European and External Relations Committee, 18 Nov 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Official Report 170KB pdf

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Promoting Scotland Worldwide Inquiry

Our other continuing inquiry is into the promotion of Scotland worldwide. We now have an opportunity to review the written evidence that we have received. If we conclude the regional funding inquiry by late January, we will have the opportunity to get stuck into the promoting Scotland worldwide inquiry.

We have received more submissions since members' papers were issued and we expect to continue to receive submissions until the end of the year. The provisional deadline to encourage people to make submissions has passed and many people have contacted the committee to say that they will provide written submissions as soon as, for example, they have the green light from their bosses.

I ask the committee's indulgence to put it on the record that the submissions that have been received since members' committee papers were issued are from Glasgow City Council, the City of Edinburgh Council, Fife Council, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Arts Council, Scots language bodies and Universities Scotland. We also have two submissions from the United States of America—one is from the national tartan day co-ordinating committee and the other is from the American-Scottish Foundation.

We have received apologies from bodies including the Scottish Executive, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, VisitBritain and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, whose submissions should arrive in the next few days. All the submissions that have been received will be put together in a separate inquiry file that will be delivered to members' offices later today or tomorrow.

I think that all committee members received two additional mailings this morning—one from VisitScotland and one from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which began, "Dear Alasdair," so I assume that Alasdair Morrison has a letter that starts, "Dear Margaret".

Have members received individual copies of those submissions?

The document is addressed at the top just to Alasdair Morrison.

The document came to my desk. It is from Sandy Cumming.

That means that we have two extra submissions, which is good. The submissions that have been received are interesting, so the inquiry looks promising. However, we need many more submissions, so I urge members to approach any organisations that they want to encourage to give evidence on this important subject. I hope that, in December, we can discuss and schedule potential witnesses for the new year.

I am amazed that Clan Cameron is doing so well in sending submissions from New South Wales and New Zealand. We must have consulted fairly far afield. I congratulate that organisation on beating everyone else to make its submissions.

Are the Gallies a subset of that clan?

No, we are connected with the Gunns.

Cameronians are scary people.

The submissions were interesting.

We will move on to the next agenda item; we are completing the agenda quite quickly today.