- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland of the proposed greenhouse gas emission tax.
Answer
The UK Government is considering responses to consultation on the proposed Climate Change Levy, which is a reserved matter. They are also holding discussions with energy intensive sectors, including the paper industry, on possible agreements to give rebates of the levy for energy efficiency measures. I will consider carefully any potential impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland following the outcome of these two processes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 2 July 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for the names of those persons sitting at the tables at the rear of the Assembly Hall chamber to be printed on name cards along with a description of their position.
Answer
There are three tables in the rear of the Assembly Hall, access to which is authorised by the Interim Clerk in terms of Business Bulletin Number 5/1999 published on 24 May 1999.The eastmost table is used by civil servants supporting the Scottish Executive. Up to 12 names are approved for attendance on each day when the Parliament is sitting: only 6 may be in the Hall at any time. These names are notified on the previous day. A copy of the list will be made available in the Reference Point behind the Chamber. A card indicating that the table is for use by officials of the Scottish Executive will be placed on the table.The centre table is used, as required, by staff of the Parliament. This will be clearly marked. All Parliamentary staff wear name badges.The westmost table is available for up to 6 advisers supporting non-executive parties. The names of those granted access on any day will also be listed in the Reference Point. Again, the table will be clearly identified as being available for non-Executive parties' support.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an estimate of the impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland of the proposed greenhouse gas emission tax.
Answer
The UK Government is considering responses to consultation on the proposed Climate Change Levy, which is a reserved matter. They are also holding discussions with energy intensive sectors, including the paper industry, on possible agreements to give rebates of the levy for energy efficiency measures. I will consider carefully any potential impact on employment in the paper industry in Scotland following the outcome of these two processes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make extra financial provision for the costs of police overtime during the Millennium holiday period.
Answer
Police grant-aided expenditure for 1999-2000 was set at a level which assumed full use of Government funds available for expenditure on police services. However, while forces must plan to meet their expenditure from within the resources available to them, the funding position is kept under review and if additional resources are identified, any police needs would be taken into account in distributing those.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 29 June 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer how many seats there will be for visitors in the proposed Holyrood Parliament and how many there are in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall Chamber.
Answer
There will be approximately 560 seats for visitors to the Holyrood Parliament building, of which 170 are in the main chamber. There are 456 seats for visitors to the Assembly Hall Debating Chamber.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 29 June 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer what instructions, directions or advice, if any, have been given to Enric Miralles regarding the shape of the debating chamber in the proposed Holyrood Parliament building.
Answer
The Design Team (principal consultant Enric Miralles) have been working to the Scottish Parliament Building User Brief which states that "a horse shoe or semi- circular arrangement would appear to be the most appropriate". They receive advice from access consultants to help ensure that disabled access requirements are met.The SPCB is considering this issue in the light of the recent debate and decision on the Holyrood building, and of the informal seminars with Members, and will report back to Members in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to seek an assurance from the Scottish Legal Aid Board that either - (a) the targets within which Advice and Assistance, Civil and Criminal accounts should be paid are being met; or, (b) arrangements are being made to ensure that the targets will be met in future.
Answer
The targets set out in the Board's annual Corporate Plan are the subject of monthly monitoring by the Board. Recently the Board has fallen seriously behind the targets on the payment of criminal legal aid accounts, and slightly behind in other areas. The Board has recently had a drive for improved quality in accounts assessment, and this, combined with staff turnover, has led to delays. The Board has put in place measures to tackle the backlog including additional staff and is now starting to recover the position. I am being kept fully informed of the developing situation.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the Housing (Right to Buy)(Cost Floor)(Scotland) Order (S.I. 1999/611) and the Right to Buy Cost Floor Determination.
Answer
No. However, the Housing Green Paper sought views on the Right to Buy more generally. Responses to the Green Paper on this and other issues are currently being collated and analysed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to lay before the Parliament the 38 responses made to the February 1998 consultation paper on changes to the Right to Buy scheme and cost floor rules.
Answer
Copies of 37 of the responses are being placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. In the remaining case, comments were provided on an "in confidence" basis.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to restore, for a period of six months or other trial period, to those tenants affected by the Housing (Right to Buy)(Cost Floor)(Scotland) Order (S.I. 1999/611) the right to purchase their council house with the benefit of the discount which they would have received under the previous rules.
Answer
No. The Housing (Right to Buy) (Cost Floor) (Scotland) Order took effect on 1 April 1999 and applies to all applications to purchase served on or after that date.