David Mundell

22 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority are providing, or planning to provide, holiday or after-school computer activities for pupils.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally.

22 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish pupils have a school-provided e-mail address and what proportion of the primary and secondary school populations respectively these figures represent.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The target is for all pupils to have access to e-mail. At the last formal survey in October 1999, 1% of primary pupils and 7% of secondary pupils had their own, school provided, e-mail addresses. This represents an early stage in the development of the Natio…

21 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a Route Action Plan for the A701 and, if so, whether it will publish details and place a copy of the Plan in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There is no Route Action Plan for the A701 trunk road.

16 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has any plans to offer live broadcasts of parliamentary debates, similar to those available at www.ni-assembly.gov.uk, on the Internet.

Answer · David Steel: The first live broadcast of a Parliamentary event on the Internet in the UK was by the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999, for the Opening Ceremony. This provided a 'proof of concept' that the Internet could be a broadcast medium for Parliamentary work, and a…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered launching online policy forums similar to those found at http://www.number-10.gov.uk.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive website currently hosts three moderated online policy forums on the following topics: Land Reform, Improving Our Schools and Review of Services for People with a Learning Disability.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">These forums can be viewed at </FON…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to establish IT literacy targets for teachers in Scottish schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Detailed ICT literacy targets for Scottish teachers were published in March 1999 as part of the Scottish programme of ICT training funded by the New Opportunities Fund. These targets also formed the basis of guidance on ICT in initial teacher education from S…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to distribute funding under the Countryside Premium Scheme on a regional basis.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. Funding under the Countryside Premium Scheme is allocated to those applications likely to deliver the greatest conservation benefit.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why no applications from Dumfries and Galloway to the Countryside Premium Scheme were successful in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: In fact, 41&nbsp;Countryside Premium Scheme applications from Dumfries and Galloway were successful in the 1998 application round and 10 in 1999.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to implement the use of digital signatures in government transactions as outlined in the Cabinet Office's White Paper Modernising Government.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Work on this important issue is being taken forward by a UK level working group on authentication and security, under the Cabinet Office. The Scottish Executive has been involved in, and supports, the work of this group. The draft framework policy guidelines …

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in connecting all Scottish schools to the Internet.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Between May 1998 and October 1999 the percentage of Scottish primary schools with Internet access rose from 22% to 49%, and the percentage of Scottish secondary schools with Internet access rose from 73% to 97%.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish schools currently have connections to the Internet.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Annual Survey of Information and Communications Technology, carried out across a sample of Scottish schools in October 1999, showed that 49% of primary schools and 97% of secondary schools had Internet connections. The number of schools connecting or conn…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1334 by Iain Gray on 11 October 1999, when the report from the Controller of Audit will be available.

Answer · Iain Gray: I understand that staff of the Controller of Audit's office have requested further information from the Council to assist their investigation and that they are currently unable to predict a probable reporting date.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3829 by Henry McLeish on 23 February 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the responsibilities, job titles and location of the 72 staff identified as engaged in promoting and supporting e-commerce.

Answer · Henry McLeish: 29 deal with business processes such as modernising the Executive's procurement approach and piloting an important livestock support scheme to enable farmers to submit subsidy claims to the Department electronically; 27 are engaged in improving public service…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4196 by Peter Peacock on 18 February 2000, whether it will consider setting targets across the workforce for IT literacy.

Answer · Henry McLeish: We are considering the issue of adult targets within the wider context of our lifelong learning agenda. We will announce the outcome of our decisions on adult targets later this year.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to conduct experiments in e-voting.

Answer · Angus MacKay: There is no provision under current electoral legislation to conduct experiments in electronic voting in local government elections. Pilots in electronic voting were held at local government elections in England on 4 May. We will study the results of those pi…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the e-envoy about improving IT literacy and, if so, what has been the outcome.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Scottish Ministers met with the e-envoy on 11 February and they discussed a range of issues relating to the knowledge economy including IT skills and training in the workforce. The Scottish Executive regards improving IT literacy as a priority and is taking t…

15 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has about the possible take-over of Border Television, and whether it intends to make any representations to Her Majesty's Government on this matter.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: It is important that Border Television should provide a high quality service to viewers in Scotland in line with their licence obligations. The Executive keeps in touch with the Government on a range of matters, including broadcasting.

