- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people attended education institutions for the purposes of obtaining a qualification as teachers of Gaelic or through the medium of Gaelic at primary and secondary level in each of the last five years and whether there is currently a shortage of fully qualified Gaelic teachers.
Answer
The numbers graduating from the Teacher Education Institutions who have received some training for Gaelic-medium education in primary schools and the numbers trained to be specialist Gaelic teachers in secondary schools are estimated as follows:
| | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
Primary | 8 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 14 |
Secondary | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
The Executive is funding courses to equip teachers to deliver their specialist subject through the medium of Gaelic. Nine teachers attended the course in 1999.
Education authorities have indicated that they would wish to employ more teachers for Gaelic-medium education.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary and secondary teachers (a) of Gaelic and (b) through the medium of Gaelic there are in each local authority area and how many additional teachers will be required in each category in each local authority area over the next 10 years.
Answer
In September 1998 there were an estimated 195 full-time equivalent secondary school teachers who regarded Gaelic as their main subject qualification. Primary school teachers are not categorised by subject.
The Leirsinn survey, The Availability of Gaelic-speaking Teachers (summer 1997) found that in 1997 there were 101 primary school teachers in Gaelic-medium education, 25 secondary school teachers, and 38 supply teachers (21 primary and 17 secondary).
No estimates of requirements for teachers of Gaelic have been made centrally. Education authorities have estimated the numbers of additional teachers, including replacements, for Gaelic-medium education required over the next seven years. These estimates amount to:
Primary 150
Secondary 70
Two thirds of the notified demand was from the Highland Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional funds being made available for training as part of the tourism budget will be available to persons wishing to pursue courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, in particular Gaelic classes.
Answer
No. This funding is to promote the take-up of 1,000 Modern Apprenticeships and 5,000 Individual Learning Accounts in the industry. MAs and ILAs are delivered primarily in the workplace.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage any of its staff who wish to attend courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig to do so and whether it will fund the cost of such attendance where such attendance is of assistance or benefit to such staff in the performance of their duties.
Answer
The Scottish Executive recognises that lifelong learning, including higher and further education, can play an important part in developing the knowledge, skills and competencies of staff and will assist members of staff, within available resources, to undertake studies and courses that will benefit their career and personal development and contribute to the effectiveness of their performance. Any applications for assistance with funding of courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig would be considered on that basis.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Sabhal Mor Ostaig will be registered as a training provider for the purpose of Individual Learning Accounts.
Answer
It is for each learning provider to make their own decision about whether to register as a provider for the purpose of Individual Learning Accounts.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 4 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig will be available to those wishing to take out Individual Learning Accounts.
Answer
If Sabhal Mor Ostaig is a registered Individual Learning Account (ILA) provider then any courses provided which fall within the widely drawn definition of eligible learning announced on 10 May will be available to ILA members.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 1 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8647 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 24 July 2000, whether it will detail the criteria employed in awarding the amounts of additional financial resources for schools in each local authority and how those criteria were applied.
Answer
Details of the basis on which these resources were allocated are set out in Scottish Executive Education Department Circular 1/2000, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 31 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect has been upon the oil and gas fabrication industry of the review conducted by Her Majesty's Government between 1997 and 1998 of the tax regime on oil and gas in terms of (a) employment impact within the industry (b) economic impact and (c) deferral of investment by oil companies.
Answer
Both the tax regime and the regulation of the oil and gas industry are reserved matters.
The Scottish Executive is fully aware of the problems facing the fabrication industry, not only in Scotland but throughout the rest of the UK and indeed Europe, and of the impact of this on employment and the economy. The Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, on which the Executive is represented, has set up a group to look urgently at these problems, which are largely structural. They arise from changes, such as the much smaller field sizes currently being exploited as the UK Continental Shelf moves towards being a mature province, and from developments in production technology, including sub-sea technology.This question was originally answered on 24 May 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3922 by Susan Deacon on 14 April 2000, when it expects the report on the safety of fluoridation by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University to be completed and whether it will place a copy of the findings in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre once received.
Answer
It is expected the report will be published in September. I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what efficiency savings Northern Constabulary has to make as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Answer
The 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review concluded that the police service in Scotland should make efficiency savings of 1% in 1999-2000, 1.7% in 2000-01 and 2.5% in 2001-02.
