- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology it uses in calculating the number of new businesses and whether bank statistics and VAT registration are taken into account in the calculation.
Answer
Although the Scottish Executive itself does not publish estimates for the number of new businesses in Scotland, a number of measures are used by the Executive to monitor the business birth rate in Scotland including bank statistics and VAT registration statistics.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor which indicates that an increased incidence of entrepreneurship among the total population of a country leads to a higher level of economic growth, what measures it will take to increase the level of entrepreneurship in Scotland and whether any such measures will be targeted at school pupils.
Answer
We have a number of positive measures in hand to encourage and increase the level of entrepreneurship in Scotland, including initiatives targeted at school pupils. The Education for Work and Enterprise agenda covers a wide range of school-based and other activities which are designed to raise awareness of the role of enterprise and entrepreneurship. For example, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire Business Partnership has supported a range of enterprise activities designed to support the 5-14 curriculum. These include a "Mini Enterprise" programme for primary schools in Lanarkshire. In addition, the Achievers International programme supports the development of entrepreneurial skills through the innovative use of information technology.
Scottish Enterprise has also published a discussion paper detailing the progress made under the Business Birth Rate Strategy since its launch in 1993, and we are continuing to work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in improving their support for enterprise and business creation.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of jobs created or preserved by each of its task forces since July 1999.
Answer
Of the eight task forces set up or continued by the Scottish Executive, only the Knowledge Economy and the Digital Scotland Task Forces have aims which include encouraging economic development. However in neither case would it be appropriate to link the activities of the task forces directly with particular numbers of jobs created or safeguarded.
- 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: 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: 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: 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 £66.761 million. This represents an increase of £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.
