- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is essential for the future of crofting in the Western Isles that there be a locally-based abattoir facility.
Answer
In the interests of sustainable farming, it is important for all producers to have profitable markets for the livestock that they produce, whether that is abattoirs or other farmers who finish the animals. Around two-thirds of livestock from the Western Isles is currently sold to buyers elsewhere in the UK and it is in the best interest of Western Isles producers that the abattoirs that buy their livestock are commercially viable, irrespective of where they are based.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance it has provided in connection with Heather Isles Meats Ltd in each of the last three years.
Answer
The Executive has provided no financial assistance to Heather Isle Meats in the last three years.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 28 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23591 by Dr Elaine Murray on 7 March 2002, whether the annual Scottish award for the best publicly funded building will be awarded this year; what consultation there will be as to whether an award should be granted this year; whether the award will be open to those buildings in respect of which a certificate of completion is granted in the year of the award and, if not, what other criteria will be applied for eligibility for nomination.
Answer
I indicated in my earlier answer of 7 March that how to take this forward is currently under consideration. That remains the position. However, I have decided that a Scottish award will not be initiated this year.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any additional assistance available to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd in order to enable the company to reduce the standard tariff landing charges at Inverness Airport and, if so, whether such assistance will enable such charges to be reduced to the levels of airports at Glasgow, Edinburgh or London Heathrow.
Answer
Charges at the airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, and grant to the company, will continue to be set at levels which will ensure the maintenance of essential air services.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what work is to be carried out in order to repair and resurface the single track sections of the A830; by what date any such work will be carried out, and whether BEAR (Scotland) Ltd will consult Mallaig Community Council in connection with these matters.
Answer
A structural maintenance scheme has been identified for implementation this autumn. The precise nature and scope of the works is currently under investigation and will be finalised during the design period over the summer months. A consultation exercise involving Mallaig Community Council will be undertaken to ascertain the optimum timing for the road closures. It is anticipated that in order to keep disruption to a minimum, the road closures will take place outwith the tourist season.An interim strategy to undertake urgent repairs and increase the frequency of safety inspections has also been formulated to ensure road safety is maintained until the above scheme is implemented.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a reduction of landing charges at Inverness Airport would support promotion of the tourism industry and, in particular, increase the number of visitors travelling to Inverness Airport.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's support to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd already ensures the maintenance of air services which provide tourism access to the Highlands.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any representatives from the tourism industry sit on the Nicholson Committee and, if not, whether any such representatives can be appointed to the committee and whether the committee can be expected to have full and proper regard to the interests of tourists and the tourist industry as a whole.
Answer
There is no representative of the tourism industry as such on the Nicholson Committee, as it is not possible to include every field of interest if the committee is to function effectively. However, that does not preclude the committee having full and proper regard to tourism interests. The Nicholson Committee has consulted widely and I understand that VisitScotland is included among the respondents who have been invited to give oral evidence to the committee.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has used its power of direction in respect of non-departmental government bodies and, if so, (a) when, (b) in respect of which bodies and (c) why it did so.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23474 by Ross Finnie on 11 March 2002, whether the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill as introduced will clarify the question of whether there is a law of trespass and what its current position is on whether there is such a law at present.
Answer
There is a law of trespass in Scotland. Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill creates a right of responsible access to land (including inland water) for recreational purposes and for passage. For the first time the bill creates clear and unambiguous general rights of access to land in Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 26 March 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-20309 on 7 December 2001, whether there should now be an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract for the MSP block wall cladding and window package of the Holyrood Project to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and how the losses currently estimated at #3.9 million arose.
Answer
The evidence provided on the skills and abilities of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd prior to the letting of the contract for the MSP building cladding package is being assessed by Audit Scotland as part of their routine audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's (SPCB) accounts and it is not appropriate to provide details until the findings of the audit report are known. Any further action by the SPCB will be considered in the light of Audit Scotland's findings.
