- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 1 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what total (a) forage and (b) arable area was covered by claims for area aid under the Integrated Administration and Control System in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02 to date, broken down by each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area office in the Highlands and Islands area.
Answer
The total hectarage declared on area aid applications in scheme years 2000 and 2001 is given in the table.
| ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office | 2000 forage (ha) | 2000 arable (ha) | 2001 forage (ha) | 2001 arable (ha) |
Oban | 400,281.75 | 1,363.33 | 371,333.70 | 1,294.50 |
Elgin | 41,393.92 | 4,812.07 | 37,417.80 | 2,282.40 |
Ayr | 36,024.72 | 523.17 | 34,201.11 | 514.95 |
Inverness | 597,135.39 | 25,122.56 | 552,353.40 | 12,200.00 |
Portree | 106,633.52 | 0 | 52,461.15 | 0 |
Benbecula | 52,086.50 | 691.92 | 31,081.87 | 656.12 |
Kirkwall | 73,624.21 | 4,040.90 | 73,340.77 | 3,808.90 |
Stornoway | 99,165.52 | 0.90 | 41,766.66 | 0 |
Lairg | 175,140.56 | 975.70 | 124,054.90 | 789.42 |
Thurso | 187,504.85 | 5,901.04 | 149,908.70 | 5,366.90 |
Lerwick | 119,666.49 | 84.29 | 75,468.83 | 67.97 |
Total | 1,888,657.43 | 43,515.88 | 1,543,388.89 | 26,981.16 |
The 2001 figures are only partial. They include only information on the IACS applications processed so far.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 23 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers will have responsibility for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council, established under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
The Minister for Health and Community Care will have responsibility for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, and the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs for the Scottish Social Services Council. Clearly, the remits of the two bodies are inter-related, and the sponsoring ministers will liase closely with each other and with other relevant ministers, and will have regular joint meetings with the Conveners and Chief Executives of the two bodies.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the third supplementary answer to question S1F-1256 by Henry McLeish on 27 September 2001, what representations it has made or is making to Her Majesty's Government in order to gain a public service obligation in respect of the Inverness to Gatwick air link.
Answer
The Scottish Executive supports the case by The Highland Council for the imposition of measures to ensure access to Gatwick from Inverness. I am writing to the UK Government with a formal request to impose a Public Service Obligation on the Inverness-Gatwick route and to implement measures which will secure the slots required to maintain the service.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the work of the group set up to investigate the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme is proceeding according to schedule and, if not, whether it will change the level at which the safety net will operate in 2002 from 80% to 90%.
Answer
I am grateful to members of the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) Steering Group for the work they are doing reviewing the scheme. This work was held up initially until most of the payments had been finalised. It is now back on schedule.I believe there are good grounds to justify applying the 90% safety net in 2002. I will press Commissioner Fischler very hard indeed to agree to this.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 11 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency in 2001-02.
Answer
The agency's performance against its targets in 2000-01 was published in full in its Annual Report and Accounts laid before the Scottish Parliament in August. (Bib. no. 15417)For 2001-02 I have set the agency the following key performance targets:
Quantitative targets
Achievement of a target income of £120,000 from new work or new customers.Completion of 95% of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescales set by customers.Improvement in the unit cost of the scientific work of the agency (cost per direct scientific hour).Ensuring, as part of the agency's rolling programme of consultation of customers, that 95% of the customers for the services of the Official Seed Testing Station for Scotland are at least "satisfied".Milestone targets
Fulfilment of the Agency Service Level Agreement within the budget agreed with ERAD.Publication of a review of the scientific work of the agency 1997-2000 by 31 December 2001.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the working group set up to investigate the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme has met or is expected to meet.
Answer
The working group first met on 10 November 2000. Subsequent meetings were held on 15 December 2000, 23 February 2001 and 3 August 2001. The next meeting was scheduled for 21 August 2001, but because a number of industry representatives found that they could not in fact attend, it has been postponed to the end of August.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when its analysis of the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme on individuals and on regions within Scotland will be completed and whether this analysis will be published.
Answer
An analysis of payments under the new scheme is being finalised and will be placed with the Parliament's Reference Centre next month.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the working group set up to investigate the impact of the less favoured areas support scheme finds that many crofters and farmers have suffered financial loss as a result of the scheme, it will introduce a new scheme.
Answer
Because I was able to negotiate the 90% safety net, any losses under the new scheme have been restricted to within 90% of the previous year's payments. There is no prospect of the EU agreeing to the introduction of a new scheme at this stage.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 24 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications were called in by it and the Scottish Office in each of the last five years within the Highland Council area and of these how many were called in on the recommendation of the Trunk Roads Authority.
Answer
The latest available information is given in the table.
| Year | Total No. Called-In | On Roads Grounds |
| 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 | 5 | 2 |
| 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998 | 6 | 6 |
| 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999 | 4 | 3 |
| 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000 | 6 | 6 |
| 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 | 9 | 8 |
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out its latest strategic position with regards to sea fisheries matters.
Answer
The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of strategic thinking in order to secure a long-term, sustainable future for the Scottish fishing industry. I launched, this week, a Strategic Framework for the Scottish Sea Fishing Industry. This document, which places sustainable fish stocks at its core, will be used to frame Executive decisions.
