- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an impact assessment that shows the effect of broadband availability and non-availability on (a) local economic growth and (b) local population movement from 2003-07 for each local telephone exchange area.
Answer
No. Broadband does have thepotential, particularly through e-business, to impact on local economic growthand on population retention. This is precisely why we have a broadband strategyand initiatives aiming to achieve pervasive, affordable broadband coverageacross Scotland.
The Executive will, ofcourse, evaluate the effect of its polices in Scotland as part of itscommitment to evidence-based policy.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to award contracts for the installation of broadband in all Scottish exchanges and when this might happen.
Answer
We have no such plans, sinceachieving pervasive, affordable broadband coverage in Scotland islikely to involve a mix of technologies, not just asymmetric digital subscriberline. Our broadband strategy is technology and supplier neutral and alsosubject to state aid regulations.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought any independent legal opinion regarding the European Court of Justice's ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case and its impact on the provision of broadband in remote areas of Scotland.
Answer
We are currently consideringthe implications of the Altmark judgment carefully in so far as they arerelevant to the provision of broadband in remote areas of Scotland.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made about whether the European Court of Justice's ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case removes any imperative for the Gourock to Dunoon public service obligation to be tendered separately from the tender for the remainder of the network.
Answer
The consequences of theAltmark case for ferry services are far from clear. The European Court ofJustice’s decision in the Altmark case deals with the interaction between the treatyand the relevant state aid regulations for bus services. We are currentlyexamining the full implications of the judgement in relation to the separatebut similar EC maritime regulations and guidelines. As a matter of urgency, wewill seek clarification of the legal position and raise the issue with theEuropean Commission to determine the implications for tendering theGourock-Dunoon route.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking, and will take, to protect and promote the fishing industry in Scotland.
Answer
TheDecember Council this year promises to be a difficult negotiation. However,given that there are some encouraging signs in relation to cod recovery, myobjective will be to assist fish processors and others by resisting closurewhile pressing on with the cod recovery programme.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what remaining constraints there are to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2837 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to accelerate the University of the Highlands and Islands' (UHI) attainment of full university status.
Answer
The UHI Millennium Institute(UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. Itis working to create the University of the Highlands and Islands. Thereis currently no body entitled to use that name.
The process for UHIMI to achieveuniversity title independently is set out in the answer given to question S2W-2837today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.The primary responsibility forthe UHIMI's development lies with the UHIMI as an autonomous HEI. However, the Executiveis already helping to accelerate the progress of the UHI Millennium Institute touniversity title. At the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in October 2002,the Executive asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to convene anexpert advisory group to assist UHIMI in its planning to obtain taught degree-awardingpowers. This group is due to report with its findings shortly. I look forward toreceiving this report.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for addressing any remaining constraints to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2837 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will achieve full university status.
Answer
The UHI Millennium Institute(UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. Itis working to create a University of the Highlands and Islands. There is currently no body entitled to use that name.Granting of university title will require the UHIMI to meet established criteria,subject to independent assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education(QAA), followed by conferral of university title by the Privy Council.
Full details of the criteriafor taught and research degree awarding powers and university title are availablefrom the QAA website at:
www.qaa.ac.uk/aboutqaa/dap/dap_home.htm.The criteriainstitutions are required to fulfil in order to achieve university title are intendedto ensure that the public can have confidence in the quality and standards of allinstitutions designated as universities. The present criteria were put in placein 1999 and currently apply UK-wide, although the UK Government is currently consultingon changes to the rules as they apply in England.
To achieve university title,the UHIMI will first of all require to secure powers to award its own taught degrees.The UHIMI must also obtain the powers to award research degrees and meet criteriaon student numbers, track record and breadth of provision, to be able to gain universitytitle. The speed at which these powers can be granted will depend on the pace ofdevelopments within the UHIMI itself and consequently how quickly the institutionis able to satisfy these criteria.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on re-launching the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry route and what funding it and the Northern Ireland Assembly will make available to support the route.
Answer
The response to the tenderingexercise initiated in 2002, did not produce a bid that met the criteria laid downby the Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Executive is now consideringfuture options and any funding implications in consultation with the Northern IrelandAssembly.
