- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct Scottish Natural Heritage to (a) allow sufficient time for the application by the National Trust for Scotland for #200,000 assistance with the costs of providing interpretation facilities in the visitors centre at Glencoe to be considered by the Parliament if the Parliament so wishes and (b) carry out a public consultation on whether to award grant for this purpose prior to a decision being reached.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to any grant which may be awarded by Scottish Natural Heritage to the National Trust for Scotland for the proposed visitors centre at Inverigan, taking into account the study received by the local enterprise company showing the centre's potentially adverse impact on the local economy.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Natural Heritage.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why a fee of #50 is imposed on farmers and crofters by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department in respect of applications for a license to move stock.
Answer
No fee is imposed on farmers and crofters by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department in respect of applications for a license to move stock. If a proposed livestock movement is not covered by the General Movement licence (possible only in the Provisionally Free Area), an application must be made to the local SERAD Area Office for an individual licence to move livestock. This is processed by SERAD staff without any charge. The farmer or crofter is required to abide by the conditions of the licence which may incur costs.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an inquiry into the amount of public funding made available to the National Trust for Scotland in respect of its proposed visitors centre at Glencoe.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 14 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact implementation of the climate change levy will have upon the rural economy and whether it has made an estimate of the increase in quarry operators' power costs in order to assess this impact.
Answer
The UK Government expects the effect of its climate change levy on business energy use to be broadly neutral across business as a whole. No separate assessments of the impact on rural areas have been made.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 14 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding will be made available for the proposed Cairngorms National Park and whether any such funding will be utilised in a way that encourages the pursuit of sport and recreation.
Answer
The statutory consultation being conducted by Scottish Natural Heritage on the proposal for a Cairngorms National Park is required to address the matter of funding. That report is due on 13 July. Scottish Ministers will wish to take note of these findings in determining the funding levels through the usual processes of the public expenditure round.The National Park authority will determine exactly how they use their funding, but this must be consistent with the purpose of furthering their aims, one of which is "to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public".
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, prior to submitting an objection to the planning application submitted on behalf of the United Reform Church, Crescent Road, Nairn, the trunk roads authority visited the premises.
Answer
In common with all planning applications affecting a trunk road, the Scottish Executive is consulted and offers advice to the Planning Authority. In this case, the site was visited by the previous Management Agent, Mouchel Scotland Ltd and a report submitted to the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend that the trunk roads authority not submit objections to planning applications without having inspected the premises which are the subject of the application.
Answer
The sites of all planning applications are visited to assist in determining whether the development would be likely to have a detrimental effect on trunk road traffic. It is not normal practice to inspect individual premises as sufficient information indicating the nature of the development should accompany the planning application.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 13 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a shortage of primary teachers and, if so, what measures it is taking to address this.
Answer
The Supply of Teachers report, 1st Edition - January 2001, details the background to the current position on the collection of information relevant to teacher supply and outlines planned improvements to current methods. Copies of the report are in the Parliament's Reference Centre (SPICe - Bib. no. 10751) and it is on the Executive's website. As reported in this edition, we are presently unable to provide detailed answers to questions about teacher supply and shortages in specific areas. The position is outlined at paragraphs 28-36 of the report. In light of this, initiatives are being developed to identify the current number of teachers relevant to demand.As proposed in this first edition of the report, the department is currently piloting an exercise with a sample of education authorities to gather data on teacher vacancies and shortages aimed at establishing a reliable baseline figure from which to improve the planning of teacher supply across Scotland.Updates of The Supply of Teachers report will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the website as the position develops and new systems of gathering information are put in place. The regular publication of the report will ensure all relevant current information is available to members of the Scottish Parliament and also in the public domain.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether planning law will be reviewed to ensure that before making a formal objection to an application which would result in the application being called in and a public local inquiry being held, it should be compulsory for the trunk roads authority to visit the premises concerned and consult with the applicants and, if not, whether there is a risk of unreasonable delay and prejudice in the treatment of applications.
Answer
No, the Scottish Executive has no plans to review planning legislation in this regard.The current contractual arrangements between the Road Network Management and Maintenance Division (RNMMD) and the Operating Companies managing the trunk road network on their behalf require the Operating Company to visit all planning application sites, take photographs and make a report to RNMMD to include accident statistics and all other relevant information. There is no requirement to consult with applicants, although RNMMD would, where appropriate, carry out such consultations themselves. Any subsequent objection by RNMMD does not necessarily lead to a case being called in, nor does a case being called in necessarily lead to a public local inquiry being held.
