Parliamentary questions

Annabel Goldie

508 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

22 Nov 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take to increase employment opportunities for people aged 50 and over.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the funding and delivery of the New Deal, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive. The New Deal 50plus offers personal advice, job search sup…

25 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Scottish Qualifications Authority must retain examination papers before they can be destroyed.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The retention of marked scripts is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. However, I understand from SQA that scripts are destroyed at the end of the appeals process each year.

23 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to redraw local authority boundaries.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Under the existing legislative provisions the next statutory review of local authority boundaries is not scheduled to take place until 2004 at the earliest.

3 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5615 by Susan Deacon on 25 May 2000, over what period of time the organs retained by Yorkhill Children's Hospital were accumulated.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-9037.

3 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5615 by Susan Deacon on 25 May 2000, how many organs are retained at Yorkhill Children's Hospital.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-9037.

3 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5615 by Susan Deacon on 25 May 2000, whether, if as a consequence of the review being undertaken a residue of organs is retained due to their particular and continuing educational value, the parents of the children from whom those organs were removed…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The removal and retention of organs and tissues from children who died in Yorkhill Hospital has raised questions which are both complex and distressing. I recently met senior representatives of the Yorkhill NHS Trust who are currently checking and validating …

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it currently employs on the New Deal scheme, broken down by department.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive currently employs 12 staff under the New Deal. They work in the following Departments and Agencies:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=484><TR><TD WIDTH="73%" VALIGN="TOP">Area</TD><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="…

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to list each strategy document published since July 1999 and the associated costs of publication and distribution for each.

Answer · Jack McConnell: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

21 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-958 by Mr Frank McAveety on 20 January 2000, when it intends to collate the information relating to the gross annual cost, including salaries, office provision and support, and loan and leasing charges, of the delivery by local authorities of economi…

Answer · Frank McAveety: There are no plans at present to collate these figures. However, the content of the Local Financial Returns is kept under constant review, balancing central Government's need for information against the burden the returns place on the local authorities.

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-146 by Donald Dewar on 2 July 1999, whether it will provide updated information on the staff employed in its Policy Unit, including the job titles, role and payscales of each member of staff and the line manager, contract length and office location o…

Answer · Donald Dewar: Further to my Answer of 2 July, the staff currently employed in the Policy Unit, with job title, reporting line, contract length and office location, are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN=…

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total annual employment costs of employing a full complement of (a) special advisers and (b) other staff within its Policy Unit are.

Answer · Donald Dewar: At present there are five Special Advisers employed within the Policy Unit at a total annual employment cost of £275,000. The cost of employing the other staff within the Policy Unit is £200,000.

22 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of subsidy are granted to Caledonian MacBrayne in respect of the ferry operations between (a) Ardrossan and Brodick and (b) Brodick and Ardrossan.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-2702.

22 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of subsidy are granted to Caledonian MacBrayne in respect of the ferry operations between (a) Wemyss Bay and Rothesay and (b) Rothesay and Wemyss Bay.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-2702.

22 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of subsidy are granted to Caledonian MacBrayne in respect of the ferry operations between (a) Gourock and Dunoon and (b) Dunoon and Gourock.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The deficit subsidy grant awarded to Caledonian MacBrayne to meet the annual operating loss is constituted as a block payment. The Annual Report and Accounts of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd provides results analysed by area of operation.

24 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1297 by Henry McLeish on 15 September 1999, whether it will list the name and objective of each regulation introduced in Scotland since 1 May 1997 and provide details of the Compliance Cost Assessment and/or Regulatory Impact Assessment prepared in e…

Answer · Henry McLeish: The details requested on the 15 regulations referred to in the reply to question S1W-1297 are set out in the table below. Copies of the Compliance Cost Assessment (CCA) or Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) prepared in each case were placed in the House Libra…

24 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1394 by Mr Jack McConnell on 21 September 1999, whether there were any other costs associated with Making it Work Together: A Programme for Government, other than those outlined in the answer and, if so, what these costs were and to what they amounte…

Answer · Jack McConnell: There were no further costs incurred in relation to the publication and launch of Making it Work Together: A Programme for Government other than those given in the answer I gave to question S1W-1394 on 21 September.

