- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether standard operating practices and procedures were applied by the First Minister’s (FM’s) private office in relation to the receipt of correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council intimating the prospective closure of the Macdonald hotel company and the complete resort operation, received from the First Minister’s constituency office manager on 29 October 2007.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is under any statutory duty to give weight to the economic interests of developers in undertaking its statutory duties, beyond any general encouragement or guidance to act efficiently and as expeditiously as possible in conducting its affairs and dealing with planning applications.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11032 on 16 April 2008 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which minister would have determined any appeal by the developers of Aviemore resort hotels against a decision by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to reject the master plan and any related planning applications
Answer
Where an application for planning permission has been made to the planning authority and has been refused, approved with conditions, or the authority has failed to make a decision on the application within the set period, the applicant may appeal to Scottish ministers. Appeals are handled by inquiry reporters in the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals.
In most cases the inquiry reporter will prepare and issue the decision letter on behalf of Scottish ministers. In a small number of cases, however, the reporter will not issue the decision but will send a report with a recommendation to Scottish ministers. The decision on the appeal would be taken by the Planning Minister, Stewart Stevenson. If the Planning Minister were debarred from the decision-making process, e.g. by having a constituency interest or by having publicly expressed a view about the case, then another minister would make the decision on his behalf.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the First Minister circulating a briefing note commissioned by the Minister for Community Safety, and prepared by building consultants on behalf of the developer of Aviemore resort hotels, to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and the Minister for Environment.
Answer
The briefing note was forwarded by the First Minister''s private office to the ministers and a number of officials for background information following the approaches made by MSPs to the First Minister and others.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether standard operating practices and procedures were applied by the First Minister’s private office in relation to correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald’s company and enclosures of further correspondence between Mr Macdonald’s company and the planning authorities, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Highland Council, concerning the Aviemore resort hotels planning application as received by email from the First Minister’s constituency office manager on 9 and 13 November 2007.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive why a briefing note, commissioned by the Minister for Community Safety and prepared by building consultants on behalf of the developer of Aviemore resort hotels, was sent to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency by the Scottish Government and who issued the instructions to do so.
Answer
The briefing note was forwarded by Scottish Government officials to SEPA for background information and comment following the approaches made by MSPs to the First Minister and others.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is obliged under its statutory duties, or in guidance issued to it, to have regard to the economic interests of developers in making statutory determinations, beyond any general encouragement or guidance to act efficiently and expeditiously in conducting its affairs and dealing with planning applications.
Answer
SEPA has a general duty under section 32 of the Environment Act 1995 to have regard to the economic needs of any area when formulating proposals relating to any of the agency''s statutory functions. SEPA is also required to adhere to statutory guidance on Sustainable Development which requires the agency to ensure its actions do not unnecessarily constrain economic development, and to enforce high environmental standards whilst having regard to economic considerations.
When responding to planning consultations, SEPA takes into account sustainable development considerations including, if relevant, the financial and employment imperatives involved. The statutory guidance on Sustainable Development also makes clear that SEPA''s involvement in development planning is crucial in helping planning authorities to protect communities from inappropriate development and degradation of their local environment.
SEPA, like other public bodies, needs to be aligned with, and prioritise, the strategic objectives of the Scottish Government which include Wealthier as well as Safer and Greener.
Any question about how SEPA carried out its functions in relation to an individual case should be directed to its chief executive.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council intimating the prospective closure of the Macdonald hotel company and the complete resort operation, as received by email from the First Minister’s constituency office manager on 29 October 2007, was produced in hard copy and given to either the First Minister or his advisers by the First Minister’s private office.
Answer
They were not.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council intimating the prospective closure of the Macdonald hotel company and the complete resort operation, as received by email from the First Minister's constituency office manager on 29 October 2007, were placed in the ministerial correspondence system.
Answer
They were.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has any statutory duties to promote economic development
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11032 on 16 April 2008 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
