- 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.
- 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 21 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the introduction of the aggregates tax in April 2002, a greater proportion of pre-cast concrete requirements will be met by imports from the Irish Republic and, if so, what impact this will have on Scotland's roads and environment and whether it will take any action to support Scottish pre-cast concrete production.
Answer
The aggregates tax is a reserved matter. Assessment of the impacts of the tax throughout the UK is a matter for HM Treasury. No separate assessment has been undertaken in Scotland. There are no plans to provide support for pre-cast concrete production in Scotland in connection with the aggregates tax.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 18 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7769 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000, how the expected #190 million saving in the amount of revenue support grant needed to make up the total aggregate external finance required by local authorities for 2000-01 due to the amount of non-domestic rating income distributed being higher than originally forecast was spent.
Answer
The £190 million saving remains unspent. As the then Minister for Finance said, the created provision will be used to cover requirements for additional RSG arising from the impact of the NDR appeals, and for other adjustments.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 18 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7769 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000, whether the amount of revenue support grant needed to make up the total aggregate external finance required by local authorities for 2000-01 rose from the amount forecast at that time due to the impact of non-domestic rates appeals or as a result of any other adjustments and, if so, by how much.
Answer
The amounts of revenue support grant and Non-Domestic Rates Income (NDRI) distributed to councils in 2000-01 were determined in the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2000 and did not change as a result of movements in non-domestic rates yield. Any adjustments to the amount of NDRI available for distribution from the NDR pool will be made when actual NDR collection figures are available to be compared with the estimates used in setting the distributable amount for 2000-01.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 18 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all reports which are referred to in Executive press releases are available to Members of the Scottish Parliament before any press statements are made to allow them sufficient opportunity to prepare comment on the contents of such reports.
Answer
All reports from the Scottish Executive are placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre on publication. It is for individual MSPs to decide for themselves how they prepare any comment but if Mr Ewing has a particular case in mind I would be happy to discuss it with him.
- 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 Jim Wallace on 18 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its reference to the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) requesting it to consider the provisions of the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976, which set out which relatives of a deceased person can claim non-patrimonial damages, and to make recommendations as to possible changes in the law, whether it will (a) indicate to the SLC that a brother or sister should be classed as immediate family with regard to claiming for loss of society and (b) support the extension of the definition of immediate family to include brother or sister in any report which the SLC produces.
Answer
The terms of the reference to the Scottish Law Commission were set out in my reply to question S1W-15191 on 23 April. We did not think it right to fetter the discretion of the Commission to report as it thinks fit. We will consider its recommendations carefully and will pay close attention to any recommendation on the possible entitlement of brothers and sisters to claim for loss of society.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on what evidence the briefing by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to MSPs on 1 May 2001 that there is "anecdotal evidence" which suggests that 20% of whisky distilleries have a negative impact on the environment was based, who produced such evidence and which distilleries were involved.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring there has been of water abstraction levels throughout Scotland since 1997.
Answer
There is no comprehensive monitoring of water abstraction levels in Scotland at present. We will be required to introduce such a system in order to implement the EC Water Framework Directive. However, there is already some monitoring as follows:
- the Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitors river flows and abstraction levels in certain areas for example where there is particular pressure from abstraction for aquaculture or irrigation;
- information on amounts of water supplied for public use is collected from the water authorities by the Scottish Executive. Details may be found in the Executive's annual report on water resources copies of which are available from the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no.'s 13378, 13380 and 13372), and
any licensed hydro-electricity generator granted an Acquisition of Water Rights Order under the Electricity Act 1989 is responsible for monitoring the level of water diverted through its generating system.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on what evidence it intends to base its policy on the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and its impact on the whisky industry.
Answer
We will base our policy for the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive on, amongst other things, an assessment of the impacts of human activities on the water environment and of the economic and social impact of any controls.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on what evidence the statement by the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development during the Members' Business debate on Scottish Whisky (Water Framework Directive) on 2 May 2001 that "SEPA advises that over-abstraction by industry and agriculture causes environmental problems in some parts of Scotland at certain times of the year" (Official Report, col. 317) was based and in which parts of Scotland this over-abstraction has occurred.
Answer
The statement was based on advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. An assessment of the environmental effects of water abstractions by industry and agriculture is set out in the agency's State of the Environment report, Improving Scotland's Water Environment, which was published in 1999. A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 2964).
