- 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 Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the announcement of an #11 million boost for the tourist industry, as referred to in its press release dated 16 February 2000, constitutes an additional resource for the Scottish Tourist Board, and to provide details of the budget line from which these funds are drawn.
Answer
£5.25 million is going to the Scottish Tourist Board of which £2 million is for the Area Tourist Boards. These are unexpended funds carried forward from this financial year into the next financial year under the end year flexibility arrangements.
- 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 Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the cost of preparing, publishing and printing the document A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism.
Answer
The cost of graphic design, printing and distribution was £32,320.
- 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 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a conflict of interest in its advisory role in the designation of Special Protected Area status, given the statutory duty of SNH to take account of the interests of communities and social and economic development.
Answer
No. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a general duty to take such account as may be appropriate in the circumstances of the interests of local communities and the need for social and economic development. In the case of Special Protection Areas, selection must be on scientific criteria and it is not appropriate for Scottish Natural Heritage to take account of other factors.
- 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 Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend its target for the annual growth rate for the value of tourism expenditure from 3.3% per annum to 4%, in line with the estimated growth rate in tourism in the global marketplace and, if so, whether it will amend its other targets in the New Strategy for Scottish Tourism accordingly.
Answer
Growth in tourism over the next five years is expected to be greatest in emerging markets, for example, in Asia. Tourism in Europe is forecast to grow by around 3.1% annually. Our target of 3.3% for Scotland is therefore not only tough but realistic.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what role Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) plays in relation to the designation of land as a Special Protection Area and whether, in carrying out that role, SNH must observe and fulfil the duties imposed upon it by section 3 of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991, in particular the duty to have regard to the needs of agriculture, fisheries and forestry and social and economic development in Scotland or any part thereof.
Answer
In its role as adviser to Scottish Ministers on natural heritage matters, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) advises on the scientific case for classifying Special Protection Areas (SPA). SNH staff carry out consultations on behalf of the Scottish Executive with relevant stakeholders in proposed SPAs, and report on the outcome.Case law in the European Court of Justice has established that member states cannot take account of socio-economic considerations in identifying SPAs and in defining their boundaries.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to question S1W-1282 lodged on 1 September 1999 about the specialisms of its special advisers, when it will provide an explanation for the delay in providing a substantive answer and whether the answer will include details of those special advisers who, since the lodging of the question, have left its employment.
Answer
I refer to the answer I gave to question S1W-1282 on 22 February 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in view of the estimate of 16-18 million of the number of corncrakes globally, Scottish National Heritage have funded or are to fund any projects involving corncrakes and, if so, whether it will provide full details of the funding provided or to be provided.
Answer
There is no evidence to support the quoted figure of 16-18 million corncrakes. The internationally accepted method of calculating the corncrake population is by numbers of singing males. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently indicates a global corncrake population which fluctuates annually between 1.6 and 3 million singing males.Funding from Scottish Natural Heritage to encourage farmers and crofters to manage land in a manner that meets the needs of the corncrake is shown below.
| SNH Programme | Year | Expenditure | Comment |
| Corncrake Management Scheme(operational from 1998) | 1998-1999 | £7,728 | For payment to farmers within corncrake SPAs |
| | 1999-2000 | £58,000* | |
| | | | |
| Corncrake Initiative(operational from 1992) | | | Payments made to farmers within corncrake areas in conjunction with Scottish Crofters Union and RSPB |
| | 1992-93 | £7,746 | |
| | 1993-94 | £19,283 | |
| | 1994-95 | £25,630 | |
| | 1995-96 | £21,377 | |
| | 1996-97 | £62,231 | |
| | 1997-98 | £57,000 | |
| | 1998-99 | £47,000 | |
| | 1999-2000 | £57,000* | |
| | | *anticipated | |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to obtain information regarding the policies pursued in Denmark to promote renewable energy and in particular those which encourage the use of renewable energy amongst consumers, and whether it will make such information available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The proposals of the Scottish Executive on the promotion of renewable energy were outlined in my answer to S1W-4084 dated 1 February. These proposals are part of the framework established by the UK Government to pursue the target of meeting 10% of GB electricity demand from renewable energy by 2010. This followed an extensive consultation procedure in which many Scottish companies and organisations participated.I am always very keen to learn from the experience of others and have met representatives of other countries' governments and overseas companies to discuss these matters.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to prevent the North of Scotland Water Authority from holding public meetings in order to explain why water charges must increase or whether it will welcome public consultation of this nature.
Answer
In my statement to the Scottish Parliament of 26 January, I set out how the Executive accepted the Water Industry Commissioner's advice that substantial increases in water and sewerage charges are needed to fund essential investment programmes although I moderated the levels recommended by him.It is a matter for each authority how it discusses with its customers the need for investment to meet improved health and environment standards. NoSWA already carries out, and will continue, consultations with a diverse range of its customers and their elected representatives on this issue and I welcome this.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will disclose what level of increase in water charges was sought or proposed by the water commissioner for the year 2002-03 for each of the three water authorities in Scotland.
Answer
All of the Commissioner's advice to the Executive on charges was published on 26 January.
