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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-11042

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 23 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the appointment of Reporters in planning inquiries; whether it will detail any plans to review the method of appointment, and whether such appointments should in future be made independent of it.

As with other Scottish Executive civil servants, full-time Reporters are selected on merit through fair and open recruitment competition and appointed by the Scottish Executive Directorate of Personnel and Pay following the successful completion of a probationary period.

When the workload so demands, the Chief Reporter makes appointments to inquiries from the Part-time Reporters Panel, who are not employees but act in a consultant capacity, on a case-by-case basis.

There are no plans at present to alter these arrangements.

Question reference: S1W-11041

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 23 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been called in by Scottish Ministers and a Reporter appointed and how many were called in where Historic Scotland opposed the proposed development, in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S1W-11040

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many planning applications for listed building consent, which have not yet been determined and concluded, has a decision been made by Scottish Ministers to call in the application and to appoint a Reporter where the opposition to the application has been maintained by Historic Scotland, in each of the last 10 years.

I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:-

The number of applications for listed building and conservation area consent called-in by Scottish Ministers (or previously the Secretary of State) under the appropriate legislation has been as follows:

Year	Applications Called-in
1989	6
1990	9
1991	7
1992	2
1993	4
1994	5
1995	3
1996	8
1997	2
1998	5
1999	8

With the exception of one application calling in during 1999, all applications called in between 1989 and 1999 have been determined and concluded.

Question reference: S1W-11066

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it decides to introduce a small business rates relief scheme, such a decision will be announced by means of (a) a Ministerial Statement, (b) an answer to a parliamentary question or (c) a press release.

Question reference: S1W-11075

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to (a) review, (b) consult on and (c) legislate on the issue of control of levels of rentals of hereditaments.

Question reference: S1W-11065

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make a Ministerial Statement on a small business rates relief scheme.

Question reference: S1W-11073

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of all the administration costs which would arise from the introduction of a small business rates relief scheme.

Question reference: S1W-11064

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies it has met to discuss a small business rates relief scheme since 8 December 1999.

The Executive has discussed the issue of small business rates relief with representatives of the following bodies; in some cases separately or as part of the business representatives group meetings:

British Hospitality Association;

Confederation of British Industry, Scotland;

Chemical Industries Association;

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities;

Forum of Private Business;

Federation of Small Businesses, Scotland;

Institute of Directors;

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland;

Scottish Assessors' Association;

Scottish Chambers of Commerce;

Scottish Council Development and Industry;

Scottish Licenced Trade Association;

Scottish Retail Consortium;

Scottish Tourism Forum;

Scottish Valuation and Rating Council;

Scottish Wholesalers' Association;

Question reference: S1W-11072

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses in Scotland are not liable for non-domestic rates.

Question reference: S1W-11071

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new businesses would be created in the period to 2009 as a result of a small business rates relief scheme being introduced on 1 April 2001.

Year	Total applications called-in	Total called-in because of Historic Scotland objection
1993	24	1
1994	14	0
1995	24	0
1996	28	0
1997	37	1
1998	24	4
1999	45	0
2000 (to date)	30	0
Totals	226	6