- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving, or intends to give, to any companies or other organisations that were suppliers of goods and services to the Motorola plant in Bathgate and/or the NEC plant in Livingston and have been or will be adversely affected by their closure.
Answer
Following the closure of the Motorola plant in Bathgate, the Motorola Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team undertook a review of the likely impact of the closure on the supply base companies. The review concluded that while a few companies had been directly affected, the majority of the 300 suppliers had felt little or no significant impact. This PACE team is currently undertaking a similar review on the supply chain for NEC.Scottish Enterprise wrote to all the supplier companies outlining the assistance that may be available to those companies affected. That could include business advice, assistance and financial support. This package is still available to companies as required.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Department of Trade and Industry played any role in action taken to alleviate the effects of recent redundancies in West Lothian and, if so, what role it played.
Answer
The Executive has put in place the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative which is a strategic national framework bringing together the relevant local agencies to alleviate redundancy situations. The local PACE teams have provided support to those affected by recent redundancies in West Lothian tailored to individual needs. This includes advice on job searching, core skills training, skills transfer programmes and financial advice. Through InUK, a joint DTI/FCO organisation, the Department of Trade and Industry has assisted in the marketing of the Bathgate site of Motorola.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21018 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 January 2002, what the eligibility criteria are for the Public Transport Fund.
Answer
The eligibility criteria for the Public Transport Fund are set out in circular DD3/2001 inviting bids. Copies are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18647).
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16250 by Rhona Brankin on 27 June 2001, whether any sites for the repository of nuclear waste material from decommissioned nuclear submarines have now been selected.
Answer
No sites have been selected. I understand that in its announcement on the publication of the final report of the Project ISOLUS Front End Consultation, the Ministry of Defence stated it will not be until industry comes forward with proposals that potential sites will begin to emerge.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what sites are currently in use, or have been identified for future use, as repositories for nuclear waste and what the source of the nuclear waste was, or will be, for each site.
Answer
The latest information on the amount, location and source of radioactive waste presently stored in the UK and predicted to arise in future is contained on the CD-ROM 1998 United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 8385). The Inventory does not include information on past disposal of waste. Dounreay has operated disposal facilities for low and intermediate level waste which has arisen as a result of past activity on the site. The intermediate level waste disposal facility, the so-called "Dounreay shaft", has not been used since 1977. Details of the waste to be recovered from it are included in the Inventory as it is proposed that it will be removed from the shaft.The consultation document Managing Radioactive Waste Safely began the process to develop a long-term policy for the management of solid radioactive waste in the UK. Future stages of this process will consider options for the storage and disposal of radioactive waste. This is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 16146).
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children left school in the West Lothian area without attaining a standard grade in (a) English, (b) Mathematics and (c) English and Mathematics in each academic year since 1996.
Answer
The following table shows the number and percentage of pupils that left publicly funded schools in the West Lothian education authority in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, without attaining a standard grade in (a) English, (b) Mathematics and (c) English and Mathematics:
Year | Total number of leavers | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade Mathematics | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade English | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade Mathematics and English |
1996-97 | 1,861 | 190 (10%) | 200 (11%) | 239 (13%) |
1997-98 | 1,912 | 143 (7%) | 137 (7%) | 180 (9%) |
1998-99 | 1,939 | 118 (6%) | 106 (5%) | 150 (8%) |
Note: Data relating to 1999-2000 is not yet available.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #16.7 million Regional Selective Assistance clawback from Motorola announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 25 April 2001 will be invested in West Lothian.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21786.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how the #16.7 million Regional Selective Assistance clawback from Motorola announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 25 April 2001 will be allocated.
Answer
On 25 April 2001 I announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive was setting aside up to £10 million to help fund the Motorola Taskforce's action plan.On 20 December 2001 I announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive will provide £6 million (of the £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan for economic development for the area.All recoveries of Regional Selective Assistance are returned to the Executive's budget, in line with normal procedure.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18938 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 26 October 2001, whether the position in regard to the Motorola Taskforce remains the same.
Answer
I announced in Parliament on 25 April 2001 that the Executive would set aside up to £10 million to fund measures which may be required by the closure of Motorola's Bathgate plant. The answer I provided to parliamentary question S1W-20969 details how much of the monies which are available to the Motorola Taskforce have been spent to date and forecast spend.I also announced in Parliament on the 20 December 2001 that the Executive will provide £6 million (of the £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan for economic development in the area. In addition the Motorola Taskforce can also continue to draw on resources of agencies involved in helping ex Motorola workers find new opportunities.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #2.5 million Regional Selective Assistance should be clawed back from the electronics company NEC Semi-conductors (UK) Ltd following the comments made by the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning on 20 December 2001 (Official Report, col. 5066).
Answer
I made clear in the Parliament on 20 December that while NEC's facility at Livingston is regarded as mothballed rather than closed, the outstanding grant of £2.4 million will not require to be repaid. A close watching brief on this will of course be maintained.
