- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what proportion of custody cases have been determined by awarding custody to the father in each year since 1999.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11467 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2008, whether it is satisfied with the range of science projects from all parts of Scotland applying for funding from its science engagement grant scheme.
Answer
I refer the member to the to answer to question S3W-13650 on 9 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average (a) numbers and (b) rateable values have been of vacant business premises in (i) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (ii) Scotland in each year since 1999.
Answer
Information on the number and rateable value of vacant business premises is not held centrally. Information on premises liable for business rates is held on the Scottish Assessors Portal (
www.saa.gov.uk), but the portal does not maintain reliable data on the vacancy history of individual properties.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had to the recent decision to simplify the rail pricing structure in the United Kingdom.
Answer
Officials in Transport Scotland had regular dialogue with the Department for Transport (DfT) to achieve the new simplified structure. We recognise the need for the fares system to be easily understood by passengers and we supported the work by DfT to achieve this outcome.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how the NHS assesses the efficacy of electronic physiotherapy aids.
Answer
Medical devices are regulated in the UK by the Medical Devices Regulations and enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK Competent Authority. It is deemed that European Conformity marked medical devices are fit for purpose and all questions regarding the efficacy of medical devices are brought to the attention of the MHRA.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards on the purchase of electronic physiotherapy aids.
Answer
Health Facilities Scotland published a safety warning, which included advice on the purchase of physiotherapy equipment, on 29 September 2007. Safety Action Notice SAN (SC) 06/44 Physiotherapy ultrasound machines: calibration of acoustic power / intensity, advised that “Before procuring new devices, manufacturers and suppliers should be required to provide evidence that their products are built and tested to relevant standards.”
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rents have been per square metre for business premises in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (b) Scotland in each year since 1999.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by Scottish Government and it is not possible to obtain this information from external sources as no one calculates average rents per square metre for business premises.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies registered in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (b) Scotland went into liquidation in each year since 1999.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
The official insolvency statistics, published by the Insolvency Service, are the most comprehensive record of the number of corporate and individual insolvencies. However, these figures are only published at a Scotland level.
The following table presents figures for insolvencies in Scotland from 1998 to 2007.
| Year | Individuals | Companies |
| Total | Sequestrations | Protected Trust Deeds | Compulsory Liquidations | Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations | Total |
| 1998 | 4,465 | 3,016 | 1,449 | 338 | 228 | 566 |
| 1999 | 5,339 | 3,195 | 2,144 | 364 | 208 | 572 |
| 2000 | 5,766 | 2,965 | 2,801 | 344 | 239 | 583 |
| 2001 | 6,827 | 3,048 | 3,779 | 378 | 224 | 602 |
| 2002 | 8,389 | 3,215 | 5,174 | 556 | 232 | 788 |
| 2003 | 8,780 | 3,328 | 5,452 | 436 | 195 | 631 |
| 2004 | 9,321 | 3,297 | 6,024 | 431 | 190 | 621 |
| 2005 | 11,846 | 4,965 | 6,881 | 420 | 149 | 569 |
| 2006 | 13,638 | 5,430 | 8,208 | 416 | 133 | 549 |
| 2007 | 13,814 | 6,219 | 7,595 | 439 | 100 | 539 |
Source: The Insolvency Service
Note: Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), an agency of the Scottish Government, is responsible for administering the process of personal bankruptcy and recording corporate insolvencies in Scotland. Further information about insolvency in Scotland can be found on the AiB website at www.aib.gov.uk.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the business rate poundage has been in each year since 1999.
Answer
The following table shows the business rate poundage in each year since 1999:
| Year | Rate Poundage |
| 1999-2000 | 48.9p |
| 2000-01 | 45.8p |
| 2001-02 | 47.0p |
| 2002-03 | 47.8p |
| 2003-04 | 47.8p |
| 2004-05 | 48.8p |
| 2005-06 | 46.1p |
| 2006-07 | 44.9p |
| 2007-08 | 44.1p |
| 2008-09 | 45.8p |
Notes:
1. A poundage supplement has been payable since 2003-04 in respect of business properties with a rateable value which exceeds a prescribed threshold. In 2008-09, the supplement is 0.4p on rateable values above £29,000.
2. Some non-domestic properties are exempt from business rates, while others may be eligible for reliefs such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme, available for subjects with a rateable value of £15,000 or less.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 1 May 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what inward investment and new international companies Scottish Enterprise has attracted to the East Ayrshire travel to work area since May 1999.
Answer
Scottish Development International (SDI), the international trade and investment arm of the Scottish Government, has been involved in attracting 14 inward investment projects from 12 companies headquartered outside Scotland to the East Ayrshire travel to work area since May 1999.
Of the companies detailed below, our records indicate that E&M Manufacturing Ltd, First Choice Retail Ltd, Merchants Ltd and Dalglen (No. 823) Ltd are new to the area since May 1999.
Not all investments proceed as projects are sometimes scaled down or abandoned. All projects recorded by SDI as inward investment successes are subject to change depending on future economic conditions and other factors affecting the businesses concerned.
| Company | Type of Business | Type of Project | Location | Country of Ownership |
| 1999-2000 |
| 1.EandM Manufacturing Ltd | Textiles | New | Cumnock | Saudi Arabia |
| 2.First Choice Retail Ltd | Business services | New | Kilmarnock | England |
| 3.United Distillers and Vintners Ltd | Food and drink | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | England |
| 2000-01 |
| 4.Federal Mogul Eurofriction Ltd | Manufacturing | New | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 5.Merchants Ltd | Business Services | New | Kilmarnock | South Africa |
| 2001-02 |
| 6.Glacier Vandervell | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 2002-03 | | | | |
| 7.E&M Manufacturing Ltd | Textiles | Existing “ expansion | Cumnock | Saudi Arabia |
| 8.Glenfield Valves Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | Denmark |
| 9.Vesuvius UK Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ safeguarding | Newmilns | England |
| 2004-05 |
| 10.AlternativeSMT Limited | Electronics | Existing “ expansion | Cumnock | England |
| 11.Dana Spicer Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 12.Merchants Ltd | Business services | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | South Africa |
| 2006-07 |
| 13.Dalglen (No. 823) Ltd | Business services | New | Kilmarnock | England |
| 2007-08 |
| 14.Food Partners Ltd | Food and drink | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | England |
