- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about any proposed meeting between representatives of Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL) and Ryanair on 19 June 2002; what assistance it will provide to HIAL in order to ensure that there is a successful outcome to any such negotiations on the establishment of new routes from Highlands and Islands airports; in particular, whether it will provide any assistance in respect of landing charges, and what steps it will take to see the growth of air routes and passenger numbers within areas served by HIAL.
Answer
The meeting between Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) and Ryanair on 19 June follows on from a meeting on 25 April about the possibility of the Irish carrier operating from HIAL airports. Meetings between HIAL and its users and potential users are a commercial matter for the airport operator.The Scottish Executive is providing record levels of support to HIAL to maintain the airport infrastructure for essential air services in the Highlands and Islands. This support also allows HIAL to offer substantial discounts on landing charges for new services or increased frequencies which would lead to increased passenger numbers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 24 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the rules governing the safer routes to school fund so that buses in normal service can be diverted from their route in order to transport children to school.
Answer
The Executive has provided financial support to local authorities to assist them to develop Safer Routes to School and Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects. Guidance on How to run Safer Routes to School was published by the Scottish Executive in December 1999. There are no plans to amend it.Local authorities receive funding from the Executive through the Rural Public Passenger Transport Grant to subsidise non-commercial rural public passenger transport services.Under section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 education authorities have a duty to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of free transport or for the provision of other transport facilities for the conveyance of pupils between their homes and their designated schools.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 21 June 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the statement made by a Parliament spokesman on 10 September 2001 that "we have been aware for a number of weeks through our construction managers (Bovis Lend Lease) of some difficulties within Flour City relating to worldwide financial and management restructuring", on what date the construction managers first provided information of such difficulties; to whom this information was given; what information was provided, and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for any relevant details to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
In late July 2001, Bovis Lend Lease advised the Project Team, of financial difficulties emanating from Flour City projects within the far east, and consequential management restructuring to manage the financial situation. The latest position was discussed at the Holyrood Progress Group at their next meeting at the beginning of August, and formally reported to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) at their meeting at the end of that month. The Parliament has received legal advice that documents should not mean time be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre for reasons I have repeatedly given.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any instances where information which would not normally be published for reasons of confidentiality under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information has been published on the grounds that the public interest outweighed the harm or prejudice, or risk or reasonable expectation of harm or prejudice, as specified in Part II thereof and, if so, whether it will detail such instances.
Answer
The Executive does not hold information in the form requested. Information on the operation of the Code of Practice is published annually, and the report for 2001 is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the Executive's website.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 19 June 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the statement in the Holyrood Progress Group Newsletter No.7 that "factory inspections have already taken place in Thailand", who from Bovis Lend Lease carried out these inspections; when they took place, and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the inspection findings.
Answer
Bovis Lend Lease did not carry out inspections of Flour City's window supplier's manufacturing facility in Thailand. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that representatives from RMJM's local offices in Bangkok undertook inspections, initially in February 2001, and later in June 2001. The Parliament has received legal advice that documents should not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre while the SPCB's right 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, 28 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 19 June 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer on what date (a) Bovis Lend Lease, (b) EMBT/RMJM and (c) any member of the Holyrood Project Team expressed any doubts to the Holyrood Progress Group, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body or any other person about the financial viability of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd or its parent company and whether any documents regarding this matter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Certain concerns about Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd's finances were reported to the HPG at a meeting on 12 July 2001. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that representatives of Bovis Lend Lease, EMBT/RMJM and the Holyrood Project Team were all present at that meeting. These concerns and subsequent developments were reported to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) in August 2001. The Parliament has received legal advice that documents should not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre 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: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 19 June 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is bound by any code of practice on access to information and whether it voluntarily follows any policy similar to that set out in Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information where information which would not normally be published may be published in view of the public interest.
Answer
The SPCB is not at present bound by any code of practice on access to information but it will be subject, in the same way as any public authority, to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 18 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not make any minister available to participate in "Newsnight Scotland" on 14 May 2002 to discuss the Members' Business debate in the Parliament on the Scottish Criminal Record Office (S1M-3076) which was due to be held on 15 May 2002.
Answer
As Scottish ministers are amongst the parties involved in the action brought by Ms McKie it would have been inappropriate for them to participate in the programme.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has on whether any legal challenge in regard to the proposed distribution and mode of distribution of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes surplus would delay interim payments; whether it is aware of any legal action which postponed interim payments to persons entitled to pensions from the National Bus Company pension scheme, and whether all relevant correspondence relating to any such action will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
No legal entitlement to the surplus funds on the part of the former Scottish Transport Group pension schemes members has been established.It would be inappropriate for the Executive to provide information which would harm the frankness and candour of discussion and advice, including between the Scottish Executive and legal advisers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what enquiries it has made and what information it has received on the tax liability of the recipients of payments under the distribution of the National Bus Company pension scheme; whether these payments were free of tax; whether copies of all relevant correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, and whether it will meet the members of the Scottish Bus Group Pensioners Action Committee who submitted petition PE500 and who appeared before the Public Petitions Committee on 7 May 2002 to discuss points of concern raised at that meeting.
Answer
The tax liability of individuals under the National Bus Company (NBC) distribution will depend on the method of distribution determined by the trustees of the NBC pension schemes in individual circumstances. Some pension scheme members will receive an element of their share of the distribution in tax-free payments as well as increased pension benefits. This is allowable in the NBC case because payments are being made directly from a pension scheme. This is a matter for the trustees of the NBC pension schemes and the Inland Revenue. I will respond to the Petitions Committee on matters they have raised with me following the meeting in question.
