- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the impact which any windfall tax on oil companies would have on the North Sea oil sector and the Scottish economy generally.
Answer
Discussions with the UK Government take place on a wide range of subjects including the North Sea oil sector.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has power to give the British Tourist Authority (BTA) directions and guidance regarding the marketing of Scotland abroad; if so, whether it has given any such directions or guidance and, in particular, whether it has given the BTA any instructions regarding the promotion of Scotland as an arrival and gateway destination for the rest of the UK.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not have any direct influence on BTA operational matters. These are for the organisation itself to determine. The BTA is required to work closely with the Scottish Tourist Board. The two boards have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out what each will do to promote Scotland overseas. Scotland benefits from BTA activity in 27 primary markets overseas.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will describe the mechanism through which the British Tourist Authority is accountable to the Scottish Parliament and whether it will list the occasions on which it has laid reports relating to the British Tourist Authority (BTA) before the Parliament or taken any other action relating to the accountability of the BTA to the Parliament since 1 July 1999.
Answer
The British Tourist Authority (BTA) is designated as a cross-border public authority by an Order in Council made under section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998. Section 88 specifies the requirements on cross-border public authorities relating to accountability to the Scottish Parliament. The BTA laid its Annual Report and Accounts for 1999-2000 before the Scottish Parliament on 23 October 2000. The Scottish Executive have been consulted about appointments to the board of the BTA.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the term contracts for the management and maintenance of trunk roads which are currently being considered and whether it considers that this guidance is in line with the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on "Staff Transfers in the Public Sector" issued in January 2000.
Answer
I refer Mr MacAskill to the answer given on 25 August to question S1W-8984 which explains the guidance the Scottish Executive will be giving to both local authority and private sector bidders and that account has been taken of the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the scheduling of roadworks on the M9 and the A720.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has regular discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the planning and programming of roadworks.
Discussions have been held prior to and during the current works on the M9 and A720 with the City of Edinburgh Council, West Lothian Council and the Forth Road Bridge Board to ensure the minimum disruption to the travelling public.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to Scottish universities and other organisations to support and promote the use of their e-university and e-learning facilities outwith Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council provides funding for superJANET, a network infrastructure in Scotland, which secures high-bandwidth connections for all higher education institutions in Scotland and Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), which are local in nature and help speed up these connections. The council has also provided funding for a range of projects, which are developing approaches to online learning, such as the Clyde Virtual University project. More generally, the council is providing funding to support staff in the use of web-based tools for teaching and learning, as well as funding for staff development in a range of ICT skills.These activities are helping institutions to develop expertise in online and distributed learning. It is a matter for institutions whether they wish to offer provision in this mode, either in Scotland or internationally.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the passenger service charge at Inverness Airport and what the reasons are for any such decision.
Answer
Any airport charges levied for the use of Inverness Airport are a matter for Highland and Islands Airports Ltd, the airport operator.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the remit of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE) to cover freight transport and what the reasons are for its position on the extension or otherwise of SPTE's remit to include this issue.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to extend the remit of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive as, in common with all Passenger Transport Executives, it was established to oversee and address the passenger transport needs of metropolitan areas.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a public service obligation (PSO) could be imposed on every internal air route within the Highlands and Islands; if not, on which routes a PSO could not be imposed and why a PSO could not be imposed on any such routes.
Answer
A member state, with the agreement of the European Commission, can impose a PSO on any route which meets the stated criteria set out in EC Regulation 2408/92. The criteria are contained within Article 4.1(a) - (d) of the Regulation. These involve the public interest, the availability of other forms of transport, air fares/conditions for users and carriers operating or intending to operate on the route.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when (a) Glasgow Airport and (b) Edinburgh Airport will reach their maximum operating capacities according to current projections of the growth of air traffic.
Answer
This is a matter for the British Airports Authority (BAA), the owner and operator of Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports.