13 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose is of the kerbing work recently carried out on the A75 and A76 in Dumfries and Galloway and how much this work cost.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Kerbing works were undertaken at various sites on the A76 in Dumfries and Galloway to deter heavy goods vehicles from overrunning the verges. Kerbing works were also carried out on the A75 in association with a road drainage scheme.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The cost…

13 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tree felling and pruning work recently carried out along the A75 and A76 is consistent with the Dumfries and Galloway Biodiversity Action Plan.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The tree felling and pruning work recently carried out along the A75 and A76 is in accordance with the Dumfries and Galloway Biodiversity Action Plan and the Scottish Executive documents <I>Rural Road Management and the Environment</I> and <I>Cost Effective L…

13 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to encourage Scottish schools to develop websites similar to that found at http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/arborhts.html.

Answer · Peter Peacock: There are already many Scottish schools with excellent websites. Examples of good practice are shared through the SCET website at <A HREF="http://www.scet.com/educ/online/schools.asp">http://www.scet.com/educ/online/schools.asp</A> A more complete directory o…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to provide government services online as identified as a commitment in the Cabinet Office Report, [email protected].

Answer · Jack McConnell: Yes. I set out the current position and our plans in response to S1W-2859 on 1 December 1999.

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to monitor any groups who are without access to all the elements required for full participation in information technology, as mentioned in the Cabinet Office Report, [email protected].

Answer · Wendy Alexander: We are determined that nobody should be left behind as we move into the information age. Last November, when we set out our social justice targets, they included a milestone of accelerating the number of households in disadvantaged areas with access to the In…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in working with "key business influencers to increase boardroom recognition of the strategic challenges of e-commerce" and whether an action plan has been devised to tackle these challenges as identified as a commitment in the Cabinet Office Report, e-commerce@it…

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive will ensure that Scottish speakers and events will feature in the speaker platform strategy which is being put together by DTI.

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what part it has played in implementing the UK e-envoy's recommendation to "mount a concerted PR campaign in partnership with industry to create an e-commerce bu'' in the UK" and what the current status is of that campaign in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive has just taken part in a UK Information Society Initiative (ISI) direct mailing campaign to increase awareness among micro-businesses of the e-commerce support available to them via the ISI IT advice Centres. Further activity will follow the wid…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carries out any national monitoring of implementation of reduced speed limits and traffic calming measures, broken down by local authority and, if so, whether it will publish the results.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not carry out as a matter of routine national monitoring of reduced speed limits and traffic calming measures implemented by local authorities.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive is evaluating the effectiveness of the 20mph p…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced any guidelines on the rehabilitation of sex offenders and, if so, to whom they have been issued and whether a copy will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Local Authorities provide criminal justice social work services which are set firmly in the context of enhancing community safety and minimising the risk from offenders, including sex offenders. They work to National Objectives and Standards for Social Work S…

7 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any study into the likely costs of any road improvements required to allow the extraction of the projected timber harvest in the next 20 years, on a local authority by local authority basis and, if so, whether it will publish the results of that study.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has not undertaken any such study.

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place between the Deputy Minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic and the Minister for Transport and the Environment on improving the signage of tourist attractions and tourist facilities from motorways and strategic trunk roads, and what has been the outc…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I meet regularly with the Deputy Minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic to discuss cross-cutting matters concerning our respective portfolios.

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what part improved signage of tourist attractions and tourist facilities will play in the implementation of the national tourism strategy.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is very aware of the importance of clear road signage to tourist attractions and has regular contact with the Scottish Tourist Board on this matter. <I>A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism</I> highlights the importance of the quality of …

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the new accommodation booking service, Project OSSIAN, will meet the needs of small hotels, guests houses and bed and breakfasts with less than five rooms, what consultation it has had with such accommodation providers regarding OSSIAN and what feedb…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Every member of an Area Tourist Board is given a free entry on the Internet through the Ossian system. Small businesses therefore receive high exposure and market reach in a very cost-effective way. Area Tourist Boards keep in regular contact with their membe…