Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31365 on 24 February 2010. All answers 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

This government firmly believes it is important that our young people have the opportunity to take part in swimming. We have increased investment into Scottish Swimming from £818,000 in 2007-08 to £1.3 million in 2010-11. The biggest ever single investment by sportscotland in a Scottish governing body of sport.

We have also provided Scottish Swimming with additional funding of £100,000 over two years to 2011 to support the appointment of two Healthy Living Managers to implement and deliver a healthy living strategy.

Since 2007 this government through sportscotland have invested over £8.4 million in swimming facilities. Our recent announcement of £5.5 million for the development of swimming pools and facilities in Fife and Tayside and our £5 million commitment towards a new 50m pool in Aberdeen, demonstrates this government''s commitment to increase participation in this sport.

The Scottish Government is spending £3.5 million through the Scottish Funding Council in this academic year to support skills and employability initiatives focused on work-related learning and placements; entrepreneurship, and workforce development.

The closure of the existing Graduates for Business Scheme, which was administered by Scottish Enterprise, followed an independent evaluation which highlighted concerns about geographic coverage and the consistency of the programme. I therefore welcome Scottish Enterprise''s plans to have an alternative programme in place by the end of June that will address these issues and deliver even better value for money.

Ministers are still to decide in the light of proposals which are currently being developed for the new national advocacy service to support parents and young people in Tribunal proceedings under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

Yes.

The Scottish Government values the contribution made by local newspapers to Scotland''s communities and is committed to helping them survive and prosper in a time of immense change for the industry.

We are paying close attention to the responses we have received to the consultation on the future of Public Information Notices and will pay particular attention to the views expressed by Parliament last week. The consultation closes on 12 February 2010.

On the same day, Jim Mather will host an event for local newspapers to explore some of the challenges and opportunities which currently confront the sector. In addition, we will, of course, take very serious account of the findings of the inquiry into local newspapers being carried out by the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on the numbers of teachers receiving modern languages in the primary school training. However, we do engage closely with interested parties, particularly through meetings of the COALA (Cultural Organisations and Local Authority Advisers) network, which brings together local authority quality improvement officers with a focus on modern languages and a range of other organisations. This gives us regular opportunities to hear directly about issues in relation to modern languages in primary schools, including training, and to discuss developments.

In addition the Scottish Government provides annual funding to Learning and Teaching Scotland, the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research, and British Council Scotland to help primary and secondary teachers engage fully with the expectations for modern languages within Curriculum for Excellence, one of which is that schools will offer a modern language beginning no later than primary six.

Our vision for Scotland is that our children and young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. The outdoor environment has massive potential to help us achieve this vision. That is why we are investing in the production and promotion of guidance and an online resource to support opportunities presented by the new curriculum for learning in the outdoors. This work has been taken forward on behalf of the Outdoor Learning Strategic Advisory Group and Learning and Teaching Scotland. The guidance and online resource will be launched in spring 2010.

The Scottish Government has released £1.6 million to support a Justice Department targeted intervention scheme that will include use of the outdoors to turn round the lives of some of our most vulnerable young people. Details of the programme will be announced soon.

There is a wide range of facilities such as Castle Toward across Scotland which are both local authority and privately owned and it is not for the Scottish Government to intervene in the administration and upkeep of all of these.

Graduates have participated in a total of 266 projects under the Graduates for Business scheme over the past two years, contributing to the improved performance of a range of Scottish businesses. Scottish Enterprise has confirmed that it plans to have an alternative programme in place by the end of June with improved geographic coverage and consistency and which will deliver even better value for money than its predecessor.

Ministers have had no correspondence or discussions with Argyll and Bute about the proposed closure of Castle Toward. I refer the member to the question to S3W-31095 on 4 February 2010. All answers 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.