- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the job specifications for the posts of chief executive and chairman of visitscotland as issued prior to the appointments of Peter Lederer and Rod Lynch.
Answer
The Chair, along with the other members of the visitscotland, oversees and provides strategic direction to the operations of visitscotland. The main duties are:
- chairing meetings of visitscotland;
- considering papers prepared by visitscotland;
- taking a leading role in the determination of quality, planning and resource allocations;
- representing the best interests of the tourism industry, and
- representing the board at functions and events, in negotiations, and in discussions with Scottish Ministers.
The chief executive's role is exercised under the direction of the appointed board. It is to:
- lead visitscotland in such a way as to enhance its reputation and profile;
- manage the organisation and operations of visitscotland within the constraints of operating in the public sector;
- play the lead co-ordinating role among the industry and public sector bodies, developing, championing and representing the tourism sector;
- establish a clear short- and long-term direction for the business, acknowledging changing demands;
- ensure that visitscotland has a structure that can deliver excellent service to its customers, whether from the tourist industry or as consumers, and
develop an organisation whose culture and ethos reflects the changing environment in which it operates.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the planning and environmental impact would be at airfields in the Highlands and Islands of British Airways moving entirely to jet aircraft following any takeover of British Regional Air Lines Group plc and how it would ensure that any subsequent costs incurred were not passed on to passengers through increased travel costs.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any plans by British Airways for an all jet aircraft operation in the Highlands and Islands following its take-over of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14935 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 20 April 2001, how many staff have responsibility for tourism policy in the Enterprise Networks and Tourism Division of its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department and how many officials in Historic Scotland have policy responsibility for tourism promotion.
Answer
Seven members of staff in the Enterprise Networks and Tourism Department have tourism responsibility. A number of Historic Scotland staff are involved in tourism operations within the agency. Of these, there are three officials who have policy responsibility for tourism promotion as the major part of their work.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 15 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13883 by Mr Jack McConnell on 23 March 2001, how many students started a secondary teacher training course with technological education as their main subject at each institution in each year since 1997-98.
Answer
Entrants to Technical Education Teacher Training courses 1997-98 to 1999-2000
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
| Total | 90 | 57 | 50 |
| Moray House1 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| University of Edinburgh | 0 | 19 | 12 |
| Northern College of Education | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| University of Glasgow | 26 | 21 | 16 |
| University of Strathclyde | 27 | 10 | 15 |
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.Notes:1. Moray House merged with the University of Edinburgh in 1998-99.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 15 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduates there were from each university engineering faculty in each year since 1995 and how many of these were from (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the UK, (c) another EU country and (d) a non-EU country.
Answer
Information is not collected by faculty. However, available data by subject group for those graduating from higher education institutions in Scotland is as follows:
Graduates from Scottish Higher Education Institutions with Engineering & Technology as main subject
1994-95 |
| Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 192 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 214 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| The Scottish College of Textiles | 83 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 112 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 208 | 16 | 4 | 15 | 243 |
| University of Paisley | 310 | 5 | 26 | 10 | 351 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 142 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 144 |
| Napier University | 328 | 21 | 21 | 13 | 383 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 100 | 77 | 8 | 19 | 204 |
| The University of Glasgow | 198 | 29 | 55 | 180 | 462 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 344 | 67 | 35 | 107 | 553 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 87 | 26 | 5 | 56 | 174 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 227 | 107 | 32 | 53 | 419 |
| The University of Dundee | 111 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 151 |
| Total | 2,340 | 430 | 193 | 461 | 3,424 |
| 1995-96Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 371 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 440 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| The Scottish College of Textiles | 55 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 84 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 210 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 248 |
| University of Paisley | 274 | 4 | 35 | 9 | 322 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 311 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 324 |
| Napier University | 369 | 22 | 37 | 7 | 435 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 84 | 72 | 10 | 51 | 217 |
| The University of Glasgow | 165 | 39 | 34 | 178 | 416 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 482 | 62 | 50 | 129 | 723 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 69 | 13 | 8 | 76 | 166 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 256 | 126 | 33 | 87 | 502 |
| The University of Dundee | 59 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 170 |
| Total | 2,716 | 450 | 280 | 615 | 4,061 |
