Parliamentary questions
Fiona Hyslop
940 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it gave, or has given, its approval for amendments to be tabled at Westminster to the Proceeds of Crime Bill which will give mandatory powers for sheriffs in relation to confiscation orders.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Yes. Scottish ministers agreed the Government amendments providing for mandatory confiscation powers in Scotland.
4 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any discussions it has had, and with whom, regarding any amendment to the Proceeds of Crime Bill subsequent to the resolution of the Parliament on the Bill on 24 October 2001.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Ministers and officials from the Scottish Executive, the Scotland Office and the Home Office are regularly discussing the Proceeds of Crime Bill as it passes through its parliamentary stages at Westminster. This includes discussion of amendments affecting Sco…
4 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what processes it has in place to consult the Parliament on any changes to Bills following approaches by Westminster Departments in accordance with paragraph 17 of Devolution Guidance Note 10: Post Devolution Primary Legislation Affecting Scotland.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Executive is committed to keeping the Parliament informed by means of supplementary memoranda of any significant changes to Bills during their passage at Westminster in relation to devolved matters. If such changes are made which are not covered by the te…
4 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by Her Majesty's Government on any amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Bill since the resolution of the Parliament on the Bill on 24 October 2001.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Yes. Ministers and officials from the Scottish Executive, the Scotland Office and the Home Office are regularly discussing the Proceeds of Crime Bill as it passes through its parliamentary stages at Westminster. This includes discussion of amendments affectin…
21 Nov 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education has in monitoring the educational performance of pupils in schools that are part of Public/Private Partnership projects.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The provision of education in schools which are part of Public/Private Partnership projects is the responsibility of the education authority for the area concerned. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education has a role in monitoring educational performance in al…
24 Oct 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what education research supports increasing significantly the number of composite classes of Primary 1, 2 and 3 children in order to achieve reduction of all class si'es to 30.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Results from the school census indicate that between 1998 and 2000 the number of composite classes involving P1 to P3 classes declined from 2,374 to 2,329.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Midlothian constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Livingston constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Linlithgow constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh West constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh South constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Edinburgh Central constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much is owed, in total, to its Security Branch staff in back pay and travel allowances, what grades of staff these monies are owed to, over what period of time these monies have accrued, why this position has arisen, when these monies are to be paid and what steps have been taken rega…
Answer · Angus MacKay: There is no money due to security staff in back pay. Management in the Scottish Executive became aware earlier this year that security staff had not been claiming payment for time spent travelling to work. Steps have been taken to ensure that security staff a…
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its Security Branch management staff have had complaints lodged against them by other staff since amalgamation and, if so, what the nature of the complaints have been, what grades the staff members who have had such complaints lodged against them are, how such complaints ha…
Answer · Angus MacKay: The information requested is an internal management matter. Under the terms of the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>, personnel records are exempt from the commitment to provide information.
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what systems it has instituted to protect its staff against workplace bullying and, in particular, whether a confidential helpline is in place.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has a harassment policy in place. This includes bullying and applies to all staff working in the Executive. Well-established procedures exist for staff who feel that they are victims of workplace harassment or bullying to report and to …
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff have taken sick leave as a result of stress-related conditions, and how many sick days in total this represents, in each year since its inception and whether the reasons for these conditions have been identified.
Answer · Angus MacKay: In the 12-month period from 1 August 1999 to 31 July 2000, 82 officers took sick leave because of stress-related illnesses. These absences represented a loss of 3,402 working days.<P>In the following 12-month period, 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001, 73 officers…
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies or public bodies within its responsibility, will undertake any regular inspection of the conditions and treatment of asylum seekers at Dungavel House when it begins use as a detention centre.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question 17739 on 4 September 2001.
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish social work services will have any involvement in assessing the suitability of Dungavel House as a detention centre.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Home Office is responsible for the Immigration Detention Centre at Dungavel House, Strathaven, under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales will be responsible for inspection. However, the Immig…
23 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its employees will be protected under TUPE regulations if further services are outsourced and whether these protections will match those which would apply to civil servants employed in England or Wales.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The TUPE Regulations implement obligations under European law and apply in the same way throughout Great Britain. Therefore, if the regulations apply they will have the same effect whether the affected civil servants work in Scotland, England or Wales. Whethe…
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) regarding the length of time clients are expected to stay in emergency accommodation while awaiting a NASS decision on support in the light of the Social Justice Committee's response to Petition: PE242 on asylu…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including asylum seekers.
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government and the National Asylum Support Service regarding the issues concerning the voucher system for asylum seekers raised in the Social Justice Committee's response to Petition: PE242.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including asylum seekers.
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the National Asylum Support Service regarding any resourcing problems faced by those voluntary organisations involved in offering services and assistance to asylum seekers in Scotland, as identified in the Social Justice Committee's response to Petition…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including asylum seekers.
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address problems faced by asylum seekers in Scotland.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: We have announced a number of significant developments in relation to asylum and refugee issues. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scotland is to have its own minister with responsibility for all devolved aspects of asylum issues. These include health, education, social wor…
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to address the issues identified by the Social Justice Committee's response to Petition PE242 on asylum seekers.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17706.
22 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it passed a copy of the Social Justice Committee's response to Petition: PE242 on asylum seekers to the Home Office and, if so, whether it made any recommendations about the content of the report.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including asylum seekers.
21 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering any transfer of its assets at Victoria Quay.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive commissioned a consultancy study in March this year to review the provision of facilities management services including those services currently provided in Victoria Quay. The consultants were asked to advise on a range of potential opt…
21 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering outsourcing any further services concerned with the management of its estate and buildings.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive commissioned a consultancy study in March this year to review the provision of facilities management services. The consultants were asked to advise on a range of potential options including the evaluation of different mixes of in-house …