Donald Dewar: I am not unsympathetic, but I do not want to sound optimistic. We are very late in agreeing the assisted areas map. That was not a matter of fault on our side. The discussion with the Commission about the basis on which the lines should be drawn has been very complicated and difficult. We fought very hard for a solution that would suit us in Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. We have...
Donald Dewar: Ireland, as Fergus Ewing knows, did extremely well for many years because it was coming from an extremely low base in terms of gross domestic product per head. It therefore benefited as a very poor region of Europe. I am delighted to say that life is much harder for Ireland now—delighted because that reflects the progress that the Irish economy has made. As Fergus knows, Ireland was a major...
Donald Dewar: The debates on 27 January and 8 March reflected concerns that were widely shared in this chamber. The United Kingdom Government has been made well aware of those concerns. We will continue to ensure that the interests of Scottish communities are kept to the fore.
Donald Dewar: I think that there is great potential. We have an extremely buoyant Scottish economy, for which we can claim at least some marginal credit—much credit also goes to Westminster. If the economy is buoyant and if we have the lowest unemployment rate for 24 years, shopkeepers inevitably benefit as certainly as people in other employment. I do not despair about rural post offices. There is a...
Donald Dewar: I do not know whether the insinuation is that Christine Grahame is unsatisfied with her starring role. Naturally, the Executive wishes to see informative coverage of the business of the Parliament, but we have made no representation to the broadcasters. I take the view that broadcasters are in charge of their own business and must be left to make their own decisions.
Donald Dewar: I must put a bounce in my life by going along to inspect these bright and cheerful personalities at work. I was interested in Christine Grahame's ladylike declaration of ambition and intent. I hope that she does not remain a spear carrier for ever. The point is serious but, although I understand that I am being asked only to make representations, I am not sure that that is entirely for me....
Donald Dewar: On this matter, I share Tom McCabe's view, as he answers for the Executive in this area. It would be nice to have five cameras rather than two. However, we should bear in mind the fact that the period in question is only three weeks. The cost, which is something like £15,000 or £17,000 for two cameras, will rise substantially if there are five cameras. Whether that cost would be justified...
Donald Dewar: Policy and action on the knowledge economy will be co-ordinated through the work of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Knowledge Economy) and through the normal, regular contact between the Scottish Executive and officials in the relevant UK Government Departments.
Donald Dewar: The information requested in relation to the target of 17 working days for the period 1 November to 31 December 1999 is detailed in the table below. Department Number of replies issued % of replies to MPs and MSPs issued within 17 working day target TOTAL ...
Donald Dewar: Question S1W-4192 was answered today.
Donald Dewar: There are currently eight Special Advisers employed within the Scottish Executive. The pay ranges occupied by individuals are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. However, the current allocation to the Special Adviser Pay ranges which I announced on 22 November 1999 is as follows: Range 1 (minimum £16,660 – maximum £32,538) - one adviser Range 2 (minimum...
Donald Dewar: I notice that Mr Salmond can now repeat that question by heart and does not need a script. I shall be meeting the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland in Cardiff, which is for me an unusual venue and one that I welcome, at the joint ministerial committee on health.
Donald Dewar: We allocate certain funds to local government. We allowed for an increase in grant-aided expenditure for next year of 3.5 per cent, an increase in aggregate external finance of 2.9 per cent and an increase in expenditure guidelines of 3.4 per cent. Mr Salmond will be aware that local authorities have had increases that are well above the rate of expenditure. Mr Salmond asked specifically...
Donald Dewar: Before I deal with Mr Salmond's second point, I repeat that I have sympathy with local authorities and know the hard choices that they have to make. However, GAE for Aberdeenshire Council, which was £239 million in 1999-2000, will be £246 million in 2000-01. We should have a sense of perspective on that. Alex Salmond's second point is the economics of the kindergarten. I concede that there...
Donald Dewar: Because it is a devolved settlement, because we have very wide-ranging powers, particularly in the legislative field, and because we do extremely well out of public spending allocation. If Alex Salmond is urging on me some form of long-term public-private partnership or private finance initiative arrangement, I am surprised that he has spent the past two years telling me what a disgrace it is...
Donald Dewar: I did not realise that Mr McLetchie was taking on himself clerical powers. His somewhat pawky manner occasionally suggests something from Trollope. I met the Secretary of State for Scotland very recently and spoke to him on the telephone two days ago, I think. I refer Mr McLetchie to the answer I gave some moments ago. The secretary of state and I discussed a variety of subjects and, as I...
Donald Dewar: The intention is that the money should go directly to Scottish schools. In a sense, the decisions on how it is spent in those schools will lie with the schools. We are discussing with education authorities the best machinery for achieving that. The point is that the money will be an important addition to their funding. It will give them an element of flexibility that I believe will be widely...
Donald Dewar: That was a rather long and convoluted point, but it is, I think, of very little substance. I know of no demand, outside the rather strange, mysterious and certainly small world of the Conservative party, for that change. On this occasion, we made a specific gesture, finding sums of £30,000 and more for secondary schools, and £3,000 and more—depending on the size of the school—for...
Donald Dewar: Mr Andrew Wilson may have a justified reputation for being clever, but when he makes juvenile remarks of that kind, his question is not worth answering.
Donald Dewar: The farming industry continues to account for some 60,000 jobs in rural Scotland. Over the past year, the number of people in rural Scotland who were unemployed for more than six months fell by 1,500, or 12 per cent. We will continue that downward pressure, and I hope for further progress.
