I was present at the debate which discussed all this. I am a
somewhat sad to report that the Amendment, proposed by Fiona
McLeod and very ably supported and argued, was defeated. This
Amendment proposed that the Motion needed something on How to
Achieve that Vision ie a framework for proceeding to make it all
happen.
The debate was lively and of high quality but the majority of our
MSPs were absent during it. Throughout the entire debate only
about 25 Members were present to hear what was proposed in that
Amendment. Crucial issues ranging from the technical problems
such as telephony, through achievement of protection of privacy,
to social issues such as people's access to the networks
irrespective of where they live were raised.
Peter Peacock, in his summary, argued that any framework, as
proposed by the Amendment, would "put us into a straightjacket".
It is interesting to note the voting results:
Amendment Yes = 28 No = 76 Abstentions = 0
Motion Yes = 74 No = 1 Abstentions = 30
So, in my view, while we now have our wonderful, forward-looking
Digital Scotland, the really interesting thing will be to analyse
just *how* it will happen and progress.
The 1999 'Information for Scotland VI' Conference, which took
place the week before the debate (Fiona McLeod was one of the
delegates) explored very many of the crucial issues. Perhaps she
and/or Peter Peacock may be invited to next year's conference to
give the Scottish information community an update on Digital
Scotland's progress.
Finally, it was noted that on the very date of the debate, but in
1477, Caxton produced the first book printed in England. Could 18
Novenber 1999 be the digital watershed for Scotland?
Pat Napier
--- On Tue, 7 Dec 1999 12:15:16 +0000 (GMT) Prof Bruce Royan
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Digital Scotland, a cross-ministerial grouping, has been
established to
co-ordinate the development of networks in Scotland, under the
chairmanship of Peter Peacock. Digital Scotland is looking at an
educational cluster - the public library network, the National
Grid for
Learning, the Scottish University for Industry and Further
Education. It
is recognised that the educational cluster will require a
broadband
solution.
Official Report of the debate of 18 November is at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/session99-00/or0
30805.htm#Col759
The Motion that was debated is:
S1M-295 Peter Peacock: Digital Scotland Initiative -- That the
Parliament
recognises the crucial importance to Scotland's economic and
social
well-being of embracing and making full use of new developments
in digital
information and communications technology; believes that Scotland
must
seize the opportunities offered to gain competitive economic
advantage,
enhance learning opportunities for all, open up information
resources to
every citizen, and offer modern and efficient public services;
believes
that every community in Scotland must have high quality access to
digital
technology and information in the future no matter where they
live; and
welcomes the creation by the Executive of the Ministerial
Committee on
Digital Scotland and the Digital Scotland Task Force to create a
partnership which will help develop a shared analysis of the
challenges
and champion the opportunities for Scotland arising from
developments in
information and communications technology, co-ordinate action and help to
create conditions where Scotland can realise the benefits of working at
the leading edge of application of those technological developments.
It was supported by: Mr Jim Wallace*, Mr Sam Galbraith*, Mr Jack
McConnell*, Ross Finnie*
Prof Bruce Royan, CEO, SCRAN (Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network)
http://www.scran.ac.uk/ tel (+44) 131 662 1211 fax(+44) 131 662 1511
-----------------End of Original Message-----------------
-------------------------------------
Name: pat & charlie napier
E-mail: p&[log in to unmask]
Date: 08/12/99
Time: 10:22:07
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