- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new EU budget 2007-13 will have on regional development funding.
Answer
Under the agreement reached between member states on the EU budget 2007-13 on 16 December 2005 Structural Funds will continue to be available throughout Scotland. It is not yet possible to quantify the economic impact of this agreement on regional development funding.
It has yet to be clarified how this funding will be divided between the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Executive is currently proposing four future programmes for Scotland: one ERDF and one ESF programme each for Highlands and Islands and for lowland and upland Scotland.
Final funding figures are subject to agreement between the UK Government and Devolved Administrations and the Scottish Executive is actively involved in arguing Scotland’s case with partners in the UK Government and the devolved administrations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21638 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006 and if, in the event of a successful bid by Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games it does become apparent “that the UK will accrue similar benefits on a smaller scale” to those that the Executive and Her Majesty’s Government expect the 2012 London Olympics to accrue for the United Kingdom, whether the Executive will seek similar financial support for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games from Her Majesty’s Government to that which Scotland has committed, and will commit, to the London Olympics.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to seek additional financial support from Her Majesty’s Government although its help in areas such as security and visas will be most important. The only financial support that Scotland has committed to the London Olympics is £25 million of sports lottery funding all of which is to be spent in Scotland, on Scottish athletes. The Scottish Executive is exploring the possibilities of lottery monies being available to help fund the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21768 by Colin Boyd QC on 13 January 2006, what it considers would be a “credible allegation” in respect of the ongoing allegations that US agencies have been using the process of “extraordinary rendition”, unlawfully facilitated through various Scottish airports.
Answer
It is unhelpful to speculate as to information which would constitute a credible allegation. This will vary depending upon the circumstances of the alleged offence. The police will carefully consider any information provided to them and will commence an investigation if there is specific information which justifies a criminal investigation.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S2W-21638 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006, whether the Executive plans to undertake an analysis of whether the United Kingdom as a whole is likely to accrue benefits from Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to undertake such analysis at this time.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when SQW Economic Development Consultants state in their report, Economic Impact of Hosting the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles, that “estimating the wider costs of disruption is beyond the scope of this work”, they were precluded from carrying out an analysis of the cost implications of disruption caused by the summit and costs of repairing damage to civic and private property caused by those in Scotland protesting at the presence of the summit.
Answer
No such direction was given by the Scottish Executive at any stage.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the use of advertising value equivalence by SQW Economic Development Consultants in their report, Economic Impact of Hosting the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles, how readily it considers articles in the media about the 2005 G8 Summit being hosted in Gleneagles can be equated with adverts showcasing Scotland as either a tourist destination or as a destination for inward investment.
Answer
“Advertising value equivalents” and “opportunities to see” are standard industry techniques for measuring media coverage employed by TNS Media Intelligence who are experienced practitioners in this field. Both measures are included in the report. The increased awareness of Scotland that the G8 summit helped develop provided a great platform to develop our international work, building international links, and promoting Scotland not just as a great location for international events, but also as a great place to visit, live, work and study.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its estimate that the Scottish economy benefited by Gleneagles having hosted the 2005 G8 Summit, it has accounted for the costs to repair damage to civic and private property by those protesting at the presence of the summit.
Answer
The report by SQW points to damage to property only occurring in a small number of cases. For private property, the likely impact on insurance premiums was also assessed and is likely to be negligible. In terms of civic property, £6,720 will be paid to Edinburgh City Council for the clean up of the Jack Kane Centre, Calton Hill, Meadows and Princes Street Gardens; this has been included in the costs. The report can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/G8Econ.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology was used by SQW Economic Development Consultants to back their statement that the total value of coverage for Scotland as a result of the 2005 G8 Summit having been held in Gleneagles in the lead-up to the summit over six months was £618 million, as asserted in the report, Economic Impact of Hosting the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles.
Answer
Page 32 in chapter 8 of the report, produced by independent consultants SQW, describes how the estimate of £618 million was arrived at. The report can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/G8Econ.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, where SQW Economic Development Consultants identify increased costs in a number of cases caused by damages to property in their report, Economic Impact of Hosting the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles, whether these costs have been included in the estimate within that report of the costs and benefits to the Scottish economy by virtue of this summit.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21834 on 24 January. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21285 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005, whether its use of the word “will” indicates that its plans to undertake an on-line upgrade of the A80 to full motorway status have been finalised, despite the reporter in the inquiry not having yet reported his findings.
Answer
The A80 upgrading was originally split into three parts. Draft line orders for Phase 1 were published on 19 December 2003 and the draft compulsory purchase order (CPO) on 13 April 2004. Draft orders for phases 2 & 3 were published on 26 November 2004 and the CPOs on 10 December 2004. Publication acknowledges that, subject to the receipt and consideration of objections, Scottish ministers would be content to proceed to construct the works described. Objections to the draft Orders for the M80 have been considered at Public Local Inquiry before a Reporter in October 2005 and I await his recommendations before deciding whether the scheme should proceed to construction, and if so, whether to the published details.
I can confirm that my answer to question S2W-21285 was conditional on a future decision to proceed with the online improvement, should that decision be made.
Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.
