- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of "physically active".
Answer
In their 2003 strategy for physical activity, the Physical Activity Task Force defined physical activity as “a broad term to describe movement of the body that uses energy”, which can refer to any activity involving movement including walking, housework, manual labour and so on. This strategy was fully accepted by ministers, and has provided the basis for work in this area since then.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 15 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial assistance has been awarded to the Scottish Library and Information Council in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05.
Answer
Scottish Executive grants to the Scottish Library and Information Council are shown in the following table:
| | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| | £ | £ |
| Core Grant | 125,000 | 175,000 |
| People’s Network Project Officer | 35,000 | 35,000 |
| Development of LA Performance Indicators | - | 20,000 |
| Total Grant-in-Aid | 160,000 | 230,000 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 15 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its long-term strategy is to ensure the viability of Scottish Opera.
Answer
The future viability of Scottish Opera is dependant upon the implementation of its own business plan. The Executive and the Scottish Arts Council are supporting the company in its implementation of the plan, as well as closely monitoring progress being made towards its realisation. Should the Cultural Commission make any strategic recommendations regarding Scottish Opera, or, indeed, any of the national companies, these will be fully considered by Ministers.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy it has to promote the Scottish games animation industry internationally.
Answer
Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise's Digital Media and Creative Industries Team are actively promoting the games animation industry internationally as part of their overall work for the creative industries sector in Scotland. Support to the sector is provided by a combination of one-to-one support with individual companies; key group activities such as trade missions, and commissioning and sharing market research tailored to companies’ needs. Activity is focused on key markets across the USA, Europe and Asia, in particular France, China, Japan and Korea which have high potential. In addition ITI Techmedia is also further connecting Scotland’s creative industries sector internationally by developing new pre-competitive technologies upon which companies can develop their own products and services for global markets.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 9 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has met BBC Scotland to discuss what action is being taken to promote a greater uptake of BBC Radio Scotland's programmes and to ensure the sustainability of jobs within the station.
Answer
Broadcasting is a reserved matter. Action to increase the popularity of BBC Radio Scotland’s programmes is a matter for the BBC itself.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 9 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been earmarked to promote Scotland as a venue for (a) television and (b) radio commercial production.
Answer
We are committed to developing Scotland as a production centre for film, TV and new media and as a location for film-making; to encouraging and promoting wider creative industries, and to supporting the promotion of Scottish films and TV programmes overseas.
Scottish Screen is the Executive's principal agency for the development of the screen industries in Scotland and for the promotion of Scotland as a location for production. Scottish Screen's budget amounts to some £2.875 million per annum. We have not earmarked Scottish Screen's funds for specific purposes.
Scottish Development International leads on delivering Scotland’s international economic development effort focussing on delivering the priorities set out in the Executive’s Global Connections strategy. This includes the attraction of high value economic activity to Scotland, the internationalisation of Scottish companies and the exchange of skills, ideas, intellectual capital and networks of people.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 9 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for promoting Scotland at a UK and international level as a venue for interactive screen programming.
Answer
We are committed to developing Scotland as a production centre for film, TV and new media and as a location for film-making; to encouraging and promoting wider creative industries, and to supporting the promotion of Scottish films and TV programmes overseas.
Our support to the screen industries, and to the wider creative industries, is channelled through Scottish Screen, Scottish Enterprise, and the Scottish Arts Council, who provide support for a variety of projects relating to different aspects of interactive screen programming.
Scottish Development International leads on delivering Scotland’s international economic development effort focussing on delivering the priorities set out in the Executive’s Global Connections strategy. This includes the attraction of high value economic activity to Scotland, the internationalisation of Scottish companies and the exchange of skills, ideas, intellectual capital and networks of people.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 9 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage and promote the animation industry.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, through Scottish Screen, is very supportive of the animation industry in Scotland. Scottish Screen works closely with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Edinburgh College of Art, in particular, to promote and encourage a high level of animation skills.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 8 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has met representatives of BBC Scotland to discuss the recent outcome of the BBC review and its impact on BBC Scotland.
Answer
Although broadcasting is a reserved matter, we engage regularly with BBC Scotland to discuss a variety of broadcasting issues. My officials last met with Senior Managers at BBC Scotland on 21 January 2005.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 8 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for television production in all areas of Scotland.
Answer
We are committed to developing Scotland as a production centre for film, TV and new media and as a location for film-making; to encouraging and promoting wider creative industries, and to supporting the promotion of Scottish films and TV programmes overseas.
Our support for the film and TV production industries, and to the wider creative industries, is channelled through Scottish Screen, Scottish Enterprise, and the Scottish Arts Council, who deliver a variety of funding schemes andinfrastructure development.
Although broadcasting itself is a reserved matter, we established the Screen Industries Summit Group (SISG) in 2003 to help orient the Scottish Executive’s strategy for Scotland’s film and television industry. SISG brings together representatives from across the screen industries including Scottish Screen, the BBC, Scottish Media Group (SMG), and the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT). SISG was established to report to Scottish ministers. It has acted as a high-level task group to make recommendations on the key actions needed to ensure growth and sustainability for the screen industries in Scotland. SISG identified the increase in network commissioning and production in Scotlandfrom its current 3% level to a target level of 9% within five years as the keyaction point for the future growth and sustainability of the screen industriesin Scotland. We fully support this recommendation and we are working with SISG to encourage the broadcasters to increase production in Scotland.
We regularly engage with Ofcom to support the interests of the Scottish television industry. In addition, we are working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in order to ensure that proper account is taken by the UK Government of Scottish interests in the BBC Charter Review.
