- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been provided to the National Library of Scotland to assist in the development of its information and communication technologies facilities in each year since 1999, as referred to in key priority 2.2 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
The financial support provided to the National Library of Scotland by the Scottish Executive from 1999-2000 to 2003-04 is set out in the table. Increases in running costs for 2001-02 to 2003-04 were awarded in November 2000 to allow the National Library of Scotland (among other things) to address the development of the hybrid library and education and access initiatives in line with the National Cultural Strategy. The proportion of funding to be used for these developments is not prescribed by the Executive.
| Year | Grant (£ million) | Total Grant-in-Aid (£ million) |
| Running Costs | Purchase Grants | Capital Grants |
| 1999-2000 | 8.737 | 0.958 | 2.100 | |
| 2000-01 | 8.737 | 1.058 | 2.100 | |
| 2001-02 | 9.706 | 1.058 | 0.604 | |
| 2002-03 | 9.856 | 1.058 | 2.750 | |
| 2003-04 | 10.056 | 1.058 | 0 | |
In the Scottish Budget 2003-06, the Executive has announced a further £10.8 million over three years for cultural activities across Scotland, to widen participation and foster world class activity.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what response it is making in respect of the proportion of S2 pupils that did not meet the required grades in reading, writing and mathematics.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions have been taken to promote the contribution of new technologies to cultural life, as referred to in key priority 1.2 of strategic objective 1 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a national film charter has been established, as referred to in key priority 1.2 of strategic objective 1 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action has been taken to promote partnerships by public and private bodies that support the production of the highest standards of cultural work, as referred to in key priority 1.3 of strategic objective 1 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive who participates in the action group established to consider how the languages and cultural traditions of Scotland's ethnic communities can be supported, as referred to in key priority 2.1 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past; how many meetings the group has had, and whether any findings have been published.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to examine the feasibility of a centre for the languages of Scotland, as referred to in key priority 2.1 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past and what conclusions have been drawn from any such examination.
Answer
A feasibility study is being undertaken with the support of the Carnegie Trust and this will report later in the year.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines "where demand is sufficient" in relation to support for Gaelic-medium pre-school and primary education, as referred to in key priority 2.1 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
In the publication, Improving Our Schools, A Consultation Paper on National Priorities for Schools Education in Scotland (2000), ministers declared themselves to be sympathetic to the suggestion that where a sufficient number of parents wish their children to enter Gaelic-medium education their requests should be considered positively by education authorities. Any further definition is a matter for education authorities.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to support the celebrations arranged by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society to mark the centenary of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to become involved in the centenary of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action has been taken to encourage new partnerships in both public and private sectors and further collaboration within the library sector to include the exploitation of information and communication technologies and the development of policies for national collections, particularly in relation to Scottish material, as referred to in key priority 2.2 of strategic objective 2 of Creating our Future: Minding our Past.
Answer
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.
