Media Briefing - Dec 1, 2005
Morning briefing
Transport announcements
The First Minister's Official Spokesperson opened the briefing by informing journalists that Transport Minister Tavish Scott has announced that the contract to build Caledonian MacBrayne's new ferry, for its Largs-Cumbrae route, has been awarded to the Ferguson shipyard. The Minister has also announced the future route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral road.
Asked if the First Minister will comment on the route the FMOS said that unless it comes up at First Minister's questions, it is likely Mr Scott will lead on the issue.
Winter advice
The FMOS said advice for the public on how to deal with the predicted severe weather ahead is now available on the Executive's website. It includes advice on protecting homes from flooding, how to make houses more energy efficient and how to drive safely in winter conditions. www.scotland.gov.uk/winter
Today's other events
The FMOS said Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm will attend an Employers in Voluntary Housing event while his deputy Johann Lamont hosts the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF) annual awards, in Glasgow. Tourism Culture and Sport Minister Patricia Ferguson will speak at the at Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management in Dunblane. Ms Fergusson has also marked World AIDS day by highlighting the work of Scottish-based aid agencies in helping tackle Malawi's HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The work is backed by over £1.2 million from the Executive. Environment Minister Ross Finnie will open and close a Parliamentary debate on fisheries, Deputy Finance Minister George Lyon will respond for the Executive to a member's debate on council tax in very sheltered housing and Education Minister Peter Peacock will open and close a debate on Ambitious, Excellent Schools.
Ambitious, Excellent Schools
The FMOS went on say that tomorrow Mr Peacock will be in Glasgow to meet almost 50 headteachers and update them on the Executive's far-reaching education reforms. It's just over a year since the most comprehensive modernisation programme in Scottish schools for a generation - Ambitious, Excellent Schools - was launched.
Asked if an announcement is connected to the visit the FMOS said he was not aware of one and reminded journalists of today's debate in Parliament today. The FMOS said that as the visit is one of several planned to take place throughout Scotland over the next two weeks, it is likely that the minister is simply engaging with the headteachers.
Asked if Irvine Laidlaw, or anyone else, has donated money to the Executive for Scottish schools the FMOS later clarified that the Executive is engaged in ongoing dialogue with Irvine Laidlaw about how he might be prepared to support education in Scotland. These discussions have been ongoing for some time and are continuing.
To date Mr Laidlaw has not contributed financially to Schools of Ambition although he has given £ 40,000 to Keith Academy. He also supports, through the Laidlaw Youth Project, various children's projects in Scotland and has funded places for Scottish headteachers to attend a two-day leadership conference in London.
To date companies such as Microsoft, Scottish Power and British Telecom have dedicated personnel and time to the programme and many small businesses throughout the country have committed their support to schools in their particular areas.
Support is not necessarily about money, it is about using the expertise these partners can bring - that could be in the areas of leadership, motivation or technology, for example.
Airport authorities and alleged terror flights
Asked which authority the Executive considers to police Scotland's airports and whose responsibility it is to investigate suggestions that Scottish airports are used for refuelling planes carrying terror suspects to countries that may torture them, the FMOS referred journalists to the Lord Advocate's comments in Parliament last week when he said that the Justice Minister, or indeed any other minister, can not instruct the police to investigate, although the Lord Advocate does have that power to direct the police. The Lord Advocate also said that if people have evidence they should bring it to the attention of the police.
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