- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from the National Farmers Union regarding the extension of the less favoured areas scheme to dairy farming and, if so, what response it will make and whether it will advocate such an extension to the European Commission.
Answer
The NFUS raised the principle of compensating dairy farming in the Less-Favoured Areas under the LFA legislation some time ago. A detailed paper on the subject was given to me by the Union at DairyScot on 30 November 2000. Whilst we are studying the paper in detail and will respond in due course, I must point out that budgets for the LFA Scheme have already been set. At this juncture, therefore, LFA dairy farming could only be covered under the scheme at the expense of beef and sheep enterprises.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 18 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Office spent on consultancy services in each year from 1995-96 to 1998-99; how much the Executive spent on consultancy services in 1999-2000, and how much it expects to spend on such services in each year from 2000-01 to 2002-03.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the answer given to question S1W-6883. Spending on external consultancy between 2000-01 and 2000-03 is not expected to differ significantly from 1999-2000 levels.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 12 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it decided, under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information, that information regarding internal discussions and advice in relation to the problems with this year's exams would not be made publicly available.
Answer
The Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information which exempts from disclosure information whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion, including internal opinion, advice, recommendation, consultation and deliberation came into force on 1 July 1999.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 11 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is open to non-departmental public bodies to raise actions of judicial review against it and, if so, on what grounds and whether it will provide details of any such actions ever raised.
Answer
There is no rule of law which would prevent a non-departmental public body raising an action of judicial review against the Scottish Executive, nor are any of the usual grounds for judicial review not available to such a body. There has not to date been any instance of a non-departmental public body raising an action of judicial review against the Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed ex gratia payments to members of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes will be equal to their pension entitlement under the schemes.
Answer
Details of the settlement are under consideration and proposals will be brought before the Scottish Parliament for approval in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of Reporters employed by it to decide planning inquiries contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights in terms of whether an applicant has a fair hearing.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-6779 on 30 May 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide to visually impaired persons, whether the impairment is total or partial, the maximum rate of concession under the proposed travel concession scheme set out in section 68 of the Transport (Scotland) Bill; whether it will provide details of what concessionary fares scheme will be introduced for those who suffer generally from a disability or injury and of any criteria which will be applied, and whether it will publish such criteria prior to any further consideration of the Bill by the Parliament.
Answer
Section 68 of the Transport (Scotland) Bill will enable Scottish Ministers to set common to all Scottish local authorities a basic level of concession for pensioners and disabled people travelling within Scotland. No maximum level of concession is specified in section 68.
New resources will be provided to local authorities to enhance existing concessionary fares schemes in order to provide pensioners and people with disabilities in Scotland with free local bus travel within existing scheme boundaries from October 2002 for journeys outwith the morning peak. The eligibility criteria for disabled people are entirely a matter for the local authorities operating existing concessionary fares schemes.The existing voluntary national concessionary fares scheme for blind and partially sighted people continues to deliver free travel throughout Scotland on train, bus and ferry services.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive with regard to the Education and Training (Scotland) Regulations 2000, why classes teaching Gaelic are not included in the categories of education and training which qualify for 80% support, given that an aim of such Gaelic lessons is to enhance communication, an identified criterion.
Answer
Under the definition of learning that is eligible for Individual Learning Account incentives, people will be able to receive grants of up to 拢150 for courses to learn Gaelic if they are in the first 100,000 applicants in Scotland. In most cases these grants should cover the full course costs. Later applicants will only be able to claim discounts of 20% as the higher 80% discounts are aimed specifically at people who have literacy difficulties, numeracy problems or who wish to develop basic computing skills.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to require special advisers to provide services to 成人快手 who are not members of the Executive and, if so, on the basis of what legal provision and whether such services should be publicly funded or funded by individual political parties.
Answer
Special Advisers are appointed to advise the First Minister in the development of Scottish Executive policy and its effective presentation. They discharge this role by carrying out a range of duties as required by the First Minister and set out in their contract.
Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Article 3(4) of the Civil Service Order in Council 1995 as amended by the Civil Service (Amendment) Order in Council 1999.
Full details about the role and duties of advisers are contained in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate was made by it, regarding the Court of Session action by Lafarge Redland Aggregates Ltd. for an order in respect of the Lingerbay inquiry, before it made the decision to defend the proceedings, of the likely level of court expenses in the event that it lost the action and an award of expenses was made against it; what sums have been expended in connection with its defence of the action, and what estimate it has made of the legal expenses of its opponent.
Answer
The likely level of court expenses was not regarded as a determining factor in considering whether or not to defend the Court of Session action brought by Lafarge Redlands. No estimate of the possible expenses was prepared and final costs are not known at this time.
