- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many holiday homes in the Highlands and Islands are eligible for a reduction in council tax.
Answer
Holiday homes are not identified separately from other homes receiving two discounts.
The table below shows the number of dwellings, at 6 September 1999, in the Highlands and Islands entitled to two discounts, and the total number of chargeable dwellings.
Council | Eligible Dwellings | Total Dwellings |
Highland | 6,029 | 94,852 |
Eilean Siar | 1,141 | 12,549 |
Orkney | 580 | 8,903 |
Shetland | 549 | 9,390 |
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the regulations which allow non-residents to have a discounted rate of council tax on their second homes.
Answer
Any change to the rate of council tax on second homes would require primary legislation. We have no plans to make any changes at present.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what is its policy in relation to eligibility for reduction in council tax on second homes, particularly in the Highlands and Islands and under what power such reductions are given.
Answer
In Scotland, second homeowners receive a discount equal to 50% of the council tax. Discounts are enacted under paragraph 2 of section 79 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to maintain the overnight rail freight service from the Highlands to London.
Answer
The movement of freight is a commercial matter for the rail freight companies. Services are provided in response to demand.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide additional funding for local authorities to assist them with upgrading the strategic road network and bridges to meet current EU standards.
Answer
Scottish Executive support for capital expenditure on roads and transport is included within the single block allocation which covers all non-housing capital programmes. It is for local authorities to prioritise projects across the range of these programmes and to allocate the necessary funding from the resources available to them. There are no plans to provide local authorities with additional resources for this purpose.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 2 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for setting the level of amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops at 20 micrograms of domoic acid per gram using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography method.
Answer
The maximum limit for ASP in shellfish of 20 micrograms of domoic acid per gram came into force throughout the EU in 1998 and was based on an internationally agreed limit.This maximum limit and the use of the High Performance Liquid Chromatography method are specified in Directive 91/492/EEC.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement made by the then Scottish Agriculture Minister Lord Sewel on 23 March 1999, whether it plans to honour in full the commitments given at that time in respect of the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme.
Answer
The improvements announced by Lord Sewel on 23 March1999 came into effect on 31 March and remain part of the scheme. There was a very large surge in applications, which far exceeded the limits of the Scheme. Accordingly, following consultations with the industry, I announced on 16 November that applications relating to new measures made available from 31 March 1999 and projects relating to self-standing systems for the storage and disposal of farm waste would be given priority.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 21 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Marine Laboratory's dual role as both monitor and adviser to it has caused any difficulties in the efficient functioning of the laboratory and whether it has any plans to review the future role of the laboratory.
Answer
The Fisheries Research Agency undertakes a range of functions. It does so efficiently and effectively. The role of the Agency, as with all parts of the Scottish Executive, is kept under regular review but we have no current plans to change it.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost, per test result, of testing (a) gonads only, (b) whole fish and (c) white meat only for amnesic shellfish poisoning is.
Answer
The average cost per test for amnesic shellfish poisoning is in the order of £60. There is no difference in cost between testing the gonad only, the whole fish or the white meat only of scallops.
- Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many comparative analyses have been carried out comparing the level of amnesic shellfish poisoning contamination in (a) whole scallops, (b) adductor, (c) gonad and (d) adductor and gonad and what dates they were carried out.
Answer
This information is not available. The requirement to test for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) is relatively recent, commencing in 1998. The Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen have been asked to examine the comparative distribution of ASP in the various parts of scallops as part of their current research programme.
