Chamber and committees

The Bull Hire Scheme precededthe Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture by many years and had no link to it.The proposed replacement scheme can however be expected to take account of the strategy.It is intended that it will allow crofters to control the improvement of their stockwith a focus on the market in a way that is not possible under the existing schemewhich allocates the limited range of bulls available on the stud farm to croftinggroups.  Concern at the possible loss of cattle from peripheral areas was one of the principal reasons we decided to introduce a replacement scheme. There is noreason to suppose that a scheme that will be better at enabling crofters to respondto market pressures will be any less effective  than the present arrangements atcombating such loss.

None. The Scottish TransportGroup pension schemes were wound up in May 2002 and all the money in them was returnedto the employer and then to the Executive. £50 million of this was returned to theTreasury via a reduction in the Executive’s departmental expenditure limit. Fordetails of the £126 million programme of ex-gratia payments to former membersthat was set up following the winding up, I would refer you to my answer toS2W-6363 on 9 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The minister has provided the following Gaelic translation:

Cha bhi suim sam bith. Chaidhsgeamaichean peinnsein Buidheann Còmhdhail na h-Alba an dùnadh suas anns a’ Chèitean2002 agus chaidh an t-airgead a thilleadh air ais chun neach-fastaidh ‘s an uairsin gu Riaghaltas na h-Alba. Chaidh £50m den t-suim seo a chuir air ais chun RoinnIonmhais tro lùghdachadh ann an ìre caithteachais roinnean an Riaghaltais. Airsonmion-fhiosrachadh mun phrògram £126m de phàighidhean ex-gratia chun fheadhainn achleachd a bhith nam buill, a chuireadh air chois an dèidh don sgeama a bhith aira dùnadh suas, dh’iarrainn oirbh sùil a thoirt air an fhreagairt a thug mi doS2W-6363. Tha freagairtean nan ceistean air fad rim faotainn air làrach-lìn na Pàrlamaidagus gheibhear cothrom an sgrùdadh air http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Parliament is currently reviewing its language policy, which covers Gaelic and other languages, and areport will be made to the Corporate Body before the summer recess.

Andrew Welsh (as lethBuidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba):  Tha a' Phàrlamaid a-nis ag ath-sgrùdadh a poileasaidh cànain aig an àmseo, a tha a’ dèiligeadh ris a’ Ghàidhlig agus ri cànanan eile, agus thèidaithisg a dhèanamh do Bhuidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ro fhosadh ant-samhraidh.

Yes. Appellants are informedof the date and time of their review meetings. Appellants have the choice of eithera written or oral review. For oral reviews the appellant attends for part of themeeting and is able to present their grounds for appeal and answer questions.

The EU Agricultural Subsidiesappeals procedure covers decisions in agri-environment and afforestation schemesas well as Integrated Administration and Control System cases. We have taken stepsto increase throughput which has reduced the time taken to arrange appeal reviewsfrom over six months to around three to four months.

In line with the PartnershipAgreement to “reduce light pollution and save energy by specifying appropriate lightingstandards” the Executive is aiming to publish guidance on the reduction of suchlight pollution by the end of December 2004.

The EU Agricultural Subsidiesappeals procedure covers decisions in agri-environment and afforestation schemesas well as Integrated Administration and Control System cases. There are currently109 cases at Stage 1 and nine at Stage 2 which are having preparatory reports producedor are awaiting scheduling of a review meeting date. There are currently two casesat Stage 3, the judicial stage of the procedure, awaiting hearings by the Scottish Land Court.

The general powers and dutiesof local roads authorities are set out in section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act1984. Specific duties and responsibilities are detailed throughout that act. Asthe statutory roads authorities it is a matter for councils to manage their dayto day business. Scottish ministers cannot normally intervene.

Information relating to expenditureon transport, including road maintenance, controlled by local authorities, and withinthe Scottish ministers’ responsibility, is shown at Table 11.1 of Scottish TransportStatistics No. 22, 2003 Edition, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 29044). The 2003 edition shows detailed figures from1993-94 onwards. Figures for previous years will be available in earlier editionsof the publication.

In assessing bids from localauthorities to the Strategic Waste Fund, the Executive takes account of the assessmentof the best practicable environmental option in the relevant area waste plan andemerging information on new technologies.