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-10317

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 5 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has power to give the British Tourist Authority (BTA) directions and guidance regarding the marketing of Scotland abroad; if so, whether it has given any such directions or guidance and, in particular, whether it has given the BTA any instructions regarding the promotion of Scotland as an arrival and gateway destination for the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S1W-10463

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 5 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will describe the mechanism through which the British Tourist Authority is accountable to the Scottish Parliament and whether it will list the occasions on which it has laid reports relating to the British Tourist Authority (BTA) before the Parliament or taken any other action relating to the accountability of the BTA to the Parliament since 1 July 1999.

The British Tourist Authority (BTA) is designated as a cross-border public authority by an Order in Council made under section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998. Section 88 specifies the requirements on cross-border public authorities relating to accountability to the Scottish Parliament. The BTA laid its Annual Report and Accounts for 1999-2000 before the Scottish Parliament on 23 October 2000. The Scottish Executive have been consulted about appointments to the board of the BTA.

Question reference: S1W-10468

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 5 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the impact which any windfall tax on oil companies would have on the North Sea oil sector and the Scottish economy generally.

Question reference: S1W-09146

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the term contracts for the management and maintenance of trunk roads which are currently being considered and whether it considers that this guidance is in line with the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on "Staff Transfers in the Public Sector" issued in January 2000.

Question reference: S1W-06541

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the advice it sought and obtained regarding the requirement of European legislation and directives to put CalMac routes out to tender and to do so on a two-thirds route basis and whether (a) any such advice was from within its own offices and its own legal advisors; (b) it has obtained any independent advice from members of the Scottish Bar and (c) it has obtained any advice from European law experts; whether it will provide full details of the advice, and what are the specific sections of the legislation or directives which require this process to take place.

Question reference: S1W-10892

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the remit of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE) to cover freight transport and what the reasons are for its position on the extension or otherwise of SPTE's remit to include this issue.

Question reference: S1W-10863

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rate of financial return assumed by Caledonian MacBrayne in its tender, in conjunction with a private partner, for the Northern Isles passenger ferry subsidy contract was an appropriate commercial rate.

Question reference: S1W-10876

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a public service obligation (PSO) could be imposed on every internal air route within the Highlands and Islands; if not, on which routes a PSO could not be imposed and why a PSO could not be imposed on any such routes.

A member state, with the agreement of the European Commission, can impose a PSO on any route which meets the stated criteria set out in EC Regulation 2408/92. The criteria are contained within Article 4.1(a) - (d) of the Regulation. These involve the public interest, the availability of other forms of transport, air fares/conditions for users and carriers operating or intending to operate on the route.

Question reference: S1W-10865

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it assisted in any way with the tender made by Caledonian MacBrayne, in conjunction with a private partner, for the Northern Isles passenger ferry subsidy contract.

The Scottish Executive did not assist Northlink, the joint venture involving Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd and the Royal Bank of Scotland, in the preparation of the tender submitted for the Northern Isles ferry contract. The limited costs incurred by Caledonian MacBrayne in bid preparation and in the start-up of the joint venture will be repaid from the return which Northlink is expected to earn for the company.Scottish Executive officials had a number of meetings and other contacts with Northlink representatives and its professional advisers, in order to provide advice to Scottish Ministers in their capacity as sole shareholder of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. Such contacts were necessary to enable Ministers to determine whether they were content for the company to submit a joint venture bid and to provide them with the information necessary to satisfy themselves that the terms of the bid would not involve any competitive advantage to the joint venture arising from Ministers' ownership of Caledonian MacBrayne. A separation of duties was in place between officials engaged in that process and those considering the tenders submitted for the Northern Isles contract. That confidentiality arrangement will remain in place until such times as contractual negotiations are completed and a contract is awarded.

Question reference: S1W-10894

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the passenger service charge at Inverness Airport and what the reasons are for any such decision.