- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to participate in the proposed launch on 18 October 2002 by Napier University seeking funding towards the creation of a Scottish Centre for Creative Industries at Craighouse Campus, in particular whether any minister will be participating in the launch; on what date any request for a minister to participate in the launch was made and by whom, and on what date any such ministerial attendance was confirmed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30160 on 15 October 2002. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the migratory behaviour of graduates from higher education; who carried out any such research; when, and over what period, any such research was carried out, and where any such research has been made available.
Answer
Information with regards domicile and location of employment of graduates from Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) is collected by HEIs via the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) First Destinations Survey (FDS). The FDS collects a range of information on the positions of successful graduates from full-time HE courses six months after graduation. The Scottish Executive receives the results of the FDS from HESA. In addition, the Scottish Executive receives first destination information on higher education graduates from further education colleges (FECs) from the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC), collected via their First Destination of Graduates survey. The combined information is made available annually, via the Scottish Executive National Statistics publication, First Destinations of Graduates and Diplomates in Scotland.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed response to the questions raised in the letter to it of 12 September 2002 from Dr Wendy Moffat of Cumbernauld regarding the potential health effects of motorway location on the adjacent population.
Answer
The contents of the letter received from Dr Wendy Moffat have been considered and a response was issued on 3 October.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive why mature students are exempt from paying the graduate endowment.
Answer
As we explained in the consultation paper Scotland the Learning Nation - Helping Students, a number of groups of students, including mature students are exempt from graduate endowment liability in order to encourage lifelong learning and ensure social justice.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place in order to ensure that all funds collected under the graduate endowment scheme are hypothecated for the purpose of funding future student support.
Answer
The Executive will follow section 2 of The Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001. Income arising from the graduate endowment will be accounted for in the Executive's resource accounts and applied for the purposes of student support.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with Napier University regarding the university's plans to develop a Scottish Centre for Creative Industries at the Craighouse Campus, detailing any form of support it has provided, or proposes to provide, for the project.
Answer
Napier University's plans for a Scottish Centre for Creative Industries were outlined to Mike Watson in the course of a brief meeting with its Dean of Arts and Social Sciences on 2 July 2002.The question of Executive support for such plans was not raised at that meeting, and has not been raised since. The allocation of funding to higher education institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. Ministers are prevented, in terms of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, from framing the conditions of grant by reference to particular institutions.Ministers were invited to attend the launch on 18 October of Napier University's fund raising campaign, which has as one of its objects raising of funds for a Scottish Centre for Creative Industries. They have no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive to which of its buildings, other than those under care or control of Historic Scotland, it has allowed the public access under Doors Open Day schemes in each of the last three years.
Answer
Victoria Quay in Edinburgh participated in the event in 1996 and 1999.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 11 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to introduce legislation preventing the storage or placement of flammable or otherwise dangerous materials adjacent to railway lines or sidings, detailing when it will exercise any such power and the reasons behind its position on this matter.
Answer
Employers are obliged to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 in the running of their premises. Health and safety legislation includes requirements to protect the public outwith the premises as well as those within. However, health and safety matters are reserved.Scottish planning controls, namely the Planning Hazardous Substances consent regime, relate to the storage of specified hazardous substances or categories of hazardous substance above specified quantity related thresholds. In addition, it is open to planning authorities, when determining planning applications for new physical development or changes of use of sites that involve the storage or placement of flammable or otherwise dangerous materials in proximity to a railway line or siding, to consider whether the potential risk or impact of an accident is a material consideration in the determination of such applications. Where the storage or placement of flammable or otherwise dangerous materials is part of a process or activity subject to control under either Part 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 or the Pollution, Prevention and Control Regulations 2000, then conditions can be attached to the authorisation/permit by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency aimed at preventing accidents and minimising the consequences for the environment.The Executive has no current plans to introduce legislation in relation to these matters.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive to what buildings Historic Scotland has allowed the public access free of charge during Doors Open Day in each of the last three years.
Answer
The following Historic Scotland sites have been opened free of charge in the last three years under the Doors Open Days initiative:
| 2002 | St Triduana's Chapel, Edinburgh |
| Corstorphine Dovecot, Edinburgh |
| Kinneil House, Bo'ness |
| Holyrood Education Centre, Edinburgh |
| Balvaird Castle, Fife |
| Claypotts Castle, Dundee |
| Clackmannan Tower, Clackmannan |
| 2001 | St Triduana's Chapel, Edinburgh |
| Corstorphine Dovecot, Edinburgh |
| Kinneil House, Bo'ness |
| Preston Mercat Cross, Prestonpans |
| Glasgow Cathedral |
| Trinity House, Edinburgh |
| Balvaird Castle, Fife |
| Claypotts Castle, Dundee |
| Sunnybrae Cottage, Pitlochry |
| 2000 | St Triduana's Chapel, Edinburgh |
| Corstorphine Dovecot, Edinburgh |
| Kinneil House, Bo'ness |
| Preston Mercat Cross, Prestonpans |
| Greenknowe Tower, Gordon |
| St Bride's Church, Douglas |
| Croft-an-Righ, Edinburgh |
| Balvaird Castle, Fife |
| Claypotts Castle, Dundee |
Other manned and unmanned properties were open in accordance with Historic Scotland published opening times and entrance fees.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 10 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what IT courses it provides to assist the long- and short-term unemployed to retrain and reskill for the current jobs market.
Answer
The Training for Work (TfW) programme offers a wide range of Information Technology (IT) training courses to unemployed adults. Details of the full range and level of courses available across Scotland is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. IT training is also available to the unemployed through part-time further education courses and community-based projects.The New Deal also provides IT training for clients and planning is under way for a pilot, in Scotland, of the Ambition:IT project to offer IT technician level training to unemployed people.
