- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the activities of Scottish National Heritage (SNH) regarding the proposed designation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest on Berneray, with particular regard to the duties of SNH to take into account under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 the interests of communities and social and economic development.
Answer
No. The designation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) is the responsibility of SNH, which has a statutory duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to notify land which, in its opinion, is of special scientific interest.Under the 1991 Act, in exercising its functions, SNH has a duty to take "such account as may be appropriate" of the interests of local communities and the need for social and economic development. However, where SNH is notifying an area of land as an SSSI and the scientific case for that land has been established, it is appropriate that SNH take no account of other factors.I am currently considering what future changes to the SSSI system may be desirable to ensure that we secure the protection of the natural heritage in a way which is effective and which takes account of communities' views.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the concerns expressed by the Ness District Fishing Board in their submissions to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency dated 29 October 1999 have been investigated prior to the commencement of any development work at Urquhart Castle.
Answer
Historic Scotland has investigated the concerns raised by the Ness District Fishing Board in their submission to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. A written response was submitted to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency which was taken into account by them in determining the application for a discharge consent. The discharge consent was issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 1 March 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much non-domestic rating income (a) it calculated should be distributed to and (b) was collected by each local authority in each of the last five years.
Answer
The amounts of non-domestic rate income distributed to local authorities in each of the last five years, and collected by local authorities for years 1996-97 to 1998-99 are shown in the following table. Figures are not yet available for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 collections:
Council | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
| | Distributed | Collected | Distributed | Collected | Distributed | Collected |
Aberdeen City | 56,050,000 | 86,909,230 | 56,571,000 | 92,077,265 | 59,112,000 | 101,318,328 |
Aberdeenshire | 57,834,000 | 44,835,817 | 58,484,000 | 45,794,645 | 61,879,000 | 49,466,288 |
Angus | 28,589,000 | 17,881,385 | 28,856,000 | 17,667,960 | 30,141,000 | 19,568,920 |
Argyll & Bute | 23,409,000 | 24,905,858 | 23,574,000 | 23,925,238 | 24,716,000 | 28,299,338 |
Clackmannanshire | 12,497,000 | 10,409,625 | 12,604,000 | 10,604,813 | 13,280,000 | 10,495,047 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 37,812,000 | 27,831,687 | 38,184,000 | 31,037,389 | 40,159,000 | 31,789,211 |
Dundee City | 38,695,000 | 39,584,602 | 38,987,000 | 39,377,604 | 40,880,000 | 42,071,071 |
East Ayrshire | 31,608,000 | 16,508,548 | 31,784,000 | 20,644,896 | 33,289,000 | 21,876,160 |
East Dunbartonshire | 28,308,000 | 14,695,817 | 28,691,000 | 14,936,428 | 30,133,000 | 14,797,539 |
East Lothian | 22,206,000 | 24,079,491 | 22,624,000 | 24,224,075 | 23,981,000 | 24,911,565 |
East Renfrewshire | 22,314,000 | 9,699,357 | 22,758,000 | 8,102,884 | 23,965,000 | 10,126,348 |
Edinburgh, City of | 113,487,000 | 169,526,631 | 115,545,000 | 179,348,233 | 122,123,000 | 186,151,389 |
Eilean Siar | 7,498,000 | 4,482,845 | 7,497,000 | 4,636,830 | 7,858,000 | 4,632,944 |
Falkirk | 36,464,000 | 45,196,145 | 36,867,000 | 41,533,242 | 38,918,000 | 44,466,106 |
Fife | 90,079,000 | 99,952,162 | 90,774,000 | 93,983,725 | 95,038,000 | 101,297,014 |
Glasgow City | 159,507,000 | 219,409,650 | 159,662,000 | 203,939,379 | 167,718,000 | 231,326,059 |
Highland | 53,085,000 | 51,131,606 | 53,777,000 | 50,237,633 | 56,783,000 | 53,075,991 |
Inverclyde* | 22,866,000 | 14,111,817 | 22,897,000 | 15,684,943 | 23,698,000 | 16,455,511 |
Midlothian | 20,469,000 | 11,729,201 | 20,623,000 | 11,998,115 | 21,777,000 | 12,994,938 |
Moray | 22,347,000 | 18,100,377 | 22,500,000 | 19,300,029 | 23,538,000 | 19,672,200 |
North Ayrshire | 35,584,000 | 34,462,286 | 36,020,000 | 35,580,437 | 37,961,000 | 36,854,012 |
North Lanarkshire* | 83,596,000 | 63,138,676 | 84,355,000 | 56,933,088 | 88,682,000 | 68,164,545 |
Orkney | 5,068,000 | 5,962,906 | 5,130,000 | 5,639,008 | 5,387,000 | 6,209,691 |
Perth & Kinross | 33,770,000 | 31,684,643 | 34,290,000 | 32,776,628 | 36,070,000 | 32,924,976 |
Renfrewshire* | 45,318,000 | 43,513,331 | 46,042,000 | 44,499,634 | 48,580,000 | 46,023,557 |
Scottish Borders | 27,042,000 | 16,299,596 | 27,418,000 | 17,340,330 | 28,868,000 | 18,548,281 |
Shetland | 5,853,000 | 15,915,411 | 5,961,000 | 14,235,802 | 6,263,000 | 12,351,868 |
South Ayrshire | 29,257,000 | 25,664,737 | 29,579,000 | 26,253,041 | 31,189,000 | 28,296,107 |
South Lanarkshire | 78,671,000 | 63,847,135 | 79,367,000 | 57,732,714 | 83,651,000 | 69,496,242 |
Stirling | 20,983,000 | 23,350,956 | 21,242,000 | 23,435,752 | 22,515,000 | 26,955,963 |
West Dunbartonshire* | 24,857,000 | 20,572,119 | 24,859,000 | 22,853,790 | 26,054,000 | 22,396,416 |
West Lothian | 37,912,000 | 36,658,220 | 38,607,000 | 40,843,193 | 41,022,000 | 44,096,478 |
* 1998-99 audited figures not yet available - figures based on most recent estimate of NDR collected by councils.
