- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Andrew Hardie on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-113 by Lord Hardie on 6 July, whether it will make a statement on the relevance of the European Convention on Human Rights to the refusal to advise victims of crime of the reason why no criminal proceedings have been raised in respect of such crime.
Answer
In certain circumstances to disclose reasons for not raising criminal proceedings could constitute a breach of the Convention rights of a victim, witness or accused. Rights secured under the Convention include the presumption of innocence and the right to privacy, both of which must be given due cognisance.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-622 by Sarah Boyack on 10 August, what account it takes of the effects which the designation of areas as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has had or may have on the economy of the Highlands and Islands in considering an area's current or future status as an SSSI.
Answer
The designation of SSSIs is the responsibility of Scottish Natural Heritage, which has a statutory duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to notify land which, in its opinion, is of special scientific interest.
While the relevant considerations in relation to SSSI notification are primarily scientific, SNH, in discharging its balancing duty to have regard to the need for social and economic development in Scotland, considers comments from a wide range of consultees at the time of notification, including local authorities, local communities and owners and occupiers, where the designation of SSSIs might potentially have economic consequences at local level.We are currently developing proposals for a new system for nature conservation consistent with our commitments in the Programme for Government and the Partnership for Scotland agreement. The question of consultation on SSSI designation will be covered by these proposals, which will be subject to further consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny as appropriate.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the role of Historic Scotland in relation to applications for building consent or planning permission, particularly as regards Grade C listed buildings, should be reviewed in the light of the length of time such processes take and the expense involved for owners and, if so, whether it will conduct such a review.
Answer
Historic Scotland takes an average of only nine working days to clear listed building consent cases referred to it and no fee is charged. Historic Scotland is already discussing with local authorities whether any further improvements could be made to the operation of the system.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require former superiors, who so wish, to claim compensation from former vassals within a shorter period than the two years proposed by the Scottish Law Commission and, if so, how long this period will be.
Answer
The period of 2 years was recommended by the Scottish Law Commission to allow superiors enough time to make the necessary arrangements to serve notices requiring compensation for feuduties which have not yet been redeemed. It is clear that an adequate period of preparation must be allowed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when the "appointed day" in terms of clause 1 of the Scottish Law Commission's draft Bill on the abolition of the feudal tenure will be.
Answer
The "appointed day", which will be the actual date of abolition of the feudal system, will be fixed by a commencement order made by a Scottish Minister. No decision has yet been taken on the actual date.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individual cases since the setting up of the Scottish Legal Aid Board involving (a) refusals of grants of civil legal aid, (b) refusals of increases in advice and assistance and (c) refusals of grants of criminal legal aid have been subject to representations by Members of Parliament requesting that the original decision be reviewed and, of these cases, how many original decisions in each category were overturned as a result of such representations.
Answer
Between its inception on 1 April 1987 and 31 March 1999, the Scottish Legal Aid Board has dealt with just over 310,000 applications for civil legal aid of which just over 60,000 were refused following a review of the decision; over 1 million applications for an increase in authorised expenditure under Advice and Assistance, of which approximately 110,000 were refused; and over 800,000 applications for summary criminal legal aid (including appeals) of which around 79,000 were refused following a request for a review of the decision. Solemn criminal legal aid is determined by the courts and central records of applications refused are not maintained.Records are not held on the number of representations by Members of Parliament who request that the Board's decision be reviewed. This is because the Board will only consider a formal legal application for a review or reconsideration of a decision if it comes from the applicant or their solicitor.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-616 by Jack McConnell on 3 August, how many miles of upgraded motorways, A class roads and B class roads will be constructed on the basis of planned expenditure in the years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is responsible only for expenditure on motorways and trunk roads. Other A Class roads and B Class roads are the responsibility of Councils and comprehensive information is not available on their construction proposals.The planned expenditure set out in the response to question S1W-616 by Jack McConnell is expected to result in 40.8km (25.35 miles) of new road being opened in 1999-2000. Decisions on the use of the motorways and trunk roads budget for the two subsequent years have still to be taken.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will accept the recommendation of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee that the consultation period on the proposed new strategy for tourism be extended beyond 31 August and, if so, to what date, and how it will promulgate this extension.
Answer
Yes. I will accept responses up to the end of this month. I issued a News Release announcing my decision on 2 September. This was also published on the Parliament's web site. My officials have informed the industry organisations in membership of the Scottish Tourism Forum and also Area Tourist Boards, Local Enterprise Companies and local authorities.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed by (a) Scottish Enterprise (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (c) each Local Enterprise Company and (d) every other body which has a responsibility in relation to enterprise and is wholly publicly funded.
Answer
The information requested for Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Local Enterprise Companies is set out in the table below. A large number of bodies have some involvement in enterprise. There is no centralised account of their total staff numbers.
SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE | HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENTERPRISE |
Core staff | 475 | Core staff | 152 |
Enterprise Ayrshire | 101 | Argyll and the Islands Enterprise | 4 (23.1)* |
Scottish Borders Enterprise | 78 | Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise | (22.7)* |
Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise | 36 | Inverness and Nairn Enterprise | 18 (7*) |
Dunbartonshire Enterprise | 70 | Lochaber Ltd | 2 (11.6)* |
Fife Enterprise | 71 | Orkney Enterprise | 3.5(8.4)* |
Forth Valley Enterprise | 80 | Ross and Cromarty Enterprise | 8 (16.3)* |
Glasgow Development Agency | 152 | Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise | 2 (12.3)* |
Grampian Enterprise | 48 | Shetland Enterprise | |
Lanarkshire Development Agency | 136 | Western Isles Enterprise | 4 (19.9)* |
Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise | 125 | | |
Renfrewshire Enterprise | 73 | | |
Scottish Enterprise Tayside | 81 | | |
Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey | 16 | | 6 (8.6)* |
* Figures in brackets denote staff directly employed by local enterprise companies rather than seconded from SE or HIE.
Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise is jointly funded by SE and HIE and the staff figure is split accordingly.Numbers are expressed as full time equivalents.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will cover financially salmon farmers' stock for a 2 year rolling period (with annual review) until such time as the current outbreak of Infections Salmon Anaemia (ISA) is over and whether it will ask commercial insurers whether they will be willing to offer policies which cover ISA.
Answer
What the Member suggests is essentially an insurance scheme, similar to that proposed by the fish farming industry, to be run by The Scottish Executive. We have considered this matter very carefully, and we have had discussions with representatives of the insurance industry. We have concluded that such a scheme would not be an appropriate call on public funds. Instead, as announced on 6 September, we shall be making available through Highlands and Islands Enterprise £3 million per annum for three years to assist those operators directly affected by the disease.
