- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs are of the Scottish Qualifications Authority's Accreditation Unit and from what source or sources the unit is funded.
Answer
The running costs of the Scottish Qualifications Authority's Accreditation Unit amount to approximately £1.2 million annually. This is funded through grant-in-aid from the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5176 by Mr Jack McConnell on 31 May 2000, how it reconciles the estimate of #1,550 million to be raised in non-domestic rates in 2000-01 which is approximately #50 million more than 1999-2000, with the answer to question S1W-5177 on 31 May 2000 which states that non-domestic rate income is forecast to increase by up to #190 million in 2000-01.
Answer
My reply to question S1W-5177 concerned the increase in the amount of non-domestic rates income
distributed to councils as part of their aggregate external finance for 2000-01, a composite calculation including surpluses and deficits from previous years not included in previous NDRI distributions. The £1,550 million referred to in my reply to question S1W-5176 is the amount that it is estimated that councils will
collect in NDRI during 2000-01 only.
The amount of NDRI to be distributed is currently £190 million higher than originally forecast, mainly due to updated information supplied by councils on previous years. Consequently, the amount of revenue support grant (RSG) required to make up the total aggregate external finance is £190 million lower than forecast. Such savings in RSG will remain in the Departmental Expenditure Limit as a provision to cover requirements for additional RSG arising from the impact of NDR appeals, and for other adjustments. The position will be reviewed when the likely scale of appeals can be estimated more accurately.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers itself bound by an undertaking made by a Scottish Office Minister in February 1999.
Answer
I understand that the question refers to the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme (ABIS) and a letter written by Lord Sewel on 18 February 1999.
This matter was the subject of proceedings before the Rural Affairs Committee on 3 December 1999. I said to the Committee at that meeting that, in looking at the effect of Lord Sewel's letter, it was necessary to take account of the letter to which he was responding, in the context of the explanatory leaflet that sets out the ABIS scheme's rules. I also said that my position was that, looked at on that basis, Lord Sewel's letter did not amount to a promise.
I remain of the view, taking account of all the advice I have received, that to interpret Lord Sewel's letter as amounting to an undertaking is to ignore the context in which it was made.It follows that I do not consider that Lord Sewel's letter amounts to a promise.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought and obtained legal advice about whether it is required to honour the assurances given by Lord Sewel in a letter to Mr Jim Wallace MP on 18 February 1999 and, if so, whether it will place a copy of the advice in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the answer I gave to question S1W-3495 on 2 October 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be co-operating fully with the National Audit Office in the latter's consideration of the written undertakings given by Lord Sewel on 18 February 1999 that all applications under the original and revised Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme would be accommodated; whether it has sought or will seek from Lord Sewel an explanation for his decision; and whether his decision was the correct one.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the answer I gave to question S1W-3495 on 2 October 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 2 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the Scottish Executive/Scottish Qualifications Authority liaison group has met since its inception and whether minutes of its meetings will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
During the lifetime of this Parliament, the Scottish Executive/Scottish Qualifications Liaison Group met on 10 November 1999, 8 February 2000 and 10 May 2000. The minutes of these meetings have been passed to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, further to its publication The Way Forward: Framework for Economic Development in Scotland, it will develop a structured plan for national partners on communications infrastructure to ensure that investments in the public and private sectors are complementary.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the answer I gave in response to oral question S1O-2316 on 28 September.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 28 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the impact of taxation on fuel on the haulage industry in Scotland and, if so, what response it received.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including that of the impact of taxation of fuel on the haulage industry in Scotland. Discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are held on the basis of strict confidentiality.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 28 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by subject of the appeals expected in relation to this year's exam results.
Answer
This information is not yet available, but I will ask the Chairman of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to reply to the member when the figures are available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 28 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what remuneration is paid to those who mark appeals against exam results and what that remuneration is expressed as an hourly rate.
Answer
The payment of markers is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chairman to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in SPICe.
