- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Scotland have complained of suffering from organophosphate poisoning in the last five years.
Answer
Expert advice is that it is difficult to establish diagnostic criteria for organophosphate poisoning, other than acute poisoning cases which are rare. Therefore, there has been no central data collection.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is currently commissioning work to address the most common patterns of exposure, clinical presentation and subsequent clinical course among people in the UK with chronic illnesses that they attribute to OPs.
An independent scrutiny of case reports involving sheep dip Human Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme database will also be conducted.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 26 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4370 by Mr Jack McConnell on 12 April 2000, whether it will list, in relation to the political activities of individuals appointed to public bodies between 1 April and 31 December 1999, the names of (a) the 18 individuals who fell within category A and (b) the 26 individuals who fell within category B, indicating in each case the nature of their public appointment.
Answer
The information requested is set out in the table below:
| Name andPosition Held | Body | Category A | Category B |
| Mr John FindlayMember | Argyll and Clyde Health Board | | 4 |
| Mr I G Mitchell QCMember | Central Advisory Committee on Justice of the Peace | | 4 |
| Mr W A Ratter Member | Crofters Commission | 4 | |
| Ms Jeanette BurnessMember | Forth Valley Health Board | 4 | |
| Ms Teresa McNallyMember | Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust | 4 | |
| Ms Jane DarnbroughMember | Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee | 4 | |
| Lord Wilson of TillyornMember | National Museums of Scotland | | 4 |
| Ms Christina MacaulayMember | National Museums of Scotland | | 4 |
| Mr Robert MurrayMember | North of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | 4 |
| Mr Stephen HaganMember | North of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | |
| Ms Yvonne AllanMember | North of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | 4 |
| Ms Elizabeth CameronMember | Scottish Arts Council | 4 | 4 |
| Mr Ron PresswoodMember | Scottish Arts Council | 4 | 4 |
| Mr J S MoncrieffMember | Scottish Arts Council | | 4 |
| Mr Harry McGuiganMember | Scottish Children's Report Administration | 4 | |
| Mr Brian SouterMember | Scottish Enterprise | | 4 |
| Mr Ian RitchieMember | Scottish Enterprise | | 4 |
| Ms Christine MayMember | Scottish Enterprise | 4 | 4 |
| Mr Ken CollinsChair | Scottish Environment Protection Agency | 4 | |
| Ms Susan ClarkMember | Scottish Environment Protection Agency | 4 | |
| Mr Bill HowatsonMember | Scottish Environment Protection Agency | 4 | |
| Ms Rowena ArshadMember | Scottish Higher Education Funding Council | 4 | 4 |
| Prof. Colin BellMember | Scottish Higher Education Funding Council | | 4 |
| Ms Christine MayMember | Scottish Homes | 4 | 4 |
| Canon L S SmithMember | Scottish Homes | 4 | |
| Mr Ian Borthwick | Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust | 4 | |
| Mr David HamiltonMember | East of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | 4 |
| Mr Donald CampbellMember | West of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | |
| Ms Rita Miller Member (subsequently resigned) | West of Scotland Water Authority | 4 | 4 |
| Totals | | 21 | 17 |
The total number of appointees coming within the scope of Categories A and B differs from that given in my answer to question S1W-4370. The figures contained within my earlier answer were incorrect. These inaccuracies only came to light when collating the detailed information requested for this answer.I have investigated this matter and instructed that arrangements be put in place to ensure that accurate statistical records are maintained. This has been done.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 23 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether provisions under the Education and Training (Scotland) Bill and any proposed subordinate legislation which may be made under the Bill will allow for a pilot scheme on the operation of individual learning accounts in rural locations and, if so, whether such a pilot will be conducted in each local enterprise area in both the Highlands and Islands and the Borders and whether provisions will allow for remuneration in respect of attendance at learning centres.
Answer
In two pilot areas - the Lochaber and Scottish Borders local enterprise company (LEC) areas - holders of individual learning accounts (ILAs) will be able to seek financial assistance through the ILA scheme towards travel, subsistence and childcare costs. This is being done under the existing powers of the enterprise network. It is intended that regulations to be made under the powers being sought in the Education and Training (Scotland) Bill would enable such pilots to continue.
