Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-31994

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether transitional funding for the Highlands and Islands will cease in 2006 and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

The current round of Structural Funds Programmes runs from 2000 to 2006. Allocation of funds ceases for all programmes at the end of 2006, although activity may continue to the end of 2006. Elements of funding in transitional programmes reduce after 2005. In Highlands and Islands, this relates specifically to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). However, part of the area will remain eligible. The regulations provide for coverage in 2006 for areas which meet the Objective Two criteria. This is not Objective Two status as such. It is merely a basis for determining eligibility for ERDF in the final year for allocating funds under the programme. We will be discussing with the Commission what this means in terms of precise coverage towards the end of 2003.The question of future regional funding is dependent on the outcome of discussions on the future of European Regional policy. Commission proposals are due to be published in 2004.The most up to date statistics will be used in discussions about any entitlement to EU funds for the post-2006 period.

Question reference: S1W-32546

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 23 December 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-30339 on 4 November 2002, whether further updated information in respect of the finances of, and assets owned by, Flour City International Inc. is now available and whether a copy of such information can now be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S1W-32543

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 23 December 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed statement setting out the prospects of recovery of some, or all, of the losses from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. under (a) the parent company guarantee or (b) any other means; whether such recovery would entail litigation and, if so, what the costs of such litigation may be and whether such litigation would be financially worthwhile; what the total cost to date is of legal expenses paid and incurred and not yet invoiced, and whether such expenditure has been financially worthwhile.

Question reference: S1W-32542

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 20 December 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer when the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-30623 lodged on 15 October 2002.

Question reference: S1W-30623

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 20 December 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has obtained a list of the creditors in connection with the liquidation of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and whether he will place a copy of any such list in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S1W-32502

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Transport Group pension scheme members the statement made by the Deputy Minister for Education, Transport and Lifelong Learning in his letter of 12 June 2002 that "where there is no surviving widow or widower or child as described above, the individual's share of the surplus will return to the overall surplus for the benefit of the remaining pensioners" applies to; how much will be so returned to the overall surplus, and how, to whom and when any such surplus will be distributed.

The Scottish Executive will not be in a position to provide the data requested until the consequences of the exercise utilising the Department of Works and Pensions' (DWP) tracing service become clear in the first quarter of 2003. This exercise will identify those who have died without qualifying survivors. A calculation will then be made to determine the shares of the remaining beneficiaries and the second tranche payment will be calculated from this total share. We will retain the shares of those who have not been identified as deceased by the DWP and who have not yet contacted the Scottish Public Pensions Agency.

Question reference: S1W-32501

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when it now estimates that the second tranche of ex-gratia payments will be made to Scottish Transport Group pensioners and whether it will abide by the indication given in the letter of 1 November 2002 by the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning to the Convener of the Petitions Committee that "a second tranche" will be paid "early in the next financial year", perhaps April or May 2003"

Question reference: S1W-32527

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by Elaine Murray on 19 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the work carried out by teachers under the Scottish Teacher Release Scheme enabling them to participate in the organisation of national and international competitions and to accompany national teams in training or competition; whether such work has been of value, and whether it will make provision for the continuation of the scheme.

The Scottish Teacher Release Scheme has provided a valuable means by which National Governing Bodies and School Sports Associations can secure the services of key members of staff to help in the organisation of national and international competitions.The scheme is currently under review as are all sportscotland funded programmes. A decision on whether the scheme will continue will be made early in the New Year.

Question reference: S1W-32529

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the secondment to it of persons with specialist expertise and, if so, whether it will provide a list of any such secondees.

The Scottish Executive supports the secondments to it of persons with specialist expertise as they allow the Scottish Executive to benefit from skills and knowledge which cannot be provided by existing staff and for which recruitment to permanent posts is not appropriate. In addition it enables the Scottish Executive to offer to other organisations the broadening of personal development and skills enhancement it seeks for its own staff. Additionally, inward secondments foster and promote links, co-operation and a mutual understanding between the Scottish Executive and particular sectors or organisations.The Scottish Executive does not disclose the names of individuals on secondment. The locations of the 79 current inward secondees are as follows.

Education Department	21
Health Department	18
Environment and Rural Affairs Department	13
Communities Scotland	6
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department	6
Finance and Central Services Department	5
Justice Department	5
Development Department	4
Corporate Services	1
Total	79

Question reference: S1W-32085

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Elish Angiolini on 19 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive under what criteria offences under sections (a) 1 and (b) 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1991 are heard in (i) the High Court of Justiciary or (ii) a sheriff court.