- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school groups from (a) island and (b) remote mainland communities have gone on visits in each year as part of the heritage education travel subsidy scheme, also broken down by site.
Answer
The Heritage Education School Visits Travel Subsidy scheme was established in April 2010 and is administered by Historic Scotland. Information on how the scheme operates and the sites included is available at: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/education-travel-subsidy.
Information on the numbers of school groups, numbers of pupils and amount of travel subsidy awarded relating to visits to sites are set out in the following tables for 2010-11. Figures for financial year 2011-12 are not currently available.year 2011-12 are not currently available.
Site
|
Number of School Groups from an Island
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Arnol Blackhouse
|
2
|
Bishop's Palace
|
1
|
Bonawe
|
1
|
Broch of Gurness
|
1
|
Earl's Palace
|
1
|
Edinburgh Castle
|
1
|
Iona Abbey
|
1
|
Jarlshof
|
1
|
Kilmartin Glen
|
2
|
Ring of Brodgar
|
1
|
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
|
2
|
Skara Brae
|
8
|
Stirling Castle
|
1
|
Site
|
Number of School Groups from a Remote Mainland Community *
|
Bannockburn
|
4
|
Caerlaverock
|
1
|
Culloden
|
13
|
Dirleton Caslte
|
1
|
Duff House
|
1
|
Edinburgh Castle
|
3
|
Fort George
|
3
|
Huntly Castle
|
1
|
Jarlshof
|
1
|
Kildrummy Castle
|
1
|
Kilmartin Glen
|
1
|
Melrose Abbey
|
1
|
New Lanark World Heritage Site
|
4
|
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
|
5
|
Skara Brae
|
2
|
Stanley Mills
|
3
|
Stirling Castle
|
11
|
Urquhart Castle
|
3
|
Note: *Based on the definition of “remote rural areas” - settlements of less than 3,000 people who are not within 30 minutes drive of a settlement of 10,000 or more people.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities will be taken into account when discussions begin with a preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract.
Answer
The views of the Orkney and Shetland communities were first invited during the full public consultation in 2010. In addition to the published consultation document, government officials held a series of public meetings in both Orkney and Shetland. Once the tender process began in the spring of 2011, officials from the relevant local authorities and regional transport partnerships were invited to comment on emerging proposals and their views were included in the subsequent policy advice to Scottish Ministers.
Significant efforts have therefore been made to ensure that the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities were taken into account during the period when the service specification was being developed. This has been done and that period is now concluded. Future discussions with the preferred bidder will not influence the services procured. However, once confirmed, the new operator will be actively engaging with the local communities.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school (a) groups and (b) pupils have gone on visits in each year as part of the heritage education travel subsidy scheme, also broken down by site.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05962 on 7 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract.
Answer
We expect an announcement on the preferred bidder for the next Northern Isles ferry services contract to be made in April 2012.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that any cultural benefits arising from the Cultural Olympiad and the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 will be carried forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of creative and cultural activity underway in 2012 carry through to 2014 and we have already established the appropriate governance structures and evaluation frameworks across all our 2012 and 2014 activity to ensure that happens. On 27 July 2011, I announced Scotland's Cultural Plan for London 2012 and Glasgow 2014, which sets out how we are working to fully capitalise on these amazing opportunities for the cultural sector and our communities. In addition, the Year of Creative Scotland, one of a series of years focussing on some of Scotland's greatest assets, is encouraging collaborative working between the creative and tourism sectors as well as between national agencies working in the arts, events and tourism. The legacy of this work will inform and enhance the exciting programme of activity that will take place across Scotland throughout 2014 and beyond.
http://www.creativescotland.com/explore/2012-2014.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 7 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to incorporate the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities during the competitive dialogue process leading to the retendering of the Northern Isles ferry contract.
Answer
During the Competitive Dialogue stage of the Northern Isles tender process, Transport Scotland engaged directly with officials from HITRANS and ZetTrans in order to benefit from their detailed local knowledge and perspective. This followed extensive engagement during earlier phases of the tender process with both of the Regional Transport Partnerships and all the local authorities with an interest. This engagement included meetings with members and officials of both Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council. This, in turn, followed a full public consultation on the Northern Isles ferry services in 2010 which elicited over 400 responses from individuals and organisations.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 5 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage has the authority under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 to enter land without the owner’s permission to capture or cull the Tayside beavers and whether it has sought a species control order in order to do so.
Answer
The non-native species provisions within the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 have yet to be commenced and, consequently, no species control orders have been made. Once the provisions are commenced they would empower Scottish Natural Heritage to make a Species Control Order for the purpose of controlling invasive plants or animals. Where any operations required by the Order are not carried out, Scottish Natural Heritage would have the power to carry out the required operations and suitable powers of entry are provided in the legislation.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 March 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what clarification it sought from the European Commission on whether state aid rules were applicable prior to the (a) establishment and (b) extension of the road equivalent tariff pilot.
Answer
We have previously made clear to the European Commission details of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) pilot to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. The European Commission noted our position and did not raise objections or ask for any further clarification. Consequently, it is considered that there is no further need for contact with the European Commission on this issue.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it classifies the Tayside beavers as an invasive and non-native species.
Answer
The beaver is a former native species which, in Scotland, is now out of its native range.
Beavers can have negative, as well as positive, impacts on the environment and their unlicensed release is currently an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and will remain an offence once the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 is fully commenced.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 28 February 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to make an announcement regarding the future of the Tayside beavers.
Answer
An announcement will be made shortly.