- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from business organisations to reassess the calculation of the non-domestic rate poundage for 2000-01 and to ensure the continuation of the uniform business rate throughout the United Kingdom; whether it will give details of such representations; whether any organisations support abandoning the uniform business rate and, if so, to provide details; whether Scotland will have a 10.1% higher non-domestic rate poundage level than in England in 2000-01, and whether it has any plans to reassess this level.
Answer
I received representations from and/or held meetings on the forthcoming revaluation of non-domestic rates, including the issue of the rate poundage, with the Forum of Private Business, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Scottish Council Development and Industry, CBI Scotland, the Scottish Tourism Forum, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Valuation and Rating Council, the Chemical Industries Association, Scottish Financial Enterprise and the Scottish Retail Consortium.
I confirmed the Uniform Scottish Rate Poundage for 2000-01 on 1 March at 45.8p. The poundage in England is to be 41.6p. I explained the effect of this in my previous answer of 28 January (S1W-3768, Written Answers Report Vol 4, No 5). There are no plans to reassess the figure.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has submitted or intends to submit a response to the consultation document issued by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFFGEM) on future electricity wholesale trading arrangements in Scotland and whether any such response indicated or will indicate support or opposition to the OFFGEM proposals, including the implications for Scotland of the proposals that (a) supply and generation be separated from distribution and transmission, (b) there should be created a single system operation for Scotland, (c) there should be cuts in price for transporting electricity, (d) there should be wider access to the interconductor between Scotland and England and (e) there should be cuts in the regulated Scottish price for wholesale electricity.
Answer
Although electricity regulation is a reserved matter, the Executive has always kept in close touch with electricity suppliers in Scotland and with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) as the structure of the energy market responds to changes in the business and regulatory environment.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates will not be created or protected as a result of the loss of power to extend aid beyond the de minimis amount, because the assisted area status map has not been agreed between the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission, and whether any applications have not proceeded or have been withdrawn as a result of the restriction on the amount of aid by operation of the de minimis rule, in consequence of the assisted area status map not being agreed.
Answer
The main form of aid provided by the Scottish Executive, to create and safeguard jobs, is Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). The ending of the 1993-99 Assisted Areas map was well publicised and we received a large number of RSA applications prior to the end of 1999. We are not aware of any RSA applications not proceeding or being withdrawn, in consequence of the assisted area status map not being agreed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate was contained in the Puma Edinburgh Marathon Race Director's Report of the "growth potential", showing this for each of the years 1999 to 2002 and setting out the number of entrants estimated as participating in each year, the expenditure generated by the runners and their supporters, and the impact in terms of full-time equivalent jobs in each year.
Answer
While the economic evaluation of the 1999 event does demonstrate potential for growth, this is dependent on significant increases in the number of competitors and supporters. At the time the decision not to hold the event in 2000 was taken, there had been fewer than half the number of applications as at the equivalent date last year.
The detailed growth potential, as outlined in the economic impact assessment of the 1999 event, is illustrated in the table below, but again it must be stressed that achieving the designated target of runners is the main determinant in realising these figures.
Year | Number of Runners | Gross Expenditure | Net Expenditure | Full-Time Equivalent Jobs |
1999 | 3,725 | £587,290 | £553,023 | 16 |
2000 | 10,000 | £1,573,937 | £1,482,101 | 42.3 |
2001 | 15,000 | £2,365,017 | £2,227,022 | 63.6 |
2002 | 20,000 | £3,135,747 | £3,004,523 | 86 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will, as a matter of urgency, consult with all the partnership bodies involved in the Puma Edinburgh Marathon 1999 in order to seek to reverse the decision taken to cancel this year's race.
Answer
No. This is a matter for the organisers and sponsors concerned.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many public meetings the Water Industry Commissioner has held since his appointment and how many he intends to hold.
Answer
The Commissioner has held one public meeting, plus a number of meetings with a range of customer organisations, since his appointment on 1 November.
Once the three Water Industry Consultative Committees are appointed, the Commissioner will hold at least four public meetings with each committee each year. He is also establishing customer panels to provide him with regular input from all groups of customers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to abolish the office of the Water Industry Commissioner and instead reform the Scottish Water and Sewerage Customers Council as a consumer watchdog.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the commitment given by the Minister for Finance on 9 February 2000 (col. 853), it will reconsider the criteria governing selection of those who are eligible to apply to be members of the water industry consultative committee.
Answer
The Executive is committed to broadening the range of people to be considered for public appointments made by Ministers.Appointments to the Water Industry Consultative Committees are made by the Water Industry Commissioner, rather than by Ministers. The Commissioner makes appointments in light of Guidance issued to him by Ministers. Among other things, the Guidance requires him to take account of the principles governing public appointments laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. It also places some restrictions on the Committees' membership to make it clear that the Committees are independent of the Scottish Executive and the water authorities in advising the Commissioner on the interests of customers. The Executive believes that these restrictions are important in safeguarding the interests of customers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that any matters relating to the finances and past management of Inverness College require to be referred to Audit Scotland, and whether it will consult with representatives of the workforce at the college in making such a decision.
Answer
No. The current management of Inverness College is in discussion with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council regarding the preparation of a recovery plan to address the College's financial position.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the total cost of funding of the learning resource centre at Inverness College was #4,806,000 and, if it was not, what was the actual cost, and whether it will (a) provide a breakdown of the cost between the services diversion, departmental relocation, learning resource centre, front-of-house professional fees and value added tax, and (b) provide a breakdown of how the total costs were funded between the following contributory bodies, (i) the Millennium Commission, (ii) European Regional Development Fund, (iii) Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, (iv) Highland Council (v) Inverness College, showing in each case the actual amount contributed by each of the funding bodies.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
