- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 5 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the process is for seeking membership of or observer status to the Nordic Council and whether it has any plans to make any such application.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to enter into discussions about membership of, or observer status to, the Nordic Council. Scotland has longstanding links with the Nordic countries which we value and which have involved co-operation on matters of mutual interest.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 5 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government in support of a reduced rate of VAT for youth hostels in Scotland as applies to youth hostels elsewhere in the EU in order to counter any impact this present disparity is having on tourism in rural areas.
Answer
Any such representations would be made on a confidential basis.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 5 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to regulate or licence backpacker hostels.
Answer
I have no such plans.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed by local enterprise companies or other public bodies in connection with initiatives which provide or facilitate the provision of workplace training in each year since 1997 and whether it holds any estimate of the number of people working on such initiatives in the private sector.
Answer
The question of local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested. No such data is held for other public bodies. According to the labour force survey, in 1999 there were around 5,000 people employed as trainers in private sector organisations.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are in relation to workplace training in Scotland.
Answer
The Executive places high priority on workplace training. A Smart Successful Scotland sets out our priority for meeting the demand for high quality in-work training, helping to ensure that every Scot is ready for tomorrow's jobs.Priority is given to all 16 to 17-year-olds and to 18 to 24-year-olds who are pursuing a Modern Apprenticeship. From April 2001 the Training for Work programme will focus on tackling basic skills deficiencies, increasing employability through information and communication technology skills training and addressing local labour market needs.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of skillseekers' training allowances paid in each year from 1997-98 to present, broken down by (i) local enterprise company area and (ii) skill area.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each (a) local enterprise company and (b) local authority has spent on initiatives promoting or facilitating the provision of workplace training in each year since 1997.
Answer
The data by local enterprise company is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested. No such data for local authorities is held by the Executive.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on telecommunications infrastructure in each year since 1997; what the projected expenditure is for each year to 2003, and whether it will itemise this expenditure, giving timescales for when this money was or will be spent.
Answer
Investment in telecommunications infrastructure is largely a matter for the private sector. However, European funds have been allocated for this purpose in the Highlands & Islands and a broad range of public sector organisations, including the Executive, invest in infrastructure where this is necessary for their own use.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the current capacity and capability of international telecommunication connections to Scotland.
Answer
Scotland's international telecoms connectivity is via Telehouse in London's Docklands which is the focus of most of the UK's international telecoms connectivity.
Research carried out for Scottish Enterprise last year on Scotland's telecoms infrastructure advised that Scotland is served by a number of suppliers and that capacity on their backbone networks is not currently an issue.Scottish Enterprise is conducting further research into the wholesale market and international connectivity. The report is expected to be complete later in the year.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 1 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the findings of the PriceWaterhouseCoopers review of the Scottish Tourist Board and what the timescale is for this work.
Answer
Implementation of the findings of the Management Review is primarily for visitscotland. I will ask the Interim Chief Executive to write to you.
