- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the impact on the Scottish economy of the current level of taxation on hauliers and motorists, and if so, whether it will provide information on its findings.
Answer
The Scottish Executive undertakes regular analysis of the current and future prospects for the Scottish economy. However, decisions on levels of taxation of motoring and haulage are reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act and are therefore a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 20 September 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-394 on 16 July, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has reached a conclusion regarding the use of pre-postage paid envelopes by MSPs for constituency business and, if so, when such envelopes will become available and whether the SPCB will publish any correspondence which it has had with the Scotland Office on this matter.
Answer
The SPCB has decided that first and second class pre-postage paid envelopes should be provided for Members' use for constituency business. Staff are currently pursuing the options and the envelopes will be available as soon as the necessary procurement procedures - which are complicated - have been completed later in the autumn. In the meantime, MSPs should continue to obtain rolls of stamps from the Mail Room in Parliament Headquarters for use in their constituency offices.There has been no correspondence with the Scotland Office on this issue.
- 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 Henry McLeish on 20 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the members of the focus groups and industry representative bodies who will be invited to play a part in developing and implementing the new strategy for tourism and how these members were selected.
Answer
The focus groups were arranged by the Scottish Tourist Board as part of the consultation process that will lead to the new strategy for the industry. I shall ask the Chairman of the STB to write to Mr Ewing and will arrange for copies of his reply to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
- 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 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive who will prepare the new strategy for tourism.
Answer
The Scottish Tourist Board will prepare the strategy, working in partnership with the member organisations of the Scottish Tourism Co-ordinating Group which include the Scottish Tourism Forum, and under my direction.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will use powers under Schedule 12 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to make regulations with regard to Section 6 of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956, and in particular whether it will use the powers prescribed thereunder to make regulations in order to reduce business rates for smaller businesses.
Answer
The powers under Schedule 12 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to make regulations with regard to Section 6 of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956 may be used to prescribe how the Net Annual Value (NAV) of lands and heritages is calculated. It would therefore not be appropriate to introduce a rate relief scheme for small businesses under these powers.Powers do exist in terms of Section 153 of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 to prescribe the amount payable in non-domestic rates in respect of any lands and heritages. We will consider whether rates relief for small businesses is needed in the light of the results of the independent revaluation survey of the rates base (expected in late autumn).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-521 by Mr Jack McConnell on 23 August, whether the reference to the #100 average cost of answering a Scottish Parliamentary Question being consistent with evidence from the UK Parliament means that the cost of answering Scottish Parliamentary Questions is (a) the same as or (b) different from the cost of answering UK Parliamentary Questions and, if it is different, whether the cost of answering Scottish Parliamentary Questions is more or less, and by how much, than the cost of answering UK Parliamentary Questions.
Answer
The average cost of £100 for answering written Scottish Parliamentary Questions is an estimate based on preliminary work undertaken over a short period and using a relatively small sample of questions. The Executive intends to undertake a detailed study of the cost of answering questions over the coming months and will make the results of that exercise available to members.The last comprehensive exercise to assess the cost of answering Westminster Parliamentary Questions was undertaken in 1991. The resulting average cost figure is uprated on an annual basis. The latest published figure for the average cost of answering written questions is £115 (Hansard, 11 March 1999, Column 363). This reflects uprating to April 1998.
- 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 Henry McLeish on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the recommendations of the House of Commons Select Committee on Scottish Affairs' Report on "Tourism in Scotland" (published on 21 July 1999) it (a) accepts, (b) is inclined to accept, (c) wishes to consider further and (d) rejects, and what the reasons are in each case.
Answer
We are preparing a new strategy for tourism which will address the issues raised by the Select Committee's report. The strategy will be published in January 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-521 by Mr Jack McConnell on 23 August, how the #100 average cost of answering a Scottish Parliamentary Question was calculated and whether this average cost is a mode, median or mean average.
Answer
The £100 average cost was calculated by estimating the amount of time spent by members of staff of the Scottish Executive on dealing with a limited sample of Scottish Parliamentary Questions covering a range of subjects. Staff time was costed to include, for each grade of staff, a share of the overhead costs of the Scottish Executive. The overhead costs are based on expenditure in 1998-99. The total value of staff time was divided by the number of questions in the study to arrive at an average cost per question of about £100.The preliminary work to assess average costs was undertaken over a short period and with a relatively small sample of questions so that a broad indication of costs could be provided quickly to members who asked for that information. The Executive intends to undertake a detailed study of the cost of answering questions over the coming months and will make the results of that exercise available to members.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister has met with the Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne since Dr Mills' appointment to that position and, if so, on what dates.
Answer
No, the First Minister has not met the Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd since Dr Mills' appointment to that position. However, I met Dr Mills on Thursday 5 August.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any recent representations from the Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association regarding amnesic shellfish poisoning and, if so, whether it will make a statement.
Answer
The Scottish Executive received a letter from the Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association dated 20 August. The letter covered a range of issues, including amnesic shellfish poisoning. I have issued a reply to this letter.
