Parliamentary questions
Fiona Hyslop
940 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve services for children of drug or alcohol-dependent parents.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The proposals in <i>Gettingit Right for Every Child</i> will improve services for all children, includingthose whose parents are misusing drugs or alcohol. This will be achieved throughintegrated assessments, a single electronic record and an agreed plan of a…
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what total outstanding debt is owed to the Student Loans Company Ltd by Scottish-domiciled borrowers.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The total outstanding debtowed to the Student Loans Company Ltd by Scottish-domiciled borrowers up to andincluding financial year 2004-05 is £1,474,569,000.</p>
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of students studying nursing or midwifery.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We have no plans to undertakeresearch to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of students studying nursingand midwifery.</p><p>However, under the banner ofFacing the Future we have set up a sub-group to look at student retention. Thisgroup will consider …
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of undergraduate students who started their course before August 2001.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no current plansto carry out such research.</p>
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of students taking courses in subjects allied to medicine.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no current plansto carry out such research.</p>
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-2005 excluded data from students studying nursing or midwifery.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Nursing and Midwiferystudents were not included in the Higher and Further Students’ Income,Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-05 survey because there are different studentsupport measures in place for them as compared to the majority of HigherEducation Stu…
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-2005 excluded data from students who started their course before August 2001.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Higher and Further Students’Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-05 aimed at collectingcomprehensive data on full-time students’ income, expenditure and debt, and toidentify any differences by students’ socio-economic and institutionalcharacteristics…
9 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-2005 excluded data from students taking a course in a subject allied to medicine.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Students taking a course ina subject allied to medicine were not included in the Higher and FurtherStudents’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-05 survey because thereare additional student support measures in place for these students as comparedto…
15 Feb 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been agreed with Network Rail to fully double track the Bathgate to Edinburgh railway line, as announced by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications in answer to question S2O-8958 on 9 February 2006.
Answer · George Lyon: As my colleague Tavish Scott made clear in this chamber on the 9 February, Transport Scotland are working on this with Network Rail. We are aiming to reach agreement of development by the end of March 2006 and to sign an implementation agreement by the end of…
10 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-8958 by Tavish Scott on 9 February 2006, whether it will provide the details of any agreement reached with Network Rail in respect of the early double tracking of the Edinburgh to Bathgate line and when such agreement was reached
Answer · Tavish Scott: Network Rail are continuing todevelop a programme for the early delivery of the double tracking for diesel serviceseast of Bathgate and they have regular discussions with Transport Scotland overthis issue.</p><p>As indicated in my statementon 16 March we have…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long each Secretary of State-appointed Justice of the Peace is expected to serve.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: At present, full Justices of the Peace are eligible to serve until their 70th birthday, after which they are transferred to the supplemental list and become Signing Justices.</p> <p>Signing Justices can serve for as long as they wish to continue.</p>
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace are from ethnic minorities.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: At present, the Scottish Executive does not hold this information.</p>
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a gender breakdown of Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The gender breakdown as follows: </p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Full Justices</p></td> <td> <p>Men</p></td> <td> <p>897</p></td> <td> <p>Women</p></td> <td> <p>502</p></td> <td> <p>Total</p></td> <td> <p…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how individuals are selected to be Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: At present, individuals areselected by the JP Advisory Committees (JPACs) who have a duty to find suitablecandidates from all sections of the community in their district. Inrecommending men and women for appointment, JPACs have to ensure that eachlocal author…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace there are, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does nothold records on how many Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace thereare, broken down by parliamentary constituency. The Executive does hold recordson how many Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace the…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that it does not keep central records in respect of Justice of the Peace appointments and, if so, how it records the number of Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does keepcentral records in respect of Justice of the Peace appointments.</p><p>The information is recorded ona database which is held by the Secretary of Commissions for Scotland in theJustice Department. This database records personal…
24 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Gaelic-medium schools there have been in each local authority area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22614 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
24 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the provision of Gaelic medium education and able to publish details of provision across the country.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22614 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at :<a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
24 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that Gaelic medium education units and schools remain Gaelic medium and do not become Anglophonic.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer question S2W-22614 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
24 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the provision of Gaelic-medium education continues to expand.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is taking a range of measures to ensure the expansion of Gaelic-medium education including the provision of guidance, measures to address teacher shortage, expansion of the secondary curriculum, increased support for pupils and teachers…
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the possibility of establishing an interactive past exam papers website to aid school students preparing for national examinations.
Answer · Peter Peacock: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). I have asked Anton Colella, the Chief Executive of SQA, to reply directly to you.</p>
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost would be of supplying past national exam papers free of charge to exam candidates.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The production and distribution of exam papers is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). I have asked Anton Colella, the chief executive of SQA, to reply directly to you.</p>
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider supplying past national exam papers to school pupils, either in paper form or via the internet, without charging a fee.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The production and distribution of exam papers is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). I have asked Anton Colella, the Chief Executive of SQA, to reply directly to you.</p>
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it desirable that school pupils use past exam papers to prepare for national examinations.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Past exam papers are one of a range of useful study aids which school pupils may wish to use to prepare for examinations.</p>
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve training for clinical academics.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is committed to ensuring that clinical academics have access to high quality training and integrated career pathways which enable them to pursue their research interests alongside their clinical commitments. The Executive has recently establishe…
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what structures are in place to train clinical academics.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are many routes to a clinical academic career, which reflect the diversity of research, teaching and clinical practice across the different medical specialties. In general, however, doctors wishing to pursue an academic career will usually apply in open…
16 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many clinical academics there are in each medical school and how many there were in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of clinical academics in each medical school is not held centrally.</p> <p>Clinical academics employed by higher education institutions or other organisations in a research and/or teaching capacity and who also provide services for N…
21 Dec 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that all schools share the benefits of the Schools of Ambition programme.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Sharing good practice is a key element of effecting change in the Scottish education system and the Schools of Ambition (SoA) programme is disseminating information to schools continuously with the SoAs making a major contribution to this.</p> <p>Schools of A…
15 Dec 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of “deprived” is used in determining which children would receive targeted health visitor support, in line with the requirements set out in Health for All Children.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The criteria “deprived” is not used in <i>Health for All Children (Hall 4) </i>in referring to which children should receive targeted health visitor support.</p> <p>In line with the requirements set out in <i>Health for All Children</i>, health visitors will …
15 Dec 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many health visitors have been available in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on health visitorsin NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under WorkforceStatistics, at <b><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a></b>.</p><p>Section E gives details of nursin…