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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-08817

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was made aware of Lech Walesa's recent visit to Scotland House in Brussels and why no minister was in attendance.

Lech Walesa was attending the formal opening of the Pomeranian Region Office within Scotland House on 1 June 2004. I was not aware of his visit in advance. Indeed, I understand that his attendance was only confirmed on the day of the event itself. Although it was not a Scottish Executive event, when Mr Walesa arrived he was welcomed to Scotland House by the Head of the Scottish Executive EU Office.

Question reference: S2W-08646

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the fishing fleet has reduced in si'e in each of the last four years, broken down by sector.

The table below shows the numbers of fishing vessels based in Scotland between 1 January 2001 and 1 January 2004 and the year-on-year changes in vessel numbers. The fleet has been segmented in the table by length group and, for vessels over 10metres in overall length, the vessels’ main reported fishing method.

Number of Scottish Based Vessels at 1 January, 2001-04

Length Group/Main Vessel Fishing Method	Number of Scottish-Based Fishing Vessels	Annual Change in Vessel Numbers	Total Change in Vessel Numbers, 2001-04
2001	2002	2003	2004	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Vessels over 10m in overall length, of which:	954	950	834	758	-4	-116	-76	-196
Demersal trawl, seines, lines and gill-nets	471	475	385	330	4	-90	-55	-141
Pelagic trawl and seine	37	35	32	27	-2	-3	-5	-10
Nephrops trawl	222	222	206	193	0	-16	-13	-29
Other shellfish methods	224	218	211	208	-6	-7	-3	-16
Vessels 10m or under in overall length	1,616	1,631	1,649	1,632	15	18	-17	16
Total	2,570	2,581	2,483	2,390	11	-98	-93	-180

Of the 196 vessels over 10 metres in length that left the fleet between 2001 and 2004, 165 were removed as a result of the 2001-02 and 2003 decommissioning schemes. These schemes have reduced Scottish fishing effort, using gears most associated with cod mortality, by 31.3% compared to 2001 levels.

Question reference: S2W-08937

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many United Kingdom companies have been approached to fund, and take part in, the trade fair in Paris on 17 June 2004 organised by the British Embassy; how many have accepted, and, of these, how many are Scottish companies.

UK Trade & Investment have provided information regarding the participants at the “Great! Britain” exhibition which was held by the UK Embassy in Paris on 17 June 2004. Ninety companies and organisations were approached, including Scottish firms suggested by Scottish Development International – of which 62 directly participated. Of those 62, 12 were Scottish. A further 36 Scottish companies contributed to the presentation of Scottish food and drink during the event.

Question reference: S2W-08180

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the operating costs of its Brussels office have been in each year since 1999 and what the projected costs are for the current year.

The operating costs for the Scottish Executive EU Office since 1999 are the following:

Year	Rounded Final Out-Turn
July 1999 - March 2000	£320,000
April 2000 - March 2001	£450,000
April 2001 - March 2002	£450,000
April 2002 - March 2003	£700,000
April 2003 - March 2004	£875,000

The operating cost for April 2004 to March 2005 is expected to be of a similar order of magnitude to that for April 2003 to March 2004.

Question reference: S2W-08177

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3401 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 November 2003, how many meetings of the Council of Ministers Scottish ministers have attended since that answer and which specific councils ministers have attended in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of all Council of Ministers meetings.

Scottish Executive ministers have attended 10 formal Council of Ministers meetingssince the answer to question S2W-3401 on 5 November 2003. Scottish Executive ministers attended the following specific formal Council meetings during the period 1 July 1999 to 31 May 2004. In future this information will be available on the Scottish Executive website.

