- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #600,000 spent by Scottish Enterprise Borders on securing and adapting premises in Selkirk specifically as a call centre and the further #70,000 spent retraining redundant workers as call centre operators was an appropriate expenditure of public funds given the failure so far to secure a call centre.
Answer
In its Final Report in March 1999 the Borders Working Party highlighted a shortage of readily available industrial premises as being a major impediment to the attraction of inward investment into the area.
The Borders Working Party also highlighted the success which Scotland is enjoying in the attraction of call centres and proposed that an advanced build call centre facility be created in the Borders. That facility was created at Selkirk.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, following expenditure of #600,000 by Scottish Enterprise Borders (SEB) on securing premises in Selkirk for a call centre and #70,000 on retraining redundant workers specifically as call centre operators, what efforts are being made by it and SEB to ensure that call centre companies are located in the Borders.
Answer
The Selkirk call centre is being actively promoted by Scottish Enterprise Borders and the Rural Unit of Locate in Scotland.
Locate in Scotland has considerable experience in attracting call centre operators to Scotland and this expertise is being used in relation to Selkirk. Confirmation of the inclusion of Selkirk in the recently approved Assisted Areas Map for Scotland will be an additional marketing advantage in favour of Selkirk.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive who authorised payment of #670,000 for a call centre in Selkirk.
Answer
Authority for the conversion of the Claridge Mill property in Selkirk was granted by the Boards of Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Enterprise (Projects Advisory Group).
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all deaths were in the age groups (a) 65-75 and (b) over 75 in the winter periods of 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99
Answer
The following table gives information on deaths registered in Scotland of persons aged between 65 and 75 years and persons aged over 75 years in each winter month over the period January 1995 to March 2000 as a percentage of all deaths registered in that month. Figures for deaths in 2000 are provisional.
| Persons aged between 65 and 75 years | Persons aged over 75 years |
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
January | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 51 | 55 | 57 | 54 | 58 | 59 |
February | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 59 | 54 |
March | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 54 |
December | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | | 53 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 57 | |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, of the young people in the Borders who found employment through the New Deal since its introduction, (a) how many are no longer employed, (b) how long did the average employment last and (c) what was the nature of employment.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.
This information is not available.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what percentage of all deaths were in the age groups (a) 65-75 and (b) over 75 in the winter period of 1999-2000, and what are the comparable percentages in other European countries, specifically, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Swit'erland and Ireland.
Answer
The available information is given in the table in my reply today to Question S1W-8883. Comparable European data are not readily available.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the mean wage is of young people in the Borders who found employment through the New Deal since its introduction.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.
This information is not available.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the young people in the Borders who have found employment through the New Deal since its introduction are still in employment and what the nature of that employment is.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.
This information is not available.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what contacts it has had with whom and when with regard to the Borders cashmere industry and the implications of a possible 100% or more import tariff being imposed by the industry's main export market, the USA, and what assessment it has made of any effect this will have on the 2,000 industry workers and the current value of the industry's order book.
Answer
Ministers fully recognise the importance of the cashmere industry to the Borders and the potential impact on it of US punitive import tariffs. The Scottish Executive is working closely with Scottish Trade International, the Scotland Office, the Department of Trade and Industry and the sector itself to deal with the threat.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any proposals there are for further private prisons.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:-
"The Scottish Prison Service is currently conducting a review of the Estate with a view to meeting operational requirements over the next ten years. This is a fundamental review in which nothing is ruled in and nothing ruled out and a full range of options is being considered. Detailed work on the review is continuing and no formal recommendations have yet been made".
