- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 21 July 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, and in what journal or journals, the tender for the contract for wall cladding and windows for the MSP block was advertised.
Answer
A Works Directive Periodic Indicative Notice, which advertised external cladding and windows packages for the new Parliament building, was published in the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC) in February 1999.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it will make of the impact of the rate of taxation per unit of alcohol on the (a) whisky industry and (b) wine industry in other EU member states; whether, in the course of making any such assessment, it will meet with the government of each EU member state that applies lower taxation rates per unit of alcohol on wine than the UK taxation rate per unit of alcohol on whisky and, if so, whether it will send a minister to the meetings, and what steps it will take to address any differentiation between the taxation rate per unit of alcohol for wine and the rate for whisky.
Answer
Duty rates, tax differentials and EU minimum rates are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive will continue to support the Scotch whisky industry to secure the best conditions at home and abroad.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any documents or papers to which the investigation into the cost of the Holyrood building project, lead by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, will be denied access and, in particular, whether it will have access to all (a) government papers, (b) of Her Majesty's Government's Cabinet papers and (c) Scottish Executive Cabinet papers on the matter.
Answer
I made clear in my statement on 19 June that Lord Fraser must have access to relevant papers. I am confident that the inquiry will have access to relevant papers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take over this session of the Parliament to promote the whisky industry.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and the industry have an on-going commitment to work together to secure the best conditions possible, at home or abroad, for the benefit of the industry, the jobs it supports and the wider economy of Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the competitiveness of the whisky industry.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-927. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Keepers of the Quaich and when it will next do so.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not met the Keepers of the Quaich and no such meetings are planned.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that the level of excise duty on whisky should be reduced.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues affecting the Scotch whisky industry including duty rates, tax differentials and EU minimum rates.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been in contact with (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Commission in relation to (i) any future possible measure that would have an impact on the competitiveness of the whisky industry and (ii) the taxation regime of the industry in comparison with other forms of alcohol and, in particular, wine.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-928 on 14 July 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value has been of the whisky industry to the economy in terms of (a) the number of jobs, (b) the gross domestic product, (c) the value of exports in each of the last four years and, in each case, what the value of the industry is estimated to be in the next four years.
Answer
According to figures compiled by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the number of people directly employed by the Scotch whisky industry in the UK over the last four years is 1999 - 11,178; 2000 - 11,091; 2001 - 10,691, and 2002 - 10,438. A recent study by DTZ Pieda, on behalf of the SWA, concluded that, in 2000, distillers spent £689.72 million with Scottish suppliers of goods and services. As a result, 40,810 jobs in Scotland were indirectly supported by Scotch whisky production. Nearly 65,000 jobs were supported across the UK as a whole.The most recent research in the area of Gross Domestic Product concluded that in 2000, £807 million of income (principally wages and salaries) was generated in Scotland by Scotch whisky production. £1,311 million of income was generated in the UK as a whole. The value of exports in each of the last four years was 1999 - £2,093.7 million; 2000 - £2,156.4 million; 2001 - £2,295.0 million, and 2002 - £2,285.0 million. No statistics are available about prospects over the next four years.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Commission that the regulatory burden should take account of the specific needs of the whisky industry.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including regulations as they affect the Scotch whisky industry. The Executive works to support Scottish businesses where EU and UK policies have an effect on competitiveness, and seeks to ensure that the regulatory burden is kept to a sensible minimum.