Reimbursement is likely to relate to the costs of attending local learning centres or other approved learning providers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunity for input it gave to the Parliament with respect to the setting of standards agreed between the water authorities and the Water Industry Commissioner and what opportunity the Parliament was given to specify what these standards and levels of compensation might be.
Answer
The Water Industry Commissioner is consulting on his proposals for new guaranteed minimum standards for water customers. The Commissioner has discussed his proposals with the water authorities, and he now seeks views from all those with an interest before finalising the standards. Members of the Parliament with views should submit them to the Commissioner as part of this process by 1 July.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any effect the aggregates tax will have on the capital and revenue budgets for the roads programme for each of the next three years and whether it will detail any amounts involved.
Answer
The aggregates tax announced in the budget comes into effect in April 2002. The capital and revenue budgets already announced for the Motorway and Trunk Roads programme until 31 March 2002 are not affected. Budgets for later years will be announced after the Spending Review now underway.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase its targets of 1,000 modern apprenticeships by 2003 in the tourism industry given that the number of persons employed within the industry is between 170,000 and 180,000 and, if not, why not.
Answer
I believe that the target is realistic taking into account the age range for Modern Apprenticeships, which is 16-24, the range of occupations in the tourist industry and the current level of uptake of Modern Apprenticeships in the industry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify what the new guaranteed minimum service standards for water customers across Scotland are; what are the circumstances whereby water authorities must compensate customers who receive poor service; whether the standards apply to the drinking quality of water; whether standard compensation will be listed for planned interruptions, delays in restoration of supply, response to complaints and reply to enquiries, failure to maintain appointments and flooding sewers; whether there is compensation payable for the contamination of a water supply, and, if compensation is not available in any of these circumstances, whether it will explain the reasons.
Answer
The Water Industry Commissioner is currently consulting on his proposals for new guaranteed minimum service standards for water customers, which cover the various circumstances listed in your question. The details of the proposals are available directly on the Commissioner's website (
www.watercommissioner.co.uk). I welcome the Commissioner's commitment to work with the water authorities to increase their standards of service to customers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that persons who live in the Highlands and Islands, or who have local knowledge of the issues and problems relating to ferry transport in the Highlands and Islands, are considered for the vacant positions on the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne.
Answer
The current vacancies for the posts of Non-Executive Director on the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne were openly advertised in accordance with the Guidance on Appointments to Public Bodies. The criteria for the posts include one, categorised as highly desirable, relating to an interest in, or local knowledge of, Highlands and Islands issues. Candidates for the current vacancies were assessed against this and the other criteria for the post(s), and an announcement on the outcome of the recruitment process was made today.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what will be done with the proceeds from the sale of the tourist information centres in the Highlands and Islands; whether such proceeds will be reinvested in the tourist industry, and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a breakdown of the proceeds from the sale of each tourist information centre and details of to which budget the proceeds will be or have been credited.
Answer
This is a commercial matter for HIE. Proceeds from the sale of the TICs, along with receipts from other property sales and rentals, form part of HIE's overall budget management process and is reinvested in new economic development throughout the area. The TICs were sold as a package and prices are therefore not available for individual units. The properties referred to, however, are still being leased to the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board for use as Tourist Information Centres.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of the pension scheme surplus of the Transport Operation Pension Scheme (TOPS), it will provide all information and assistance requested to the trade union representatives representing the workforce and support the efforts of the workforce in campaigning for distribution to them of the surplus from the pension scheme.
Answer
Information about the administration of the Transport Operatives Pensions Scheme is a matter for the Trustees of the Scheme until such time as the scheme is wound up. The distribution of any surplus is governed by the Trust Deeds, the Scottish Transport Group (Pension Schemes) Order 1996 approved by the UK Parliament in 1996 and the provisions of the Bus Group disposal programme prepared under section 1 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 1989 and published in 1990.
