Parliamentary questions

Kenny MacAskill

2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the possible take-over of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc by British Airways will have on air services in the Highlands and Islands and what representations or action it plans to make or take on this matter.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: British Airways (BA) has confirmed that it has no plans to withdraw or reduce the Scottish services operated by the British Regional Air Lines Group plc as a result of the purchase of the full equity in the airline.

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many routes in the Highlands and Islands in which turboprop aircraft are used are currently operated by the British Regional Air Lines Group plc.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The British Regional Air Lines Group plc currently operates the following Highlands and Islands' routes with turboprop aircraft:Glasgow-SumburghGlasgow-BenbeculaGlasgow-StornowayAberdeen-KirkwallAberdeen-Sumburgh

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any commitment from British Airways regarding the continued use of turboprop aircraft at airfields in the Highlands and Islands following any take-over by British Airways of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: British Airways has confirmed that if the acquisition of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc is approved by the regulators, the long-term aircraft fleet requirements will be determined in line with the demands of the market and the operating environment.

20 Mar 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what the travel arrangements are for the representatives of the Parliament attending the Tartan Day celebrations in Washington DC, USA.

Answer · David Steel: Representatives of the Scottish Parliament's cross party delegation will travel to Washington DC, USA, via Dublin, on Monday 2 April and will be returning, via Dublin, on Monday 9 April.

20 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy it has to address any decline in visitors to Scotland through rail-based breaks following recent disruptions to the rail network.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: visitscotland are involved in a number of initiatives to promote rail travel to Scotland generally, and are in discussions with ScotRail regarding the foot and mouth recovery programme.

20 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors came to Scotland through rail-based breaks in each year since 1997.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The information available is in respect of UK holiday tourists who use rail as their main means of transport to Scottish destinations. It is as follows:Holiday Tourist Trips by Train to Scotland by UK Residents:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLO…

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members of the Digital Scotland Task Force are; what qualifications and experience each member has, and what criteria were used to appoint these members.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Digital Scotland Task Force was created to enable the Executive to draw on expertise and experience from across the Scottish community, with members drawn from the private sector, local government and the education sectors. The task force was chaired by M…

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology is in place to monitor the progress of the Digital Scotland Task Force.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-14184 and S1W-14186.

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to date on the work of the Digital Scotland Task Force and whether it will detail any timetable for the completion of this work.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Digital Scotland Task Force completed its work in May 2000 when it published its report. This report was published on the web for public consultation. Following the consultation exercise the Executive's response to the report was published in September 20…

12 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were subject to secure orders on the nights of 6 January, 3 February and 3 March 2001 and, of these, how many were not in secure units, broken down by local authority area in each case.

Answer · Jack McConnell: This information is not held centrally. I expect advice shortly from the Secure Accommodation Advisory Group, which has been considering, amongst other things, what information is needed on supply of and demand for, secure places for children and young people.

12 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it had no representative at the recent UK forum to discuss the current situation in the tourism industry.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This meeting was almost exclusively about English issues not related to the effect on tourism of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. I took the view that it would be more useful to speak seperately to Janet Anderson, the Minister responsible for tourism at t…

12 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make available through the enterprise or training programmes provision to teach unemployed people how to drive and advise them on acquisition of motor vehicles.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: From April, Training for Work will offer a wide range of recognised qualifications designed to assist unemployed people secure work. The Enterprise Networks will administer a list of approved qualifications that can be funded from the programme.Certain typ…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote and assist with the possible development of a super port at Scapa Bay in Orkney.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive is aware of the study commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council, and the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to examine the feasibility of creating an offshore container hub port in Orkney, and awaits with inter…

7 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) official ministerial engagements and (b) official ministerial meetings the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning is scheduled to attend in the weeks beginning (i) 12 March 2001, (ii) 19 March 2001, (iii) 26 March 2001, (iv) 2 April 2001, (v) 9 April 2001, (vi) 16 Apri…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Details of future official ministerial engagements and official meetings are internal matters for the Scottish Executive. In the course of a working week, Ministers undertake a number of official engagements and attend and chair a wide range of meetings, some…

7 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for how many (a) official ministerial engagements and (b) official ministerial meetings the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning's attendance has been cancelled in the weeks beginning (i) 12 March 2001, (ii) 19 March 2001, (iii) 26 March 2001, (iv) 2 April 2001, (v) 9 April 2001,…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Ministers' diaries and forward programmes are kept under constant review. Ministerial engagements and meetings frequently have to be accepted on a provisional basis and may have to be postponed, rearranged or cancelled for a range of reasons, including the ne…

