- 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 ensure that visas are issued for applicants in 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
Immigration issues,including the issuing of visas and work permits, are a matter for the HomeOffice and UKVisas. However, the Relocation Advisory Service, which was set upas part of the Fresh Talent initiative, includes immigration experts who areable to offer advice on immigration requirements to those seeking to relocateto Scotland. We have also produced a business toolkit for Scottish businessesto help them understand the visa and work permit process, which should assistthem in making applications.
- 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 Andy Kerr on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of senior staff in NHS Western Isles are currently suffering from stress-related illnesses, are on long term sick leave or are involved in grievance procedures and how these figures compare with the average percentages for each category in the other NHS boards.
Answer
These are matters for theboard and information is not held centrally. However, national records do show thatthat the sickness absence rate for all absence in 2004-05 for NHS Western Isleswas 4.87%, well below the national average of 5.35%.
The chairman of the board andhis directors are keeping the Health Department in close touch with the board’sfinancial plan and overall redesign of services. These changes should enable the board to modernise services in line withthe direction and actions set out in Delivering for Health, improve careeropportunities for staff and overall provide better patient care.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase Scottish representation abroad, other than through Foreign and Commonwealth office establishments.
Answer
Scotland is represented overseas through the Scottish Affairs Offices in Washington DC, Brussels and Beijing. We are also represented by as many as 484 British embassies, high commissions, consulates and honorary consulates overseas. We have no current plans to open any further offices, although we will consider opportunities to do so where this could be of value.
Scottish Development International (SDI) is currently completing the worldwide expansion of staff announced in March 2005. This involves the appointment of 32 additional representatives across SDI’s 20 existing bases and in the new locations of New York, Toronto and Bangalore. SDI will continue to explore opportunities to extend overseas representation on an effective and cost-effective basis. A pilot project is currently under development to establish shared SDI representation in Estonia, and full details will be announced as soon as arrangements are confirmed.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been approached by Quebec and/or Catalonia with a view to joining their network of shared representative offices overseas and, if so, whether the Executive will join that network.
Answer
Scottish Development International (SDI) has discussed the proposal for a trade promotion co-operation initiative with the International Cooperation office of Catalonia. The idea is at an early stage and it is not clear at this point that the industries and regions involved will be a sufficiently good match for Scottish interests to make this the best use of the limited resources available for Scotland’s overseas trade promotion. However, SDI will stay in contact with the organisers to see whether a good case emerges to become an active member of the initiative.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, what information it currently holds on the skill levels, employment sectors and qualifications of migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and we have no current plans to do so. We are, however, issuing a questionnaire to all successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, asking such questions, and we intend to publish the information collected from these questionnaires on a regular basis. I expect to be able to publish the first of these reports in the coming months.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, when it expects to be able to provide the information requested on migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and we have no current plans to do so. We are, however, issuing a questionnaire to all successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, asking such questions, and we intend to publish the information collected from these questionnaires on a regular basis. I expect to be able to publish the first of these reports in the coming months.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it maintains the position that the Fresh Talent initiative is not restricted to attracting university or further education graduates as migrants to Scotland.
Answer
When we published New Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to Meet the Challenge of Growth in February 2004, we identified five target groups for the Fresh Talent Initiative. These are international students, those looking for employment, entrepreneurs interested in setting up businesses, Scots living outwith Scotland who may consider returning to Scotland, and businesses who might benefit from the recruitment of workers from outwith Scotland.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, whether it (a) intends to collect this information and (b) has asked the Home Office for any of this information and, if so, what specific information it has requested and when it will be able to make any information on the skill levels, employment sectors and qualification status of migrants under the Fresh Talent initiative publically available.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and we have no current plans to do so. We are, however, issuing a questionnaire to all successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, asking such questions, and we intend to publish the information collected from these questionnaires on a regular basis. I expect to be able to publish the first of these reports in the coming months.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04 whether it can confirm that expenditure in England on the operation of the prison system, the Court Service Agency, judicial salaries for England, the Valuation Office Agency, and non-domestic rate collection for England fall within the non-identifiable category of expenditure in GERS, while expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland fall within the identifiable category.
Answer
I can confirm this is the case.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04 (GERS), why a proportion of the expenditure in the non-identifiable category on functions in England, or England and Wales, where expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland is identifiable, was allocated to Scotland when calculating the estimates of Scottish expenditure referred to GERS.
Answer
I refer to my answer to question S2W-22344, answered on 9 February 2006. 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/wa.search.
