- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 2 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a body, similar to the MacFarlane Trust which exists to provide help to people in the haemophilia community who incur extra costs of living arising from HIV or AIDS as a result of having received contaminated blood products in the UK, to provide such support for those who have contracted hepatitis C in the same manner.
Answer
The circumstances surrounding those who may have contracted Hepatitis C through treatment with blood products are tragic. I have met the Haemophilia Society to hear their concerns at first hand and officials within my Department are making enquiries into the circumstances surrounding this issue. I will be better placed to consider whether any further action on the part of the Scottish Executive is indicated when these enquiries are completed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 2 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government recommending that the remit of the MacFarlane Trust be extended to allow haemophilia sufferers in Scotland inflicted with hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood products in the UK to benefit from the work of the Trust.
Answer
I would refer Mr Ewing to the answer given to his question S1W-823.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 29 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland) with regard to the draft Tobacco Prohibition of Advertising and Promotion Regulations 1999 on (a) the promotion of goods or services other than tobacco products by association with a named brand of cigarettes known as 'brand stretching' and (b) the proposal of Her Majesty's government to allow an optional 2 years (beyond 2001) so that the ban is not implemented until 2003; whether it will seek to extend the proposed ban to cover indirect advertising by 'brand stretching', and whether it will support the implementation of the ban in 2001.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received representations from Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland). These and other comments received in response to the consultation exercise will be taken into account in finalising the Scottish regulations.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 28 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations there will be in relation to the Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Scotland) Regulations (1999); what consideration it has given to the impact which these regulations will have on the Scottish farmhouse cheese makers industry; how many jobs in Scotland will be affected by these regulations, and how many of these jobs are located in rural Scotland.
Answer
The Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 were sent out for public consultation on 23 August 1999. Replies to the consultation were requested by 11 October 1999.
It is not envisaged that these draft Regulations would have a significant effect on the Scottish farmhouse cheesemaking industry - including all jobs. The consultation includes a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the proposed Regulations and comments have been sought on these assessments. The very small number of farmhouse cheesemakers are predominantly located in rural Scotland.The replies received to the consultation process will be carefully considered.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 28 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive why it is seeking to introduce the Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Scotland) Regulations (1999).
Answer
The Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 are being introduced to consolidate, amend and update the Dairy Products (Hygiene) (Scotland) Regulations 1995. Amendment and updating is necessary in order to implement community decisions and to act on advice of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) in relation to the pasteurisation of goats, sheep and buffaloes drinking milk.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 28 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Scottish Tourist Board and what matters were discussed.
Answer
Henry McLeish met with Lord Gordon and his board on 15 October. They discussed the findings of the recent consultation exercise and the development of the new strategy for the Scottish tourism industry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 28 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Scottish Tourist Board and what matters were discussed.
Answer
Henry McLeish met with Lord Gordon and his board on 15th October. They discussed the findings of the recent consultation exercise and the development of the new strategy for the Scottish tourism industry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the current review of the tourist industry in Scotland should be conducted by a body independent of the Scottish Tourist Board.
Answer
The Scottish Tourist Board, working in partnership with other Government agencies, the Area Tourist Boards, the industry itself through the Scottish Tourism Forum and other representative bodies, is best placed to undertake this task.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from Highlands & Islands Enterprise relating to improvements in the mechanisms for community ownership described in Land Reform: Proposals for Legislation and, if so, whether it will adjust its policy to incorporate the suggestions made in particular by using a wider definition of eligible community members than tenants and employees alone, providing an emergency 'late registration' process for communities where land comes on the market unexpectedly, allowing existing bodies such as community councils to register an interest on behalf of a community, extending the time to be given to communities to assess whether they might buy land when it comes on the market, and pricing land at an economic rather than market value; and, if it will not adjust its policy in these ways, whether it will state its reason in each case.
Answer
We have so far received 530 responses to the Land Reform White Paper, including one from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. There have been good ideas from all sides on how to make the proposals better, and we shall be making as much use as possible of all of these.I shall be announcing the outcome of this consultation in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 26 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will describe in detail the ways in which (a) Scottish Enterprise (b) the Glasgow Development Agency (c) the British Waterways Board and (d) Historic Scotland are accountable to the Scottish Parliament for the decisions which they make and the way in which they spend public money and what steps it will take to make these bodies more accountable to the Parliament.
Answer
The bodies concerned are already accountable to Parliament, as described below.Scottish EnterpriseScottish Enterprise is a Non-Departmental Public Body established by the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990. It reports to the Scottish Parliament through Scottish Ministers. Glasgow Development AgencyThe Glasgow Development Agency (GDA) is one of the 13 local enterprise companies within the Scottish Enterprise area which are contracted to deliver the major part of the projects, programmes and services funded by Scottish Enterprise. The GDA is principally accountable to the Scottish Parliament through Scottish Enterprise. The GDA's accountability to Scottish Enterprise is defined and controlled by an Operating Contract.British Waterways BoardBritish Waterways Board is specified as a cross-border public authority under the Scotland Act 1998. Section 88 of that Act has the effect that UK Ministers must consult Scottish Ministers before making any appointment to the Board and about any functions which might affect Scotland otherwise than wholly in relation to reserved matters. Any report relating to British Waterways Board which is laid before the Houses of Parliament requires to be laid before the Scottish Parliament. Historic ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive Education Department and is directly responsible to Scottish Ministers who in turn are accountable to the Scottish Parliament. Arrangements for the management system of Agencies in general was set out in the written answer to a previous Scottish Parliament Question S1W-696 and is contained in the Written Answers for Wednesday 28 July 1999.
