Jim Mather

23 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much, and what value of, its procurement is channelled through the Office of Government Commerce.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Procurement of all goods andservices by the Executive is handled through a direct relationship with the contractorconcerned. However, where appropriate, the Executive may take advantage of frameworkarrangements that have been put in place by other public sect…

1 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8170 by Mr Andy Kerr on 1 June 2004, whether it will list all invitations received by it to Tartan Day events, showing which events were not accepted and on what grounds.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Details of all Tartan Day events that the Executive accepted invitations to are contained within the answer to question S2W-7688 answered 11 May 2004. Details of invitations declined and reasons for doing so were given in the answer to question S2W-8170 answe…

21 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the opinion of Professor Mark Poustie, Professor of Law at Strathclyde University, that there is now doubt regarding the legality of the continued collection of tolls at the Skye Bridge by the concessionaire in light of the information from the Minister for Transpo…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-8105 on  25 May 2004. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members of the Tartan Day working group are; what objectives the group has; when it last met, and when it next plans to meet.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Tartan Day Working Groupwas set up to take forward and co-ordinate the participation by the numerous Scottishpublic organisations interested in participating in the Tartan Day 2004 celebrations.The objectives of the group are to co-ordinate activity to ma…

12 May 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what plans it has to write to American and Canadian state and provincial legislatures in advance of Tartan Day 2005, specifying and quantifying any support that could be forthcoming from it to facilitate Tartan Day events.

Answer · George Reid: Plans for Tartan Day 2005will be considered by the Parliamentary Bureau in due course. </p><p>The Parliament has made apoint of engaging with state and provincial legislatures during Tartan Day, andhas so far visited the National Assembly of Quebec and the On…

12 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to write to American and Canadian state and provincial legislatures in advance of Tartan Day 2005, specifying and quantifying any support that could be forthcoming from it to facilitate Tartan Day events.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has no such plans to do so at present. Plans for the Executive’s participationin Tartan Day will be taken forward in line with the ministerial priorities identifiedand in discussion with members of the Tartan Day Working Group in due co…

12 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which invitations to Tartan Day events were declined by the Scottish Executive and its Scottish Affairs Office in Washington and on what grounds.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Affairs Office inWashington liaised closely with the US-based organisers of Tartan Day events and wereable to advise them of dates that ministers would be in the US. The officeaimed to ensure that the Executive were represented at as many of thes…

12 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Scottish Affairs Office in Washington was instructed to pass on details of all invitations it received from organisations and legislatures in the United States of America inviting ministers, parliamentarians and officials to attend Tartan Day events this year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Affairs Office inWashington has lead responsibility for the co-ordination of the Executive’s participationin Tartan Day as well as liaising with Scottish-American organisations in the US. Any invitationreceived by the Scottish Affairs Office, or …

7 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm that William I, King of Scots, by royal charter declared a prohibition in perpetuity on tolling in Inverness-shire and Moray in 1180 and that this declaration is protected by the terms of Article 21 of the Act of Union 1707, concerning the rights of royal burghs, an…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The question of whether sucha charter is still in force and its effects, interpretation and application is amatter for the courts to determine.</p>

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed tendering of the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry routes will include provision for an operator of last resort and, if not, what other safeguards will be put in place to protect, and ensure the continuation of, lifeline ferry services and minimise the risk to the public pu…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The proposals for tendering,published for consultation in June 2002, explained that we intended to restructureCaledonian MacBrayne into a publicly owned vessel owning and leasing company (VesCo)and an operating company (OpsCo). As well as VesCo’s functions in…

5 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it could be proved as a result of an updated analysis of costs and revenues that an unsubsidised vehicle-carrying ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon would be viable, it would invite expressions of interest from operators who might be interested in providing such an unsu…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I am aware of the local community’s concerns about the proposals for tendering the ferry services on the Gourock to Dunoon route. I am considering the responses to last year’s consultation on the revised proposals.</p><p>If I conclude that tendering of the ro…

5 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a presumption that the owners of the publicly-funded new linkspan, being built as part of the new Dunoon pier breakwater, and the existing publicly-funded linkspan at Gourock Pier will have rights and obligations to give priority of access to any new operator, including C…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Argyll and Bute Council willbe the owners of both linkspans at Dunoon Pier and it will be for the Council asharbour authority to determine appropriate berthing arrangements for any shippingoperators that may wish to use them. The existing linkspan at Gourock …

5 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Caledonian MacBrayne to prepare and distribute a detailed analysis, for consultation with interested parties, of the costs and revenues applicable to Option B for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service, as specified in the report by Deloitte and Touche in 2000.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Deloitte Touche Report did not take into account the requirement to bring ferry subsidy arrangements into line with European Union rules. Accordingly, the study has, to an extent, been overtaken by our discussions with the European Commission on how this …

5 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what local interest will be served by tendering the Gourock to Dunoon ferry route separately to the rest of the Caledonian MacBrayne network.<p> * The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:<p>A dh' fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba dh am feum ionadail a thhid a choilion…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The original proposals for tendering,published for consultation in 2002, provided for the Gourock to Dunoon route tobe tendered as part of the bundle of routes which make up the network but on thebasis that it would be restricted to a passenger only service.<…

5 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of each sector of the Scottish economy that is used to calculate Scottish GDP is represented by companies whose corporate headquarters are based in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish GDP is based on all companies with employment in Scotland, irrespective of where their corporate headquarters are located. It is not possible to identify the percentage of GDP created by companies which have their headquarters located in Scotland.</p…

23 Apr 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how many invitations it received from organisations and legislatures in the United States of America inviting ministers, parliamentarians and officials to attend Tartan Day events this year and how many such invitations were accepted.

