Parliamentary questions
Irene Oldfather
1,035 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has given to broadband development.
Answer · Mike Watson: The Scottish Executive set out its broadband strategy last year in the document, <I>Connecting Scotland: Our Broadband Future</I>. Our vision behind the strategy was to make broadband connections more affordable and pervasive across the country. We are pursui…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that its website is designed to be accessible to disabled people.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is committed to achieving full compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Accessibility Initiative standards to ensure that its website is accessible to those with disabilities and a programme of enhancement work is already u…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is assisting in the establishment of a European area of lifelong learning.
Answer · Iain Gray: The establishment of a European area of Lifelong Learning, as the main recommendation in the EU Memorandum on Lifelong Learning, is being driven forward here with a wide-ranging policy programme aimed at creating a culture of Lifelong Learning in Scotland.<P>…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with the European Commission regarding the European Year of Education through Sport 2004.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The proposal for a European Year of Education through Sport has been developed during the Spanish Presidency by the EU Council's Education Committee, which is attended by the European Commission. The Scottish Executive's interests are represented at all meeti…
13 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24572 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 April 2002, whether he has received any letter from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland making representations that the alleged rule of law stating that boundary divisions are held ad medium filum is unmana…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I am aware that the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland wrote to the Public Petitions Committee on 28 February 2000 on this subject, but have had no correspondence from that body.
25 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the second stage public consultation paper on the Review of Higher Education.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I can today announce the publication of the second public consultation paper on the <I>Review of Higher Education in Scotland</I>. The first consultation paper was launched in October 2001 and focused mainly on the performance of the Scottish Higher Education…
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty's Government regarding the nomination of a young Scot to the European Youth Convention on the Future of Europe.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25343.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that the views of the young people of Scotland are represented on the European Youth Convention on the Future of Europe.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24633 on 23 April 2002. I also wrote to the Minister for Europe, Peter Hain, on 23 April seeking close working arrangements between the UK government and the devolved administrations on the matter of repr…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for methadone treatments is allocated on an individual patient basis or whether each NHS board receives a block allocation of funding for such treatments.
Answer · Richard Simpson: In addition to its general health allocations, each NHS board receives earmarked funding for drug treatment services in line with the Arbuthnott Substance Misuse Formula. This formula takes account of deprivation and need, including population, age sex struct…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has investigated the possible use of pharmacological alternatives to methadone as a means of weaning drug addicts away from heroin.
Answer · Richard Simpson: As part of a programme of research reviews on the effectiveness of drug treatment, the Executive's Effective Interventions Unit is drawing together existing evidence on the effectiveness of drug therapies (including methadone, buprenorphine, dihydrocodeine an…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current usage is of Naltrexone and other drugs that produce the same effect as Naltrexone, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Two drugs, naltrexone hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride are similar in action in that they block the effects of opioids. <P>Naloxone hydrochloride is used in overdosage with opioids. However, comprehensive figures for the number of patients who receive…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether drugs such as Naltrexone that block the effects of opioids are currently available on the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.
2 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 June 2001, how the legal holding of march fence type boundary walls can, in terms of common sense and equity between adjacent parties, be ascribed to the rule of ownership in law to the mid-point only where the wall is c…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572 on 23 April 2002.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, whether it will confirm that sheriff court opinions do not create case law.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, whether the statements by the sheriffs in the cases of Gray v MacLeod and Gill v Mitchell convey to it corroboration of the expression of confusion by the Scottish Law Commission which was extant in the per…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, what consideration and response it has given to the case of Gill v Mitchell regarding a march fence type boundary wall where the sheriff, when no titles were produced, stated he was faced with a difference …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, what consideration and response it has given to the case of Gray v MacLeod (SLT 17) where the sheriff, when faced with the proposition that a march fence type boundary wall was owned to the mid-point only (…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, whether the presiding judge in the case of Thom v Hetherington (SLT 724) changed his opinion in deciding that "mutual" and "common" meant different things and that the subject march fence type boundary wall…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24572.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21639 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 February 2002, what its response is to the statement by the presiding judge in the case of Thom v Hetherington (SLT 724) on the third day of proof that the subject in the case, described as a "mutual" wall, was legally he…
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is not appropriate for ministers to seek to interpret case law or comment on statements made in court cases or on the authority of sheriff court opinions. <P>The law in relation to boundary walls has been considered over the years by the courts, the Scotti…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial grant or loan assistance "The Big Idea" in Irvine has received since it opened in 2000.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive has awarded a grant of up to £410,000 over 2001-02 and 2002-03 to The Big Idea. As part of this package of support the Millennium Commission has awarded a further £300,000 to The Big Idea.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, whether it supports the change of mind by the Scottish Law Commission, as stated at paragraph 1.13 of their Report on Boundary Division Walls; on what basis this change of mind came about; what reconsideration…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23641 on 15 March 2002.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the statement in the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia (Volume 18, paragraph 223) that "the modern law is not now in doubt"; whether, at the time of the encyclopaedia's publication, the Scottish Law Commission was expressing and demonstrating that doubt existed and was prom…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23641.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there was a team of three Commissioners in operation prior to the publication of the Scottish Law Commission's Report on Boundary Division Walls, which was responsible for property considerations and, if so, for how long this team was in operation and whether Professor KGC Reid w…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23642.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Professor KGC Reid was a member of the Scottish Law Commission at the time the commission published its Report on Boundary Division Walls in March 1998 and, if so, whether he had been a member for three years and whether paragraph 223 in Volume 18 of the Stair Memorial Encyclopae…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Law Commission is an independent body of legal experts established by the Law Commissions Act 1965. Commissioners are appointed by Scottish ministers; Professor Kenneth Reid was first appointed on a part-time basis in October 1995 and on a full-t…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, whether it supports the use by the Scottish Law Commission in paragraph 1.5 of its Report on Boundary Division Walls (footnote 7) of the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia (Volume 18, paragraph 223) to justify the c…
Answer · Jim Wallace: It would not be appropriate for the Executive to comment on the detailed considerations taken into account by the Scottish Law Commission in the preparation of its reports. I can confirm, however, that the Executive agrees the conclusions of the commission's …
27 Feb 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to raise awareness of and promote the learning of modern languages among young people.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Information leaflets for parents and pupils outlining the benefits of language skills were published on 25 February. These will be distributed to local authorities for their pupils and parents during the next few weeks.
26 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 January 2002, whether it will discuss with Her Majesty's Government the different practices which currently exist between the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament in regard to the exemption of officials from jury du…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The statutory right of excusal from jury duty is not a reserved matter and the Scottish Parliament could vary the categories to which the right of excusal extends, if it wished to do so. As indicated in the answer I gave to question S1W-21993 on 20 January 20…
20 Feb 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage healthy eating amongst pregnant women.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Pregnancy is a major life event. This should be reflected in the way that women are cared for and look after themselves during pregnancy, childbirth and after the baby is born. The Scottish Diet Action Plan, <I>Eating for Health</I>, provides the framework to…
30 Jan 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage healthy eating amongst pregnant mothers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>, pregnancy is a significant life event and this should be reflected in the way that women are cared for and look after themselves during pregnancy, childbirth and after the baby is …
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration will be given to the recent announcements on police pay and conditions in England and Wales in its discussions with the Scottish Police Negotiation Board on police pay and conditions in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Police Negotiating Board operates on a UK basis and is currently consulting on draft Heads of Agreement for police pay and conditions across the UK. Any recommendations which emerge will be made to Scottish ministers as well as to the Home Secretary and t…