- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assistance available, and the criteria used to award lottery funding, under sportscotland's Talented Athlete Programme differ from the assistance available and criteria used by Sport England in relation to the Athlete Personal Awards element of its World Class Performance Programme.
Answer
In Scotland, athletes are supported directly from sportscotland through the Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) to cover their programme and living costs. The governing bodies are asked to endorse applications, but the funds go directly to the successful athletes. In England, sportengland funds the governing bodies under the World Class Performance Programme for the operation of their programmes. Any cash awards, which cover living costs, are made direct to the athlete from sportengland. Applications for cash awards, like the TAP, are means tested.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assistance available, and criteria used to award lottery funding, from sportscotland to national governing bodies of sport to provide assistance to elite athletes differ from the assistance available and criteria used in relation to Sport England's World Class Performance Programme.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14816.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what support Peter Nicol was receiving from sportscotland prior to his decision to play for England and how any such support compares with any support he is now receiving from Sport England.
Answer
In 1997, sportscotland offered Peter Nicol an award of up to £15,000 under the Talented Athlete Programme, dependent upon financial need. He did not claim any of that award and has made no application since. Also, in December 2000, the Scottish Institute of Sport invited Peter Nicol onto their programme offering services including sports medicine, sports science and physiotherapy, and resources in London, but to date he has not accepted.The support available from the Squash Rackets Association, funded by sportengland's World Class Performance Programme, includes: travel to six tournaments; accommodation and entry fees to the six tournaments; eight hours coaching fees per week for 30 weeks of the year; rehabilitation bedspace at Lillieshall, if required; physiotherapy, psychology and notational analysis services; and travel and accommodation for a personal coach at one tournament annually and seven training camps annually. Cash awards are means tested and, as in Scotland, Peter Nicol would have to demonstrate financial need to qualify.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the award of lottery funding from sportscotland to elite athletes is tied to Olympic participation.
Answer
The Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) operated by sportscotland is open to all athletes participating in any sport jointly recognised by all of the sports councils within the United Kingdom. One of the aims of the TAP is to place athletes onto the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) funded by UKSport, which supports Olympic and Paralympic sports. Therefore, if the WCPP gives priority to specific disciplines these are also given priority within TAP.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the level of public funding available to support Scotland's elite athletes and the criteria used to award such funding.
Answer
The division of lottery funds is decided by the UK Government in consultation with the devolved administrations. The Lottery Sports Fund is divided by relative population size amongst Wales, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, with UKSport receiving approximately 8% for UK issues.sportscotland has drawn up a strategic plan, after consultation with all relevant interests, for the distribution of the Lottery monies allocated to it to 2003. sportscotland regularly reviews the criteria for funding under the Talented Athlete Programme alongside all of the policies surrounding the programme; and it has been updated and altered in order to keep athletes' interests at the forefront. Further changes following sportscotland's most recent review will be considered once sportscotland are able to take account of the outcome of the Elite Sport Funding Review, led by Dr Jack Cunningham MP.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether lottery funding is available from sportscotland to elite athletes who participate in non-Olympic sports or non-Olympic forms of particular sports and, if it is not, whether the arrangements disadvantage such sportspeople in comparison (a) with competitors from other countries and (b) with those participating in Olympic sports.
Answer
Awards made by sportscotland under the Lottery Sports Fund are not restricted to Olympic sports. Athletes who are eligible to represent Scotland and the United Kingdom in any sport which is recognised by sportscotland, jointly with the other sports councils within the United Kingdom, and who are not being funded by UKSport under the World Class Performance Programme, may apply to sportscotland for funding under the Talented Athlete Programme. Applications are assessed on their merits against published criteria.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14288 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, what the source would be of any public funding required in connection with the proposal for a centre for the languages of Scotland.
Answer
No public funding has been identified for the proposal.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14288 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, what the status is of the proposal for a centre for the languages of Scotland put forward by the group chaired by Professor Ron Asher and how the proposal is to be taken forward.
Answer
The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland has awarded a grant to Dr Victor Skretkowicz of Dundee University for a pilot study on the languages of Scotland. Taking the proposal forward would be a matter for the proponents of the proposal.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 26 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitations to meet representatives of Scottish Ballet the Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture has (a) received and (b) accepted since his appointment.
Answer
I have received two invitations to performances, one of which I have accepted.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanism exists for liaison between the Scottish Arts Council and local authorities.
Answer
The Scottish Arts Council (SAC) has three funding programmes specifically designed to support local authority arts provision and policies. It liaises with individual local authorities both directly and collectively via the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) on a range of issues related to funding programmes, development projects and the exchange of information.
