Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has invested approximately £149,000 as part of Phase 1 of the improvement works on the A95 trunk road within Cromdale. These works were completed in 1999. Phase 2 of the improvement works will provide additional footways and new street lighting at an estimated cost of £150,000. These works will be progressed within financial year 2001-02. In addition, a refurbishment or replacement scheme for the footbridge in this area is currently under consideration. The estimated costs involved are £23,000 and £32,000 respectively. The total estimated investment for all these works is £331,000.

The Cromdale Community Council was consulted regarding Phase 1 of the improvement works within Cromdale. They will also be consulted at the appropriate time regarding Phase 2 of these works.

The Scottish Executive has no specific proposals to construct additional lay-bys on the A95 trunk road within the current financial year.

However, subject to competing priorities, the Scottish Executive will commission Mouchel Scotland Ltd to carry out a study prior to the end of this financial year. The Highland and Moray Councils, together with the local Community Councils, will be consulted prior to finalisation of any work being implemented. This consultation exercise will determine the appropriate size and location of the lay-bys.

The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) is responsible for setting student intake levels to courses of initial teacher education (ITE). Each year the Executive provides guidance to SHEFC on ITE, setting out our strategic objectives for teacher education and supply. We have indicated to SHEFC that the supply of teachers able to teach in Gaelic medium education is a priority and have asked SHEFC to assist in promoting provision in this area. To help SHEFC consider how the need for Gaelic medium teachers might be met, the Executive has asked local authorities to identify their requirements. Last year authorities indicated a need for around 150 newly trained teachers for primary Gaelic medium over the next seven years and around 70 for secondary Gaelic medium over the same period. We are at the moment collecting updated information from authorities about their requirements in order that this can be provided in guidance to SHEFC for session 2001-02. It will be for SHEFC to consider how these future requirements for newly trained teachers can be met.

Comunn na Gaidhlig with funding from the Executive is conducting a publicity campaign, including leaflets, a video and a Gaelic careers conference, to attract potential recruits into Gaelic medium teaching; it has also discussed with the Teacher Education Institutions their admissions policies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.