| 1996-97Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 300 | 25 | 28 | 12 | 365 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Scottish College of Textiles | 70 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 101 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 200 | 18 | 10 | 33 | 261 |
| University of Paisley | 155 | 1 | 32 | 7 | 195 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 192 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 204 |
| Napier University | 212 | 16 | 62 | 10 | 300 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 103 | 71 | 21 | 51 | 246 |
| The University of Glasgow | 129 | 32 | 36 | 178 | 375 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 447 | 55 | 92 | 135 | 729 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 97 | 15 | 5 | 97 | 214 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 227 | 128 | 48 | 72 | 475 |
| The University of Dundee | 41 | 29 | 43 | 39 | 152 |
| Total | 2,173 | 419 | 385 | 640 | 3,617 |
| 1997-98Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 163 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 213 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Scottish College of Textiles | 100 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 134 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 267 | 21 | 12 | 49 | 349 |
| University of Paisley | 213 | 5 | 36 | 8 | 262 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 266 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 289 |
| Napier University | 176 | 16 | 56 | 1 | 249 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 110 | 83 | 20 | 57 | 270 |
| The University of Glasgow | 184 | 32 | 47 | 105 | 368 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 409 | 34 | 75 | 113 | 631 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 111 | 7 | 3 | 51 | 172 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 230 | 105 | 66 | 84 | 485 |
| The University of Dundee | 37 | 26 | 35 | 40 | 138 |
| Total | 2,266 | 374 | 381 | 539 | 3,560 |
| 1998-99Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 87 | 3 | 21 | 18 | 129 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 248 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 328 |
| University of Paisley | 184 | 6 | 46 | 8 | 244 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 211 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 234 |
| Napier University | 154 | 13 | 56 | 7 | 230 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 109 | 61 | 8 | 43 | 221 |
| The University of Glasgow | 161 | 27 | 42 | 128 | 358 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 413 | 35 | 68 | 93 | 609 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 100 | 17 | 8 | 62 | 187 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 351 | 121 | 107 | 127 | 706 |
| The University of Dundee | 44 | 17 | 46 | 23 | 130 |
| Total | 2,062 | 320 | 421 | 573 | 3,376 |
The Scottish College of Textiles merged with Heriot-Watt University on 1/10/98| 1999-2000Institution | Scotland | Rest UK | EU | Non EU | Total |
| University of Abertay | 45 | 1 | 26 | 18 | 90 |
| Glasgow School of Art | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The Robert Gordon University | 271 | 16 | 13 | 81 | 381 |
| University of Paisley | 176 | 3 | 43 | 10 | 232 |
| Glasgow Caledonian University | 213 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 255 |
| Napier University | 193 | 15 | 63 | 9 | 280 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 123 | 31 | 16 | 23 | 193 |
| The University of Glasgow | 140 | 24 | 33 | 88 | 285 |
| The University of Strathclyde | 402 | 35 | 74 | 88 | 599 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 93 | 13 | 9 | 39 | 154 |
| Heriot-Watt University | 314 | 99 | 84 | 114 | 611 |
| The University of Dundee | 33 | 16 | 36 | 29 | 114 |
| Total | 2,003 | 260 | 418 | 513 | 3,194 |
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 15 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to post a civil servant to the UK Embassy in Washington and, if so, what level of civil service post it will be, to whom the post will be accountable, how it will interact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Trade and Industry, whether it will have an allocated budget and, if so, from what department or cost centre this will come.
Answer
Yes. Detailed arrangements for this post have not yet been finalised.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 14 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new standard grade course in Technological Studies will proceed in the coming academic year and, if this matter is still under consideration, when a decision will be announced.
Answer
SQA has developed new General and Credit Standard Grade courses in technological studies which will be available from session 2001-02. The Foundation level course will be discontinued and pupils directed into courses more appropriate for their needs. A letter was issued on 2 May to presenting centres informing them of these arrangements.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 14 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what other venues were considered for the Scottish-Nordic Council meeting and why they were not selected.
Answer
In summer 2000, Highlands & Island Enterprise recommended Skibo Castle as the venue for the conference. The conference rate negotiated was comparable with other venues when all costs were taken into account. Of the venues available, Skibo Castle best met the specifications required for a conference involving some 35 senior Nordic officials and 20 of their Scottish counterparts.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the planning system to make it a requirement that fibre optic telecommunications are installed in new industrial parks and housing estates.
Answer
The Executive has no such plans. The proposed review of National Planning Policy Guideline 2 on Business and Industry will consider the planning implications for business and industry development of advances in information and communications technology.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that planning regulations address the telecommunications needs of the 21st century.
Answer
The Executive recognises the importance of the telecommunications sector to Scotland. As an example, the recent consultation package on "Planning and Radio Telecommunications", prompted by concerns about mobile phone masts, was drawn up in consultation with the telecommunications industry, among others. The revised planning controls for mobile phone masts should be in place by the middle of the year.