- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise has assessed the impact of its telecommunications infrastructure programme Project ATLAS on the Scottish communications industry and, if so, how many job losses it estimates the programme may result in.
Answer
An independent market and economic appraisal of Project ATLAS, carried out for Scottish Enterprise, showed that Project ATLAS should benefit the communications industry in Scotland by stimulating it to supply new and inventive services using the new business park infrastructure.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 16 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31313 by Lewis Macdonald on 25 November 2002, what monitoring it carries out to ensure that sums granted under the Public Transport Fund (PTF), the Integrated Transport Fund and the Rural Public Passenger Grant element of the PTF are fully utilised and used for the schemes for which the sums were granted.
Answer
The Scottish Executive monitors the progress of projects awarded grant under the Public Transport Fund, the Integrated Transport Fund and the Rural Public Passenger Grant element of the Rural Transport Fund by scrutiny of the various management returns and invoices required from the recipient of grant.Different monitoring procedures by the Executive are involved for each award, since different funding mechanisms are used. Awards given under the Public Transport Fund form part of the local authority non-housing capital allocation provision with local authorities issued with consent under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and awards from the Integrated Transport Fund are given under section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 on an individual project basis. Awards in respect of the Rural Public Passenger Grant are given in the form of allocations under section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 to local authorities for the improvement of rural public passenger transport services in their area, without the need for detailed monitoring reports to the Executive. The internal audit procedures of local authorities ensure that funds ring-fenced for specific projects cannot be used elsewhere, unless with the prior approval of the Executive.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any representations to the European Commission in support of public service obligations on flights within the Highlands and Islands being exempted from the maximum period restriction of three years.
Answer
We would wish any extension of the maximum period of three years for public service obligations on lifeline air routes to be considered in the context of any revision of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of 23 July 1992 on access for Community air carriers to intra-Community air routes.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it or the former Scottish Office had to the Ernie Walker think-tank on Scottish football set up by the Scottish Football Association (SFA); what updating it has sought to any previous input that it had, and what monitoring of this issue has been carried out.
Answer
None, but we understand that the streamlining of decision-making processes within the SFA in recent years followed acceptance of recommendations made by the Independent Review Commission chaired by Mr Walker.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it advised the operators of the Barra to Glasgow air link that the public service obligation in respect of that route would be for a period of one year, and whether it sought the agreement of the operators to the introduction of the one-year period and, if so, when and from whom it did so.
Answer
The Executive consulted a number of interests on the continued imposition of a Public Service Obligation (PSO) on the Glasgow to Barra air service. Any discussions with the current operator of the service are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a child may be fostered by a blood relative; if so, whether the relative is entitled to receive remuneration in respect of such fostering; what information it has received about any local authorities refusing to remunerate such relatives as foster parents, and what action it will take in respect of this matter.
Answer
There are different circumstances in which relatives can be assessed and approved as foster carers. The Fostering Children (Scotland) Regulations 1996 and the accompanying guidance make clear that it is for local authorities to decide their own types and scales of payment to foster carers, depending on local child care needs and circumstances. We do not hold information on remuneration levels centrally.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have visited Scotland on holiday to participate in outdoor pursuits in each year since 1997.
Answer
Figures prior to 2000 are not available. The information requested for the years since 2000 is as follows.Participation in Outdoor Activity
| | Activity at All during Trip | Activity as Main Part of Trip |
| All Visits Trips (million) | Holiday Visits Trips (million) | All Visits Trips (million) | Holiday Visits Trips (million) |
| 2000 | 11.6 | 9.1 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| 2001 | 11.0 | 8.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to direct the British Tourist Authority over its marketing budgets for overseas campaigns and what input it or VisitScotland will have on this issue.
Answer
The Executive will be consulted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the new management statement that will set out the BTA's revised structure and modus operandi. It has always been the BTA's practice to consult with VisitScotland on the detail of its overseas marketing campaigns, and the new management statement will set out how this close co-operation will continue as a result of the restructuring of the BTA recently announced by DCMS.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive in what way the British Tourist Authority (BTA) will be accountable to the Parliament and what representation it will have on the new BTA or its committees.
Answer
The Executive has agreed with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the BTA will in future report on, and account for, its overseas marketing activities entirely separately from its new responsibilities for marketing England, and that the former report and accounts will be laid before the Parliament each year. In addition, the Executive will be consulted by DCMS on the new management statement that will set out the BTA's revised structure and modus operandi, while the Chairman of VisitScotland will continue to be a board member of the BTA.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes will be made to the memorandum of understanding between the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and VisitScotland following the recent combination of functions of the BTA with the English Tourism Council.
Answer
The memorandum of understanding between VisitScotland and the BTA will be reviewed by these bodies in the light of the recent announcement about changes to the structure of the BTA. It is too early to say what changes might be necessary as a result of that review.
