- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 4 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the Highlands and Islands Convention is to be reconvened without including any MSPs, MPs or MEPs representing the Highlands and Islands, it will explain in detail the reasons why.
Answer
I refer the Member to the First Minister's answer to S1F-79 of Thursday 3 February.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there has been any maladministration in relation to the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme and, if so, what steps it will take to ensure that applicants to the scheme do not suffer financially as a result.
Answer
I am not aware of maladministration having taken place in the handling of the scheme. The financial allocation for the scheme has been fully committed. In addition, on 16 November, I announced that an extra £1 million is being made available. This followed consultation with the industry about the prioritisation system to deal with the very late surge in scheme applications which regrettably will result in a number of applications not being funded.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government in relation to any proposed pesticide tax, in particular regarding what implications such as a tax might have on Scottish agricultural jobs and what evidence, if any, exists to show that some pesticides currently used by farmers have improved the quality of grain.
Answer
The UK Government asked the agrochemical industry and others to offer proposals to reduce the environmental impact of pesticide use. Proposals now brought forward by the British Agrochemicals Association will form the basis of discussions between the UK Government, industry and other interested parties over what form a partnership approach might take. It has been announced by HM Treasury that subject to further detailed discussions, the Chancellor will not proceed with the introduction of a pesticides tax in the Budget. The Scottish Executive will keep in close touch with developments on this.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 2 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the ending of the Right to Buy Scheme for anti-social tenants would in any way act as a deterrent of such behaviour and, if so, for what reasons.
Answer
Yes. There is evidence of tenants desire to exercise the right to buy and denying this right to anti-social tenants, as part of a package of measures, will act as a deterrent of such behaviour.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to appoint permanent Sheriffs in order to reduce the amount of time spent by police officers waiting to appear as witnesses in Scottish criminal trials.
Answer
Very significant reductions in police waiting time at Court have been achieved through the introduction of first and mandatory intermediate diets. There is nevertheless a continuing need to improve procedures to ensure that waiting time for all witnesses, including police officers, is kept to a minimum. Availability of Shrieval resources is not the most critical issue here, but I intend to keep the matter under review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the average increase in the rateable values in Scotland as a result of the 1995 revaluation.
Answer
The average increase was 32 per cent.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be in Scotland upon (a) levels of unemployment, (b) small businesses and (c) the economy if it decides to make final its decision to fix a business rate poundage of 10.1 % higher than the proposed poundage in England.
Answer
The provisional poundage figure I announced on 8 December was calculated to keep the total tax burden the same in real terms for Scottish businesses. The proposed higher Scottish poundage results from an expected smaller increase in rateable value in Scotland than in England, the system has been designed to achieve a neutral effect overall.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact macro-economic policies planned by Her Majesty's Government will have on its enterprise policies, whether these policies will provide a good climate for people in Scotland to start up in business, and whether these policies will give small business the confidence to respond and invest in the future.
Answer
Inflation is now low and stable. Output in the Scottish economy continues to expand in both the manufacturing and service sectors. Unemployment in Scotland is falling and is low by historical and international standards, while employment is rising. These conditions provide a sound basis for the Scottish Executive's policies to promote a stable and competitive environment that will inspire more home grown enterprises to flourish.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it consulted with any representatives or representative bodies of the business community regarding its decision to fix a business rate poundage of 10.1% higher than in England prior to its ministerial statement on local government finance of 8 December 1999.
Answer
I had a number of meetings with business representative bodies to discuss rating and valuation issues. I will continue to do so up to, and following, the revaluation in line with the policy of openness and transparency. In addition, I have since published the detailed calculations which prove that the total revenue raised through business rates will simply be maintained in 2000-01.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, for the last period for which information is available, the record of each local authority in Scotland for payment of debt, showing the average number of days within which each local authority has paid its suppliers and other creditors; whether it considers that these records are satisfactory and, if not, whether it will take steps to ensure that those local authorities which are not settling debts timeously do so; and after what period of time it estimates that such steps would result in all local authorities settling their debts timeously.
Answer
Payment arrangements are a matter between local authorities and individual suppliers. The latest information on the percentage of invoices that authorities pay within 30 days is published by the Accounts Commission in their Annual Report Comparing the Performance of Scottish Councils 1997-98. As noted in my response to question S1O-332, I spoke to Councillor Norman Murray, president of CoSLA, asking him to draw to the attention of councils the requirements of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998 and the importance of paying their bills on time. CoSLA wrote to all local authorities advising them of this on 1 October.
