- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the policy that fish farmers whose fish farmed livestock are compulsorily slaughtered are not entitled to compensation was first established.
Answer
The first claim for compensation in these circumstances was turned down in 1996.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has received on whether the lack of a scheme to compensate fish farmers for the compulsory slaughter of fish breaches the provisions of Article 1 of the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights and article 14 of the Convention itself; what consideration it has given to any case law which applies in this matter and, in particular, what consideration it has given to any precedent set in Handyside v UK (A/24) (1976) relevant to this matter.
Answer
Our legal advice is that policy on compensation for fish farmers in these circumstances is not in breach of these provisions. Consideration has been given to a range of case law, including Handyside v UK. The matter is currently being examined by the European Court of Justice.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce proposals to provide backing for an insurance scheme in respect of the compulsory slaughter of farmed fish.
Answer
Such plans have been proposed and rejected as any Government contribution would be tantamount to compensation. We have, however, secured and implemented an amendment to EC fish health legislation to allow fish to be withdrawn from infected farms at a rate determined by the level of disease present. It is our hope that the withdrawal scheme will enable compulsory slaughter to be an insurable risk and to this end my officials have had meetings with insurance industry representatives.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all advice, direction or guidance given to local authorities in respect of the proposed rates relief package for businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
Answer
Guidance was issued to local authorities in Finance Circular No. 1/2001, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 12527).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hotels there are in the Highland Council area and how many of these have a rateable value of over #12,500.
Answer
There were 2,346 hotels, boarding houses etc. on the valuation roll for the Highland Council area as at 1 April 2000. 311 of these had a rateable value of over £12,000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will convene a working group, including representatives of the sectors of industry most likely to be affected, a Scottish Environment Protection Agency representative and a water authority representative, to consider proposals for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Answer
We intend to take an open approach to implementing the EC Water Framework Directive consulting extensively with stakeholders. For example, we plan to hold a conference on the Directive in the autumn. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the water authorities, industry representatives and environmental organisations will be among those invited to attend.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the introduction of the aggregates tax in April 2002, whether the cost of any new computer software development to administer the tax correctly will be defrayed by the Executive or Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and what consultation it has undertaken with quarry operators in order to arrive at a position on this matter as regards (a) any costs of such software and (b) whether there is sufficient time prior to its introduction for quarriers to develop any software required.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. There are no plans to defray the cost of changes to computer software in Scotland. HM Treasury and Customs and Excise have included the quarrying industry in their consultations on the tax.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an inquiry into the impact of the proposed aggregates tax upon the Scottish economy.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Assessment of the impact of the proposed tax throughout the UK is a matter for HM Treasury.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance has been received by the National Trust for Scotland in respect of the proposed Glencoe visitor centre from (a) the European Rural Development Fund, (b) the Enterprise Network, (c) Scottish Natural Heritage and (d) any other public funding source and whether any such financial assistance places local restaurant and retail premises that have not yet received such funding at a competitive disadvantage.
Answer
The National Trust for Scotland has received no financial assistance from the Enterprise Network in respect of the proposed Glencoe visitor centre. The Trust received £178,750 from Scottish Natural Heritage in 1995 toward the purchase of the land for the development of the project. I refer the member to a letter he received in December 1999 from the National Trust for Scotland detailing a total of £26,434 committed ERDF funding for the project. A copy of this letter will be placed for reference in the Parliament's Reference Centre. This figure remains unaltered and no additional public sector funding has been provided to the National Trust for Scotland in respect of this project.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 22 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11008 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 November 2000, why it expects a net increase in employment to result from the Chancellor's intention to recycle the revenues from the aggregates tax into a reduction in employers' National Insurance contributions.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Detailed questions on the economic impact of the aggregates tax should be directed to HM Treasury. Although no separate assessment of the impact of the tax has been undertaken in Scotland, it is reasonable to expect a reduction in employers' costs to result in an increase in employment.
