- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have each taken since the publication of its report Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative to encourage the softer business and language skills necessary for Scotland to become a leading centre of e-commerce in Europe.
Answer
Following the publication of the Knowledge Economy Report, £6 million was allocated to the enterprise network for this purpose. The specific activities for which the funding is used are an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise have each taken, or plan to take, since the publication of its report Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative to take advantage of commercial e-learning opportunities.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise are, in liaison with Highland and Islands Enterprise and other partners, taking forward a number of activities aimed at taking advantage of commercial e-learning opportunities. Action within the broad area of e-learning includes promotion, development of supply capabilities and stimulating demand. These are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and, as such, Mr Mundell may wish to contact the Chief Executives directly for details on action being taken.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive which industrial sectors it, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the education sector concentrate their efforts on in attempting to develop the knowledge economy.
Answer
The National Clusters Liaison Group, which includes representatives of the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the funding councils and the education sector, is currently considering this matter.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what venture capital support is available to small technology companies in the current financial year.
Answer
A number of private sector venture capital companies are active in this field. Various public sector supported schemes have also invested in small technology companies in the current financial year. The Executive has been considering whether the needs of such companies are being fully met in the present market and I expect to make an announcement very shortly.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 8 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households and businesses are currently connected to the internet, using a broadband connection.
Answer
Forty-nine per cent of the Scottish population have access to a broadband connection via cable or DSL. We do not have reliable figures for take-up of broadband services in Scotland. However, the Office of the E-Envoy are working to produce such figures in the longer term.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 8 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether rural areas will be at any disadvantage in accessing broadband communications and how it ensures that providers do not limit provision of broadband connection to areas that are cost-effective for them.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no direct control over the provision of broadband services by telecoms operators. This is a commercial matter for the companies concerned and will largely depend on demand.The Scottish Executive has been working with the enterprise agencies to develop demand stimulation proposals under the UK broadband fund for innovative broadband projects. This approach is part of the Executive's wider broadband strategy, Connecting Scotland: our broadband future, launched in August 2001. The aim of the strategy is to make affordable pervasive broadband connections available to citizens and businesses across Scotland. The strategy also includes two further strands:A programme that will progressively aggregate public sector demand for broadband infrastructure. This approach is being taken forward initially in two pathfinder areas - the Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland. The Executive, taking account of both the experience in the pathfinder areas and developments in the telecoms sector, will consider how broadband services should be procured for the public sector in other rural areas. Close liaison at a UK level on regulatory and policy development.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 8 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme has secured from the European Regional Development Fund for the infrastructure and development of Private/Public Partnerships which are required to overcome the economic and demand problems of broadband delivery in rural areas as referred to in the report by British Telecommunications plc, Broadband Britain-Realising the Vision.
Answer
Under the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme 2000-06, ICT support is included under Measure 2.2 Improving Regional Competitiveness Through Developing the Information Society. The measure covers both awareness raising (demand side) activities and assistance for physical infrastructure (supply side). €13 million is allocated to the measure with a split of €4 million for the demand side and €9 million for supply side projects.No expenditure has yet been made on supply side projects. The programme requires that the partners commission an independent study to make recommendations on the best use of funds to enhance physical infrastructure. This is complete. An initial action plan has also been produced and a more detailed description of project activities is currently being finalised. The first application under this part of the measure will be submitted shortly.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has carried out to ensure broadband access for rural areas as referred to at point 7.9 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21288 16 January 2002.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive in what way Scottish Enterprise currently promotes e-business as referred to at point 7.7 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The information requested is not held centrally. Scottish Enterprise's e-business strategy is set out in the updated version of
Connecting Scotland, published in November 2001, which can be accessed on:
http://www.ecommerce-scotland.org/.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small and medium-si'ed enterprises have used the Scottish Enterprise Business Gateway to seek advice on e-commerce issues since the service began.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The information requested is not held centrally.
