- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s statement on housing on 31 October 2007 that she would “encourage Fife Council—as I will any other council in the country—to increase the supply of land” (Official Report, c. 2842), whether Fife Council’s Structure Plan will be approved even if the housing land reappraisal proposes a reduction in the land available for housing compared with the original proposals submitted to the Executive in 2006
Answer
The Fife StructurePlan was submitted to ministers in June 2006. Their consideration of the planhas been delayed whilst Fife Council re-appraise the housing allocations. It isexpected that the council will submit proposed housing amendments to the plan atthe end of this year, at which point, ministers will recommence their considerationof the whole plan. When deciding whether to approve a structure plan, ministerstake account of all relevant factors including objections and representations, aswell as national policy guidance such as Scottish Planning Policy 3: Planningfor Housing. This requires structure plans to provide sufficient housing landto meet the assessed requirement for new dwellings.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-4700 which received a holding reply on 25 October 2007.
Answer
A substantive answerwas given to question S3W-4700 on 21 November 2007.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is undertaking with external bodies regarding ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth.
Answer
The Scottish Governmenthas discussed, with both Forth Ports plc and Scottish Natural Heritage, the completionof an appropriate assessment of proposals for ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Firthof Forth, including implications of the proposals for three Natura sites.
In particular, I metwith Forth Ports’ representatives on 5 June 2007, when I was updated on their considerationof the proposals, and the First Minister met with Forth Ports’ representatives on31 July 2007, when he was informed of progress made bythe on-going appropriate assessment.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, who under the new structure will make decisions currently made by Scottish Enterprise Fife and where the new decision-makers will be based.
Answer
This will be an operationalmatter for Scottish Enterprise. However, as now, decisions affecting Fife will reflect local Fifepriorities and be informed by a continued Scottish Enterprise presence in Fife.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, what decisions regarding enterprise and economic development will continue to be made at the local level in Fife.
Answer
This will be anoperation matter for Scottish Enterprise. However, as now, such decisions willreflect local Fife priorities and be informed by a continued ScottishEnterprise presence in Fife.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, what the financial costs and savings will be from the networks, VisitScotland and other organisations sharing back-office functions and other activities such as marketing in (a) Fife and (b) Scotland.
Answer
Work is currentlyunderway between the enterprise networks and VisitScotland to identifyopportunities for shared services. It is therefore not possible to quantifycosts or savings at present.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Enterprise full-time equivalent staff are employed in the Fife area and whether the Executive will ensure that these levels do not fall following restructuring of the enterprise networks.
Answer
There are currently43 full-time equivalent staff based at Scottish Enterprise Fife, not including locallybased Careers Scotland staff. Allocation of staff resources is an operational matterfor Scottish Enterprise.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, how community partnerships in Fife will be able to have input to operations at local, regional or Scotland-wide level under the new Scottish Enterprise structure.
Answer
As the CabinetSecretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth made clear in his statement, theproposed regional structure will enable existing partnerships andcollaborations with the enterprise networks to continue, broaden and develop further.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, what powers and assets will be transferred from Scottish Enterprise Fife to Fife Council.
Answer
Localregeneration activity and management of the Business Gateway contract willbecome the responsibility of the local authority. This will mean somereallocation of funds from Scottish Enterprise to local authorities but thedetail of this will be decided when the exact nature of the activity to betransferred is finalised, subject to the results of the forthcoming SpendingReview announcement.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are administered through Scottish Enterprise Fife and, of these, which are (a) under review, (b) to end, (c) to continue to be administered by Scottish Enterprise staff based in Fife without review, (d) to continue without review but administered by Scottish Enterprise staff not based in Fife, (e) to continue without review but administered by non-Scottish Enterprise staff based in Fife and (f) to continue without review but administered by non-Scottish Enterprise staff not based in Fife.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise Fife administers a range of grants for businesses, whichare offered throughout the Scottish Enterprise network. These cover:
Strategy development
Market development
Innovation
Workforce development
Business improvement
Investment, and
Start-Up.
The administrationand delivery of these products is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.
