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-01639

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incorporation of further education colleges in 1993 led, in comparison with the previous system, to additional costs and, if so, whether it will outline these costs.

Colleges incurred certain additional costs as a consequence of incorporation, such as the costs of finance, administration and other services previously provided by local authorities. But there were also cost savings, such as local authorities' central administration recharges, capital financing charges and mandatory rating relief. All of those factors, together with known new expenditure commitments such as inherited property costs, loans, rates etc were fully taken into account in setting colleges' grant allocations for 1993-1994.In addition, grants totalling £2.5 million were provided to the colleges in 1992-1993 to assist them in meeting preparatory costs.

Question reference: S1W-01641

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make emergency resources available to Inverness College in order to ensure that staffing levels are not further reduced.

Question reference: S1W-00899

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given that the National Lottery is a reserved matter, the Parliament has any statutory right to be consulted in relation to decisions taken on applications for Scotland by the New Opportunities Fund.

Question reference: S1W-01725

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will name those public sector bodies for which it is responsible which have engaged the services of Beattie Media and what payments for what services have been made or are due to be paid to Beattie Media by those bodies.

Question reference: S1W-01729

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify the criteria which are used to determine in what circumstances Ministers will agree to a meeting with (a) ��˿�� of the Labour Party (b) ��˿�� of the Liberal Democrat Party (c) ��˿�� of other parties (d) special interest groups and (e) lobbyists of clients, and state whether there is any guideline as to the time within which such meetings can be arranged.

Question reference: S1W-01733

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that self-regulation by lobbyist organisations is adequate and if so, whether it will make a statement justifying its position.

Question reference: S1W-01731

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct or request that all public bodies for which it is responsible, including Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies, make available to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of any monies which have been paid, are due, or may become due to any lobbyist organisations or company.

Question reference: S1W-01723

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will, pending the outcome of any investigation by the Standards Committee into the reports by the Observer newspaper of 26 September 1999 regarding Beattie Media, (a) instruct the company that they may not enter any Scottish Executive office, (b) give an undertaking that it will not meet with Beattie Media and (c) request Beattie Media that it will not seek to influence the Executive on any matter.

Question reference: S1W-01724

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether since 6 May 1999 any meetings with Ministers have taken place which were arranged with, sought by or otherwise followed requests from Beattie Media or any of the staff of that company and, if so, to specify them in a list detailing (a) the Minister (b) the date of the meeting and (c) the person or persons who arranged the meeting or meetings.

Question reference: S1W-01726

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 1999
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 30 September 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact there has been between members of the Executive and Beattie Media, including its employees, in relation to (i) freight shipment rights at Prestwick Airport, (ii) development on the Lomond Shores Centre at Loch Lomond, (iii) any development within the constituency of Brian Wilson MP and (iv) youth soccer academies.