- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 6 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1612 by Donald Dewar on 16 September 1999, whether it will now specify the revised total estimated annual costs of employment of Special Advisors broken down by individual and, including any termination and other payments which have been made to Mr Rafferty and Mr Chalmers.
Answer
There are currently eight Special Advisers employed within the Scottish Executive. The estimated annual cost of employing them (including overheads) is £527,207. Individual salaries are not revealed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. Regarding severance payment, Mr Rafferty received the three month's salary due under the terms of his contract of employment; Mr Chalmers did not receive any such payment. A copy of the Model Contract of Employment for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amalgamating the office premises of Locate in Scotland and Scottish Trade International.
Answer
Locate in Scotland (LiS) and Scottish Trade International (STI) both operate within the Scottish Enterprise organisation at its headquarters at Bothwell Street, Glasgow, and share the same joint-venture structure with The Scottish Executive. Both LiS and STI, where appropriate, work together on cases and have some field offices that are co-located.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend its target for the annual growth rate for the value of tourism expenditure from 3.3% per annum to 4%, in line with the estimated growth rate in tourism in the global marketplace and, if so, whether it will amend its other targets in the New Strategy for Scottish Tourism accordingly.
Answer
Growth in tourism over the next five years is expected to be greatest in emerging markets, for example, in Asia. Tourism in Europe is forecast to grow by around 3.1% annually. Our target of 3.3% for Scotland is therefore not only tough but realistic.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will add to the list of supplementary industry indicators relating to new research required, an item regarding the Irish tourist industry in order to promote best practice in our own industry, to learn from Bord Failte, and to ascertain any joint tourism initiatives between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland which could be developed.
Answer
There is no need. The tourism strategy commits the Scottish Tourist Board to benchmarking Scotland against countries overseas that offer comparable products and to then disseminate the results to businesses and to public sector partners. These countries will include Ireland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the announcement of an #11 million boost for the tourist industry, as referred to in its press release dated 16 February 2000, constitutes an additional resource for the Scottish Tourist Board, and to provide details of the budget line from which these funds are drawn.
Answer
£5.25 million is going to the Scottish Tourist Board of which £2 million is for the Area Tourist Boards. These are unexpended funds carried forward from this financial year into the next financial year under the end year flexibility arrangements.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the cost of preparing, publishing and printing the document A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism.
Answer
The cost of graphic design, printing and distribution was £32,320.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a detailed analysis of any responses to its New Strategy for Scottish Tourism and, if not, why not.
Answer
The main views of those who contributed to our consultation exercise are summarised in the strategy. I am arranging for a more detailed breakdown of the points raised to be placed in the SPICe.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a conflict of interest in its advisory role in the designation of Special Protected Area status, given the statutory duty of SNH to take account of the interests of communities and social and economic development.
Answer
No. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has a general duty to take such account as may be appropriate in the circumstances of the interests of local communities and the need for social and economic development. In the case of Special Protection Areas, selection must be on scientific criteria and it is not appropriate for Scottish Natural Heritage to take account of other factors.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include traditional Scottish music in the niche marketing of Scottish tourism and, if so, whether it will consult with Celtic Connections and other relevant bodies
Answer
The Scottish Tourist Board and relevant Area Tourist Boards promote traditional music both in print and on their websites.The STB, the Scottish Arts Council and the traditional music sector are working in partnership to raise the profile of traditional music events in Scottish tourism. As part of this initiative, pilot schemes have taken place throughout the country looking at ways of making traditional music more accessible to visitors.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what role Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) plays in relation to the designation of land as a Special Protection Area and whether, in carrying out that role, SNH must observe and fulfil the duties imposed upon it by section 3 of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991, in particular the duty to have regard to the needs of agriculture, fisheries and forestry and social and economic development in Scotland or any part thereof.
Answer
In its role as adviser to Scottish Ministers on natural heritage matters, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) advises on the scientific case for classifying Special Protection Areas (SPA). SNH staff carry out consultations on behalf of the Scottish Executive with relevant stakeholders in proposed SPAs, and report on the outcome.Case law in the European Court of Justice has established that member states cannot take account of socio-economic considerations in identifying SPAs and in defining their boundaries.
