- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether borrowing under section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 has been considered for the purpose of funding part of the Forth Replacement Crossing or improvements in the trunk road network.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20185 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
styl
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to borrowing under section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 to fund capital or revenue items under current budget proposals.
Answer
The power for the Scottish Government to borrow set out in section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 makes clear such borrowing is for use on a temporary basis to cover the Scottish Government''s cash requirements if that becomes necessary for any reason.
No such requirements have arisen since devolution and consequently the powers have not been used, nor have any applications been made to the Secretary of State for Scotland or the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Given the nature of the power as it stands, it would not be possible to use it to borrow in order to invest in public capital works in Scotland or support resource expenditure in excess of expenditure limits set by the Treasury.
The Scottish Government continues to believe that Scotland''s government should have the ability to borrow and this would require legislative change.
To date there has been no official meetings with the Secretary of State or Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the topic although the Scottish Government has requested meetings with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a number of occasions to begin the process of securing further fiscal powers for Scotland.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings or discussions Scottish ministers or officials have had with UK ministers or officials to discuss borrowing applications under section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20185 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been initiated or consulted on regarding the use of section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S3W-20185 on 5 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many borrowing applications it has made to the Secretary of State for Scotland or the Chancellor of the Exchequer under section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20185 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the possible use of the £500 million loan provision available to it via the National Loans Fund under section 67 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer
The power for the Scottish Government to borrow is set out in section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 which makes clear such borrowing is for use on a temporary basis to cover the Scottish Government''s cash requirements if that becomes necessary for any reason. Under section 67 of the act, the Treasury may issue to the Secretary of State out of the National Loans Fund such sums as are required by him for making loans under section 66.
However, no such requirements have arisen since devolution and consequently the powers have not been used. Given the nature of the power, it would not be possible to use it to borrow in order to invest in public capital works in Scotland or support resource expenditure in excess of expenditure limits set by the Treasury.
The Scottish Government continues to believe that such powers should be made available by the UK Government though this would require legislative change.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 30 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 (c), 2006-07, (d) 2007-08 and (e) 2008-09 to support local sports councils in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
Details of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) spend to support local sports councils is an operational matter for HIE. I shall ask the Chief Executive of HIE to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Salmond on 29 January 2009
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will appoint a victims’ champion.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0129-01.htm
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 28 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Enterprise regarding the withdrawal of funding for the eight local sports councils in the Highland Council area.
Answer
The Scottish Government engaged closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as part of the process of reforming the organisation. As a result of these reforms, HIE''s resources are focused on those interventions that will have the maximum impact on the government''s purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth.
No specific discussions regarding the withdrawal of funding to local sports councils have taken place with HIE. This is clearly an operational matter for HIE.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 28 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the withdrawal of funding for local sports councils in the Highland Council area, whether alternative sources of funding have been determined between it, Highlands and Islands Enterprise or other local agencies to ensure the continuation of these sports councils.
Answer
While Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) no longer provides generic funding to local area sports councils in the Highland Council area, any individual sports club able to make a persuasive case for growth and which would contribute to the objectives of GES would be welcome to approach HIE. In other cases, HIE staff will continue to provide positive referrals to alternative sources of funding, such as the lottery, local authorities, and the grant giving charitable sector.
Where appropriate, referrals would also be made to sportscotland, where there are processes in place for any local sports council to make an application for funding, which would be handled accordingly.
