- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20486 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 September 2006, what progress is being made in establishing a course in clinical dental technology at a dental training institution; when such a course might begin, and what video conferencing provision will be made to enable those who live far from the institution to participate in the course.
Answer
NHS Education for Scotland(NES) have been asked to develop, with the further and higher education sector,a suitable clinical dental technology training course for denturists. NES have beenraising awareness of the potential for such a course and inviting registrationsof interest in order to gauge likely demand. One potential training providerhas been identified and discussions are continuing on how and when this trainingmight be delivered. I cannot pre-empt the outcome of those discussions but itis possible that a course might be available during 2007. NES and any courseprovider will consider how best to ensure such a course is accessible toapplicants from throughout Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 7 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the “Safe-Inverness” project when its funding runs out in August 2007 and, if so, by what means, whether this will include financial support for the project and whether any similar project, or project with similar aims, in any other city receives Executive support.
Answer
Safe City Centresinitiatives in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth andInverness were funded by the Executive from April 2003 to March 2006. Safe-Invernessand some other schemes had funding extended until 2007. An evaluation of SaferCity Centres is being carried out and we will await its findings beforeconsidering the future of this initiative.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it estimates will be available under the new Scottish Rural Development Programme; whether there will be as much funding provided for crofting communities under the programme as there was under the Crofting Community Development Scheme (CCDS); whether it will provide estimates of the amount which will be available for those parts of Scotland which were eligible to make applications under the CCDS, and whether it will submit any application for structural funding in this connection.
Answer
Scotland has been allocated approximately £240 million from theEU over the 2007-13 period. In addition, there will be money from the Scottish Executive– which will provide the majority of the funding – and subject to agreement withthe EU, receipts from voluntary modulation. I am unable to confirm these amountsat this stage because they will both depend on the outcome of on-going negotiationsin Brussels on the voluntary modulation regulation.
As with the SRDP, the structuralfunds programme for 2007-13 is still to be finalised with the Commission. However,dedicated funds will be available for the Highlands and Islands, under the European Regional Development Fund and the European Structural Fund, to support a rangeof economic, social and community development projects. These funds will be availablefor all relevant projects to bid into.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual population of deer on Rum was in each year since the herd was introduced and, of these, how many were culled annually.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage hasrecorded the estimated deer population and cull numbers since its inception as follows:
| Year | Deer Count | Total Deer Culled |
| 1991 | 1,649 | 434 |
| 1992 | 1,438 | 308 |
| 1993 | 1,262 | 113 |
| 1994 | 1,185 | 172 |
| 1995 | Abandoned due to weather | 196 |
| 1996 | 1,483 | 280 |
| 1997 | 1,408 | 245 |
| 1998 | 1,527 | 255 |
| 1999 | 1,432 | 256 |
| 2000 | 1,341 | 249 |
| 2001 | 1,103 | 444 |
| 2002 | 990 | 406 |
| 2003 | No count done | 190 |
| 2004 | 1,269 | 237 |
| 2005 | 1,234 | 445 |
| 2006 | 1,160 | 141 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what forestry grants have been paid to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in each year since its inception and, in particular, in respect of its forestry in Rum, and what grants SNH is seeking for its future operations in Rum.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)received the following payments of forestry grants between 1994 and 2007. Of those,during the period 2003-07, £5,643 were in respect of its woodland management onRum.
Any future grant applicationsfor Rum are dependant on the outcome of the review of SNH’s National Nature Reserveplan.
Forestry Grants Paid toScottish Natural Heritage
| 1994-95 | £3,261 |
| 1995-96 | £1,052.50 |
| 1996-97 | £1,657.30 |
| 1997-98 | £2,633.75 |
| 1998-99 | £1,341.25 |
| 1999-00 | £3,946.30 |
| 2000-01 | £4,747.69 |
| 2001-02 | £40,989.74 |
| 2002-03 | £6,941.78 |
| 2003-04 | £542.50 |
| 2004-05 | £38,528.02 |
| 2005-06 | £25,481 |
| 2006-07 | £33,909.59 |
| Total grants paid | £165,032.42 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Forestry Commission Scotland will approve grant applications from Scottish Natural Heritage which contain no provision for fencing.
Answer
Forestry Commission Scotlandwill approve grant for planting schemes which contain no provision for fencingwhether submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage or by other applicants if theyare satisfied that there is no significant risk of damage from deer or othergrazing animals. If such planting schemes are not successful, the applicantwould be asked to carry out remedial work to ensure that the scheme will becomeestablished.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has intimated any view on track access charges on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line and, if so, to whom.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has alwaystaken the view that there should be a charge on the newStirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway and that the charge should be such as to allowthe benefits of the new railway to be shared between the investor and operatorsusing the new railway. This view has been discussed with many bodies since 2001including the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the Strategic Rail Authority, ClackmannanshireCouncil, Scottish Power, Forth Ports, Clydeport and other industry bodies. Mostrecently we wrote to the ORR in June 2006 asking them to set an appropriate trackaccess charge for the railway.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce track access charges for the proposed (a) Edinburgh Airport rail link, (b) Glasgow Airport rail link, (c) Waverley line or (d) Airdrie to Bathgate rail link or for any other rail project under construction or proposed for construction.
Answer
Transport Scotland plansto ask the Office of Rail Regulation to set an appropriate access charge for allnew additions to the rail network This is normal with any addition to infrastructurecontrolled by Network Rail. Transport Scotland will fund any necessary increasein the First ScotRail franchise subsidy to cover these charges.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what direction or guidance it has given to Transport Scotland in respect of the preparation of a high-level output statement for Network Rail for the next control period.
Answer
Transport Scotland is partof the Scottish Executive, directly accountable to Scottish ministers. Consequently,no such direction or guidance has been given.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the time scales are for the production of a (a) high-level output statement, namely a statement of available finance, showing the funding available for the railway infrastructure and (b) list of infrastructural requirements in respect of the Scottish rail network for the duration of the next control period.
Answer
The process is initiated formallyby the Office of Rail Regulation through the issue of the Access Charges ReviewNotice. This is expected shortly, and it is likely that this will require the submissionof the high-level output statement, together with the statement of funds availablein July 2007.
