Chamber and committees

I refer the member to question S2W-11654 answered on 8 November 2004 which asked a similar question about the children’s wheelchair service. The answer is available on the Parliament’s website, the search for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Under the Quality of Life fund £95 million was allocated to local authorities in 2002-03 and £50 million in 2003-04.

Local athorities were allocated funding under the Quality of Life to spend under two themes – Improving Opportunities for Children and Young People and Improving the Local Environment. Funding was allocated on a flexible basis where councils took decisions locally on the most appropriate levels of spending under the themes. Local authorities have provided detailed expenditure plans for the two financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04. These are given in the tables entitled Quality of Life Funding 2002-03and 2003-04, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre (Bib. number 34264).

Permission was given by the Press Team at the Parliament for filming both within and outside the Scottish Parliament building. Film of the Parliament accounts for around one minute of the 11 and a half minute running time for the video news release.

Details of the video news release (VNR) were sent to 759 broadcasters in UK, Europe, Americas, Canada, Middle East, Asia and Australia and 30 copies of the tape were sent out.

The film is also being sent to Embassies around the world for usage.

Previous research has highlighted the relatively low level of awareness of modern Scotland amongst overseas media. The VNR is part of a two pronged approachto address this issue by: providing at relatively low cost footage of many aspectsof modern Scotland which can be used by media, Scottish Executive and Embassiesand; organising a series of targeted press visits for members of key internationalmedia – tailored itineraries to showcase aspects of modern Scotland and secure greater profile – of the right sort – in the international media.

There were 10 Scottish Executive permanent staff based at Parliamentary Headquarters, George IV Bridge before moving to Holyrood. There are also five Scottish Executive staff on secondment to the Scottish Parliament who were based and continue to be based at Parliamentary Headquarters.

As at 28 October 2004, the position was as follows:

(a) Bute House, 0

(b) Victoria Quay, 0

(c) St Andrew’s House, 8.

The decision to produce the video news release was taken by the then Minister of Finance and Public Services and the First Minister.

The video news release was produced by Press Association’s Television News Release Unit (TNR) and commissioned via RED which is part of the Executive PR agency, Citigate SMART.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body was not involved: discussions were between the Scottish Executive and the Parliamentary Press Team.