Fiona Hyslop

24 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, within each children's services planning area, services are led jointly by a senior member of the relevant council and a senior figure from the NHS, as referred to in Action Point 1 of For Scotland's Children.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All areas now have in placelocal arrangements for planning joint services for children and young people.These should involve not only the council and NHS, but other relevantinterests, including, the police, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administrationand volun…

24 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to NHS boards on the lead commissioner of children's services role identified in For Scotland's Children under “Planning and Priorities Guidance 1999/2000”, and whether such guidance will be reviewed in light of the report into the death of Caleb Ne…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Guidance on the role of the Child Health Commissioner was issued to NHS boards in <i>A Template for ChildHealth Services within Unified NHS Board areas</i>, published in June 2001. We willconsider the need to revise this guidance in the context of our work wi…

6 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce regulation of membership of council committees on a similar basis to England and Wales where proportionality is a requirement.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.</p>

5 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering introducing legislation in respect of party representation on council committees as part of its consultation on the draft Local Governance (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.</p>

5 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports COSLA guidance issued to local authorities in respect of party representation on council committees.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The issue of party representationon council committees is an internal matter for councils. It is for individual councilsto decide whether to adopt the guidance issued by COSLA.</p>

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be open to local authorities to direct resources from their schools fund allocations towards supporting prudential borrowing, where such borrowing relates to the school estate.

Answer · Peter Peacock: It is not open to localauthorities to use schools fund resources to support the cost of direct councilborrowing for capital investment.</p>

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to continue to make resources available to local authorities through the schools fund beyond 2005-06.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities’ shares of the schools fund are confirmed up to 2005-06. However, we recognise thatimproving and maintaining school buildings is a long-term issue and haveindicated that we intend that substantial resources will continue to beavailable over …

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minster for Education and Young People will reply to my letter of 24 July 2003 regarding St. Ninians School.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I wrote to the member on 30 June 2004.</p>

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be financial implications for further education colleges as a result of its participation in the Bologna process.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There are no specific financialimplications expected for further education colleges as a result of the Scottish Executive’s participation in the Bologna process. Bologna is an integral process which seeks to enhanceeducational co-operation and mobility across…

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Bologna process will affect its lifelong learning provision.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Bolognaprocess recognises the importance of higher education for lifelong learning.This is consistent with the Executive’s lifelong strategy “Life ThroughLearning: Learning Through Life”.</p>

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement in the general report of the Bologna follow-up seminar in Athens that &#147;it is clear that tuition fees can form severe access thresholds&#148; and whether it will review its graduate endowment scheme accordingly.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Tuitionfees can be perceived as an impediment to accessing full-time higher educationcourses. That is precisely why we abolished tuition fees for all eligibleScottish domiciled and EU students undertaking a full-time higher educationcourse in Scotland since a…

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be financial implications for higher education institutions as a result of reforms through the Bologna process.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There are no specific financialimplications expected for higher education institutions as a result of reformsrecommended by the Bologna Declaration. Bologna isan integral process which seeks to enhance educational co-operation andmobility across Europe. Insti…

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learned from other higher education systems in Europe as a result of the Bologna process.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has learntthat Scotland is well advanced in meeting the key principles of the Bologna Declaration. Specifically at the Berlin conference, we learnt thatScotland has a national credit and qualifications framework and a higher educationquality ass…

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning signed the Berlin Communiqui at the Berlin Conference of European Ministers in charge of higher education on 18 and 19 September 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The text of the BerlinCommuniqué was agreed by all delegations participating in the conference. Therewas no formal signing process.</p>

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning received any guarantees at the Berlin Conference of European Ministers in charge of higher education on 18 and 19 September 2003 on the importance of recognising national frameworks.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The European ministerialconference was held to review the progress being made towards the implementingthe principles of the Bologna Declaration. Forty countries are now committed tothis process, which recognises the need for diversity and flexibility. This is…

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what capacity the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning attended the Berlin Conference of European Ministers in charge of higher education on 18 and 19 September 2003.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Deputy Minister for Enterpriseand Lifelong Learning attended the recent European conference as a member of theUKdelegation.</p>

