Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally.

We have not made any recent representations to the US authorities about visa-issuing facilities in Edinburgh, nor do we have plans to do so.

This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. The requirements and arrangements for asylum seekers to travel to Liverpool and elsewhere are matters for the Home Office.

Direct air links between Edinburgh-Prague and Glasgow-Prague have already been established. Any approach by an airline to commence services from Scotland to the other EU accession states will be considered.

In the 12 months to the end of March 2005, some 78,150 passengers travelled between Edinburgh and Prague while 71,133 passengers travelled between Glasgow and Prague. There is a mix of point to point services provided by Flyglobespan, and there are network services provided by CSA Czech Airlines to its hub in Prague. The CSA Prague hub provides onward services to many of the new entrant EU States as well as other Eastern European States.

Information about the volume of travellers between Scotland and the EU accession states, particularly those in central and Eastern Europe, is very limited. The Executive is, therefore, part funding a detailed survey of the main Scottish airports which is being conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority during 2005. The survey will cover a wide range of issues including the origin of the traveller as well as the reason for travel, and the results will lead to a better understanding of the potential for the development of new routes.

The Scottish Executive does not have plans to develop a parkway station at Musselburgh and has not therefore explored possible passenger use and cost. The business case for any such proposals should be made in the first instance by local promoters rather than the Executive.

The Scottish Executive has no information on the number of people bound for (a) Scotland and (b) Edinburgh arriving in the United Kingdom by Eurostar in each year since 1999.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The information requested in(a)(i), (b)(i), (c)(i) and (d)(i) is published on the SPS website at:

www.sps.gov.uk.

The information requested in(a)(ii), (b)(ii), (c)(ii) and (d)(ii) is not available.

The police in Scotland have the authority to seek and execute search warrants inconnection with their function to investigate crime. A warrant may be obtainedauthorising the search of a place or premises for a wide variety of material,including personal data, for the purposes of investigation, detection and prosecution of crime relating to reservedand devolved areas. Although criminalinvestigation and procedure (including procedures for obtaining warrants) aredevolved, there are a number statutory powers for the police to obtain searchwarrants in relation to reserved matters, for example, firearms and misuse ofdrugs offences.

The Scottish Executive has not earmarked specific financial support for the promotion of the Scottish music industry. Its support for the industry is provided through fundingmade available to its principal cultural and economic development agencies i.e.the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Enterprise and Highland andIslands Enterprise. In addition, support for the international business needsof the music industry is provided through Scottish Development International. Thelevels of investment and support provided by these bodies to the music industry,and the purposes for which they are provided - including promotional activities- is a matter for the bodies themselves.

Although the negotiation of international instruments falls within the reservation of international relations under Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Executive liaises where appropriate with UK lead Departments during this process. The implementation of such instruments, so far as the subject matter is devolved, is not covered by that reservation. Accordingly, the implementation of instruments dealing with judicial cooperation which relate to devolved matters of criminal law and procedure, will fall within devolved competence.