Date	Council	Minister
26/10/1999	Fisheries Council	John Home Robertson
22/11/1999	Fisheries Council	John Home Robertson
13/12/1999	Environment Council	Sarah Boyack
14/12/1999	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
16/12/1999	Fisheries Council	John Home Robertson
20/03/2000	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
08/06/2000	Education Council	Nicol Stephen
16/06/2000	Fisheries Council	John Home Robertson
22/06/2000	Environment Council	Sarah Boyack
17/11/2000	Fisheries Council	Rhona Brankin
20/11/2000	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
30/11/2000	Justice and Home Affairs Council	Jim Wallace
14 to 15/12/2000	Fisheries Council	Rhona Brankin
12/02/2001	Education and Youth Council	Nicol Stephen
26/02/2001	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
08/03/2001	Environment Council	Sam Galbraith
24/04/2001	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
25/04/2001	Fisheries Council	Rhona Brankin
05/06/2001	Health Council	Susan Deacon
18/06/2001	Fisheries Council	Rhona Brankin
28/06/2001	Transport Council	Sarah Boyack
16/11/2001	Justice and Home Affairs Council	Jim Wallace
20/11/2001	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
17 to 18/12/2001	Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
22 to 24/04/2002	Agriculture Council	Ross Finnie
11 to 12/06/2002	Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
12 to 14/06/2002	Justice and Home Affairs Council	Jim Wallace
23 to 24/09/2002	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
14 to 15/10/2002	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
17/10/2002	Environment Council	Ross Finnie
11/11/2002	Education, Youth and Culture Council	Elaine Murray
26/11/2002	Competitiveness Council	Iain Gray
27 to 29/11/2002	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
16 to 20/12/2002	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
27 to 28/01/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
20/02/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
17 to 18/03/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
07 to 08/04/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
11 to 12/06/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
13/06/2003	Environment Council	Ross Finnie
27/10/2003	Environment Council	Ross Finnie
10/11/2003	Competitiveness Council	Andy Kerr
17 to 18/11/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
24/11/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
24 to 25/11/2003	Education, Youth and Culture Council	Peter Peacock
27/11/2003	Competitiveness Council	Jim Wallace
16 to 19/12/2003	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie
22/03/2004	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Allan Wilson
30/03/2004	Justice and Home Affairs Council	Cathy Jamieson
26/04/2004	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Allan Wilson
24/05/2004	Agriculture and Fisheries Council	Ross Finnie

The following table gives the percentage of all formal Council meetings attended by Scottish Executive ministers, for the period 1 July 1999 to 31 May 2004, by Calendar year:

Period	Percentage of All Formal Councils Attended by Ministers
July - December 1999	11.9
2000	8.8
2001	12.4
2002	12.3
2003	17.3
January to May 2004	14.8

It should be noted that Scotland is represented at all Council of Ministers meetings as part of the United Kingdom.

Question reference: S2O-02645

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 17 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to create new direct international air links.

Question reference: S2W-08737

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all overseas offices belonging to each of its agencies, giving the location and number of staff employed in each such office.

Question reference: S2W-08684

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13417 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 28 February 2001, what percentage of the 15,000 organisations identified have benefited from the Executive's water charges exemption scheme and what action the Executive will now take to address the position of charities that fail to gain relief under that scheme.

The regulations which established the exemption scheme The Water and Sewerage Charges (Exemption) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 require Scottish Water to administer the scheme. Data relating to the operation of the scheme is therefore a matter for Scottish Water.

The exemption scheme was created to assist organisations that had been in receipt of discretionary relief on their water and sewerage charges and were likely to be most affected by the withdrawal of that relief. The Executive considers that the criteria for qualifying for exemption are set appropriately with that objective in mind. Therefore there are no proposals to change the criteria.

Question reference: S2W-07521

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are in relation to the announcement by the board of directors of Scotland the Brand that it would recommend that the company be put into voluntary liquidation at a general meeting on 21 April 2004; what discussions it has had, at ministerial or official level, with representatives of Scotland the Brand about this matter, and whether it has any plans to fund a logo or brand to promote Scotland overseas.

The decision by Scotland theBrand Ltd to go into voluntary liquidation is a matter for the company itself andhas no impact on the research work currently underway into Scotland’s internationalimage. No decisions have yet been taken about the shape a new promotional campaignmight take. Scottish Enterprise retain ownership of the Country of Origin deviceused by Scotland the Brand, and have confirmed that fully paid up members will beallowed to continue the use of the device.

Both the Chairman and Chief Executiveof Scotland the Brand have been in regular contact with officialsabout the future of the company and the promotion of Scotland’s internationalimage. The Chairman of Scotland the Brand has also had a number of discussions withministers on these issues.

Question reference: S2W-07544

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 10 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the EU accession countries' languages are taught in schools.