18.0 |
| Justice (real) | 12.9 | 13.4 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 13.1 | 13.5 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 39.5 | 40.8 | 41.5 | 43.4 | 43.4 | 50.0 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 33.9 | 34.1 | 33.7 | 34.3 | 33.4 | 37.5 |
| Social work (cash) | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (real) | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 138.1 | 140.8 | 142.9 | 144.9 | 143.3 | 145.3 |
| Local authorities (real) | 118.4 | 117.5 | 116.1 | 114.7 | 110.4 | 109.0 |
| Total (cash) | 436.3 | 445.3 | 453.7 | 464.4 | 467.2 | 479.0 |
| Total (real) | 373.9 | 371.7 | 368.7 | 367.5 | 360.0 | 359.4 |
| | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 145.2 | 148.3 | 151.9 | 155.5 | 158.4 | 161.7 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 106.1 | 105.5 | 105.2 | 104.9 | 104.0 | 103.4 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| Health (cash) | 118.9 | 122.0 | 125.2 | 128.2 | 131.3 | 134.9 |
| Health (real) | 86.9 | 86.8 | 86.7 | 86.5 | 86.2 | 86.3 |
| Justice (cash) | 18.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Justice (real) | 13.2 | 10.0 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 10.2 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 61.9 | 61.2 | 64.1 | 64.2 | 57.3 | 53.9 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 45.2 | 43.5 | 44.4 | 43.3 | 37.6 | 34.5 |
| Social work (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 147.4 | 149.5 | 151.7 | 154.1 | 156.4 | 159.4 |
| Local authorities (real) | 107.7 | 106.3 | 105.1 | 103.9 | 102.7 | 101.9 |
| Total (cash) | 498.2 | 501.8 | 514.7 | 523.9 | 526.3 | 533.9 |
| Total (real) | 364.0 | 357.0 | 356.5 | 353.3 | 345.6 | 341.4 |
| | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 151.7 | 155.6 | 159.0 | 162.3 | 158.8 | 134.7 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 94.5 | 94.3 | 93.9 | 93.3 | 88.9 | 73.4 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Health (cash) | 138.6 | 141.8 | 145.6 | 144.9 | 147.1 | 147.7 |
| Health (real) | 86.3 | 86.0 | 86.0 | 83.3 | 82.3 | 80.5 |
| Justice (cash) | 16.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Justice (real) | 10.0 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 52.5 | 34.9 | 26.9 | 29.6 | 30.0 | 20.7 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 32.7 | 21.2 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.8 | 11.3 |
| Social work (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 162.4 | 164.8 | 167.3 | 169.7 | 150.7 | 138.6 |
| Local authorities (real) | 101.1 | 99.9 | 98.8 | 97.5 | 84.3 | 75.5 |
| Total (cash) | 528.2 | 519.2 | 522.3 | 508.6 | 486.6 | 441.7 |
| Total (real) | 328.9 | 314.8 | 308.3 | 292.3 | 272.3 | 240.7 |
| | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 | 2030-31 | 2031-32 | 2032-33 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 123.1 | 124.8 | 82.9 | 49.0 | 37.8 | 26.8 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 65.3 | 64.5 | 41.7 | 24.0 | 18.0 | 12.4 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Health (cash) | 77.0 | 78.8 | 36.4 | 34.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 |
| Health (real) | 40.9 | 40.7 | 18.3 | 16.9 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Justice (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Justice (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 26.1 | 20.3 | 20.5 | 21.3 | 19.8 | 21.5 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 13.9 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 9.4 | 10.0 |
| Social work (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 108.1 | 96.2 | 87.2 | 15.3 | 15.6 | 15.8 |
| Local authorities (real) | 57.4 | 49.7 | 43.9 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| Total (cash) | 334.3 | 320.1 | 227.0 | 120.0 | 77.6 | 67.9 |
| Total (real) | 177.4 | 165.4 | 114.2 | 58.8 | 37.0 | 31.5 |
| | 2033-34 | 2034-35 | 2035-36 | 2036-37 | 2037-38 | 2038-39 |
| Water and sewerage (cash) | 19.0 | 19.5 | 20.1 | 20.7 | 21.3 | 22.0 |
| Water and sewerage (real) | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Further and Higher education (cash) | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Further and Higher education (real) | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Health (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Health (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Justice (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Justice (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| National roads and transport (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| National roads and transport (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Social work (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (cash) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nationalised industries (real) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Local authorities (cash) | 16.2 | 14.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Local authorities (real) | 7.3 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total (cash) | 38.5 | 35.8 | 22.2 | 22.8 | 21.3 | 22.0 |
| Total (real) | 17.4 | 15.8 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
Notes:
1. Real prices to a base year of 2003-04.
2. From 2009-10 a GDP deflator of 2.7% has been assumed.
3. Data source March 2003 HMT return.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount is of capital resources provided through all private finance initiative and public private partnership projects and what proportion this forms of the total capital resources available in the public sector in each financial year since 1999-2000, broken down by sector.
