- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional costs would be incurred in rolling out the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme to all local authorities by May 2003.
Answer
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) budget for 2003-04 is £5 million. This will provide funding towards the final year of EMA piloting. National rollout will commence during academic year 2004-05.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when education maintenance allowances will be made available to all eligible 16-year-olds.
Answer
Education Maintenance Allowances will be made available to all eligible 16-year-olds across Scotland from the start of academic year 2004-05.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the benefit to the economy of genealogy, including tourism within and to Scotland associated with the tracing of ancestry.
Answer
VisitScotland is currently awaiting the results of an audit jointly funded with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to quantify the value to Scotland of the genealogy tourism sector. The findings are due in late spring.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals there are to give a distinctive Scottish identity to cattle passports, in line with the decision to ensure that cattle passports from Wales are identifiable as such.
Answer
There are no plans to give a distinctive Scottish identity to cattle passports. Only one format of passport is used on the UK mainland and the text is shown in English and Welsh. The Welsh language is provided in order to comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993 and is not related to the branding of Welsh produce.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that cattle passports relating to animals bred in Scotland are given a distinctive Scottish identity as part of the campaign to brand Scottish produce in an advantageous fashion.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33513 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the option exists to produce bilingual cattle passports in Gaelic and English in line with the decision to allow the use of Welsh on cattle passports issued in Wales.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33513 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 27 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make appointments to the remaining two places on Bord Gaidhlig na h-Alba; if so, when the appointments will be made, and whether those that originally applied will be considered.
Answer
There are no immediate plans to fill these two places. The main priority at present is for the current members of Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba to develop a good working relationship. The appointment of an additional two bòrd members is an option for the future. If this option is pursued the same criteria will be applied and the same procedure will be followed. Those who originally applied can be considered if they so wish.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 24 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for early retirement from teaching on health grounds have been made in each year since 1 September 1997 and how many of these have been successful.
Answer
The information available is given in the following table. It is held on a financial year basis and is available only from September 1998. The approved cases include applications which were successful on review.
| Year | Applications Received | Applications Approved |
| 1-9-1998 to 31-3-1999 | 288 | 223 |
| 1-4-1999 to 31-3-2000 | 521 | 400 |
| 1-4-2000 to 31-3-2001 | 496 | 365 |
| 1-4-2001 to 31-3-2002 | 461 | 357 |
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to encourage farmers to replace the export to Europe of live animals with the export of meat and carcasses.
Answer
Quality Meat Scotland is working with major lamb producers to support long-term profitable opportunities for quality Scottish lamb products. Whilst we would strongly prefer to see meat and carcasses exported, the clear legal position confirmed by two European Court judgements, is that the trade in live animals for slaughter is legal and restricting or banning it could not be defended in law.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a bill to reform the record of needs procedure.
Answer
The Scottish Executive published the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill on Friday 17 January 2003, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26036).
