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-04764

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will insert a provision in the draft National Parks (Scotland) Bill to the effect that the members of the proposed National Parks Authority shall be elected locally and directly by the residents rather than being appointed or nominated.

We are reviewing all points raised in respect of the consultation exercise recently carried out on the draft National Parks Bill. The consultation period ended on 3 March 2000 and all points will be considered prior to the Bill being introduced to Parliament. The Bill as currently drafted requires members to have knowledge or experience relevant to the functions of the National Park authority or the National Park, but does not require direct elections.

Question reference: S1W-04768

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed National Parks will be funded by grants and, if so, what its estimate is of the annual grant (in current cash terms) for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Cairngorms in the first five years of operation.

Question reference: S1W-05042

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 20 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of public funding is currently spent annually on education courses for prospective teachers of Gaelic.

There are currently a total of 35 Gaelic-speaking students on Initial Teacher Training courses. Of these, 14, including nine post-graduate students, graduate this year. This represents a cost of approximately £290,000.

In addition, in 1999 the Scottish Executive funded a Gaelic Medium Subject Specialist Teachers Course for secondary teachers. This was run by Sabhal Mor Ostaig at a total cost of £66,000. This year and next similar GMST courses will be run. Their costs will be in the same region but the precise amounts will depend on teacher numbers.

Question reference: S1W-05043

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the reduction in financial support under the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme will have upon levels of population in the Western Isles and in each of the crofting counties.

Question reference: S1W-05045

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the letter written by its Chief Agricultural Officer to administrators of the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme as referred to in The Herald of Wednesday 1 March 2000, whether there will be any job redundancies of those administrators as a result of any changes to the scheme; whether it remains committed to providing the scheme and, if so, why it has reduced the financial benefits available under it and whether it will publish the rates for grant and loans for building a house (a) at 1990 levels and (b) at current levels, in real terms.

I am arranging for a copy of the Chief Agricultural Officer's letter to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Efficiency savings in administering the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loan Scheme (CBGLS) mean that workloads throughout the nine Area Offices in the Highlands and Islands may reduce in total by the equivalent of five to seven posts. We aim to avoid compulsory redundancies and will explore ways of achieving this e.g. by redeployment of staff to other work.

The Executive recognises that CBGLS plays a significant role in retaining population levels in the crofting areas. The overall financial benefits available under CBGLS have not been reduced. Rather, the recent adjustments have allowed them to be extended more widely.

The rates for grant/loan in 1990 and at present for new houses are:

	Grant	Loan
Up to 15 May 1990	50% of the cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £8,700	Up to a maximum of £13,500
From 16 May 1990	50% of the cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £11,500	Up to a maximum of £17,500
From 1 January 2000	£11,500	Up to a maximum of £17,500

Using the GDP deflator the current maximum assistance of £29,000 would be worth £22,230 at 1990-91 prices.

Question reference: S1W-05044

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the levels of financial assistance available to crofters for house improvements under the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme.

Question reference: S1W-05001

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of all publicly funded positions, including the name of the person currently in post, where the total package of remuneration received exceeds that received by the First Minister.

The Executive does not hold information centrally on the remuneration packages of all persons holding publicly funded positions. The publication Appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies, updated in February 2000, gives the names and remuneration of Chairs and Board members of executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies, nationalised industries, public corporations and NHS bodies in Scotland. The publication is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The names and remuneration of the Chief Executives and Chief Officers of most public bodies are published in the body's annual accounts.

Question reference: S1W-04997

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 17 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the numbers who will be employed or working within the tourist industry, in each local authority area, (a) this year and (b) for each of the next three years.

The latest data is in respect of 1997. Estimates for the next three years are not held.

Local Authority	Tourism Employment: 1997
Aberdeen City	9,863
Aberdeenshire	5,582
Angus	2,989
Argyll & Bute	3,845
Clackmannanshire	786
Dumfries & Galloway	4,481
Dundee City	4,638
East Ayrshire	2,368
East Dunbartonshire	1,712
East Lothian	2,271
East Renfrewshire	1,301
Edinburgh City	20,559
Eilean Siar	687
Falkirk	3,228
Fife	8,742
Glasgow City	24,722
Highland	10,247
Inverclyde	2,583
Midlothian	1,503
Moray	2,503
North Ayrshire	3,844
North Lanarkshire	5,485
Orkney	509
Perth & Kinross	6,387
Renfrewshire	4,896
Scottish Borders	2,289
Shetland	839
South Ayrshire	4,709
South Lanarkshire	6,591
Stirling	3,554
West Dunbartonshire	2,602
West Lothian	2,787
Total	159,102

Source: Annual Employment Survey.

Notes:

Excludes self-employed, estimated at 17,000.Includes all employment: full time, part time, seasonal, year-round.

Question reference: S1W-04999

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 17 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to re-allocate the total expenditure on employing special advisers to fund an enhanced pay award in 2000-01 to the lowest paid in (a) the health service or (b) further education colleges.

Question reference: S1W-05002

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 17 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all small businesses within the tourism sector have full access to e-commerce and the OSSIAN Project and how it will achieve this.