Parliamentary questions
Irene McGugan
716 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to draw up a "Domesday Book", similar to the one recently announced by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to list all sporting facilities in Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: <B><FONT FACE="Arial">sports</B>cotland are planning a major audit of indoor and outdoor sports facilities. This information together with that gathered from the recently published swimming pool refurbishment study will give us an overall picture of the condi…
25 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #3 million announced by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on 28 June 2001 for sport and culture will be spent on funding the bids for the 2009 Ryder Cup and the 2008 European Football Championships, how much has been spent to date and what the breakdown of thi…
Answer · Allan Wilson: Approximately £100,000 has been spent from this allocation on bidding for the Ryder Cup.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">We are in discussion with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) about the costs associated with the preparation a bid for Euro 2008. We have identifie…
25 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide funding for the retraining required by former nurses before returning to practice.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The issue of retraining and returning to practice is one of the important issues to be addressed at the Nurse Recruitment and Retention Convention I announced recently, which will be held on 19 November 2001.
25 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will now include representatives from the Royal College of Nursing on the new NHS bodies replacing health boards and trusts.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18498.
25 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the likely composition of the new NHS bodies replacing health boards and trust boards does not currently include representatives from the Royal College of Nursing.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Our policy is to ensure that <U>all</U> staff have the opportunity to contribute appropriately to decision making in NHS Scotland, without favouring one profession or professional organisation over another. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Specifically, all 15 new NHS Boar…
24 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the amended timescale is for drawing up, issuing for consultation and implementing the national strategy as recommended in the Report of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18493.
24 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the national strategy recommended in the Report of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime which had a deadline for implementation no later than April 2001 has not yet been issued for consultation.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has accepted all the recommendations by the Advisory Group on Youth Crime and work has begun on implementing them. This includes the allocation of £20 million over three years, from April 2001, to local authorities for the development o…
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to contribute funding to any university-based pilot projects on wave power; whether it will detail any such planned contributions, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: No. Renewable energy research and development funding is a reserved matter, and the programme is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry. Many Scottish projects have benefited from this funding over the last decade, and should continue to d…
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much is spent by companies on research and development in Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Expenditure on research and development by businesses in Scotland amounted to £393 million in 1999, the latest year for which figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics.
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding has been made available to local authorities in order to address the requirements of the road traffic accident casualty reduction targets.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Local authorities receive a block allocation to meet all non-housing capital spending. It is for each local authority to decide spending priorities based on local needs. For 2001-02, the single allocation has been increased by 24% overall.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">T…
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place or will be implemented to ensure that local authority roads are adequately maintained to provide a reliable and safe platform for all transportation modes including enhanced public transport service provision.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In the 2000 Spending Review I allocated £70 million extra for local authorities to enable them to invest in repair and maintenance of roads and bridges.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is a matter for each council as the local roads authority to take the appropriate act…
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial provision its transport delivery plan will make for addressing any backlog in local authority road, lighting and bridge maintenance.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I announced on 28 September 2000 provision of £70 million to be included within the single allocation for local authority capital investment over the three years from 1 April 2001 to assist local authorities in tackling the backlog of repairs and maintenance …
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for the number of speakers of Scots in (a) 2011 and (b) 2021.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has not set targets for the number of Scots speakers.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy to increase the numbers of speakers of Scots and, if so, how this policy is being implemented.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has not formulated a policy on the number of speakers of Scots.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what joint action it plans to take with Her Majesty's Government to comply with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of the Scots language.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive does not consider any joint action is necessary to comply with the Charter in respect of the Scots language.
30 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to discontinue use of the term "life imprisonment" as a description of sentences.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We have no plans to discontinue the use of the term life imprisonment as a description of sentences.
30 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce victim impact statements into Scottish courts and, if so, over what timescale.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The <I>Scottish Strategy for Victims of Crime</I> includes a commitment to pilot a victims' statements scheme. We shall be consulting on the proposed procedures for this scheme in the autumn.
30 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is reviewing issues relating to sentencing and remission of sentences.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We continue to keep sentencing policies and arrangements under review and will bring forward proposals for change as appropriate. On 11 June I announced proposals for new arrangements for the sentencing and management of serious violent and sexual offenders. …
30 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17093 by Susan Deacon on 15 August 2001, what the findings were of the recent review of the sleep apnoea service provided by the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand that, as a result of the review, decisions have now been made by NHS Lothian and by the other NHS Boards which send patients to the sleep apnoea service in Lothian. As a result, all patients should now be able to receive equipment for the treatme…
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what total budget was available for marking (a) Higher Still and (b) Standard Grade examination scripts.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Precise details of the marking process and its costs are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Higher Still and (b) Standard Grade examination scripts were marked in total.
Answer · Jack McConnell: It is currently estimated that just under 2 million scripts for National Qualifications (including standard grade) were marked in 2001, however I will ask the Chair of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to write to you with a more detailed response to your…
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of recruiting supply teachers to cover for teachers absent from school to mark additional examination scripts compares with the cost of paying teachers the agreed rate per script, plus a small gratuity.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the release of teachers from schools to carry out marking are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The rate at whi…
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of providing supply teachers to cover for teachers absent from school to mark additional examination scripts and whether all vacancies created by such absences were filled.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the release of teachers from schools to carry out marking are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">I refer t…
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers marking additional examination scripts were allocated days away from the classroom in order to carry out this task and how many absence days in total this accounted for in schools.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer to my response to S1W-18720 on the allocation of additional scripts. Markers carried out additional marking either in their own time or, where schools were willing to release them, in school time. The Scottish Executive does not hold the information t…
29 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers recruited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority were requested to mark additional examination scripts this year and how many such scripts were involved.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the allocation of scripts to markers are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">On 16 May the National Exams Co-ordi…
25 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all lottery money allocated from the New Opportunities Fund through public bodies in Scotland for good causes is being distributed for the purposes intended and not being held in reserve by the public body responsible or used to supplement resources for Executive-funded programmes.
Answer · Allan Wilson: All funds distributed by the New Opportunities Fund in Scotland are subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and are strictly monitored and controlled in accordance with its accountability requirements. These funds are exclusively distributed in suppo…
25 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or plans to make, to Her Majesty's Government regarding the percentage of lottery money allocated to Scotland and how and where it is distributed.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The allocation of resources between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom is a reserved matter. Scottish ministers provide policy direction as required to distributing bodies for the distribution of National Lottery funds in Scotland.
23 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it will give that necessary improvement in the road, rail and air infrastructure will be included in any bid to host the 2008 European Football Championships.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is presently considering the infrastructure issues raised by the proposals for 2008 related development received by the Scottish Football Association from Scottish football clubs.
23 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment as part of any bid to host the 2008 European Football Championships will be put into improving both current facilities for youth development and training and indoor facilities which would allow for all-year-round training.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Investment is already being made in facilities for youth development and in training and indoor facilities through the football academies programme.
23 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that talented sporting youngsters from inner-city areas can realise their potential in sports such as football and rugby by provision of adequate levels of green space in urban areas and well-resourced, accessible and affordable indoor facilities.
Answer · Allan Wilson: <I>Sport 21</I> recommended that local authorities should publish a strategic plan for sport and recreation for their areas. Such strategies are expected to include a playing field strategy as recommended in the National Planning Policy Guideline 11 on sport …