Parliamentary questions
Irene McGugan
716 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Miller Civil Engineering Limited is authorised to charge tolls on the A87.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: As I made clear in my letter of 27 October to the member, the right to collect tolls on the Skye Bridge has been assigned to Skye Bridge Limited. The operation and maintenance of the bridge is carried out on SBL's behalf by Miller Dywidag, a joint venture bet…
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will follow the practice of the Norwegian Government and support authors who write in indigenous languages by buying the first 1,000 copies of books written in Scots and placing them in libraries throughout the country.
Answer · Allan Wilson: No. The acquisition of books for libraries is primarily the responsibility of the library authorities.
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the establishment of the Children's Change Fund announced by the First Minister on 13 November 2000.
Answer · Jack McConnell: As the First Minister indicated on 13 November 2000, we intend to consult local authorities, the health service and the voluntary sector on the fund. We expect to issue a consultation paper for that purpose next month.
19 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8321 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 July 2000, when it will publish the outcome of the consultation on The Physical Punishment of Children in Scotland: A Consultation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We hope to make an announcement shortly.
5 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11353 by Allan Wilson on 1 December 2000, whether it will detail the specific role school co-ordinators will play in the promotion of the Scots language.
Answer · Allan Wilson: In inviting education authorities to participate in the pilot programme we shall set out a general framework of objectives for school co-ordinators. We do not propose to identify particular areas of cultural activity in which co-ordinators should be involved.…
5 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how, when and to whom the funding for traditional arts and music, as referred to in the National Cultural Strategy, is to be allocated.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Arts Council are at present devising the detailed criteria for the new programme which will guide their allocation of the available funds.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to concerns expressed by the British Association of Social Workers that directors and other chief officers in charge of social work have been excluded from the new arrangements for the regulation of care as set out in The Way Forward for Care.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Directors and other chief officers responsible for social workers and social care services are not excluded from the new arrangements. They will be expected to follow the code of practice for those employing social service workers. In addition, those who are …
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action was taken, either by itself or jointly with Her Majesty's Government, to mark European Day of Disabled Persons on 5 December 2000 and to raise public awareness of the issues which impact on disabled people.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) was launched in Scotland by the Minister for Social Justice on European Day of Disabled Persons. The Scottish Executive looks to work closely with the DRC to raise public awareness of the issues which impact on disabled …
23 Nov 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer why the contract (no. TP0/00/01) with Edinburgh and the East of Scotland Deaf Society to provide sign language/deaf awareness training to the Scottish Parliament for a two-year period from 4 April 2000 has not yet been put into effect and what urgent action the Scottish Parliamentary Corpo…
Answer · David Steel: This contract was primarily awarded to provide sign language training, on a voluntary basis, to members, their staff and the parliamentary staff. Unfortunately, to date, there has been insufficient demand to run a course on signing in-house, but we have suppo…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how teachers are prepared, though initial training and continuing professional development, to promote and develop pupils' Scots language skills.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Guidelines for initial teacher education in Scotland require institutions to prepare teachers to be responsive to the needs of all pupils in respect of linguistic background.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Courses prepare teachers to deliver the curriculum as se…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role school cultural co-ordinators will play in the promotion of the Scots language.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Cultural champions will identify ways of enabling all teachers to maximise the potential contribution of culture to young people's education, developing their self-esteem and core life skills and looking for opportunities to widen the range of experiences ava…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional resources will be provided to the National Galleries of Scotland to assist with checking the provenance of all items in their collection and, if so, what these resources will be and over what period.
Answer · Allan Wilson: In the light of representations from the Holocaust Education Trust, the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) have been carefully investigating the provenance of works of art acquired since 1933. No request has been made for additional funds from the Scottish …
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to amend Regulation 12 of the Fostering of Children (Scotland) Regulations 1996.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no plans at present to amend this Regulation.
