- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission about the future of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme.
Answer
Scottish Executive officialsare participating in discussions between UK Government and European Commissionofficials about future designation of Less Favoured Areas within the EuropeanUnion. In addition, the Scottish Executive has been discussing the interimScheme for the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) 2007-2009 with theEuropean Commission in the wider context of the Scotland Rural DevelopmentProgramme (SRDP) for 2007-2013.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the decision to retain full accident and emergency services at Monklands and Ayr hospitals will have on the (a) current and (b) future budget resources available to NHS Orkney.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to raise awareness among oil industry brokers of the ship-to-ship oil transfer options available at Scapa Flow.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has norole in promoting operational activities of specific harbour authorities. That isa matter for the ports sector itself and for individual harbour authorities.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review of the system of penalties applied to mistakes in applications for agricultural grants and subsidies, and of the associated appeal system, with a view to finding ways of making the system fairer and quicker for farmers and crofters.
Answer
We shall be having early discussionswith key stakeholders on general issues surrounding the implementation of the commonagricultural policy. We shall also be undertakinga review of the EU agricultural subsidies appeals procedure.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional steps it considers might be taken to attract overseas buyers to Scottish craft trade shows.
Answer
Responsibility for internationaleconomic activity such as promoting Scotland as a place to do business in and with rests with ScottishDevelopment International (SDI). The craft industry is not currently an SDIpriority. We are happy to support priority companies but this may not translateinto directly supporting overseas buyers. SDI is not aware of any evidence of failurewithin the craft industry to attract buyers, though SDI would be happy to discusswith industry representatives how we can best support the craft industry in thefuture.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider supporting a trade delegation to Russia, with a specific focus on the oil industry.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, throughScottish Development International (SDI), the international arm of the ScottishGovernment鈥檚 economic development agency, provides support to individual companiesand organises trade delegations to oil and gas provincesthroughout the world, including Russia.
This gives companies new to themarket the opportunity to meet with contractors and operators in the oil and gassector and attend meetings and presentations on how to operate in an overseas market.Twelve Scottish companies participated in a trade delegation to Moscow in June2004.
SDI has an office in Moscow whichworks very closely with the UK Embassy and UK Trade and Investment on research,assistance and recruiting Scottish companies interested in the Russian market fortrade delegations and exhibitions.
In 2007, SDI has taken spaceat 8th International Conference and Exhibitionfor Oil and Gas Resources. Development of the Russian Arctic and CIS ContinentalShelf (RAO/CIS) Exhibition 11 to 13 September,and the Moscow International Oil and Gas Exhibition (MIOGE) in June.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support a programme of visits by North American buyers to Scottish craft businesses to take place between the major craft shows in Glasgow and Dublin in January 2008.
Answer
Responsibility for internationaleconomic activity such as promoting Scotland as a place to do business in and with rests with ScottishDevelopment International (SDI). The craftindustry is not currently an SDI priority industry and SDI currently has no plansto support a programme of visits by North American buyers to Scottish craft businesses.We are not aware of any evidence of failure within the industry to attract overseasbuyers, though SDI would be happy to discuss with industry representatives how wecan best support the craft industry in the future.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being provided to Scottish companies doing business in Russia.
Answer
Scottish Development International(SDI), the international arm of the Scottish Government鈥檚 economic development agency,provides a range of services in support of Scottish companies doing business inRussia.
SDI has an office in Moscow and supportprovided includes:
Russian market research.
Market entry/strategy developmentsupport, including visits to exhibitions, conferences and introductions to potentialcustomers.
Advice on existing Russian businesspractices and culture.
Access to the Russian globalscotnetwork.
Identification of appropriatepartners for strategic alliances, joint ventures, licensing agreements, technologytransfer, distribution or dealership.
In-market visit programme development,securing high-level appointments and providing logistical assistance to companies.
Marketing support.
Assistance in developing Russianlanguage product/company information.
SDI鈥檚 Moscow officehas, over the last 12 months, worked with over 40 companies and received excellentfeedback on the services provided.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to attract overseas buyers to Scottish craft trade shows in each of the last four years.
Answer
Responsibility for internationaleconomic activity such as promoting Scotland as a place to do business in and with rests with ScottishDevelopment International (SDI). The craft industry is not currently an SDI priorityindustry and over the last four years SDIhas not been involved in attracting overseas buyers to Scottish craft trade shows.We are not aware of any evidence of failure within the industry to attract overseasbuyers, though SDI would be happy to discuss with industry representatives how wecan best support the craft industry in the future.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise, (c) Scottish Development International and (d) the Scottish Affairs Office in Washington DC have had with the North American Celtic Buyers Association in each of the last four years.
Answer
I am not aware of any contactbetween Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish DevelopmentInternational or the Scottish Affairs Office and the North American Celtic BuyersAssociation over the last four years.