24 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1408 by Mr Jack McConnell on 21 September 1999, how many copies of Making it Work: A Programme for Government have been sold to date at the recommended price of #4.95.

Answer · Jack McConnell: As at 1 October approximately 90 copies of Making it Work: A Programme for Government had been sold through The Stationery Office outlets.

8 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, having regard to the comments in Renfrewshire Enterprise's Economic Audit of 1999 regarding gridlock on the M8 and Kingston Bridge and its impact on new investment and existing business, and the concerns of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce regarding that and the completion date of the…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The M74 Northern Extension is one of 17 major road schemes being considered in the Strategic Roads Review. I reported to Parliament on the review today.

7 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total cost of launching and publishing Making It Work Together: A Programme for Government.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The total costs of publication and launch of Making It Work Together (design, photography, printing, Internet web conversion of the text, distribution and costs of the launch at Scottish Power, Cumbernauld on Monday 6 September 1999) are estimated…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total number of jobs lost in Scotland since May 1997, broken down by sector and geographical area.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no published figures on overall job loss or job creation for Scotland.Civilian Workforce Jobs series data, which are available quarterly on a seasonally unadjusted basis, show that the total number of employee jobs in Scotland has…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many business regulations have been introduced in Scotland since May 1997.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Since May 1997 15 regulations with varying degrees of impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies have been introduced in Scotland and a Compliance Cost Assessment or Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared in each case.

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding scheme operated by the Scottish Office offering local authorities one half share of the cost of installing C.C.T.V. is still available.

Answer · Angus MacKay: On 11 August 1999 I announced that £3 million will be available in the financial year 2000-01 to fund the new 'Make our Communities Safer' Challenge Competition. £1.5 million will go to projects addressing wider community safety projects and £1.5 million…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that hospices across Scotland are funded on a consistent basis and, if not, why not.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Under the arrangements set out in the NHSiS Management Executive Letter MEL(1994)104, which is still in force, Health Boards have been asked to fund around 50% of agreed running costs of the adult voluntary hospices. The MEL recognised that the exact level wo…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether palliative care is part of the strategic provision of health care in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive believes that palliative care should be available to all who need it, whether they are suffering from cancer or some other degenerative disease.Health Boards are responsible for meeting the health care needs…

24 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to bring within the planning control of local authorities the erection of telecommunication masts not exceeding 15 metres in height.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The erection of telecommunications masts require planning permission except where they qualify for permitted development rights under Class 67 of the Town and Country Planning) (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.In Decemb…

22 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive if it intends to give consideration to the current absence of a Right of Appeal to an unsuccessful objector against a planning application in which planning permission has been granted by the planning authority.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no plans at present for the Scottish Executive to consider introducing a third party right of appeal into the planning system.It is, of course, open to the new Scottish Executive or Parliament to consider the …

1 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Special Advisers it intends to employ; to specify the estimated annual cost of employing Special Advisers; who is appointing Special Advisers; and, what are the guidelines on the pay of Special Advisers.

Answer · Donald Dewar: I announced on 20 May 1999 the appointment with effect from 17 May of a Principal Special Adviser and a Spokesman. These are personal appointments, accountable to me and were made under the authority of the April 1999 Civil Service Order in Council. I have …

1 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals (including drivers) will be employed in the Private Office of each Scottish Minister (including the First Minister and the Scottish Law Officers) and junior Scottish Minister; to specify what the responsibilities of each of these members of staff will be; and, what is…

Answer · Donald Dewar: The function of Private Office staff is to support Ministers in the efficient and effective execution of their duties. Information about the projected staffing levels in Ministerial Private Offices is given in my reply today to the question from Mr Gallie. …