7 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) official ministerial engagements and (b) official ministerial meetings were attended by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning in the weeks beginning (i) 6 November 2000, (ii) 13 November 2000, (iii) 20 November 2000, (iv) 27 November 2000, (v) 4 December 2000, (vi…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Ministerial engagements are given wide publicity: the Scottish Executive Media and Communications Group issues operational notes in advance of them taking place. However, such engagements may be subject to cancellation at any time for a range of reasons and d…

7 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to assist the tourism industry.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: We are carefully monitoring the implementation of our tourism strategy published in February 2000. We have recently announced a review of the strategy in line with a commitment made at the time of publication. In addition, we are carefully monitoring the impa…

5 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for the smuggling of spirits have taken place in each year since 1997; what sentences were imposed, and what quantities of spirits were involved.

Answer · Neil Davidson: Smuggling cases are prosecuted under the Customs and Excise Acts and are not broken down for recording purposes according to the nature of the contraband.

5 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated loss to the economy is of smuggling spirits into Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not available. Excise duties and the enforcement of them are a reserved matter and therefore the responsibility of HM Customs and Excise. I understand that Customs and Excise do not make separate assessments of the extent of smugg…

5 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which universities have offered a Btech Ed course since 1997 and how many students enrolled in each course.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The number of students enrolled on Secondary Teacher Training Courses with Technological Education as their main subject, 1997-98 to 1999-2000, by institution and year, is given in the table: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=559><TR><TD WIDTH="…

5 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of qualified teachers in technical education.

Answer · Jack McConnell: A report has been sent to the Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee detailing the background to the current position on the collection of information relevant to teacher supply and outlining planned improvements to current methods. Copies of …

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the likely changes to water charge levels for Band D households in the Lothians as a result of the proposed restructuring of the water authorities.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive's initial assessment is that the efficiencies gained through merging the activities of the three water authorities should offset the increases that will fall on customers in the East of Scotland Water area from averaging charges across …

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11313 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 February 2001, whether it will detail any funding provided towards each of the oil and gas trade fairs listed.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Trade International and Scottish Enterprise provided funding as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=3>1998</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="41%" VALIGN="TOP">Offshore Technology Confere…

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what other venues were considered for the Scottish-Nordic Council meeting and why they were not selected.

Answer · Angus MacKay: In summer 2000, Highlands & Island Enterprise recommended Skibo Castle as the venue for the conference. The conference rate negotiated was comparable with other venues when all costs were taken into account. Of the venues available, Skibo Castle best met …

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be of the Scottish-Nordic Council meeting at Skibo Castle and from which budget these costs will be met.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The total organisational cost of the Nordic-Scottish Co-operation conference is £45,000. This is being met from the budget for External Relations initiatives of the Scottish Executive (£26,500); Highlands & Islands enterprise (£15,500); and Scottish Enter…

26 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans and funding it has to support and promote ports as base or turn around ports.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive's future strategy for ports is set out in the ports policy paper, Modern Ports, published on 27 November 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 9874). The paper provides a comprehensive statement…

22 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the recently announced additional #20 million funding to Lothian and Borders Police it contributed, broken down by local authority area, when the first allocation from its contribution will be made to the force and over what time period it will be paid.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is not clear as to which announcement Mr MacAskill is referring. On 20 February we announced the allocation of £25 million of capital consent to police forces for 2001-02, of which £5.1 million was allocated to Lothian and Borders. I would be happy to prov…

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the findings of the PriceWaterhouseCoopers review of the Scottish Tourist Board and what the timescale is for this work.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Implementation of the findings of the Management Review is primarily for visitscotland. I will ask the Interim Chief Executive to write to you.

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the current capacity and capability of international telecommunication connections to Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scotland's international telecoms connectivity is via Telehouse in London's Docklands which is the focus of most of the UK's international telecoms connectivity.Research carried out for Scottish Enterprise last year on Sc…

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on telecommunications infrastructure in each year since 1997; what the projected expenditure is for each year to 2003, and whether it will itemise this expenditure, giving timescales for when this money was or will be spent.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Investment in telecommunications infrastructure is largely a matter for the private sector. However, European funds have been allocated for this purpose in the Highlands & Islands and a broad range of public sector organisations, including the Executive, …