- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30353 by Dr Elaine Murray on 24 October 2002, on what date the final year of the three-year funding commitment to the teacher release scheme will end; when sportscotland will take a decision about reviewing the scheme; whether there has been any delay in the making of such a decision and, if so, whether the Executive will direct sportscotland to take a decision on the matter; whether funding for the scheme has been fully utilised in each year that the scheme has been in operation; what the total cost of the scheme has been, and what the average cost of the scheme has been per day in each year of operation
Answer
The three-year funding commitment will end on 31 March 2003. As I have said previously,
sportscotland is currently reviewing the scheme and a decision is expected following its council meeting in March.£150,000 was committed to this scheme and the information requested is in the following table.
| Year | Budget | Actual Spend | Average Cost Per Day |
| 2000-01 | £50,000 | £49,650 | £130 |
| 2001-02 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £145 |
| 2002-03 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £156 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether membership of area tourist boards should not be made compulsory for tourist businesses.
Answer
The review of area tourist boards is still under way and the outcome will be announced in due course; this will include the relationship between boards and tourist businesses in the area.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32954 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 January 2003, when the Sociable Neighbourhood National Co-ordinator completed the audit of local authorities and their strategies to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Answer
Audits of the 32 local authorities took place between March and November 2001. Individual reports and recommendations were made to each local authority by the Sociable Neighbourhood National Co-ordinator. A report distilling the information from all 32 audits will be published in the spring and copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Land Court will have any power under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill to be arbiter of consent similar to that under section 1(5) of the Lands Tribunal Act 1949.
Answer
In their report on Jurisdictions under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Acts (Scot Law Com No 178), upon which Part 7 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill is based, the Scottish Law Commission recommended that the Land Court be given power to act as arbiter of consent on a contractual reference, similar to the power available to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland under section 1(5) of the Lands Tribunal Act 1949.New section 60(2)(d) of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 (as introduced by section 59 of the bill) makes such provision as is appropriate in relation to tenancies under the 1991 act.Section 61(2)(d) of the bill makes equivalent provision in respect of tenancies under the bill.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a power of remit between the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
It is our intention that the jurisdiction of the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill will be entirely distinct. They will not overlap. We have tabled an amendment to the bill which would give the tribunal jurisdiction over valuation appeals in relation to the right to buy. The Land Court will have a general jurisdiction over disputes arising out of agricultural tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 and the bill, but will not have jurisdiction over valuation appeals.We recognise that there may be cases concerned with valuation appeals that raise issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the Land Court. Therefore, in order to facilitate the efficient disposal of such cases, I can confirm that we have also lodged an amendment to the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill that would enable the tribunal to refer a matter to the Land Court if it considers that to be appropriate.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Land Court will have the required number of members necessary to perform the functions that will be conferred upon it under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill; and whether it will remove the maximum age limit at which existing members must vacate office, and whether it will make a permanent appointment of a deputy chairman.
Answer
The Executive has always provided the Scottish Land Court with the staffing resources it requires. We envisage no difficulty about continuing to do that in future.We have no intention of removing the maximum age limit at which existing members must vacate office. None of its members is near the retirement age of 65. That retirement age was part of the package on pay and conditions that members freely entered into when appointed. There is no business case at present in either the Land Court or the Lands Tribunal for Scotland for the creation of a permanent post of Deputy Chairman. Powers for the ad hoc appointment of a deputy chairman already exist (see paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 to the Scottish Land Court Act 1993). These have been used once in the last eight years and they worked perfectly satisfactorily. Staffing levels are kept under regular review in consultation with Lord McGhie. The Executive stand ready to respond to bids for more staff when the workloads justify this.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 5 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer when the management team of the Holyrood project, or any of its members, first (a) became aware of the contents of the accounts of Flour City International Inc in respect of the quarter ending 31 July 2001 and (b) communicated to (i) the Holyrood Progress Group and (ii) the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body any information in respect of the contents of those accounts.
Answer
The Holyrood Project Team was never made aware of the accounts of Flour City International for the quarter ending 31 July 2001, and consequently no information about these has been communicated to either the Holyrood Progress Group or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33364 by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2003, whether other MSPs for the area were given notice of these meetings and offered an opportunity to attend.
Answer
No. The Executive will advise MSPs when a minister intends visiting their area. However, MSPs are not routinely advised or invited when a minister meets other MSPs in private to discuss a subject affecting their area. The arrangements for meetings organised by non-Executive bodies are for them to decide.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 4 February 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the windows installed in the MSP block west elevation of the new Parliament building at Holyrood are watertight.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 29 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the full text of the letter to it from the European Union (EU) regarding EU structural funds for the Highlands and Islands that the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services referred to in The Herald on 3 December 2002.
Answer
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures were provisional, and have since been withdrawn by ONS. The letter from the Commission confirmed my view that retrospective consideration of eligibility is not possible, and followed a telephone call I received from Commissioner Barnier's Deputy Head of Cabinet. Both the call and the e-mail attaching the letter expressed regret and apologised for the earlier misunderstandings caused by the Commission.I have arranged for a copy of the Commission's letter to be sent to you. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25841).
