Parliamentary questions

Liam McArthur

3,663 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

19 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the enterprise network supports the tourism industry.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scotland has a successful tourism industry withthe potential to grow significantly, contributing to our target of deliveringstrong and sustainable growth.The ScottishGovernment and our agencies are committed to working with the tourism industryto achie…

19 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what linkages operate between local enterprise companies and VisitScotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: The enterprisenetworks have many linkages with VisitScotland. These include close working on thepart of their tourism industry teams, together with a range of local contacts atlocal enterprise company (LEC) level. These linkages should be strengthened followi…

14 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-3672 by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2007, whether its policy is that it does not consult other parties before implementing policies outlined in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Governmenthas engaged consultants to carry out a study of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET). Oneof the consultants’ first tasks will be to develop proposals on the implementationof a pilot RET project in the Western Isles, as promised in our manifesto…

7 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have held, or intend to hold, meetings with the UK Government to discuss the impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games on Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Scottishministers are in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues,including the impact of the London2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Scotland.

7 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has developed, or intends to develop, a Scottish Olympic tourism strategy.

Answer · Jim Mather: Our tourismstrategy is based on an ambition to grow tourism revenues by 50% in the decadeto 2015. We will use every opportunity, including the year of Homecomingproject in 2009, the 2012 London Olympic Games, and the Ryder Cup in 2014, toattain that ambition.…

7 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has held any meetings with VisitScotland to discuss a Scottish Olympic tourism strategy.

Answer · Jim Mather: My officials holdregular meetings with VisitScotland about our ambition for the long-termdevelopment of Scotland’s tourism sector, including the opportunitiesrepresented by the 2012 London Olympic Game. Scotland intends to maximise the potential tourism benef…

7 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to ensure that Scotland gains a tourism benefit from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Answer · Jim Mather: The London 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide Scotland with an additional opportunity to showcase its tourism product to aglobal market. VisitScotland is represented on the Scottish steering groupwhich has been set up to ensure that Scotland gets m…

5 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have taken place with the UK Government’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since May 2007 regarding the further devolution of nature conservation duties beyond 12 nautical miles.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is regulardialogue between the Scottish Government and the UK Government’s Department ofEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to marine issues. The ScottishGovernment are considering the Departmentfor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ propo…

5 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy is that the Parliament should assume greater powers over nature conservation beyond 12 nautical miles and whether the devolution of further powers should be contingent on receiving specific funding from the UK Government to carry out these duties.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I previouslyindicated to the Parliament my support for the Advisory Group on Marine andCoastal Strategy recommendation on extending the Parliament’s powers over themarine environment. Additionally, Choosing Scotland’s Future – A NationalConversation…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions were held with (a) Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership and (b) Zetland Transport Partnership before it decided on the terms for the appointment of the consultants undertaking the study into the benefits of road equivalent tariff and, in particular, before it decid…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3672 on 13 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions were held with (a) Orkney Islands Council, (b) Shetland Islands Council, (c) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, (d) Argyll and Bute Council and (e) Highland Council before it decided on the terms for the appointment of the consultants undertaking the study into the benefits of ro…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the question S3W-3672 on 13 September 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">h…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ferry routes were considered for the pilot study into the application of road equivalent tariff (RET) to ferry routes before it decided to limit the choice of its consultants undertaking the study into the benefits of RET to one or more of the routes connecting the Scottish mainland…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used when deciding to limit the consultants’ choice of routes for consideration under the road equivalent tariff pilot study to one or more of the routes connecting the Scottish mainland and the Western Isles and how these criteria were applied to each of the public fer…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Governmentcame into office with a manifesto commitment saying that we would “commission astudy into road equivalent tariff (RET) reporting on options for improved connectionsto our northern and western isles” and that “as part of this we will und…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the research for the recent NHS survey of body mass index across Scotland, as reported in The Scotsman on 30 July 2007, was carried out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The article in TheScotsman refers to maps of Body Mass Index (BMI) for Scotland, but does not give a source for the data used. Thesemaps were not commissioned centrally and we have not been able to find out who hasproduced them. Therefore, we ca…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women were sampled in (i) Orkney, (ii) Shetland, (iii) the Western Isles and (iv) Scotland in the recent NHS survey of body mass index, as reported in The Scotsman on 30 July 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The article in TheScotsman refers to maps of body mass index (BMI) for Scotland, but does not give a source for the data used. Thesemaps were not commissioned centrally and we have not been able to find out who hasproduced them. Therefore, we cannot be…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the age profile was of the men and women sampled in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the Western Isles in the recent NHS survey of body mass index, as reported in The Scotsman on 30 July 2007, and how this compares with the overall age profile of the population of each island group.