- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 5 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funds or support will be made available to low cost or other carriers seeking to open up new routes to European destinations following the recent terrorist attacks in the USA.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no specific budget provision for the promotion of international links. The Executive will continue to have discussions with its agencies (enterprise networks and VisitScotland) on how best any available funding can be deployed for the greatest benefit of the Scottish economy and tourism.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 5 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any financial support made available to Continental Airlines to operate a direct flight between Edinburgh and Newark, USA will be made available to a low cost airline or other carriers seeking to open up links with new destinations in Europe should Continental Airlines not proceed following the recent terrorist attacks in the USA.
Answer
No additional resources have made been available by the Scottish Executive for the establishment of any direct air services between Edinburgh and the USA.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 3 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many college students (a) commenced, (b) completed and (c) passed courses in (i) printing, (ii) electronics, (iii) engineering and (iv) construction in each year since 1997.
Answer
Some of the information requested is not held centrally, including data on completions. Graduate data is not available for further education (FE) courses, or yet for higher education (HE) courses for the academic year 1999-2000.
The following information is available:
Entrants to Further Education Courses in Further Education Colleges in Scotland by Specified Subject, 1997-98 to 1999-20001
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
Printing | 383 | 446 | 451 |
Electronics 2 | 3,608 | 3,494 | 3,073 |
Engineering 2 | 16,132 | 15,392 | 15,608 |
Construction | 15,077 | 9,886 | 11,220 |
Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) and Scottish Executive.
Entrants to Higher Education Courses in Further Education Colleges in Scotland by specified subject, 1997-98 to 1999-20001
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time |
Printing | 89 | 165 | 102 | 121 | 76 | 118 |
Electronics2 | 856 | 1,192 | 919 | 1,438 | 836 | 1,155 |
Engineering2 | 1,448 | 3,808 | 1,316 | 3,884 | 1,408 | 3,809 |
Construction | 290 | 1,223 | 257 | 1,241 | 174 | 1,085 |
Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) and Scottish Executive.
Graduates from Full Time Higher Education Courses in Further Education Colleges in Scotland by specified subject, 1997-98 to 1998-99*1
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
Printing | 63 | 59 |
Electronics2 | 435 | 441 |
Engineering2 | 847 | 934 |
Construction | 166 | 89 |
Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) and Scottish Executive.
*Graduate data for 1999-2000 is not yet available.
Notes:
1. Entrant data is defined as any student undertaking the first year of the current course of study. Graduate data is defined as any student successfully completing a course of full time higher education (HNC/HND level and above) in an further education college.
2. The category Engineering normally includes Electronics, but these figures have been disaggregated for the purposes of this answer.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 2 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior executives have left Scottish Enterprise during the past 12 months; how much was paid to them in the form of (a) retirement, (b) redundancy and (c) other termination of contract settlements; whether any of them received more than their statutory financial entitlement at the point of termination of contract and, if so, what amounts were paid in each case.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources will be made available to Lothian and Borders Police in view of any increased security requirements in Edinburgh as a result of international terrorism.
Answer
Forces have sufficient funds to meet the existing policing requirements of their area and funding for the police service is currently at record levels. However, all forces continually review their requirements in light of local needs and circumstances. Where new pressures arise, the cost of which might distort the expenditure of the force concerned, there are provisions for Scottish ministers to consider the implications for that force's budget. That process is an on-going one.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what high profile or VIP visits to, or events in, Edinburgh are planned as a result of the Queen's jubilee in 2002.
Answer
The arrangements for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee are in the first instance a matter for Buckingham Palace. However, as I indicated in the answer to question S1W-11479 on 22 June this year, The Queen will visit Scotland from 23 to 29 May 2002 and, as previously announced, will attend the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh on 25 May 2002. I hope to be able to make a further statement to the Parliament before the end of the year giving details of The Queen's Golden Jubilee engagements both in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what high profile or VIP visits to Edinburgh are planned between now and 31 December 2001.
Answer
By their nature, VIP visits tend to be arranged and confirmed at fairly short notice. Details of VIP visits and high profile events, however, are not normally made public until the arrangements have been finalised and have been agreed by the visitor or event organiser, ourselves and any other Government department involved.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current situation in terms of competition on routes between FirstGroup and Lothian Buses is in the best interests of public transport services and fare paying passengers in Edinburgh.
Answer
The Executive has not made an assessment of the competition on routes between First Group and Lothian Buses in Edinburgh. It is for the City of Edinburgh Council to develop its Local Transport Strategy and other relevant general policies in the light of public transport provision, and to consider whether it needs to act to improve matters using the powers available to it in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take regarding FirstGroup's recent changes in relation to its bus services in Edinburgh.
Answer
The Traffic Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that local bus services are operated under the terms of the Transport Act 1985 and associated regulations. In addition, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 provides powers for local authorities to make Quality Partnership schemes, or with the approval of Scottish ministers, Quality Contract schemes and the Executive would consider any such application timeously.
However, I understand that the Office of Fair Trading has commenced an investigation under section 25 of the Competition Act 1998 into FirstEdinburgh's recent actions in the wider Edinburgh bus market area.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce any emergency and/or amending legislation to allow quality contracts to be invoked quicker than would otherwise be the case in Edinburgh in view of the current situation there.
Answer
No. The Executive has already brought forward new powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 which enable local authorities to make Quality Contract schemes. As my answer to S1W-17794 makes clear, the timescale for progressing a Quality Contract proposal is a matter within the control of the local authority concerned, subject to ministerial approval.
