- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive for details of the marketing budget in each of the area Tourist Boards in Scotland for each of the last three financial years and the estimated budgets for the next three financial years.
Answer
Area Tourist Boards are independent local partnership organisations. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the system of house purchase and sale in Scotland and, if so, in what respects and with what objectives.
Answer
The housing Green Paper noted that the Scottish system of house purchase has a number of strengths, but recognised concerns that the system can lead to multiple surveys and valuations being commissioned on the same property with considerable abortive costs for unsuccessful bidders. We are currently considering the responses to the Green Paper before making decisions on the way forward.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the number of residential properties held under long leasehold tenure in Scotland, and whether it intends to introduce interim law reforms to provide security of tenure to tenants under such leases where those leases are close to expiry.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the reply I gave on 19 July to question S1W-00275. We have no plans for interim measures.To provide an estimate of the number of residential properties held under long leasehold tenure in Scotland would require considerable research in the Register of Sasines and the Land Register. We do not think this necessary at present, as any review by the Commission will concern the same principles, no matter how many properties are affected.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in so far as it relates to matters within its responsibility.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in so far as it relates to devolved matters.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to recommend to the Scottish Law Commission that it incorporates the issue of long leases of residential property into its seventh programme of law reform.
Answer
I refer Mr Ewing to the reply I gave on 19 July 1999 to his question S1W-00275.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 21 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a rent deposit fund to provide low-income families and individuals with access to loans to pay deposits for privately rented accommodation.
Answer
In its Partnership for Scotland, the Scottish Executive made a commitment to encourage rent deposit schemes. Local authorities already have powers to give rent guarantees or indemnities, or if required payments, to private sector landlords where this is necessary to secure the grant of a tenancy. We believe that such schemes have a valuable part to play in promoting housing opportunities for households on low incomes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 21 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it has sought and what response it has received from Lloyds TSB regarding the continued presence of Scottish Widows headquarters in Scotland and the continued employment in Scotland of all Scottish Widows employees.
Answer
The First Minister and I met with Scottish Widows to discuss the proposed deal with Lloyds TSB. It is a matter of public record that both Lloyds TSB and Scottish Widows, through their press releases, gave assurances that their combined workforce in Scotland of more than 6,000 will be maintained should the deal between the 2 companies be completed. They have also made clear their expectation that further employment would be created in Scotland over time.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 20 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make available details of which local authorities are currently providing free school milk, including details of the extent of this provision and the annual cost in each case.
Answer
Under the Education (Scotland) Act, as amended, all authorities are obliged to provide free school meals, milk or other refreshments for children whose parents receive income support or other income based job seekers allowance. Information on the cost of providing free school milk in schools and the extent of the provision is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 20 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to encourage local authorities to make free milk available to primary school children.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not intending to do so. Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended, local authorities must provide free milk, meals and other refreshments to children whose parents are entitled to income support or income based job seekers allowance. They have a discretionary power to provide the same to other children.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by Her Majesty's Government about the appointment of a new National Governor for Scotland of the BBC and, if so, whether its response referred to candidates' acknowledged political affiliations as a reason to (a) prefer or (b) reject them.
Answer
Scottish Ministers have been consulted about the appointment of the BBC Scottish Governor. The political activities of candidates are declared during the appointments process. The criterion for recommending candidates is their suitability for the particular appointment.
