Chamber and committees

This is primarily a matterfor the management of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, but they have beenworking closely with VisitScotland on promoting Edinburgh as UNESCO City ofLiterature.I refer the member to thequestion S2W-24187 answered on 28 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24183 on 28 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Tourism in Edinburgh isperforming very strongly indeed. Visitors’ interest in literary matters rangingfrom those with an interest in the works of Burns and Scott through to thosewith a fascination in the Da Vinci Code (Rosslyn Chapel). VisitScotlandactively promotes Edinburgh‘s status as UNESCO City of Literature as a way ofencouraging more visitors who are specifically interested in literaryactivities such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival to experienceEdinburgh for themselves.

A recent example is The100 Best Scottish Books guide, which VisitScotland produced in conjunctionwith Orange to promote Edinburgh as UNESCO’s City of Literature. This describesvarious literary tours including The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour, Rebus Tours,Trainspotting Tour etc as well as indicating the locations best associated withsome of Scotland’s most famous authors.

In addition, at this year’sTartan Week exhibition in New York VisitScotland will draw heavily on theinterest in the Da Vinci Code to promote Edinburgh and specifically RosslynChapel as a great place to visit.

VisitScotland has also beenliaising with Edinburgh World Heritage to work on ways in which it can continueto promote Edinburgh as UNESCO’s City of Literature. Discussions havealso taken place between VisitScotland officials and Edinburgh World Heritage’sCommunications Manager about new activities based around the literature theme.

The city’s title has inspiredseveral new books, including a new edition of The Edinburgh Literary Companionby Andrew Lownie, Allan Foster’s The Literary Traveller in Edinburgh, andan Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature branded title published in November 2005,A Sense of Place - a collection of winning essays drawn from a Scottish PublishersAssociation competition.

Edinburgh has also been gaining profile as a centre for publishing,with a new literary agency opening in August (the Maggie McKernan literary agency).

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24184 on 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

To achieve for Edinburgh andfor Scotland international recognition as a world centre for literatureand literary activity and creativity.

The Executive provided £70,000for the two year period 2005-07 on a one-off basis, matching the contribution fromthe City of Edinburgh Council. A further £58,000 was provided by the Scottish ArtsCouncil.

There are no prescribed procedureswhich have to be followed before a public interest immunity certificate is issued.A public interest immunity certificate must be signed by a minister.

I refer to the answer to questionS2W-24117 on 22 March 2006 in which I explained that there are no prescribed proceduresfor issuing public interest immunity certificates. The question posed does not arise.

The minister who signs the certificate.