Chamber and committees

Scottish Enterprise andHighlands and Islands Enterprise undertake promotion events to encourage individualsto start-up in business. Details on the funding spent on this activity is an operationalissue for the Enterprise Networks.

Assessment of the barriers tobusiness start-up, and the mechanisms to addressing these constraints, is an operationalmatter for the Enterprise Networks.

The promotion of new businessstart-ups in Scotland is an operational matter for the Enterprise Networks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28516 on 4 October 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Local authorities generally havethe same powers to assist asylum seekers under the 2003 act as they do to assistany other person under the act. Local authorities have a number of functions inrelation to persons who are not in hospital and who have or have had a mental disorder.These are outlined in chapter 2 of part 4 to the 2003 act and include functionsfor making or securing provision for care and support services (section 25), providingor securing the provision of services designed to promote well-being and socialdevelopment (section 26) and providing or securing the provision of facilities for,or assistance with, travel (section 27) for such persons. Local authorities alsohave a duty under the act to inquire into individual cases in certain circumstanceswhere they believe that a person in their area who is aged 16 years or over hasa mental disorder (section 33).

No. Section 115 of the Immigrationand Asylum Act 1999 provides that certain persons who are subject to immigrationcontrol are not entitled to specified benefits. Provision is made in regulation14 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (ConsequentialProvisions) Order 2005 that no services shall be provided by local authorities undersections 25 to 27 of the 2003 act to a person to whom section 115 of the Immigrationand Asylum Act 1999 applies solely because he is destitute or because of the physicaleffects, or anticipated physical effects, of his being destitute. However, thoseprovisions do not disapply the local authorities’ powers to provide services tosuch a person under the 2003 act.

Scottish ministers have no specificobligations to asylum seekers under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act2003. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has a duty to visit people with mental disorder includingthose who may be subject to the 2003 act. I understand the commission’s visit programmewill include asylum seekers. There are powers under the Mental Health (Care andTreatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 for the Mental Welfare Commission to carry out aninvestigation into the circumstances of the care and treatment received in any casereported to it where it appears to the commission that there may have been deficienciesof care.

The Scottish Executive, throughits trade and investment arm Scottish Development International (SDI), has beeninvolved in a number of marketing activities to promote business links. These includeattendance at AusBiotech 2005, the main conference and exhibition for the biotechnologyand life sciences industry, and at CeBIT Australia 2006, Australia’s leading informationand communications technology event. SDI also sponsored an Australian British Chamberof Commerce networking lunch in August 2006, at which the British High Commissionerto Australia, the Rt Hon Helen Liddell, spoke about trade and culturallinks between the UK and Australia. SDI will continue to actively promote Scotland as aplace to do business in and with.

The Scottish Executive signeda sister state agreement in March 2006 with the Australian State of Victoria whichwill promote collaboration in the areas of health, education, trade tourism andsocial policy.

In general all patients in Scotland willhave access to mental health services under the 2003 act. The Scottish Executivehas no specific obligations towards asylum seekers under the 2003 act. The HomeOffice has an interest in relation to asylum seekers and other persons who are subjectto immigration control. There are protocols in place between the Home Office andlocal agencies in respect of treatment for mental disorder, including treatmentunder the 2003 act of detained asylum seekers.

Scottish Development International’s(SDI’s) focus is on areas that offer the best potential and we intend to targetthe larger companies in the life sciences, energy, financial and related servicesand micro and opto electronics sectors. We are currently working with a number ofsignificant Australian companies offering help and assistance with legal, propertyand intellectual property issues.