- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland has been fully funded in respect of EU allocations for Scottish regions and programmes under each previous funding settlement.
Answer
Scottish programmes have madefull use of resources allocated over successive funding rounds by awarding all grantavailable to projects. In 2000-06, new financial spend targets were introduced bythe EU, which have meant that the full sum of any one year’s allocations to programmesmust be spent within two years of the allocation year or risk automatic de-commitment(referred to as “N+2”). Scottish programmes have met all their N+2 targets apartfrom under the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme, where lackof spend by project beneficiaries led to automatic de-commitment of European AgriculturalGuidance and Guarantee Fund monies in 2003 and Financial Instrument for FisheriesGuidance monies in 2004.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what its understanding is in respect of what Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland data “should and should not be used for” as referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:
Communities Scotlandregulates all of Scotland’s social housing; this includes the inspection of thelandlord services and services to homeless people provided by local authorities.We do this within a framework of performance standards that have been agreedwith the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and with the ScottishFederation of Housing Associations. We use this framework to help ensure thatlandlords deliver good housing and related services for the benefit of currenttenants and future tenants and homeless people. Communities Scotland’s aim isto promote quality and good practice, and to act as a catalyst to help landlords improve their performance in theareas that will have most impact.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any calculation in respect of the impact of the EU budget on future EU funding allocations through its block grant under the Barnett formula.
Answer
The EU budget will not be finaliseduntil the negotiations have been completed with the European Parliament as partof the Inter-Institutional Agreement. Moreover, some of the allocations within thebudget are subject to negotiation within the United Kingdom, particularly howthe UK’s share of the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective elementof the Structural Funds will be divided between the nations and regions. Consequently,it is not possible at this stage to calculate the impact of the EU budget on the Scottish Assigned Budget.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the impact on its block grant of any EU funding reductions to English regions.
Answer
As the EU budget cannot be finaliseduntil the negotiations have been completed with the European Parliament, it is notpossible at this stage to calculate the impact of any reductions in EU funding toEnglish regions on the Scottish Assigned Budget.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what aspect of the Accounts Commission’s report, Argyll and Bute Council: The Audit of Best Value and Community Planning, gave the Scottish Executive most concern and what action it will take to address the situation.
Answer
I wrote to the Council Leader,Allan MacAskill on 14 February following publication of the Best Value Audit ofArgyll and Bute Council, noting my concern that the report describes a council lackingclear corporate leadership to drive change and promote a culture of challenge andimprovement, and with insufficient focus at a corporate level on the needs of serviceusers.
I have encouragedthe council to work closely with the Improvement Service in addressing the AccountsCommission’s findings. The Improvement Service was established in 2005 in partnershipbetween COSLA, SOLACE and the Scottish Executive, to work with Scottish councils,their partners and stakeholders to improve the efficiency, quality and accountabilityof public services across Scotland. This includesassisting and supporting local authorities in taking forward their Improvement Plansas agreed with the Accounts Commission following a Best Value Audit.
The ImprovementService has already made contact with Argyll and Bute Council to ascertain the natureand level of support needed.
I am grateful to Mr Mather forgiving me the opportunity once again to bring these matters to light.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that users of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) data pass on in turn the caveats referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in respect of the “limitations of the data and the assumptions” and guidance about “what GERS should and should not be used for.”
Answer
Where it is proposed to increases rents or other charges payable by all tenants, the landlord should consult all its tenants and have regard for the views expressed. In all cases, landlords are required to give tenants not less than four weeks notice, in writing.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why the introduction of aid of a social character to provide discounted travel between the highlands and islands and Scotland's major cities does not include residents on NHS-funded trips and what the saving would be for NHS Western Isles if these discounts were applied to such trips.
Answer
Under the European Unionstate aid rules, “aid of a social character” cannot be combined with othertypes of aid or assistance. Trips cannot, therefore, be part funded both by theNational Health Service (NHS) and by “aid of a social character”.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that students originally resident on the islands or in Caithness will have access to the discounted air fares due to become available to island residents when travelling to or from their place of study.
Answer
An announcement will be madeshortly on further details of the “aid of a social character” scheme, includingon whether students from the eligible areas, who are studying outwith theseareas, will be included in the scheme.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it plans to make available to support the running costs of the upgraded facilities at Oban Airport.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has madea commitment to fund operations at Oban Airport which is owned by Argyll and Bute Council. The operationof the airport will be subject to competitive tendering arrangements.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22816 by Mr Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006, whether it will detail the specific measures it is taking to attract each of the following categories: (a) international students, (b) those looking for employment, (c) entrepreneurs interested in setting up businesses, (d) Scots living outwith Scotland who may consider returning to Scotland and (e) businesses who might benefit from the recruitment of workers from outwith Scotland.
Answer
The Fresh Talent initiativehas already made considerable progress in seeking to attract bright, talentedand hard-working individuals to come and live, work and study in Scotland. Wehave established a Relocation Advisory Service to act as a one-stop stopoffering advice to individuals interested in relocating to Scotland.For students, we have introduced a number of strands of activity. These includethe Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, Scottish International Scholarship ProgrammeFresh Talent: Supporting International Students Challenge Fund, and funding forthe DARE to be Digital and Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE)programmes. We have recently expanded the Relocation Advisory Service, throughthe secondment of a Senior Business Development Executive from ScottishEnterprise, to develop advice and support for businesses who might benefit fromthe recruitment of workers from outwith Scotland. We are in the process of undertaking a number ofactivities to raise the profile of Fresh Talent with the business communityincluding a series of business briefings run in conjunction with the ScottishCouncil for Development and Industry. Finally,our Diaspora Strategy aims to encourage the diaspora’s active participation andengagement in promoting Scotland as a great country to visit, live, learn,work, do business and invest, as well as considering returning to Scotlandthemselves.