Parliamentary questions

Cathie Craigie

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

18 Sep 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging people to use public transport.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is encouraging people to use public transport in a number of ways, including the launch on 18 September of Traveline Scotland, a telephone enquiry service providing timetable and journey planning information, which aims to encourage tra…

11 Sep 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will recognise World Al'heimer's Day 2002.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive already provides substantial support to Alzheimer Scotland, the Dementia Services Development Centre, and carers' organisations, and has no special plans to recognise World Alzheimer's Day 2002 on 21 September.

20 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which voluntary organisations have been allocated (a) direct and (b) indirect grants in 2002-03 and how much was allocated in each case.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has released today, a spreadsheet detailing direct and indirect grants to voluntary organisations in 2002-03 In 2002-03 the Executive will be providing £228.4 million directly and £131.3 million indirectly - almost £360 million in total - to the…

12 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in measuring the incidence of rough sleeping.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Current monitoring of the RSI target involves a three-stage assessment, which is repeated annually. Full details of the methodology being employed are contained in the reply given to question on 11 September 2001. The report of the full three-stage assess…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council in Jersey.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The British-Irish Council (BIC) held its third summit meeting, in Jersey, on 14 June. The main focus of the meeting was the knowledge economy, on which Jersey takes the lead. The meeting was a useful and constructive one. Besides agreeing an approach to close…

10 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent No Speeding Day, what steps are being taken to ensure that messages on safe driving are successfully targeting younger drivers.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Through the Scottish Road Safety Campaign, the Scottish Executive targets road safety messages at all drivers, including younger drivers. The campaign has produced two cinema adverts specifically aimed at young drivers. These will again be screened during …

6 Feb 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the victims of crime.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Strategy for Victims is promoting a wide-ranging programme of initiatives to improve the support and information available to victims and to provide them with more opportunities to participate in the criminal justice process.

23 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to combat bullying in schools.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Bullying in Scotland's schools is unacceptable and is an issue that the Scottish Executive takes very seriously. We are committed to helping schools and education authorities to develop effective approaches to tackling bullying. Guidance has been issued to as…

18 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies to be completed.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We expect the report on the A80, A8 and M74 studies around the end of May.

19 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14638 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 April 2001, when it will publish the results of its check on the implementation of the recommendations made in Sensing Progress.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Social Work Services Inspectorate will monitor local authorities progress in implementing the recommendations of Sensing Progress and the Chief Inspector of Social Work will record this in his 2002 annual report, a publication date for which has no…

9 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14638 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 April 2001, how it will monitor the implementation of the recommendations made in Sensing Progress.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Social Work Services Inspectorate will monitor what progress has been made by local authorities in implementing the recommendations made in Sensing Progress through their annual visits to all local authorities in Scotland and the Chief Inspector of Soc…

7 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to make it possible for public transport operators to introduce through ticketing, especially for those travelling by rail and bus.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive announced a five-point Action Plan on Through Ticketing on 18 March 2000. Since then the plan has been subsumed by the Transport Direct Initiative, in which the Scottish Executive is committed to playing a full part. Transport Direct is…

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the target of having a nursery place available for all three-year-olds whose parents want one will be met.

Answer · Jack McConnell: By the end of the 2000-01 school year we expect participation of eligible three-year-olds to rise to approximately 80% and we expect to meet the target in full by April 2002.

28 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how and when it will implement the #100 million at home care package for older people announced on 5 October 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The additional resources are being made available progressively to 2003-04. We are issuing guidance on implementation of the various elements to local authorities and health boards; we are also entering into partnership agreements with local authorities.

12 Mar 2001 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Executive plans to encourage more people to take up engineering apprenticeships.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are now over 5,000 Modern Apprentices training in engineering, a threefold increase since 1997. We are working with the Enterprise Network and the engineering sector to build on this success by promoting the benefits of modern apprenticeships to enginee…

22 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the arrangements on entitlement to concessionary travel.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Yes. I intend to amend existing legislation to equalise eligibility for travel concessions for men in Scotland at the pension age for women.

31 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote Scotland's distinctive attractions to encourage tourism.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive's New Strategy for Scottish Tourism contains many new actions designed to grow tourism throughout Scotland. Visitscotland is the lead agency in promoting Scotland's attractions and encouraging tourism. Implementation of the recommendations conta…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Programme for Government commitment to encourage the improvement and integration of concessionary fare schemes on public transport for pensioners and those with special needs.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: New resources will be provided to local authorities to enhance existing concessionary travel schemes in order to provide elderly people and those with disabilities in Scotland with free local bus travel within existing scheme boundaries from October 2002 for …

12 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in introducing measures which will require all new ground-based telecommunication masts to be subject to full planning controls.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I intend to issue draft regulations and a draft National Planning Policy Guideline for consultation next month.

28 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce regulations which would allow procedures to be established to examine properly the suitability and content of literature distributed to children within the vicinity of schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive has no such plans.Schools already have a duty of care in common law with a particular responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of pupils.If a Headteacher has cause to be concerned about the activity of groups or individuals in the v…

31 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2943 by Susan Deacon on 17 December 1999, whether it now has any plans to provide a dedicated brain injury rehabilitation unit for children and teenagers in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I expect to receive the report of the Neurosurgery Working Group, with their advice on this issue, shortly.

19 Jan 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish, as part of its regular Statistical Bulletins, the number of Careless Driving Offences where a death has occurred.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We regularly publish statistics on road traffic accidents and motor vehicle offences. Our statistics on offences reflect associated legal definitions. In the case of deaths, the offences for which statistics are provided are "causing death by dangerous drivin…

3 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young men in Scotland currently suffer from Aspergers Syndrome, what resources exist at present for sufferers and whether it has any plans to increase provision of such resources.

Answer · Iain Gray: Information on the number of people with Aspergers Syndrome is not held centrally. People with Aspergers Syndrome have access to health and community care services. The level of these services is for health boards and local authorities to determine in the li…

3 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide a dedicated acquired brain injury rehabilitation unit for children and teenagers in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer is currently chairing a Working Group which is considering the provision of neurosurgical services in Scotland. The provision of a dedicated paediatric head injury rehabilitation unit is one of the issues that is being addressed by t…

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to secure a Scotland wide concessionary transport scheme for pensioners.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Concessionary travel schemes for pensioners are currently administered by local authorities who have the powers to operate joint schemes if they wish. We are looking at ways to encourage improvement and integration of such schemes.

27 Oct 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to secure a Scotland wide concessionary transport scheme for pensioners.

21 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the final report from the Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Donald Dewar: I received the final report today and am placing a copy of it in the Parliamentary library. Copies are being sent out to all local authorities in Scotland, to all Members of the Scottish Parliament, to all Community Councils and to everyone who responded to t…

17 Jun 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote the involvement of local citi'ens in the democratic renewal of communities across Scotland.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Report of the Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament was presented to the First Minister on Tuesday. We are considering the recommendations of the Report and I hope there will be an early opportunity to debate these.

16 Jun 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote the involvement of local citi'ens in the democratic renewal of communities across Scotland.