- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 27 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether projects involving the incineration of waste for energy will be eligible for assistance under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) in future; if so, what the reason is for its position on this matter and, if no decision has been made on this matter as yet, when such a decision is expected.
Answer
Our recent consultation paper on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) addressed a number of issues, including the matter of qualifying renewable energy technologies. We will take decisions on these issues once we have completed analysing the many responses received.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from the Stank Glen Residents' Association in relation to the proposal by Forest Enterprise to establish a tourist village on the shores of Loch Lubnaig; if so, what response it has made or will make, and whether, if the area were at present designated as a national park, a planning application in relation to such a development would be likely to be rejected.
Answer
Representations have been received from the Stank Glen Residents' Association and the Scottish Executive Development Department will be replying shortly explaining the procedures which apply in respect of a proposed development to be undertaken by a body entitled to Crown exemption. All proposals for development have to be considered individually and these particular proposals will be a matter to be considered, in the first instance, by Stirling Council as planning authority.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any powers to declare a moratorium in respect of the planning notification by Forest Enterprise to establish a tourist village along the west shore of Loch Lubnaig in relation to (a) the fact that this area falls within the boundaries currently considered for Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park; (b) the existing designation of the shores of Loch Lubnaig as an area of Special Scientific Interest, and (c) the area's impending designation as a Special Area of Conservation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not have such statutory powers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will, as a matter of urgency, take all steps within its power to have the definition of the mesh si'e of a towed net changed from the mesh si'e of the cod end or extension piece of net to the smallest mesh si'e found in any part of the net and, if the definition is not changed, what effect this definition will have on nephrop stocks, in particular in relation to the protection of immature stocks of nephrops.
Answer
The definition suggested, which was in use prior to new regulations introduced on 1 January 2000, was found to be unenforceable because it required every single mesh in the net to be measured - an impossible task in practice.Nephrops have previously been observed escaping through the meshes in the belly of the net. The potential effect of the current regulations on the extent of escapes has not been quantified.The Executive is prepared to consider an approach to the Commission with a view to reviewing the European Regulations covering mesh size if evidence emerges that nephrops stocks may be at risk.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 15 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been made to the external adjudicators of (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise since the inception of each organisation and how many such complaints have been upheld.
Answer
The External Adjudicators for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise took up post on 1 April 1997. Prior to that date there were no external adjudication procedures in place. The number of complaints they have received each year since then is detailed in the tables.Scottish Enterprise
| | Complaints rec'd | Complaints upheld |
| 1997-98 | 12 | 0 |
| 1998-99 | 2 | 0 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000-01* | 3 | 1 |
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
| | Complaints rec'd | Complaints upheld |
| 1997-98 | 6 | 1 |
| 1998-99 | 4 | 0 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000-01* | 4 | 0 |
*Covers the period 01/04/2000 to 05/02/2001.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the Project Assessment Committee which will assess applications for assistance under the Agricultural Business Development Scheme; what particular qualifications each member holds which led to their selection, and whether any members are on the committee by virtue of their organisation being represented on it ex officio, naming each such organisation.
Answer
The current members of the Project Assessment Committee (PAC) are:
| Neil Black | Scottish Tourist Board |
| Ms Barbara Bremner | Scottish Natural Heritage |
| John Brown | Principal Agricultural Officer (Highland), Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department (SERAD) |
| Frank Gaskell | Highlands and Islands Enterprise |
| Ms Phyllis Harvey | Orkney Islands Council (representing the Islands' local authorities) |
| John Henderson | Assistant Chief Agricultural Officer, SERAD HQ and Chairman Panel 1 (agricultural applications) |
| Peter Johnstone | Principal Agricultural Officer (Grampian), SERAD |
| Iain Matheson | Principal Agricultural Officer (Northern & N Isles), SERAD |
| John Maxwell | Principal Agricultural Officer (Argyll & W Isles), SERAD |
| Roy McLachlan | Principal Agricultural Officer (Arran & Bute), SERAD |
| Ms Catriona Maclean | Highland Council (representing the Highlands' local authorities) |
| Henry Snedden | SERAD HQ policy branch and Chairman Panel 2 (non-agricultural applications) |
Observers:
| Rory Dutton | Scottish Crofters Union |
| Ms Beverley Wilson | National Farmers' Union of Scotland |
| (nominee awaited) | Scottish Landowners' Federation |
Nominations for PAC membership came from the joint public sector/industry team that designed the scheme. The SERAD members reflect the Executive's overall policy and financial responsibilities for the ABDS, and their knowledge of the agricultural sector in their respective areas. The non-departmental representatives bring expertise and experience on economic and social development, tourism and environmental priorities for the Highlands and Islands - relevant criteria in assessing grant applications. Some of the public organisations concerned may also part-fund some grants. The industry representatives have chosen to be observers rather than full members of the PAC.All members of the PAC are there in an ex-officio capacity.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Disability Access to Outdoor Recreation Group is accountable to sportscotland or any other Scottish public body; if so, who the members of the group are and whether the minutes of the group's meetings, in particular those of the meeting on 12 December 2000, will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The Mountain Recreation Group is a working group established by Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and is accountable to SDS. Group meetings are chaired by the SDS Mountain Recreation Co-ordinator and attended by individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds with an interest in this area of work, including representatives from sportscotland. The dissemination of the group's minutes of meetings is a matter for SDS.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to make information available to disabled people about opportunities to participate in sport and whether there is any central bank of such information.
Answer
In the last two years, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), in partnership with sportscotland, has developed a number of steps to make information on sport and recreation opportunities available to those wishing to participate in sport.These include the new SDS website, www.scottishdisabilitysport.com, which was officially launched during 2000; the SDS newsletter The Changing Times, which is published three times a year; SDS sport specific leaflets covering the sports of athletics, archery, boccia, cycling, swimming, table tennis, football and bowls; an A5 flyer promoting the work of SDS; a comprehensive resource pack, which acts as a one stop shop for disability sport issues, with funding through the Ready Willing and Able for Sport programme; SDS has an information stand and undertakes practical sessions as part of the annual Scottish Mobility Roadshow held at the SECC, Glasgow; and SDS is promoted at a local level throughout Scotland through its local branch structure.The SDS Marketing & Communications Convenor is a voluntary post within the governing body with the responsibility of co-ordinating the above initiatives in conjunction with the Chairman and the sportscotland Co-ordinator.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any alterations to its timetable for the proposed Land Reform Bill and whether it will set out its current timetable for the Bill from consultation to introduction through to Royal Assent.
Answer
As detailed in the latest Land Reform Action Plan Progress Report, issued on 7 December 2001 and copied to all MSPs and to the Parliament's Reference Centre (question S1W-11799 refers), the draft Land Reform Bill will issue for consultation later this month. Following the 12-week consultation period, the target date for introduction to Parliament is September 2001. Thereafter, the Bill's timetable will be a matter for the Parliament.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposed Freedom of Information Bill will allow public access to internal documents and discussions, including advice to Ministers; if so, whether any such papers in relation to the problems with this year's exam results will become publicly available if the Bill is passed, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's draft Freedom of Information Bill will in due course be published for consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny. In paragraph 4.17 of the Executive's consultation document, An Open Scotland, it was stated that "We consider it necessary that government should continue to have an appropriate degree of privacy to conduct its internal debates, to receive advice, to develop policy and to make decisions. Failure to provide adequate protection for these processes can undermine a government's ability to choose objectively between options and to maintain collective responsibility".
