- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will maintain the present year's Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments at the total of #63 million paid out last year; what representations it has received on this issue, and whether it will make an announcement on the matter.
Answer
The current budget of theLess Favoured Area Support Scheme is 拢61 million per year. An additional 拢2million was made available in 2003 only, in recognition both of the importanceof the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme to farmers and crofters, and of thedifficulties that they had experienced as a result of foot-and-mouth disease.
No formal representationshave been made about the budget for the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme,although some members of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme Industry WorkingGroup have indicated that retaining the existing level of expenditure would betheir preference.
An announcement about thechanges required to adapt the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme to anexpenditure level of 拢61 million will be made in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Ministry of Defence to ensure the continued existence of all six Scottish regiments in view of the social and economic implications of the disbandment of any of these regiments.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-1830 on 27 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament鈥檚 website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from Highland Council requesting that the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland be located in Inverness; what procedures it will employ when arriving at a decision on this matter, and what the timetable is for such procedures.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2059 on 19 August 2003,announcing details of the outcome of the review for the location of theheadquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament鈥檚 website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.Representations were made byHighland Council during the time of the review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland will be located in Inverness.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2059 on 19 August 2003, announcing details of the outcomeof the review for the location of the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament鈥檚 website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the location for the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2059 on 19 August 2003, announcing details of the outcomeof the review for the location of the headquarters of Forest Enterprise Scotland. Allanswers to written parliamentary questionsare available on the Parliament鈥檚 website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to ensure that the transport system meets the needs of business, transport users and the environment by extending public transport concessionary fare schemes, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities; what meetings it has had, or plans to have, with key stakeholders, including bus operators and transport authorities, on this matter, and when such meetings will be concluded.
Answer
Work is being taken forward regarding the partnership commitment to extend concessionary travel schemes on public transport. This work includes discussions with key stakeholders which took place recently and shall be followed by the issue of a formal consultation paper towards the end of the year.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding ground maintenance on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area under the trunk road maintenance contract and what action it has taken, or will take, in response to any such representations.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received a number of representations from 成人快手, councillors and members of the public about grass cutting and ground maintenance in the Highland Council area. Where concerns are drawn to the attention of the Executive, they are investigated and appropriate action taken.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 29 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support establishment of a special EU designation for regions that are characterised by being mountainous, peripheral and sparsely populated and, if so, what steps it will take to campaign for such a designation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive supports reform of the Structural Funds post-2006 to ensure they are targeted where they are most needed following enlargement of the European Union. While mountains, peripherality and sparse population are not in themselves justification for funding, recognition of the challenges faced by such communities will be important for future EU regional policy. The debate on reform still has some way to go and we remain fully engaged both at UK and Europe level to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the minutes of any meetings of its Cabinet at which the relocation of the Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters was discussed and any Cabinet memoranda and papers that explain the reasoning behind the decision to relocate the headquarters to Inverness.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-919 on 1 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament鈥檚 website, thesearch facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 25 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the National Farmers' Union Scotland urging that the Executive make payments of interest on IACS payments to farmers whose set-aside land has been down to grass and whether it will ensure that Scottish farmers are treated in the same way as farmers in England and Wales in respect of such payments.
Answer
The National Farmers' Union Scotland has made a number of representations to the Executive since this issue was the subject of a ruling in the European Court of Justice in 2000.In response to a further decision by the English High Court last year, we made a commitment to Scottish farmers that they would not be disadvantaged compared to farmers in England and Wales. This means that Scottish claims penalised previously because land had been in temporary grass in the year preceding set-aside will now be paid. I am pleased to confirm that this includes paying compensation, in lieu of interest, to such cases.
