Chamber and committees

There are currently nodirect flights from Australia to Scotland, although there are a number of indirect flights to Scotland connectingwithin the UK and elsewhere. The number of visitors to Scotlandfrom Australia who travelled by air to the United Kingdomsince 1997 is shown in the following table:

Year	Visitors (‘000)
1997	124
1998	82
1999	86
2000	76
2001	67
2002	77
2003	77
2004	93

Source: InternationalPassenger Survey.

The estimated number ofvisitors for 2005 is not available yet.

A number of visitors to Scotlandfrom Australia also enter the UK by sea or tunnel.

The Scottish Executive intendsto engage with and mobilise the diaspora to further Scotland’s interestsfor the long-term benefit of our economy and society. We aim to encourage the diaspora’sactive participation and engagement in promoting Scotland as a great country tovisit, live, learn, work, do business and invest.

During the First Minister’s recentvisit to Melbourne, Australia he hosted one diaspora event and launched a quarterlydiaspora E magazine, Scotland-Now whichgenerated more than one thousand registrations within the first month. It is hopedthat these contacts will lead to people deciding to return to Scotland.

The number of people whovisited Scotland from Australia in each year since 1999 is shown in the followingtable:

Year	Visitors (000)
1999	112
2000	98
2001	86
2002	100
2003	107
2004	119

Source: InternationalPassenger Survey.

The estimated number ofvisitors for 2005 is not available yet.

The marketing of Scotland in Australia ismanaged by five members of the VisitScotland North America, Asia, andPacific team, who are based in VisitScotland’s Headquarters in Edinburgh.The VisitScotland staff work in partnership with VisitBritain staff based in Sydney tomarket Scotland as a great place for Australians to visit.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13357 on 25 January 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

In February 2006, the ScottishCentre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (SCILT) distributed materialson Languages and Careers to all Primary and Secondary schools in Scotland. Thiswas is supported by a section on careers involving languages on the Modern ForeignLanguages Environment (MFLE) for language teachers in Scotland.

SCILT’s materials highlight theimportance of modern foreign language skills for business and include testimonialsfrom young Languages Ambassadors to demonstrate the connections between a wide rangeof languages and occupations. The materials also contain links to other useful informationon languages and business, including the CILT UK Languages Work on-line informationportal, which is designed to help careers advisors and teachers to provide guidanceon the use of languages at work.

An electronic version of thematerials sent to schools can be found at:

http://www.scilt.stir.ac.uk/whatsnew.htmThe supplementary materials onthe MFLE are at http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/careerswithlanguages/index.asp.

Local Enterprise Companies canhelp small and medium-sized enterprises with their business needs, by directingthem to relevant support.

Language NetworkScotland states its role as “promoting a greater nationalcapability in languages”. This interfaces with school education, where we have guaranteedthe opportunity to learn a modern European language starting in primary school,and with lifelong learning, where our colleges and universities continue to provideopportunities for students to develop their language skills. This includes innovationssuch as the University of Strathclyde’s Certificate in Applied Language Study, a new degree-level qualificationwhich recognises professional competence in language at work.

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24829 on 24 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We have no plansto make representations to the Department for Education and Skills in respect ofthis matter.