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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-28806

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 17 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of charges being faced by community radio stations in respect of broadcasting over the web; whether it will take any steps to protect community radio from the financial consequences of any such charges; whether it considers that any legislative reform should be made to protect community radio from such charges, and what representations it has made to Ofcom on these matters.

Question reference: S2W-28807

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 17 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any contact with community radio stations such as Lochbroom FM, Oban FM, Argyll FM, Caithness FM, Nevis Radio, Speysound Community Radio, Isles FM, Ross FM, Two Lochs Radio, Cuillin FM and Ness Community Radio and whether it has any concerns that the existence of any of these community radio stations could be jeopardised by the impact of charges made by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) and the Performing Right Society (PRS).

Broadcasting is a reserved matterand is the responsibility of the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS).

The Phonographic PerformanceLtd (PPL) is a not for profit organisation that issues licences to play music inpublic places and collects royalties for the recording companies and performersfor their rights in the sound recording. A PPL licence is therefore required whena radio station plays music or other sound recordings. The Performing Rights Society(PRS) issues licenses and collects royalties for composers and publishers.

Any concerns about the impactof charges by these organisations should be raised with the independent regulatorfor the UK communications industries, Ofcom, through its website at www.ofcom.org.uk or by writing to Ofcom, RiversideHouse, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HA.

Question reference: S2W-28808

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 17 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take any steps to promote the continuance and survival of community radio stations.

Question reference: S2W-28820

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the staff of the Crofters Commission will be represented on the committee of inquiry on the future of crofting.

Question reference: S2W-28821

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide assurances to the staff of the Crofters Commission that they will not lose their status as civil servants in future and that it will not be within the remit of the inquiry into crofting to propose that the commission should become a non-departmental public body.

Question reference: S2W-28771

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 9 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its position on classifying the Inverness link route as a trunk road and what the impact of such a classification would be on the Executive’s transport budget.

The Inverness Southern Distributor Road is a local road and the responsibility of Highland Council.

The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to review the trunk road network.

The possibility of investment on the Inverness Southern Distributor Road, as a regionally significant link, is a matter for Highland Council to discuss with HITRANS in the context of the regional transport strategy.

The Scottish Executive support HITRANS through a capital allocation of £3.53 million in the current financial year (2006-07).

Question reference: S2W-28450

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what performance targets it has set Transport Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-28446

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what functions were transferred from its Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department to Transport Scotland.

Transport Scotland startedwork as an executive agency in January 2006. The agency is responsible for helpingto deliver the Executive’s £3 billion capital road and rail investment programmeover the next decade, overseeing the safe and efficient running of Scotland’s trunkroads and rail networks and establishing and running a national scheme for concessionarytravel in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive’s TransportGroup remains responsible for:

Coordinatingthe National Transport Strategy for Scotland;

Liaisonwith regional transport partnerships, including monitoring of funding;

Sustainabletransport, road safety and accessibility;

Localroads policy and casework;

Aviation,bus, freight and taxi policy, and

Ferries,ports and harbours.

Further information on the functionsof Transport Scotland can be accessed on its website at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/index.aspx?pageID=1.

Question reference: S2W-28449

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it has in place to monitor the output and performance of Transport Scotland.

Transport Scotland is anexecutive agency of the Scottish Executive, and as such, through its Chief Executive,is directly accountable to Scottish ministers.

Transport Scotland’s FrameworkDocument which was approved by the Minister for Transport is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38523). It sets out how thisaccountability operates in full detail.

Transport Scotland’s CorporatePlan and Annual Business Plan are available on Transport Scotland’s websiteat www.transportscotland.gov.uk.

Question reference: S2W-28452

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has met the senior management of Transport Scotland.