Answer
Information on the Executive’soverall capital budgets and capital spending on public private partnerships projectsfor each portfolio for 2000-01 to 2003-04 is set out in The Scottish Budget 2003-04,a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number20472).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report, The Case for Rail in the Highlands and Islands, published by Highlands and Islands Enterprise on 16 March 2004 and, if so, how it will use the information in the report to increase investment in the rail infrastructure in the Highlands.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received this report and Scottish Executive officials attended its publiclaunch in Inverness headquarters on 16 March 2004.The Executive welcomes the report, and will continue to be supportive of rail servicesin the Highlands.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 2 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether those Territorial Army (TA) soldiers who reside in Scotland and (a) live alone or (b) live with a spouse or partner are entitled to remission of liability for council tax for the period of their absence from home on duty abroad and what its position is on the matter and, if there is no such remission of liability, whether it will (i) make representations to the Ministry of Defence to meet the costs of such liability for council tax of TA soldiers on duty abroad and (ii) take any steps or measures to address this matter.
Answer
Service personnel, both fulltime and reservists, who live in Scotland, either alone or with a partner arenot entitled to remission of liability for council tax during their absenceabroad on duty.
A Ministry of Defencefinancial package of assistance exists for reservists. Payments are made toreservists whose military salary is less than their earnings in civilian life. Thefull difference is paid on proof of civilian pay if it is below the level setfor the appropriate band. Reservists whose civilian salary exceeds theirmilitary pay may be awarded a “hardship” award to cover essential householdspending.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made available to the Holyrood Inquiry documents comprising any memoranda, notes or reports from the current Chief Executive of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Head of Legal and Parliamentary Services and/or the Architectural Adviser to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, acting in their capacity as members of the Holyrood Progress Group, to the Executive regarding discussions at meetings of the group, with particular reference to any confidential matters raised and, if so, to whom such memoranda, notes or reports were addressed, whether they received any written or other response and whether it will make any, or all, of any such material public and place copies in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The Scottish Executive continues to co-operate fully with the Fraser Inquiry, as it has fromthe outset. Oral evidence has been given to the Inquiry by the Chief Executiveof the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Head of Legal andParliamentary Services about his involvement in the work of the HolyroodProgress Group and the Executive has made available to the Inquiry relevantdocumentation.
The Executive believes thatit is important that the Inquiry is allowed to complete its task before thereis any comment on any evidence submitted to it. The Executive has no plans tomake any further documentation public, other than through the Inquiry. TheChief Architect has made no direct reports to ministers about the work of theHolyrood Progress Group.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the regulations relating to the construction of roads and bridges and the upgrading of roads to dual carriageway status; what the criteria are which govern the decision as to whether an existing trunk road, comprising two carriageways, one carrying traffic in each direction, or part of such a road, should be upgraded to dual carriageway, and whether such a decision would be made by it or Her Majesty's Government.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has full powers under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 in relation to the construction of trunkroads and bridges, including the upgrading of single carriageway trunk roads todual carriageway.
Any proposal to upgrade aroad has to be appraised using the Executive’s Scottish Transport AppraisalGuidance (STAG). This involves an assessment of the proposal against theExecutive’s five appraisal objectives of environment, safety, economy,integration and accessibility. The STAG appraisal enables the Executiveto gauge the proposal against the potential value of competing proposals toimprove transport. For example, STAG involves an examination of corridortransport growth projections; planned land use changes; economic growth;availability of public transport; and accident history. It also takes accountof social aspects, such as accessibility; economic return; the environment; andthe scope for interim improvement such as carriageway widening and othermeasures. These all have a part to play in making the case for prioritisingimprovement of any particular route.
If a positive case can bedemonstrated following a STAG appraisal, this does not automatically lead to animprovement scheme being placed on the Executive’s investment programme. Itmust then compete for funding against other worthwhile schemes and demonstratethat it represents good value for money and good use of available public funds.
The decision on whether ornot to proceed with any upgrade of a trunk road would be made by the Scottish Executive. Non-trunk roads and bridges are a matter for the relevant local roadsauthority.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 26 March 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will now require the construction managers for the Holyrood project to provide a parent company guarantee.
Answer
I am informed by the convenerof the Holyrood progress group that a letter has now been issued to Bovis LendLease requesting that they provide a parent company guarantee in accordancewith Clause 20.1 of the construction management agreement.
