Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive’s policies for the development of Gaelic are designed to ensure its survival as a living language which also may be used in academic study.

The Scottish Executive has provided the following translation:

Tha poileasaidhean Riaghaltas na h-Alba a thaobh leasachadh na Gàidhlig air an dealbh a chum is gum mair a' Ghàidhlig mar chànan beò a dh'fhaodar a chleachdadh cuideachd airson rannsachadh sgoilearach.

Western Ferries have indicated to the Executive on a number of occasions that it has concerns about the existing subsidy arrangements for Caledonian MacBrayne’s Gourock to Dunoon service. However, we are not aware of Western Ferries ever making an official complaint to the Commission on this particular issue and understand that the company have welcomed the tendering process that the Executive is currently undertaking for the route.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21016 on 5 December 2005. 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.

The Scottish Executive has provided the following translation:

Tha mi airson aire a’ bhuill a tharraing chun cheist S2W-21016 a chaidh a freagairt air 5 Dùbhlachd 2005. Tha na freagairtean air fad do na Ceistean Poblach rim faotainn air làrach-lìn na Pàrlamaid, agus gheibhear an goireas siridh air http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of maintaining a high standard for Gaelic qualifications and ensuring courses are available which meet the needs of both Gaelic learners and fluent speakers. The detailed delivery of these is a matter for particular Scottish public bodies and academic institutions. The standard of Higher Gaelic courses, both for learners and fluent speakers, is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority which has procedures in place to ensure that its courses are kept under constant review. The content and delivery of further and higher education Gaelic courses is a matter for the institutions themselves and for the Scottish Funding Council. Scottish ministers have advised the Scottish Funding Council that they regard “responding to the needs of the community for further and higher education courses, taught in the Gaelic language, as a fundamental element in the achievement of our policy of promoting Gaelic”.

 

The Scottish Executive has provided the following translation:

 

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag aithneachadh cho cudromach ‘s a tha e a bhith a’ cumail suas deagh inbhe ann an teisteanasan Gàidhlig agus ann a bhith a’ dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil cùrsaichean Gàidhlig rim faotainn a tha a’ coinneachadh ri feumalachdan luchd-ionnsachaidh agus fileantaich. Tha libhrigeadh nan cùrsaichean sin na dhleastanas air buidhnean poblach sònraichte an Alba agus air ionadan acadaimeagach. Tha inbhe chùrsa Àrd-ìre na Gàidhlig, an dà chuid do luchd-ionnsachaidh agus fileantaich na uallach air Ùghdarras Theisteanais na h-Alba aig a bheil modhan suidhichte gus dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil na cùrsaichean sa bheil e an sàs an còmhnaidh a’ tighinn fo sgrùdadh. Tha susbaint agus lìbhrigeadh chùrsaichean foghlam adhartach agus àrd-ìre nan uallach air na h-ionadan fhèin agus air Comhairle Maoineachaidh na h-Alba. Tha Ministearan na h-Alba air comhairle a thoirt do Chomhairle Maoineachaidh na h-Alba gu bheil iad a’ meas ‘gu bheil e na eileamaid bhunaiteach dhuinn ann a bhith a’ coileanadh ar poileasaidh a bhith ag adhartachadh na Gàidhlig, gum bithear a’ freagairt air feumalachdan na coimhearsnachd a thaobh chùrsaichean foghlam adhartach agus àrd-ìre.’

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21016 on  5 December 2005. 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.

There are several ways that a Users’ Charter could be framed to make it legally binding. Were the Executive to enter into an agreement with a ferry operator to introduce a Users’ Charter on a particular route, the detailed legal issues would be considered at that time.

The information requested is not available.

The official source of low income data for Scotland is the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset available from 1994-95. This is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The sample size of the FRS in Scotland is relatively small and can only be used to provide information for Scotland as a whole.

The following link provides the latest low income headline figures for Scotland  (2003-04), together with data for previous years. This was published on  30 March 2005:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/29170611/06123.

(a) The number of food retail premises in 1998 was 8,515.

(b) Data is not yet available for 2005.

Source: Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) which is maintained by the Office for National Statistics.

The information requested is given in the Futureskills Scotland publication, Skills in Scotland 2004, which was published in January 2005. Copies of this publication are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 35294).

The information requested is not held centrally.