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in the Parliament on 9 November 2000, why there was no specific reference to support for voluntary sector sports clubs or local Sports Councils
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive fully recognise the vital role played by volunteers in clubs and local sports councils in the local delivery of sport in Scotland, and we, and <B>sport</B>scotland, are committed to seeing it developed further and I expect the positive outcome o…
8 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled people have been appointed to public bodies since March 2000.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The appointments system relies on each individual to disclose whether or not they have a disability. On this basis between 1 April and 30 September 2000 one disabled person was appointed. Appointment statistics are collected on a six-monthly basis.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to offer guidance to local authorities regarding local sports clubs' ability to benefit from reduced letting costs resulting from the re-designation of many schools as Community Schools.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The determination of letting charges for school facilities is a detailed matter for individual local authorities and we have not issued guidance to them on how they should discharge that responsibility.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to funding local sports councils through the Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10920.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to change the method of funding of local sports councils.
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. <B>Sport</B>scotland has close links with the umbrella body the Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils to which it…
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any monitoring of the effect of admission to school at an early age on the performance of children at age 16 in examinations.
Answer · Jack McConnell: We do not undertake any monitoring in this area. We are, however, exploring the possibility of undertaking research in this and associated areas.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible and accountable for decisions made on financial allocation to local authorities in respect of criminal justice services given that allocations are based on a funding formula and follow discussions with the Association of Directors of Social Work and CoSLA.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive takes these decisions, based on the formula approach agreed with CoSLA in 1998. It was agreed at that time that the formula would be reviewed after two years. The first phase of that review has now been completed.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowance is made, in determining financial allocations, for the cost of providing criminal justice services in remote or rural areas because of factors such as higher travel costs and lack of economy of scale, and what allowance is planned for these factors in next year's allocatio…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The formula for the distribution of financial resources between local authorities for the delivery of core criminal justice social work services is currently being reviewed by a joint Scottish Executive/CoSLA working group. The provision of rural services is …
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to local authorities which receive a comparatively low financial allocation, what assurances can be given that the capacity to manage the risk posed by dangerous offenders is as great as in a local authority with a higher financial allocation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Funding for criminal justice social work services has increased from £38,493,478 in 1999-2000 to £41,491,041 in 2000-01, an increase of 7.78%. This includes an additional sum of £300,000 specifically allocated for work with sex and other dangerous offenders. …
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for any wide differences across local authorities in financial allocations and unit costs with respect to criminal justice social work.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Financial allocations to individual local authorities for core services in criminal justice social work are determined by a formula approach, agreed with CoSLA. It combines historical workload patterns and needs factors comprising unemployment rates, share of…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether details of the financial allocations made to local authorities for criminal justice social work and the service out-turns or workloads in respect of this function are made publicly available.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The practice to date has been for information on financial allocations for individual local authorities for criminal justice social work to be made available only to the individual local authority. However, I am arranging for current and future financial info…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial allocation was made to local authorities in total and to each local authority for court services and voluntary throughcare in the years 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Tables showing the financial allocations to local authorities for court services and voluntary throughcare for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are available in SPICe (Bib. no. 9591).
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial allocation was made to local authorities in total and to each individual local authority for criminal justice social work in the years 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Financial allocations to local authorities for the 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 financial years for criminal justice social work are detailed below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Allocations by Local Authority 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 C…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial allocation was made to local authorities in total and to each individual local authority in the years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 for (i) probation, (ii) community service, (iii) social enquiry reports, (iv) throughcare, (v) home circumstances reports and (vi) supervised attendan…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Tables showing the financial allocations to local authorities for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 for these services are available in SPICe (Bib. no. 9590).
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the service out-turns were for each local authority for the years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 for (i) probation, (ii) community service, (iii) social enquiry reports, (iv) throughcare, (v) home circumstances reports and (vi) supervised attendance orders.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Service outturns for each local authority for 1998-99 are shown in the table below. Outturn figures for 1999-2000 are presently being received from local authorities and will be made available shortly.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Table 5: Service Outturns by Local Auth…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10326 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 26 October 2000, what penalties there will be for failure by any local authority, public body or Scottish Executive department to adopt the principles set out in the Child Strategy Statement.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10757.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10326 on 26 October 2000, over what timescale and by what means it intends to (a) monitor the implementation of the Child Strategy Statement by all departments of the Scottish Executive and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy statement in …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10757.