Answer · George Reid: <p class=MsoHeader>The parliamentary delegation(including officials) received and accepted invitations to attend the followingTartan Day events:</p><p class=MsoHeader>Kirkin’ of the Tartanschurch service</p><p class=MsoHeader>Tartan Day parade</p><p class=Mso…

23 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitations it received from organisations and legislatures in the United States of America inviting ministers, parliamentarians and officials to attend Tartan Day events this year and how many such invitations were accepted.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive's Scottish AffairsOffice in Washington acted as the point of contact for invitations to TartanDay events for ministers and officials from the Executive. Where appropriate theyalso did so for representatives of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh …

13 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the provision of access within a school that allows service providers to use a school for purposes other than education or associated services when Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 comes into force on 1 October 2004.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Responsibility for the provisionof access within a school that allows service providers to use a school for purposesother than education or associated services depends on the facts and circumstancesof each individual case.</p>

13 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to inform business and service providers of penalties they can face as a result of failing to meet obligations under the Disability discrimination Act 1995.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7525 on 11 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

13 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for an information campaign to raise awareness of business and service provider obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).

Answer · Margaret Curran: The DDA is reserved to Westminster andthe UK Government is working with the Disability Rights Commission to promote awarenessof the legislation throughout Great Britain. The Scottish Executive has no plans for a separate Scottishcampaign.</p>

6 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total sum spent on consultants by it and its enterprise agencies was in respect of the Scotland the Brand project from 1995 to 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: £1,445,000 was paid to consultants in respect of the Scotland theBrand project from 1995 to 2003, out of the total public funding of £4,015,000.</p>

6 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the asset value of the Scotland the Brand trademark was when it was privatised.

Answer · Jim Wallace: During the privatisation processit was decided that the Scotland country of origin device should remain in the ownershipof Scottish Enterprise. No asset value was assigned because the intellectual propertywas not transferred to the privatised company.</p>

6 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of public money was invested in the Scotland the Brand project from 1995 to 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Between its inception in 1995and privatisation in 2003 the Scotland the Brand project received payments of £4,015,000 fromScottish Enterprise.</p>

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-Scottish Executive members of the Financial Services Strategy Group have attended subsequent meetings of the group since its inaugural meeting in Glasgow on 24 November 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Financial Services StrategyGroup (FSSG) held its first meeting in Edinburgh on 24 November. Eighteen of the 19 non-Scottish Executive members were present. A steering group has been formed on behalf of thefull FSSG to oversee the work of a number of sub-g…

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Financial Services Strategy Group have been held since its inaugural meeting in Glasgow on 24 November 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Financial Services StrategyGroup (FSSG) held its first meeting in Edinburgh on24 November. It approved a programme of three further meetings during 2004. Thenext meeting is scheduled for 25 May 2004. A steering group drawn from FSSG members is overseeingt…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, if there is not 100% broadband coverage across Scotland by the end of 2005, what new steps it will take to restore Scotland's competitive advantage over Northern Ireland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answerI gave to parliamentary questions S2W-5626 on 3 February 2004. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at: </p><p><ahref="http://www.sco…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure 100% broadband coverage across Scotland, in the light of the decision to award BT a contract to achieve that level of coverage in Northern Ireland by the end of 2005.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answerI gave to question S2W-5626 on  3February 2004. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to review recently published GDP data and its implementation of the new chain-linking methodology for calculating Scottish GDP in light of the statement by Nicholas Crafts of the London School of Economics, reported in the Sunday Herald on 14 March 2004, that "if m…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Annual estimates of the cashvalue of GDP for Scotland and other regions of the UK areproduced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of RegionalAccounts. It is these estimates which would be directly affected by anyconsumption changes. These are …

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to create a comprehensive computer-based model of the economy that can offer increased accuracy and a basis for testing the effects of government policy.<p>The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:<p>A dh' fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba dh na pla…

Answer · Jim Wallace: the Scottish Executive produces a wide range of economic indicators which areused by a number of external organisations to develop models of the Scottish economy.We work closely with these organisations, and continually develop the range andquality of the inf…

19 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits will accrue to the passengers of Caledonian MacBrayne from the tendering process in terms of improvement to the service reliability, fares and frequency and to the taxpayer in terms of value for money and reduced exposure to financial risk.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I am committed to themaintenance of affordable sea links to Scotland’s island and remote communities. Tendering protectsthe lifeline ferry services in the Clyde and Hebrides by ensuring that they are in line with EU rules andthereby allowing subsidy to contin…