Chamber and committees

This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

The Scottish Executive is continuing the drive to raise standards through National Priority targets set at both local authority and school level and by streamlining the assessment of individual pupils through the Assessment Development Programme.

As reported in the Scottish National Cultural Strategy Annual Report 2001, there are in place a number of actions to promote the contribution of new technologies to cultural life. There are further examples in the Scottish National Cultural Strategy Annual Report 2002.

As reported in the Scottish National Cultural Strategy Annual Report 2002, Scottish Screen is encouraging and working with local authorities to develop a film charter for Scotland. Scottish Screen is liaising with COSLA in the preparation of guidelines to local authorities on the National Cultural Strategy, which will include advice on the adoption of the charter. As soon as these are launched, Scottish Screen will renew its campaign to roll out the charter to all local authorities and appropriate national agencies, and will consider how best to involve the private sector.

As stated in the second annual report of Scotland's National Cultural Strategy, published 12 November 2002, Arts and Business Scotland's New Partners funding scheme, supported by Government, continues its good work investing in projects which promote partnerships between private businesses and all branches of the arts. The national institutions also seek and receive valuable support from the private sector for projects of the highest standard. Again, examples appear in the recent report.

As stated in the first annual report of Scotland's National Cultural Strategy, published October 2001, the Executive considered the proposal to establish such a group in light of a commitment in the Executive's Equality Strategy's to develop consultation methods acceptable to minority ethnic communities, and also in light of the Equal Futures Project and November 2001 conference. The Executive is exploring ways to develop more effective consultation and dialogue with minority ethnic communities. In the meantime we have concluded that the best approach is to pursue the Equal Futures Project. This aims to bring together children and young people to explore issues of identity, ethnicity and culture, and address racism, empowering all Scotland's young people to celebrate the positive benefits of a multi-cultural society. To support this, the Executive has invested £150,000 in the project over a two-year period, to March 2004.

As stated in the second annual report of Scotland's National Cultural Strategy, published 12 November 2002, core funding of £80,000 from the Scottish Arts Council, with £30,000 for establishment costs, has secured the new body, Scottish Language Dictionaries, offering a definitive resource relating to the Scots language.The first annual report of the strategy referred to Stòrlann - a national resource for Gaelic teaching materials. In 1999-2000 the Executive provided £80,000 to Stòrlann; in 2000-01 £120,000 in 2001-02, £145,000, and in 2002-03 £160,000.I can also report that since 1999 the Scottish Arts Council has granted a total of £2,312,392 towards education resources designed to encourage language diversity in Scots and Gaelic. This breaks down into £409,321 in 1999-2000; £545,013 in 2000-01; £746,233 in 2001-02, and (to date) for 2002-03, £611,825.Further support of resources encouraging language diversity and learning is evidenced in the Executive's specific funding of Gaelic-medium education, modern language teaching resources, and of Glasgow's International Language School: £7,902,000; £1,145,532, and £962,000 respectively covering the three-year period from April 1999 to March 2002.

As reported in the National Cultural Strategy Annual report 2002, the New Opportunities Fund award of £4 million to Resource for Learning in Scotland, a consortium of the National Library of Scotland, the National Archives of Scotland, the Scottish Resource Access Network, and over 100 Scottish archives and libraries will create tens of thousands of newly digitised multimedia resources. The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) has also funded digitisation programmes in Perth, East Dunbartonshire and the Royal Botanic Garden. The Ayrshire Libraries Forum, with SLIC funding, is developing a collaborative framework for the procurement of generic Scottish material. SLIC has also established a group to "bookmark" websites covering a wide range of subjects including Scottish material. This will prevent duplication of effort and ensure a common approach to standards.Also reported, is an e-Government initiative now being developed by SLIC, with Executive funding, to demonstrate how cultural information and content can be used and shared, and how existing websites may be linked. The SLIC website carries information on Scottish writers both present and past.In addition, SLIC, which receives core funding of £160,000 from the Executive, has an important role in liasing with COSLA and a wide range of other organisations, including Scottish Enterprise, SUFI, Scottish Further Education Unit, NHS Scotland and the New Opportunities Fund.

As stated in the second annual report of Scotland's National Cultural Strategy, reviews of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen will report shortly. These have considered the sectoral interface and opportunities for networking and creative dialogue, and the findings will be reported. Specific examples of networks engaging the cultural agencies, local authorities and the sector appeared in the first annual report.

Extensive discussions, at both official and ministerial level, have taken place with the Department of Media, Culture and Sport to ensure that these issues are taken into account in the Communications Bill.