- 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 Hugh Henry on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government about increasing the number of inquiries undertaken by the Inland Revenue into the financial affairs of any person convicted of supplying drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and about whether such inquiries could consider obtaining an explanation from such people about whether their assets had been lawfully acquired.
Answer
Under the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995 where a person is convicted of a drug trafficking offence (which includes supplying drugs) under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the court can order the confiscation of all assets obtained by him over the previous six years. Where the court does not make such an order, the Inland Revenue could make an appropriate investigation. Similar provisions are contained in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which will be implemented over the next few months. In addition that act introduces significant new powers for the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency to tax the suspected proceeds of unlawful conduct even where a person has not been convicted of a criminal offence.
- 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 Iain Gray on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland should be promoted to prospective students from overseas as a place to study and whether such students should be encouraged to stay following completion of their course.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what target it has set for the number of jobs to be relocated to rural areas in each of the next five years and, if no such target has been set, whether it has any plans to do so.
Answer
We have no such plans. However, in the answer given to question S1W-30915 on 25 October 2002, my colleague Mr Andy Kerr announced additional reviews which will provide further opportunities for rural areas. Organisations covered by the relocation policy will be required to identify small units of work which, following more detailed appraisal, might prove suitable for relocation to more remote areas without compromising efficiency. Circumstances of individual organisations vary and it would therefore be inappropriate to set specific targets for the number of jobs to be relocated to rural areas following these appraisals.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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether transitional funding for the Highlands and Islands will cease in 2006 and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
The current round of Structural Funds Programmes runs from 2000 to 2006. Allocation of funds ceases for all programmes at the end of 2006, although activity may continue to the end of 2006. Elements of funding in transitional programmes reduce after 2005. In Highlands and Islands, this relates specifically to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). However, part of the area will remain eligible. The regulations provide for coverage in 2006 for areas which meet the Objective Two criteria. This is not Objective Two status as such. It is merely a basis for determining eligibility for ERDF in the final year for allocating funds under the programme. We will be discussing with the Commission what this means in terms of precise coverage towards the end of 2003.The question of future regional funding is dependent on the outcome of discussions on the future of European Regional policy. Commission proposals are due to be published in 2004.The most up to date statistics will be used in discussions about any entitlement to EU funds for the post-2006 period.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with the Scotland Office regarding any miscalculation of entitlement to Objective One funding for the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
Officials in the Scottish Executive are in regular contact with the Scotland Office and have appraised colleagues in the Scotland Office of the recent work undertaken by the Office of National Statistics to review the figures. The Office of National Statistics have now withdrawn their provisional revisions. There has been no miscalculation of the eligibility to Objective One funding. Eligibility is determined on the most up to date statistics available from all member states during the relevant period as determined by the European Commission.We will continue to work closely with the Scotland Office, and the Department for Trade and Industry who co-ordinate Structural Funds matters for the United Kingdom, should any revised UK statistics affecting figures for Highlands and Islands emerge.The most up to date statistics will be used in discussions about any entitlement to EU funds for the post-2006 period.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any funding decisions of the European Commission being retrospectively reclassified in the light of new information or of such new information being factored into on-going and future negotiations.
Answer
The Commission has confirmed that the regulations set a fixed date (26 March 1999) for establishing eligibility based on the data available at that time. Data which becomes available after that date cannot be taken into consideration. The most up to date statistics will be used in discussions about any entitlement to EU funds for post-2006 period.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or plans to make, to the European Commission regarding any miscalculation of entitlement to Objective One funding for the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
The Executive keeps in regular touch with the European Commission. The Commission has confirmed that the regulations governing the current Structural Funds set a fixed date (26 March 1999) for establishing eligibility based on the data available at that time. Data which becomes available after that date cannot be taken into consideration.The Scottish Executive will use the most up to date statistics available in discussion about any entitlement to EU funds for the post-2006 period.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding any miscalculation of entitlement to Objective One funding for the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
Officials in the Scottish Executive are in regular contact with the Scotland Office and have appraised colleagues in the Scotland Office of the recent work undertaken by the Office of National Statistics to review the figures. The Office of National Statistics have now withdrawn their provisional revisions. There has been no miscalculation of the eligibility to Objective One funding. Eligibility is determined on the most up to date statistics available from all member states during the relevant period as determined by the European Commission.We will continue to work closely with the Scotland Office, and the Department for Trade and Industry who co-ordinate Structural Funds matters for the United Kingdom, should any revised UK statistics affecting figures for Highlands and Islands emerge.The most up to date statistics will be used in discussions about any entitlement to EU funds for the post-2006 period.
- 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 David Steel on 23 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-30339 on 4 November 2002, whether further updated information in respect of the finances of, and assets owned by, Flour City International Inc. is now available and whether a copy of such information can now be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
A report has been received from Shepherd and Wedderburn. I shall write to you further early in January.
- 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 David Steel on 23 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed statement setting out the prospects of recovery of some, or all, of the losses from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. under (a) the parent company guarantee or (b) any other means; whether such recovery would entail litigation and, if so, what the costs of such litigation may be and whether such litigation would be financially worthwhile; what the total cost to date is of legal expenses paid and incurred and not yet invoiced, and whether such expenditure has been financially worthwhile.
Answer
A report has been received from Shepherd and Wedderburn. I shall write to you further early in January.
