- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what island communities will not be covered by road equivalent tariff.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5199 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary question areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether road equivalent tariff will be claimed by operators or residents.
Answer
Our intention isthat road equivalent tariff will be reflected in the fares charged to ferryusers. There will, therefore, be no need for users to claim any rebate.Operators will be recompensed for any loss of revenue arising from lower fares.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 will take place prior to building a new Forth crossing.
Answer
An environmental impactassessment will take place prior to the construction of a replacement Forth crossing.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any analysis has been carried out of the effectiveness of juries hearing about previous convictions of accused persons charged with sexual crimes, given that this policy has been applied in England and Wales since 2004.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis aware of research carried out in England and Wales following the implementation of bad character provisionsin the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This research is currently undergoing a peer reviewprocess prior to publication.
However, it is notexpected that the report will include any specific focus on those accused of sexualcrimes.
The member may wishto note the answer given in the UK Parliament on 24 May 2007 by the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, to a questionon this topic which can be found at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070524/text/70524w0016.htm#0705258000065.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports have been initiated or consulted on in respect of any proposed legislation that would allow juries to hear about previous convictions of accused persons charged with sexual crimes.
Answer
The Scottish Law Commissionis expected to issue its final report on its Review of Rape and Sexual Offencessoon. In this review the commission has considered, among other issues, the lawof evidence and whether juries should be allowed to hear about previous convictionsof accused persons charged with sexual crimes.
The commission’sdiscussion paper, issued for consultation in January 2006, made the following preliminaryproposal in relation to these issues: “Any consideration of the law relating toevidence of the character of a person accused of a sexual offence should be conductedas part of a wider review of the law of evidence.”
The Scottish Governmentis now looking at this issue in a wider context, and I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4752 on 22 October 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward legislation that would allow juries to hear about previous convictions of accused persons charged with sexual crimes.
Answer
This is a very complexmatter and so the Scottish Government intends to examine carefully whether and inwhat circumstances the previous convictions of accused persons could be made knownto juries. We are currently considering how such an examination could best be carriedout. In the light of that we will reach decisions on any further action.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the council tax freeze announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 28 June 2007 (Official Report c. 1210) will result in the scheduled replacement of Elgin Academy and Elgin High School being cancelled or delayed.
Answer
Discussions areon-going with local government on how best to deliver a council tax freeze. Throughoutthese discussions, we have made clear that we are working towards a strategic agreementon a range of measures that will enable local authorities to deliver a council taxfreeze while maintaining and improving frontline services. Specific decisions oninvestment in any individual school building are always a matter for the local authority.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the applicants for the Beauly to Denny overhead transmission line regarding the use of cross-linked polyethylene insulation technology for underground cabling.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment has had no discussions with Scottish and Southern Energy PLC orScottish Power Transmission Limited regarding the use of cross-linkedpolyethylene insulation technology for underground cabling.
The on-goingpublic local inquiry into the proposed Beauly to Denny power line has heard asignificant amount of evidence from the applicants and other parties regardingthe technical aspects of undergrounding high voltage cable. This has includedreference to the use of cross-linked polyethylene cables.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Ofgem regarding grid connection charges and whether consideration has been given to a specific exemption for the non-carbon producing sector, including the nuclear industry.
Answer
The FirstMinister met the Chair and Chief Executive of Ofgem on 20 September 2007. He made the case for a fundamental reform of thetransmission charging regime. The Scottish Government is seeking an end tounfair barriers to Scottish generators, including the renewables sector.
The ScottishGovernment is opposed to the development of new nuclear power stations in Scotland. Therefore we will not be pressing for measures thanwould specifically favour the nuclear power sector.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to expand the older and disabled persons concessionary travel scheme to cover all ferry and rail travel.
Answer
We have no plans todo so.
