- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a detailed computation of the #100 million possible cost of liability to compensate landowners for losses to the market value of their holdings in the event of the introduction of an absolute right to buy for tenant farmers, as referred to on page 25 of its consultation paper on the draft Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28916 on 25 September 2002. 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: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28258 by Lewis Macdonald on 5 September 2002, whether the first tranche of payments under the disbursement of Scottish Transport Group pension funds will be calculated using a fixed percentage of the total calculated entitlement and, if so, what that percentage will be and, if not, how the percentage of payments to be made under the first tranche will be calculated, and whether the second tranche of payments will be for the total amount remaining.
Answer
The first tranche of payments was calculated as £3.90 per £ of pension or pension entitlement at 1993 levels. The total to be paid out in this tranche, assuming that all the details on the database are correct, is approximately 80% of the £118 million then available for distribution. Since the calculations were made for the first tranche of payments we have secured an additional £8 million for distribution to beneficiaries, and the second tranche will distribute the balance of the £126 million now available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event that the Inland Revenue grants a concession so that pensioners and beneficiaries under the Scottish Transport Group pension funds do not have to pay income tax on their payments, any tax deducted will be reimbursed immediately following the securing of the exemption.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29303 today. 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: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28202 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 September 2002, whether it still supports the application for a Public Services Obligation (PSO) for the Inverness/Gatwick route; what conditions are attached to its support for the PSO, and, in particular, whether its support is dependent upon the outcome of the consultation exercise on the Department of Transport's consultation paper, The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom.
Answer
Ministers unconditionally support the application of measures to secure Inverness' link with Gatwick and this is not dependent on the outcome of the present consultation process.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27999 by Peter Peacock on 2 September 2002, what it estimates will be the percentage of small businesses eligible for business rate relief under the scheme to be introduced in 2003.
Answer
The Executive is currently preparing estimates of the number of properties eligible for relief and these will be published later this year, when the Minister for Finance and Public Services formally announces the provisional poundage rate for 2003-04.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what communication it is having with the Inland Revenue with regard to the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes and, in particular, (a) what concessions it is seeking from the Inland Revenue in respect of the schemes and (b) what response it has received.
Answer
Following previous exchanges of correspondence with the Inland Revenue on taxation issues, I wrote to HM Treasury on 9 August 2002 seeking a tax concession which would allow the ex-gratia payments to be made as tax-free lump sum payments. HM Treasury replied on 20 September 2002 confirming their view that there was no case for special treatment.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27995 by Mr Jack McConnell on 2 September 2002, whether ministerial parliamentary aides deal directly with civil servants by (a) attending meetings with them, (b) communicating with them via telephone or any other means, and what the cost has been to date of any such time spent by civil servants with ministerial parliamentary aides.
Answer
Civil servants' contact with ministerial parliamentary aides is limited to occasions when the aide is supporting a minister in the minister's official capacity. This can be contact at meetings or by telephone or e-mail. No central record is kept of the amount of time or occasions where contact has been made.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 26 September 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, following the letter issued to me by the Auditor General of 5 September 2002, whether documents that relate to the contract with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited (FCAM), previously withheld from publication, will now be published in full including (a) the recommendation by Bovis Lend Lease that FCAM be engaged for the works package for the MSP block in the new Parliament building at Holyrood, (b) all documents relating to the financial appraisal of FCAM, (c) the pre-tender questionnaire completed by FCAM, (d) the first and second letters of intent and (e) the references that were obtained in respect of FCAM and Flour City International Inc.
Answer
The Parliament has received legal advice that the documents requested should not be made public, while the SPCB's rights and entitlements are still being evaluated, as they may form part of the productions in any litigation which may follow.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 26 September 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer how much in total has now been incurred in respect of legal costs and expenses in connection with Flour City Architectural (Metals) UK, including costs involved in examining and preparing the case for action under the Parent Company Guarantee, giving details of the invoices issued and the dates when they were paid and those which remain outstanding; what the estimated amount of legal costs and expenses is which have not yet been invoiced, and whether Shepherd and Wedderburn or any other legal firm has been providing advice on this matter.
Answer
Shepherd and Wedderburn has provided and continues to provide legal advice on contractual and other issues in connection with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) and Flour City International. This includes instructing an agent to make inquiries in the USA. The corporate body is expecting a further report from Shepherd and Wedderburn and the agent, after which I shall write further to the member. No other firm has been providing advice to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on this matter.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 26 September 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the prospect is of the recovery of losses from Flour City International Inc. and whether any further expenditure on legal expenses to attempt such recovery would be financially worthwhile, detailing the reasons for the position on this matter.
Answer
The legal directorate has instructed Shepherd and Wedderburn to examine the issues and report on the prospects of recovery against Flour City International. A report is expected to be considered by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) within the next two months. The SPCB considers that it has a duty, in the public interest, to examine carefully the prospects of recovery, and to obtain expert opinion, before reaching a final decision on legal action.
