- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will discuss with the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust their expertise in running three pilot accreditation courses and what lessons, if any, it could learn from the Trust in relation to accreditation for business advisers.
Answer
I have recently outlined several proposed improvements to the services provided by the Scottish Enterprise Network to assist business start-ups and small businesses, and we are discussing similar developments with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. These include the possible introduction of quality standards, covering both business organisations and advisers. As part of that work I have asked my officials to contact PSYBT to discuss their particular approach.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why it has chosen Scottish Natural Heritage to provide input and advice as to the boundaries of any proposed National Park area instead of the local residents and Community Councils.
Answer
We have not asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to advise instead of local residents and communities on the boundaries of National Parks. We have asked them to consult with these groups and others on identifying and discussing the options for the detailed arrangements for each proposed National Park. This will help to pave the way for the formal consultation in due course after Royal Assent has been achieved.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require the Scottish Tourist Board to make available to non-members of the area tourist boards membership of the OSSIAN project so that they are not excluded from any benefits of it.
Answer
No. The Scottish Tourist Board's policy ensures that all accommodation providers and visitor attraction operators whose details appear on the Scotland website offer a quality assured product.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a system to provide any necessary assistance to meet any costs of bed and breakfast businesses in hooking up to the Internet and project OSSIAN and any membership costs thereof.
Answer
All accommodation establishments who are members of Area Tourist Boards receive a free entry on the Internet via Ossian. General IT and Ossian specific training is provided through Local Enterprise Companies and Area Tourist Boards.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken or plans to take in relation to its policies following the "Business in the Chamber" event on 18 February 2000 and whether it will specify any new or supplementary polices in detail.
Answer
I will respond to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee Inquiry on local economic development when the final report is published.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to cease the operation as independent companies limited by guarantee of local enterprise companies and instead that they should operate as part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Enterprise network and whether it can provide an estimate of the savings, if any, that this measure might bring.
Answer
The status of local enterprise companies is being considered as part of the review of the enterprise networks in Scotland which I announced recently. I encourage all those who wish to have an input to contribute to the debate.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a course or courses in song writing within the tertiary education system and, if so, with whom it will consult regarding establishment and delivery; whether, as part of any such course or courses, advice would be issued to ensure control over all intellectual property rights on songs, and what plans it has to promote song writing and to give prominence to young song writers from Scotland throughout the world.
Answer
There are no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include in its draft National Parks (Scotland) Bill a definition of the aims of the national park proposal to include the individual residents and the communities within the area of a Park and, if not, why not; and why in the draft Bill, the term "area" does not include any specific explicit reference to the individual residents or communities within either sections 1(3) or 30.
Answer
All the comments made on the draft National Parks (Scotland) Bill are currently being considered.We recognise the importance of communities and local residents in the running of the National Parks they live in. The draft Bill sets out the aims of National Parks at section 1(3) and the conditions for a National Park proposal at section 1(2). These encompass the interests of residents and communities, as well as many other interests, without specifying them all by name. Section 30 is for definition of terms and is not the appropriate place for setting out community involvement.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate whether the due date for subscriptions and other payments to the area tourist boards by members can be altered in order to minimise any cash flow problems experienced because of the seasonal nature of the tourist trade.
Answer
The budgeting arrangements of Area Tourist Boards are a matter for the individual bodies themselves.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a map of Scotland showing the areas which are subject to some form of nature conservation designation and whether it will state for each local authority area the percentage of the land which is subject to such designation.
Answer
The information you request can be found in Facts and Figures, the companion publication to Scottish Natural Heritage's Annual Report. A copy of the latest version, Facts and Figures 1998/99, is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
