- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any changes it made to its original proposals following its consultation paper, Affordability of Water and Sewerage Charges.
Answer
The affordability consultation report details changes made to the Executive's original proposals to address the affordability of water and sewerage charges. This report may be obtained from the Parliament Reference Centre, the Executive Library and the Executive website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/conreport3.pdf.The main provisions of the scheme are set out in the Domestic Water and Sewerage Charges (Reduction) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 and supporting guidance which is held by the Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13187).
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the government and lottery grant schemes under which local authorities, agencies and communities in the north east of Scotland parliamentary region are able to make bids.
Answer
The information is not available in the form requested. Local authorities and communities are able to apply for support to a wide range of grant schemes administered by the Scottish Executive. Information on these schemes, including a guide to grants for the voluntary sector, is available through the Scottish Executive website under the relevant topic. Many non-departmental public bodies run grant schemes that are open to authorities and communities and details of these may be obtained from the bodies directly. Details on lottery schemes are similarly available from the distributors themselves.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much short-term aid was given to the fishing industry during the 12-week closure of North Sea fishing grounds under the Cod Recovery Plan.
Answer
Any aid provided to the industry has to meet the requirements of EC State Aid guidelines. The measures I announced on 8 March, however, included an additional £1 million for collaborative research into more selective fishing gears. This has already benefited several vessels which have undertaken trials using these gears. It is expected that more fishermen will benefit as further trials are undertaken. Arrangements for implementing the remaining measures in the £27 million package are also being worked up as a matter of priority.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why it and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are co-ordinating the promotion of the technical measures for use by the Scottish fishing fleet.
Answer
We work closely with MAFF on a range of issues. A co-ordinated approach tends to be the preferable option in fisheries since Scottish fishermen fish off the coast of England and English vessels fish in the Scottish zone. For example, recent proposals for technical measures to protect juvenile haddock will apply to all UK vessels fishing in the Scottish zone of British fishery limits.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify, for each water authority, the date at which the achievement of a uniform charging policy across the authority's entire area is expected.
Answer
Each authority currently applies a uniform charging scheme for domestic customers throughout its area. Future charging schemes will be determined in the light of a number of factors, notably the Water Industry Commissioner's Strategic Review of Charges.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total remuneration packages were including bonuses and pension provision for chief executives and chairmen of each water authority for each of the last five years giving the annual percentage increase and including the cumulative increases since vesting date in each case.
Answer
This information can be found in the water authorities' published annual accounts. Copies of their accounts as laid before the Scottish Parliament and, pre-devolution, the Westminster Parliament, back to 1996-97 are held in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Bib. Numbers are as follows:
| Water Authorities' published accounts | Parliament's Reference Centre - Bib. numbers |
| NoSWA | ESWA | WoSWA |
| 1996-97 | 97515 | 12833 | 12836 |
| 1997-98 | 12832 | 12834 | 12837 |
| 1998-99 | 4005 | 12835 | 4004 |
| 1999-2000 | 8790 | 7898 | 7925 |
For information on Chief Executives' salaries etc for 2000-01, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-7989 on 18 July 2000.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings are arising from the creation of the proposed Scottish water authority, how these savings have been calculated and what these savings are expressed as a percentage of operating costs for each water authority for the financial year 1999-2000.
Answer
Research conducted by the water authorities concluded that savings in excess of £100 million each year could be secured through collaboration. The Scottish Executive believes that bringing the operations of the authorities under a unified management structure in a single authority is the most appropriate way of securing those savings. The Executive expects additional savings through the rationalisation of services that unification entails, although these have not been quantified.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether each water authority maintains an asset inventory and whether these are available for public inspection.
Answer
All three water authorities maintain asset inventories or registers. Most are available for public inspection by arrangement with the authorities. There are certain assets for which some details could not be disclosed for reasons of national security.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any plans or recent agreements by the water authorities to (a) dispose of or (b) enter into partnership arrangements in connection with any significant assets.
Answer
Other than in respect of Public/Private Partnerships, none of the water authorities have disposed of or entered into partnership agreements in connection with any assets in excess of £10 million, for which ministerial approval is required. Information about Public/Private Partnerships is provided on the Scottish Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/pfi.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any specific assistance is to be made available to help the tourist information office in Aberdeen and local tourist board in light of recent cut backs as well as the impact which the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has had on local tourism.
Answer
Answer expected on 8 May 2001
