Parliamentary questions

Irene McGugan

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

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund the refurbishment of community sports facilities.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The provision of adequate leisure facilities, including sports facilities, is a matter for individual local authorities in accordance with the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982.sportscotland's strategic plan for the distribution of l…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a national network of sports colleges and, if so, when.

Answer · Allan Wilson: We have no plans to do so.

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund a full-time officer for every local sports council.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Local sports councils are part of the local delivery of sport in Scotland and their funding is a matter for individual local authorities. sportscotland provides grant (currently £21,000 per annum) and other support to the Scottish Association of Local …

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will conduct a review of sportscotland in the context of the overall review of non-departmental public bodies will be measured and who will be consulted on any review.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Notwithstanding and without prejudice to the wider review of NDPBs announced by the Minister of Finance on 18 January, sportscotland are reviewing aspects of their organisation and operations. The appointment of consultants to assist them in that proce…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include extra-curricular sport within the continuous professional development programme for teachers.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The agreement following the McCrone Report into teachers' terms and conditions of service will, if accepted, introduce a framework for the continuing professional development of teachers. The framework would ensure that continuing professional development ref…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote and maintain a sporting culture in schools.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Programmes such as TOPS, Active Primary Schools and School Sport Co-ordinators which are funded through sportscotland and the Lottery Sports Fund are successfully promoting sport in schools. In addition, we have now just completed consultation on propo…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that sport is given some priority in the school curriculum and that there is a natural role for sport in schools given that it does not feature as one of the national priorities in education.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The guidance to education authorities and schools emphasises that sport and other forms of physical education make an essential contribution to pupils' health and general wellbeing. The context and opportunity for this lies within the national priority "…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the physical education programme in schools.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer Ms McGugan to the answer I gave to question S1W-12942.

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that all schoolchildren have access to a minimum of two hours of physical education per week.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12460.

31 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund extended opening of community sports facilities.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The provision of leisure facilities, including community sports facilities, is a matter for individual local authorities in accordance with the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982.

24 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer questions S1W-10764, S1W-10767 and S1W-10768, lodged on 31 October 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I can confirm that question S1W-10764 was answered on 25 January. Questions S1W-10767 and S1W-10768 were answered today.

18 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that any expansion of nursery provision will not lead to the diminution of the place of the Scots language in pre-school provision.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive aims to provide a part-time pre-school education place for every three and four-year-old whose parents wish it by April 2002. Within the principles set by the Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5, providers are free to adjust the cont…

18 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that training for nursery nurses will include the promotion and development of pupils' Scots language skills.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Qualifications held by nursery nurses are developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority based on occupational standards determined by the industry itself, through the relevant National Training Organisation. The Executive has no direct involvement.

18 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to encourage the production of material in the Scots language which is suitable for use with pre-school children.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The provision of support materials for pre-school children is a matter for each centre to decide, taking account of the Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5 and any parental cultural preferences.

16 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its document It's a Criminal Waste: Stop Youth Crime Now, whether funding to local authorities has been reallocated to increase resources for criminal justice social work by #0.5 million in order to fund an extension of bail information and supervision schemes, and pilot d…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Local authorities were informed last September of their provisional funding allocations for 2001-02 to allow extension from 18 pilot diversion from prosecution schemes to national coverage. The 16-17 age group was identified as one of 4 priority gr…

16 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of the recommendations in the report of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive accepted the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime on 9 June 2000. Immediate funding of £3.5 million was announced for distribution to local authorities in order to develop and support programmes which will challenge and …

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing sustainable alternative ways of promoting traditional and Gaelic arts and music in Inverness and the Highlands and in ensuring the continuance of the educational work done at Balnain House, Inverness following its closure, and what funding it is …

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Arts Council is working, with other members of the Highland Arts Partnership, to develop sustainable programmes of support for the traditional arts. I have therefore asked the Director of the Arts Council to write to the member with the requested…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to amend the status of sportscotland in its review of non-departmental public bodies.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question 12267 on 25 January.

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the remit of school sports co-ordinators in Scottish schools compares to the remit of (a) school sports co-ordinators and (b) the proposed sports assistants in England and Wales.

Answer · Allan Wilson: School sports co-ordinators in Scotland and England cover broadly similar remits. Co-ordinators in England work with groups of schools. In Scotland, our objective is to appoint a co-ordinator in every secondary school and we have announced funding to extend t…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all school children in Scotland will be guaranteed at least two hours of sporting activity per week.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The desirability of primary schools providing a minimum of two hours of physical education per week was identified in Sport 21, the national strategy for sport in Scotland, and the Scottish Executive is working towards that.sport<…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland will benefit from the increased funding for sport announced by the Prime Minister on 11 January 2001.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Yes. The Prime Minister's speech on 11 January referred to the UK-wide proposals for the next round of New Opportunities Fund initiatives. These proposals involve a major investment in school and community sport in Scotland. Sam Galbraith also announced in Pa…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11354 by Mr Jack McConnell on 10 January 2000, in what specific ways the guidelines for initial teacher education require institutions to prepare teachers to be responsive to the linguistic needs of pupils in relation to the Scots language.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The guidelines for initial teacher education courses are not prescriptive. The competencies set out in the guidelines are generic to enable interpretation relevant to the particular education sector and situation the student teacher is training in. The compet…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to make Health Education Board for Scotland advertisements targeted at young people available in more accessible formats, such as with subtitles.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: HEBS is concerned to ensure that all its advertisements and materials are available in formats which meet the particular needs of the various interests and groups which the board seeks to target. For example, key elements of its television advertisements are …

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current withdrawal of the DTZ Pieda Consulting report on the future of raspberry breeding in Scotland from its website will have implications for the consultation on this issue.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Other than a possible short extension of the consultation period beyond the current closing date of 2 February 2001.

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when an amended DTZ Pieda Consulting report on the future of raspberry breeding in Scotland will be publicly available.

Answer · Ross Finnie: DTZ Pieda is currently considering comments made on its report and I understand that an amended version will be submitted shortly. As soon as it is received I shall make it available on the Scottish Executive's website.

20 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10039 by Iain Gray on 30 October 2000, what plans it now has to secure the continuation of the work done by Disability Scotland before it entered administrative insolvency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Efforts to secure the good work of Disability Scotland are still ongoing. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is convening a meeting between the interested parties early in the New Year to discuss how to effect continuation of support services fo…

20 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to make funding available for safer routes to school projects in future financial years.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Although the additional capital allocation of £5.2 million for safer routes to school schemes which I announced in May was for 2000-01 only, it is my intention to give greater prominence to walking, cycling and safer streets projects when allocating resources…

20 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage volunteers to act as trainers to young cyclists in areas of social deprivation.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The recruitment of volunteer trainers for young cyclists is a matter for schools and police and local authority road safety units. The Scottish Executive intends to commission, early next year, a survey of cycle training provision in Scottish schools and the …

20 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing specific funding which could be accessed by schools to provide cycle park facilities and a training programme for young cyclists.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Each year local authorities receive a block allocation for expenditure on a number of services including transport. It is for local authorities to set their priorities and allocate resources according to local circumstances.Howeve…

19 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the companies in the Miller Group is in joint venture with Dywidag for the purpose of operating the A87 Skye crossing.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12112.