- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of any additional costs incurred by fish farmers in each year since Her Majesty's Government's decision not to adopt EU Council Decision 90/424, which provides compensation for the compulsory slaughter of farmed fish.
Answer
No such estimate has been made. The provisions of Decision 90/424 apply to neither of the fish diseases for which compulsory slaughter has been required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will convene a working group, including representatives of the sectors of industry most likely to be affected, a Scottish Environment Protection Agency representative and a water authority representative, to consider proposals for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Answer
We intend to take an open approach to implementing the EC Water Framework Directive consulting extensively with stakeholders. For example, we plan to hold a conference on the Directive in the autumn. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the water authorities, industry representatives and environmental organisations will be among those invited to attend.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all advice, direction or guidance given to local authorities in respect of the proposed rates relief package for businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
Answer
Guidance was issued to local authorities in Finance Circular No. 1/2001, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 12527).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hotels there are in the Highland Council area and how many of these have a rateable value of over #12,500.
Answer
There were 2,346 hotels, boarding houses etc. on the valuation roll for the Highland Council area as at 1 April 2000. 311 of these had a rateable value of over £12,000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance has been received by the National Trust for Scotland in respect of the proposed Glencoe visitor centre from (a) the European Rural Development Fund, (b) the Enterprise Network, (c) Scottish Natural Heritage and (d) any other public funding source and whether any such financial assistance places local restaurant and retail premises that have not yet received such funding at a competitive disadvantage.
Answer
The National Trust for Scotland has received no financial assistance from the Enterprise Network in respect of the proposed Glencoe visitor centre. The Trust received £178,750 from Scottish Natural Heritage in 1995 toward the purchase of the land for the development of the project. I refer the member to a letter he received in December 1999 from the National Trust for Scotland detailing a total of £26,434 committed ERDF funding for the project. A copy of this letter will be placed for reference in the Parliament's Reference Centre. This figure remains unaltered and no additional public sector funding has been provided to the National Trust for Scotland in respect of this project.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the introduction of the aggregates tax in April 2002, whether the cost of any new computer software development to administer the tax correctly will be defrayed by the Executive or Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and what consultation it has undertaken with quarry operators in order to arrive at a position on this matter as regards (a) any costs of such software and (b) whether there is sufficient time prior to its introduction for quarriers to develop any software required.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. There are no plans to defray the cost of changes to computer software in Scotland. HM Treasury and Customs and Excise have included the quarrying industry in their consultations on the tax.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an inquiry into the impact of the proposed aggregates tax upon the Scottish economy.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Assessment of the impact of the proposed tax throughout the UK is a matter for HM Treasury.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 22 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11008 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 November 2000, why it expects a net increase in employment to result from the Chancellor's intention to recycle the revenues from the aggregates tax into a reduction in employers' National Insurance contributions.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Detailed questions on the economic impact of the aggregates tax should be directed to HM Treasury. Although no separate assessment of the impact of the tax has been undertaken in Scotland, it is reasonable to expect a reduction in employers' costs to result in an increase in employment.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 22 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed explanation of its decision not to convene an independent inquiry into salmon farming and outline any initiatives or measures which are in place to ensure good working practices in the industry.
Answer
A full explanation of the Executive's position is provided in the letter from the Minister for Environment and Rural Development to the Rural Development and Transport and Environment Committees, which is now available on the Scottish Parliament website.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the introduction of the aggregates tax in April 2002, a greater proportion of pre-cast concrete requirements will be met by imports from the Irish Republic and, if so, what impact this will have on Scotland's roads and environment and whether it will take any action to support Scottish pre-cast concrete production.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Assessment of the impacts of the tax throughout the UK is a matter for HM Treasury. No separate assessment has been undertaken in Scotland. There are no plans to provide support for pre-cast concrete production in Scotland in connection with the aggregates tax.
