- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 December 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer whether accelerated weathering tests will be carried out on the laminated wood and completed window units which were to be supplied by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; which company will conduct any such tests, and whether any unsatisfactory test result will reduce the sum paid to Flour City for the units and, if so, by how much.
Answer
Following liquidation, Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd will not supply laminated wood and completed window units for the new Parliament building. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the successful supplier of the windows element of the cladding package will be responsible for the provision of materials and units, weather tested to approved standards, however they are constructed. If laminated wood were to be selected, accelerated weather testing would be required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 December 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18872 on 12 October 2001, whether all the timber supplied by the businesses named in that answer has been received and whether all this timber was supplied to the required quality and specification.
Answer
The timber is being held by the suppliers ready for collection for kiln drying. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that the timber was procured in accordance with the specification.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 11 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there was any delay by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in sending past examination papers for Standard Grade and Higher Still examinations to the publishers of past papers; what steps it took to address any such delay, and how many (a) schools and (b) school pupils were affected by any such delay.
Answer
The production of past examination papers is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority and we will ask the chair to write to you responding in detail to the points raised.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what savings will result from the establishment of NHS Highland to replace Highland NHS Board, Highland Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Highland Primary Care NHS Trust in the current and in each of the next two budgetary years and whether it will place a breakdown of such savings in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The establishment of Highland NHS Board as a single forum for strategic leadership is intended to provide for the efficient, effective and accountable governance of health services in the Highlands. It is about encouraging the local NHS to spend better by focusing more on health outcomes and people's experience of the service.It will be for Highland NHS Board to determine how best to realise the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services it provides. Further details of how it plans to do this should be sought from the NHS Board.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any legal rulings in respect of double taxation which are applicable to the Scottish Bus Group employee pension fund.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any such ruling.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 7 December 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the sum of #854,000 paid to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd in respect of the work undertaken on design and specialist cladding services was paid in one or more payments, and on what date or dates the payments were made.
Answer
The amount paid to Flour City Architectural Metals involved five separate payments. The dates and amounts (excl. VAT) are given below.
12 March 01 | 194,000 |
23 April 01 | 68,366 |
01 June 01 | 139,671 |
14 June 01 | 252,185 |
16 July 01 | 199,845 |
Total | 854,067 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 7 December 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-19154 on 14 November 2001, whether a claim under the guarantee provided by the parent company has been made or will be made.
Answer
A claim will be considered once the extent of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd's liability becomes clear.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the former Scottish Bus Group pension schemes was at 31 March 2001.
Answer
During the debate on motion S1M-2486 on 29 November 2001, I announced that the sum receivable by Scottish Bus Group Limited in respect of pension scheme surpluses at 31 March 2001, after deduction of tax at 35%, is estimated at £168 million.The Scottish Transport Group Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2001 will be laid before the Scottish Parliament shortly.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conditions of consent granted for the planting of genetically modified oilseed rape at Roskill Farm, Munlochy, Ross-shire included any requirement that the genetically modified proportion of the crop be a quarter of the si'e of the control crop; what the reasons are for the position on this matter, and whether any such requirement has any impact on the efficiency of food production.
Answer
The crop of genetically modified oilseed rape comprises just under 15 hectares of the 40 hectare field with the conventional control crop growing in the remainder of the field. The consent which applies to releases of this particular genetically modified crop does not permit more than 15 hectares to be released on an individual site. Identical sampling methods and equal numbers of control points are used in both parts of the field. The farm scale evaluation programme is not concerned with the efficiency of food production. The programme is designed to assess the impact on biodiversity of the agricultural practices associated with growing genetically modified crops.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the range of locations currently covered by the definition of tourist attractions for the purposes of the Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy; whether it has any plans to review this matter; in particular, why golf courses are not considered to be tourist attractions under the terms of that definition, and whether the lack of tourist signposting for golf courses has any impact on the Executive's strategy for the promotion of golf to visitors.
Answer
A tourist attraction/facility is broadly defined, for signing purposes, as being a permanently established destination or facility that attracts or is used by visitors to an area and which is open to the public without prior booking during its normal working hours. Examples of the types of tourist attractions/facilities eligible for signing under this definition are historic buildings, gardens, leisure complexes, beaches, ancient monuments, historic churches, zoos, picnic sites etc. The importance of golf as a major tourist attraction in Scotland is recognised. However, golf clubs must, through the local tourist board, take appropriate steps to develop a marketing strategy and inform the public of the golf course through advertising material. As the majority of golf courses are used mainly by their members and require pre-booking for any visitors they are not normally considered suitable for tourist signposting.The Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy was introduced in 1998 following wide consultation with interested parties, including the Scottish Tourist Board, to ensure a consistent approach across the trunk road network. There are no proposals to review this policy.