Council | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
| | Distributed | Distributed |
Aberdeen City | 60,723,000 | 69,193,000 |
Aberdeenshire | 63,678,000 | 73,477,000 |
Angus | 30,998,000 | 35,745,000 |
Argyll & Bute | 25,464,000 | 29,221,000 |
Clackmannanshire | 13,726,000 | 15,770,000 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 41,423,000 | 47,835,000 |
Dundee City | 41,879,000 | 47,637,000 |
East Ayrshire | 34,266,000 | 39,391,000 |
East Dunbartonshire | 31,178,000 | 35,582,000 |
East Lothian | 25,028,000 | 29,087,000 |
East Renfrewshire | 24,916,000 | 28,571,000 |
Edinburgh, City of | 126,547,000 | 146,193,000 |
Eilean Siar | 7,942,000 | 9,073,000 |
Falkirk | 40,273,000 | 46,799,000 |
Fife | 97,975,000 | 113,303,000 |
Glasgow City | 172,008,000 | 201,238,000 |
Highland | 58,661,000 | 67,644,000 |
Inverclyde | 24,325,000 | 27,733,000 |
Midlothian | 22,688,000 | 26,259,000 |
Moray | 24,193,000 | 27,886,000 |
North Ayrshire | 39,308,000 | 45,354,000 |
North Lanarkshire | 91,822,000 | 106,100,000 |
Orkney | 5,579,000 | 6,349,000 |
Perth & Kinross | 37,472,000 | 43,204,000 |
Renfrewshire | 50,129,000 | 57,749,000 |
Scottish Borders | 29,865,000 | 34,520,000 |
Shetland | 6,474,000 | 7,440,000 |
South Ayrshire | 32,303,000 | 37,164,000 |
South Lanarkshire | 86,431,000 | 99,651,000 |
Stirling | 23,504,000 | 29,996,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | 26,909,000 | 30,812,000 |
West Lothian | 42,835,000 | 49,715,000 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of British Waterways in Scotland, and whether it has any plans to change the role of (a) the board of management of British Waterways and (b) British Waterways as they affect Scotland.
Answer
I would refer to my answer to question S1W-1652. It is proposed that British Waterways (BW) should continue to manage, subject to satisfactory performance, the Scottish canal network as it does at present and that, subject to the agreement of the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments, a number of new and distinctive features will be introduced to ensure appropriate accountability to the Scottish Executive in its future role as Government sponsor of BW's activities in Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about the bringing into force of legislation shielding personal pensions from vesting in the event of the policy holder becoming bankrupt, and how many people in Scotland it estimates will lose their personal pensions between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001 if such legislation is not brought into place by the end of that year.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has made no representations to Her Majesty's Government about bringing this legislation into force. It is estimated that 375 people will lose their personal pensions between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001 if legislation is not brought into place by the end of that year.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it established a Highlands and Islands transport authority, it would be possible to enable it to purchase petrol and diesel for resale to motor vehicle users in the Highlands and Islands; if so, whether it would give the authority such a function and what budget it would make available to enable the authority to fulfil this function.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is jointly commissioning work to examine the issue of whether to establish a Highlands and Islands transport authority and, if so, the functions it should discharge.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 19 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that there is no decrease in the 2000-01 budget for Highlands and Island Enterprise and that there is a real terms increase in its budget of the same percentage as that for Scottish Enterprise and on what grounds Scottish Enterprise will receive a real term budget increase while Highlands and Islands Enterprise will receive a decrease.
Answer
The grant-in-aid allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise for financial year 2000-01 amounts to 拢66.761 million. This represents an increase of 拢1.371 million over the equivalent figure for 1999-2000.
Decisions on Highlands and Islands Enterprise's and Scottish Enterprise's budgets are considered separately and in response to their respective functions and needs. The budgets are kept under constant review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much traffic uses the A82 from Tarbet to North of Inverarnan on a daily basis; whether this stretch of the A82 is in need of improvement to the same standard as the section of the A82 lying between Balloch and Tarbet and what impact it anticipates the passage of the National Parks (Scotland) Bill and the designation of inter alia this section of the A82 as lying within a National Park area will have upon the prospects for such improvement.
Answer
The average daily traffic flow on the A82 trunk road between Tarbet and north of Inverarnan is 3,000 vehicles compared to 12,000 vehicles between Balloch and Tarbet. The Scottish Executive is aware that the section between Tarbet and north of Inverarnan requires upgrading and has included two improvement schemes on this section within the current three-year road improvement programme.
National Parks are to be designated as "Statutory Consultees" on matters relating to roads and traffic management. In this way they will be invited to comment on any road matters within their area.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered compensating sufferers of organophosphate poisoning who became ill after complying with compulsory dipping orders.
Answer
The issues of compensation are essentially not for government but for individuals to take up with the manufacturers of the product involved.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the reduced availability of private sector housing grants within Highland Council area has had upon the quantity of stock in that sector and how many houses it estimates would have received grants had the total sum spent been maintained in real terms at the 1995-96 level in each subsequent year.
Answer
The vast majority of private sector grants are for the improvement or repair of existing houses. It is therefore unlikely that their availability has much bearing on the quantity of stock in the private sector. The amount of grant payable depends on the nature of the works and so can vary considerably between cases. It is therefore not possible to make an estimate of grants which Highland Council might have awarded since 1 April 1996 had the budget for the years concerned been as described.
