Jim Mather

29 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made about whether the European Court of Justice's ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case removes any imperative for the Gourock to Dunoon public service obligation to be tendered separately from the tender for the remainder of the network.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The consequences of theAltmark case for ferry services are far from clear. The European Court ofJustice’s decision in the Altmark case deals with the interaction between the treatyand the relevant state aid regulations for bus services. We are currentlyexamin…

29 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an impact assessment that shows the effect of broadband availability and non-availability on (a) local economic growth and (b) local population movement from 2003-07 for each local telephone exchange area.

Answer · Jim Wallace: No. Broadband does have thepotential, particularly through e-business, to impact on local economic growthand on population retention. This is precisely why we have a broadband strategyand initiatives aiming to achieve pervasive, affordable broadband coveragea…

29 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to award contracts for the installation of broadband in all Scottish exchanges and when this might happen.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have no such plans, sinceachieving pervasive, affordable broadband coverage in Scotland islikely to involve a mix of technologies, not just asymmetric digital subscriberline. Our broadband strategy is technology and supplier neutral and alsosubject to stat…

29 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify the cost and the installation timeframe for achieving installation of broadband in all Scottish exchanges.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This would be a commercialmatter for BT. We are, of course, committed to extending broadband connectivityacross Scotland and our approach is subject to state aid regulations. Achievingpervasive, affordable broadband coverage is likely to involve a mix of tech…

22 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for addressing any remaining constraints to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2837 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa…

22 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what remaining constraints there are to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2837 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa…

22 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to accelerate the University of the Highlands and Islands' (UHI) attainment of full university status.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The UHI Millennium Institute(UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. Itis working to create the University of the Highlands and Islands. Thereis currently no body entitled to use that name. </p><p>The process for UHIMI to …

22 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will achieve full university status.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The UHI Millennium Institute(UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. Itis working to create a University of the Highlands and Islands. There is currently no body entitled to use that name.Granting of university title will …

17 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on re-launching the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry route and what funding it and the Northern Ireland Assembly will make available to support the route.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The response to the tenderingexercise initiated in 2002, did not produce a bid that met the criteria laid downby the Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Executive is now consideringfuture options and any funding implications in consultation with …

10 Sep 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet the chairman of HBOS plc.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish ministers meetregularly with business leaders as part of an on-going programme aimed atlistening to the views of the business community. In particular, ministers havemet with the six largest companies – of which HBOS is one – to discussstrategic issu…

21 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the dairy yield in litres has been in (a) Kintyre, (b) the Isle of Gigha and (c) the Isle of Islay in each year since 1984.

Answer · Ross Finnie: These data are notavailable.</p>

21 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dairy (a) herds and (b) cows there have been in (i) Kintyre, (ii) the Isle of Gigha and (iii) the Isle of Islay in each year since 1984.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The data requested is given in the following table.</p><p>Number of Dairy Cows on the Isle of Gigha, Kintyre and Isle of Islay: Data Taken from the June Agricultural Census of Main and Minor Holdings</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <t…

18 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the tolls on the Skye Bridge will cease.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is committedto reviewing existing bridge tolls and entering into negotiations with a viewto ending the toll regime for the Skye Bridge. That work is under way but it is too early to saywhen negotiations might conclude.</p>

18 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current financial position is of the Skye Bridge, detailing what the original cost of the bridge was less the public funding that was made available, how much has been received in tolls since the bridge opened, discounted in line with the terms of the financing contract, and wha…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The total cost of the Skye Bridgeproject was £39 million (at 1991 prices) of which some £15 million was publiclyfunded. The remaining £23.64 million is the agreed cost to be recovered throughtolling by the concessionaire.</p><p>Tolls collected to June 2003amo…

10 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been collected in tolls on the Skye Bridge (a) in total and (b) in each year since it opened.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Total tolls collected on Skye Bridge from opening until June 2003 amount to £27,239,735. Tolls collected each year are detailed in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=179><TR><TD WIDTH="42%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Year</TD><TD WIDTH="58%" VALIG…

10 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the construction cost of the Skye Bridge was at the time of its completion and how much of that sum was publicly funded

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The total construction cost of the Skye Bridge was £39 million which includes £3 million for advisors' fees, survey work, land purchase and staff costs. The Department contributed £12 million. These figures are expressed at 1991 prices.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual percentage change in business closures was between the years 5 April 2001 to 4 April 2002 and 5 April 2002 to 4 April 2003, broken down by industry sector, and what information it has on how these figures compare with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Jim Wallace: According to the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service, 862,270 "companies and public corporations" were active in the UK in 2001. In the same year 45,200 companies and public corporations had their head office in Scotland. This represents…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has responded to the call from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry for an independent commission to review and report on the potential impact of financial independence for Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive sees no need to commission an independent study of the potential impacts of financial independence. Considerable work in this area has been undertaken over recent years by experts, notably in the academic world, and this has significantly inform…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is engaging with banks and other major business organisations on the issue of economic growth.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive maintains contacts with the major organisations representing business and finance and engages with these as appropriate on a range of issues relating to the Scottish economy.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new steps it will take to reduce levels of business closures.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Enterprise Networks provide a wide range of assistance to businesses, which is aimed to help more new businesses get started and existing businesses to grow. The networks' support for businesses focuses on a number of specific areas to improve companies' …

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual percentage change in business closures was between the years 5 April 2001 to 4 April 2002 and 5 April 2002 to 4 April 2003, broken down by industry sector, and what information it has on how these figures compare with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. Business closures are normally measured by VAT de-registrations. These are only available on a calendar year basis with the latest available data being for 2001.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were declared redundant as a result of business closures in the year to 4 April 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many business closures there were in the last quarter of the year to 4 April (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. Business closures are normally measured by VAT de-registrations. These are only available on a calendar year basis. The latest available data is for 2001.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new businesses were created in the year to 4 April 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: New businesses are normally measured by VAT registrations. The latest available data is for 2001.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many business closures there were in each year from 5 April 1990 to 4 April 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Business closures are normally measured by VAT de-registrations. These are published annually on a calendar year basis. The latest available data is for 2001. Changes to the VAT threshold in 1994 mean that data before that date are not directly comparable wit…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to increase the proportion of inward investment jobs being located in the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Development International and its partners promote the whole of Scotland as a location for inward investment. Options put forward must directly address the requirements of potential investors, and attempts to favour specific locations could prove cou…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, inward investment jobs from companies whose headquarters are located outwith Scotland have been located in the Highlands and Islands in each year since 1990.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Figures from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for inward investment jobs secured since 1991, the first year for which figures are available, are given in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=207><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will initiate a review to identify any areas of management overlap between its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Answer · Jim Wallace: No. In 2000 a Review of the Enterprise Networks examined the roles and responsibilities of the Department and the Enterprise Networks and clarified relationships. The Executive is responsible for setting strategic direction and has done so through <I>A Smart,…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the existing performance and results standards set for its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department in relation to enterprise.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive's targets in relation to enterprise are set out in <I>Building a Better Scotland</I> (BABS), which was published in September 2002. As is noted in BABS, several of these targets are taken from <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland</I>. Performance mea…

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will change the operational guidelines for relations between the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department and Scottish Enterprise on all matters relating to enterprise.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Operational guidelines for Scottish Enterprise are contained in a Management Statement for which the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible. This document was substantially revised in 2002 and is reviewed on a regular basis.