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional resources for South Lanarkshire Council for translation, interpretation and close support for children detained at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre if the Home Office allow the education of such children in mainstream schooling.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Such matters would be considered,as appropriate, within the context of our discussions with the Home Office aboutthe recommendations in the recent reports by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and HMInspectorate of Education.</p>

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will offer South Lanarkshire Council to provide education services for children detained at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre if the Home Office allow the education of such children in mainstream schooling.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Such matters would be considered,as appropriate, within the context of our discussions with the Home Office aboutthe recommendations in the recent reports by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and HMInspectorate of Education.</p>

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the action referred to by the Minister for Communities in the Parliament on 11 September 2003 in relation to education services at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre was.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2655 today, which is available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parl…

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements have been made in the education system at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to by the Minister for Communities in the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Answer · Peter Peacock: HM Inspectorate of Education’supdate report on education provision at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre,published by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in August 2003, sets out the improvementsmade following the October 2002 inspection. The information req…

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take forward the recommendations on education provision at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to by the Minister for Communities in the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The recent HM Chief Inspectorof Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Education reports are addressed to the Home Office.Home Office ministers are discussing with the Scottish Executive how the recommendationscan be taken forward.</p>

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the involvement of ministers is in matters relating to education services at the Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to by the Minister for Communities in the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Scottish Executive ministers have raised with Home Office ministers theimportance of engaging Scotland’s school inspectors in the inspection ofeducation provision and standards at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre,and are in discussion with Home Offic…

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policy and practice issues relating to children, young people and education which impact upon the experiences of refugees in Scotland were identified by the children's services satellite group of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested isgiven on pages 75 to 98 of <i>Scottish Refugee Integration Forum, Draft SupportingDocument</i> published by Astron in 2002, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 24663).</p>

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides for newly-qualified teachers following the one-year probationary system.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We have recently issued in theautumn of last year to all teachers and schools, guidance on the Professional Reviewand Development process. This document, that was prepared in collaboration withlocal authorities and other key stakeholders, describes the types …

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional pressures have been put on school staffing as a result of mentoring and supervising probationary teachers in the one-year probationary teacher system.

Answer · Peter Peacock: None. Probationer teachers havealways required support and mentoring, and this has traditionally been a responsibilityof all teachers. Since the introduction of the teacher induction scheme, with itsmore formalised mentoring regime, the Executive has made add…

15 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional work for existing staff in respect of the one-year probationary teacher system was taken into account in the recent job-si'ing exercise carried out as part of the McCrone agreement.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The job-sizing exercise encompassesall management responsibilities outlined in the agreement <i>A Teaching Professionfor the 21st Century</i>. This includes the management and guidance of colleagues.However, it should be noted that there is no requirement for…

10 Sep 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what structures it has in place to monitor, review and examine the implementation of the McCrone agreement.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish NegotiatingCommittee for Teachers (SNCT), a tripartite body with representatives fromlocal authorities, teacher organisations and the Scottish Executive, isresponsible for the implementation of all aspects of the agreement <i>ATeaching Profession…

8 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be put in place to ensure that offending is reduced after prisoners are released from the proposed new prisons at (a) Addiewell and (b) Low Moss; how many prison staff at each prison will participate in Scottish Prison Service training programmes, and in which progr…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service aimsto reduce the risk of prisoners re-offending on release from prison. Arrangementsto support these objective…

8 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it expects to be employed in each of the proposed new prisons at Addiewell and Low Moss.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Staffing levels will be determinedby the operator of the proposed prisons. It is expected that between 350 and 400staff may be involved in…

8 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many places in each of the proposed new prisons at Addiewell and Low Moss will be (a) suitable for and (b) intended for (i) prisoners being held on remand prior to conviction, (ii) prisoners serving sentences under four years (short-term prisoners), (iii) prisoners serving sentences o…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Each prison will provide about700 cells and be designed appropriately to meet the long-term needs of the prisonservice in Scotland by bein…