- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of any damage to the working relationship with Westminster and Whitehall arising from the Executive’s action in relation to the memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments.
Answer
The Memorandum ofUnderstanding between the UK and Scottish Governments sets out aseries of principles and concordats which underpin relations. So, it is unfortunatethat the Prime Minister appears to have overlooked the agreements set out inthe supplementary Concordat on International Relations.
It is the Scottish Government’s intent to seek constructive relations with the UKGovernment, working within the structures set out in the Memorandum ofUnderstanding. And there has already been positive engagement; including thecontact between the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment andhis opposite numbers in UK Government, and when the Minister for Europe,External Affairs and Culture attended the Joint Ministerial Committee onEurope.
We will pursue openand effective dialogue, and expect to be treated as an equal partner. However,we will challenge the UK Government in a firm but courteous way when we believeScotland’s interests are being overlooked orundermined.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any contact was established at either official or ministerial level with the UK Government to discuss the existence of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments and, if so, when.
Answer
Yes. I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-857 on 19 June 2007. 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/wa.search.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any reference to a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments was included in the official papers of the First Minister or Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it sought clarification at either official or ministerial level from the UK Government on the existence of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments before making an emergency statement to the Parliament and what the reason was for its position on this matter.
Answer
Yes. The First Minister’sstatement made clear the reasons for the position taken on this matter.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the existence of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments was communicated to the office of the First Minister.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-857 on 19 June 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website thesearch facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it become aware of the existence of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-857 on 19 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 22 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments was deemed an emergency.
Answer
The First Ministermade a request to the Presiding Officer to make an emergency statement on Thursday, 7 June 2007. The decision that a ministerial statement was of a sufficientlyurgent nature for the statement to be made and debated that day was made at thediscretion of the Presiding Officer in accordance with Rule 13.2 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 22 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first made a request to the Presiding Officer for the First Minister to make an emergency statement on the memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments.
Answer
The formal request,in accordance with Rule 13.2 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders, was made at 13:30 on Thursday 7 June.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 22 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was decided that the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments was an emergency and required an emergency statement to be requested in the Parliament.
Answer
The First Ministerdecided to make a formal approach to the Presiding Officer, in accordance with Rule13.2 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders, on the morning of Thursday 7 June.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 18 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the Community Regeneration Fund’s focus on delivering service for the 15% most deprived areas as identified by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Answer
In the context of the spending review, the Scottish Government is currently considering the futureand focus of the Community Regeneration Fund post March 2008, when the currentthree year programme ends.
