- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce consumption of tobacco amongst young people and in particular teenagers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is committed to reducing the levels of smoking by children and young people in Scotland and we have set challenging targets to achieve this. The Tobacco Control White Paper Smoking Kills, outlines a comprehensive range of measures which we are now taking forward. Specific action includes steps to improve the enforcement of the laws relating to under-age sales, and targeted health education and promotion activity. Legislation to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship, which does so much to influence young people to take up the habit, will also be introduced.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending the protection of security of tenure to the Carbeth Hutters and whether it will include in its proposed Land Reform Bill provisions which would prevent further eviction of the Hutters at Carbeth.
Answer
The Land Reform Action Plan published in August 1999 explained that decisions on the need for legislation to give greater protection for those who own property built on leased land would be taken in the light of further research. That research has been completed and is currently being evaluated.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will obtain from the assessors and local authorities information that may be necessary in order to produce a scheme to provide relief from the burden of business rates for small businesses for the period 2000-05.
Answer
Yes. The issue of rate relief for small businesses was covered in my statement to Parliament on 8 December.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the current recorded death rate of haemophiliacs from hepatitis C and up to what date was that number last reviewed.
Answer
I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2377.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a consultation paper on the provision of a scheme for rates relief for small businesses in relation to the rates revaluation to take effect on 1 April 2000, and whether it will include in such a paper the text of the schemes submitted by the Federation of Small Businesses and Forum of Private Business.
Answer
I made a Statement about this in Parliament on 8 December. I announced a rates discount scheme for small businesses in 2000-01 and that consultation on a transitional relief scheme will follow in January. I intend to examine the case for a rate relief scheme for small businesses over the next 12 months, continuing the useful dialogue already established with representative business organisations, such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum of Private Business. Henry McLeish and other appropriate Ministers will look at support for small businesses and we expect the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and Local Government Committees to contribute to this review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the burden of business rates falls disproportionately on smaller businesses in Scotland and, if so, what measures it is considering to tackle this issue.
Answer
The issue of rate relief for small businesses was covered in my Statement to Parliament on 8 December.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there were any cases of undiagnosable hepatitis noticed in haemophiliacs in Scotland before 1987 and, if so, how many.
Answer
I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2377.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of hepatitis was in whole blood recipients at the time haemophilia treatment with blood products factors VIII and IX was introduced.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. I have noted the question however and the points also raised in S1W-2379 and S1W-2380, and these will be taken into account in the Department's enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the safety of blood products from Hepatitis C. I will keep you informed of the outcome of my enquiries as soon as they are completed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment on the impact which closure of smaller quarries in rural Scotland would have in terms of the incidence of larger trucks travelling by road from central Scotland to remote locations.
Answer
I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-2791.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any evidence of increased travel prices during school holiday periods and if so, whether it will invite the Office of Fair Trade to investigate and report.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not hold comprehensive or systematic information about prices charged by transport or tour operators for trips by public transport or package holidays.
