- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport and the Environment's letter to me dated 13 April 2000, on what research or other evidence the statement that "the quarrying industry is imposing costs on the rest of society, that are not presently reflected in the price of its product" is based and what opportunities the industry has been given to address these costs.
Answer
Research carried out by London Economics on The Environmental Costs and Benefits of the Supply of Aggregates - Phase 2, was published in July 1999. This confirmed that there are significant environmental costs associated with quarrying which are not covered by existing regulation. The industry was given numerous opportunities to develop proposals of its own which would address these costs as well as, or better than, a tax. A package of proposed voluntary measures, which was to be applied throughout the UK, was submitted by the Quarry Products Association, the industry's main representative body.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to The Scotland Office that the consultation period permitted for submissions to be made to them on the assisted area status map should be extended to allow all interested parties a further and full opportunity to make their case.
Answer
Extensive representations have already been received from a range of interested parties.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if Inverness, Nairn, Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey are excluded from the assisted area status map, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and local enterprise companies will have sufficient resources to achieve the targets set by it and to create new employment opportunities taking into account impending redundancies in the local oil fabrication sector.
Answer
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is funded to implement all aspects of its agreed strategy and to deal with economic pressures that may arise from time to time within its area.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 16 May 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer what consideration has been given to the possibility that the construction of the new Scottish Parliament building may cause structural damage to surrounding buildings; whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is aware of any warnings about subsidence within a 300 yard radius of the Holyrood site; whether adequate insurance cover exists in respect of potential claims in this respect, and whether copies of all documents relating to this issue will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
As stated in my answer to Mr Brian Monteith of 2 May (SIW-6146), it is standard practice for structural engineers involved in major construction projects to consider any effect on surrounding areas. The structural engineers for the Holyrood Project are monitoring areas within a radius of 1 kilometre of the site and the recorded evidence shows that no ground movement is being detected. Third party collateral damage is covered by insurance held by the Design Team, the Construction Manager and individual "trade package" contractors. The Project Team will shortly produce a report on this subject for the City of Edinburgh Council. A copy of this and related documents will be placed in the Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change its working title from "The Scottish Executive" to "The Scottish Government".
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the test of "substantial loss or disadvantage" in section 19(7) of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill requires clarification and, in particular, whether it should be made clear that the Lands Tribunal for Scotland should not accept that "substantial loss or disadvantage" will occur simply because of the ending of the practice which has developed since the commencement of the Conveyancing and Feudal Reform (Scotland) Act 1970 whereby a grassum is paid to a feudal superior by a vassal in exchange for a minute of waiver so that the vassal need not make an application under the 1970 Act for removal or variation of a burden.
Answer
In response to Mr Ewing's amendment on this point at Stage 3 of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill, I explained that the Lands Tribunal does not award compensation for the loss of a right to claim a waiver.
The loss or disadvantage that is envisaged by section 19 is loss to the superior or former superior as owner of the land, and not merely the loss of any personal income that has been derived from the charging for the grant of waivers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of any impact which the aggregates tax will have upon employment in Scotland over each of the next three years.
Answer
The aggregates tax is unlikely to have any impact over the next two years, as it will not be introduced until April 2002. Thereafter, there may be small reductions in employment in the extraction of primary aggregates, but there could also be increases in employment in the recycling of aggregates. However, the short- term elasticity of demand for these products is low, so it would be surprising if there were major impacts.
In addition, there are likely to be increases in employment stimulated by the sustainability fund, and the reductions in employers' National Insurance contributions.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the law in relation to ownership of landed estates in Scotland so that any non-resident owner, including all limited companies, may be required to appoint a mandatory, local agent to be legally responsible for performing the obligations of the owner.
Answer
We agree the importance of accessible local representation, but we see considerable difficulties with such a proposal for legislation. There would appear to be difficulties of regulation to ensure compliance by non-resident owners, and also of defining the legal responsibilities of such local agents.
Instead, the issue of local representation will be addressed, amongst other matters, in the Executive's development of a Code of Good Practice on Rural Landownership, which we plan to launch later this year.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify all representations which it has made to Her Majesty's Government in relation to those parts of Scotland which should be included in the assisted area status map.
Answer
The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas map.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the value of services presently provided by Councils of Voluntary Service throughout Scotland and how much funding it provides to Councils of Voluntary Service.
Answer
Local Councils of Voluntary Service (CVS) provide a range of services, including advice and support, to voluntary organisations in their area and play a key role in the development of the voluntary sector. The Executive does not hold any information on the monetary value of the services provided by the CVS.
The Scottish Executive provides direct funding of £1,067,145 to the CVS in 2000-01.
