- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 9 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish (a) the minute or other document of 10 May from the Scottish Qualifications Authority and (b) the subsequent Scottish Qualifications Authority paper to a committee meeting referred to in the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Children and Education on 6 September 2000.
Answer
Copies of these documents have been submitted to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 9 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations were made by officials to Ministers regarding this year's exam results, whether any of these were (a) rejected outright, (b) not acted upon within one month of the date of the recommendation and (c) subject to deferred action, and whether it will place a copy of all relevant documents in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
It is not the practice of the Scottish Executive to make available advice from officials to Ministers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 9 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of the recommendations made by the senior member of its IT Directorate following his meeting with the Scottish Qualifications Authority; when this meeting took place, and what steps the Executive took to ensure that all recommendations were accepted and implemented.
Answer
A senior official within the Scottish Executive Communications and Information Services Division met with the Scottish Qualifications Authority on 28 March. Details of the meeting and further action by the Executive have been provided to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans and resources it has put in place to allow (a) local authorities, (b) health boards, (c) police forces, (d) fire brigades, (e) the Scottish Ambulance Service and (f) other government agencies to convert their vehicles to use liquid petroleum gas, in particular those organisations which are ineligible to receive Powershift Scheme funding.
Answer
Spending decisions are for the agencies concerned.
- 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 Sarah Boyack on 5 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8302 by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2000, in respect of which lifeline air routes a public service obligation has been imposed; whether it considers that there are any other routes in respect of which a public service obligation should be imposed, in particular whether the Inverness to London Heathrow should be so designated, and, if so, what representations it has made or intends to make, in particular directly to the European Commission, in respect of each such route.
Answer
The lifeline air routes on which public service obligations have been imposed are as follows:
Glasgow-Campbeltown-Tiree |
Glasgow-Barra |
Stornoway-Benbecula-Barra |
Kirkwall-North Ronaldsay |
Kirkwall-Papa Westray |
Tingwall-Foula |
Tingwall-Papa Stour |
Tingwall-Out Skerries |
Tingwall/Sumburgh-Fair Isle |
It is for local authorities to consider whether public service obligations (PSOs) should be imposed on any air routes and to approach the Scottish Executive with economically and socially necessary cases for new PSOs in accordance with the criteria contained within EC Regulation 2408/92. The Scottish Executive has not made, and has no plans to make, representations to the European Commission in respect of new PSOs on any air routes.
- 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 Jack McConnell on 5 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish public bodies spent on consultancy services in each of the last five years and how much they expect to spend in the current year and the following two years.
Answer
There are a variety of categories of public bodies including Executive, Advisory and Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Bodies, NHS Bodies, state-owned companies and public corporations. They operate at various levels of delegated responsibility, including the way in which they use consultancy services. Information on the use of these services is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 4 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recommendations by the Scottish Council for Development in Industry to Scottish Trade International that the latter set up special groups to consider the e-market place and the Eastern European market place has been accepted.
Answer
Scottish Trade International is already actively addressing e-business in close consultation with Scottish Enterprise's e-commerce team and has undertaken a number of activities in the Eastern European market place. These will also be key areas in the new international strategy which is currently being developed by Scottish Trade International and has involved extensive consultation including with the Scottish Council Development and Industry. The new strategy will be launched early next year and will follow on from the present five-year Export Development Strategy for Scotland launched in 1995.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the net outward migration from the Highlands and Islands in the 18 to 30 age group was in each year from 1996 to present.
Answer
Estimates of net migration in the 18 to 30 age-group for the Highlands and Islands consistent with the Registrar General's mid-year estimates of population are given in the table below.
Net migration for Highlands and Islands; 1996-1999
| | Year ending 30 June |
Council Area | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
Highland | -710 | -860 | -930 | -730 |
Orkney Islands | -90 | -70 | -150 | -50 |
Shetland Islands | -70 | -80 | -110 | -120 |
Eilean Siar | -160 | -330 | -210 | -200 |
Total | -1030 | -1340 | -1400 | -1100 |
Notes:
1. A negative figure indicates net outward migration.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of all work and procedures, including time expended by its own and Scottish Natural Heritage's employees, involved in consulting on and making a designation order in respect of (a) a Special Area of Conservation and (b) a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Answer
The process of designating Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) is not yet complete and it is not possible, therefore, to provide the detailed costs requested.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) are currently engaged in a programme of consultations on behalf of Scottish Ministers on a further 90 proposed SACs. In accordance with existing policy, sites proposed under European nature conservation directives are normally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as Sites Of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Where appropriate, the SSSI notification process, including consultation with affected parties, takes place at the same time as SAC consultation to avoid duplication of effort by SNH.
The cost of notifying and consulting on a potential SSSI or SAC varies enormously according to the size of the site, the number of consultees and possible reference, in the case of SSSIs, to the Advisory Committee on SSSIs. An average figure is, therefore, meaningless.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will withdraw the proposal in the Transport (Scotland) Bill which enables a levy on workplace parking to be introduced following recent reports that Edinburgh City Council would not introduce such levies.
Answer
No.
