Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-00210

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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.

The Scottish Executive, throughScottish Development International (SDI), the international arm of the ScottishGovernment’s 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.

Question reference: S3W-00215

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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.

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.

Question reference: S3W-00214

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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.

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.

Question reference: S3W-00211

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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.

Scottish Development International(SDI), the international arm of the Scottish Government’s 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’s Moscow officehas, over the last 12 months, worked with over 40 companies and received excellentfeedback on the services provided.

Question reference: S3W-00212

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place between (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (c) Scottish Development International and counterparts in Ireland on how best to promote Scotland’s craft industry.

Question reference: S3W-00208

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) Scottish Development International to consider ways in which support can be provided to those seeking to attract more ship-to-ship oil transfer business to Scapa Flow.

Question reference: S3W-00213

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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.

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.

Question reference: S3W-00217

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing additional training and other support to Scottish companies looking to attract increased business from Russia.

Scottish Development International(SDI), the international arm of the Scottish Government’s economic development agency,has doubled its resources in the Russianmarket in the last 18 months. SDI continuesto look for ways in which to maintain and improve the already exceptional qualityof the service it provides.I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-211 on 4 June 2007, that gives a list of existing services on offer to Scottishcompanies from SDI in the Russian market. Allanswers 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/webapp/wa.search.

In addition to these, the Enterprise Networks provide a wide range of products andservices to companies seeking to internationalise. This complements the SDI-ledmarket awareness raising work and guidance on offer through UK Trade and Investmentnetwork/website for companies considering doing business with Russia.

Question reference: S3W-00216

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is currently being provided by (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (c) Scottish Development International to Scotland’s craft industry.