Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will work with banks to promote and encourage the use of basic bank accounts.
Answer · Johann Lamont: We are in early discussionswith banks and other finance providers to promote a range of financial productsincluding basic bank accounts. We are also in contact with Treasury colleaguesand the Financial Inclusion Task Force who are working with the bankingindu…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many basic bank accounts have been taken up since their inception, broken down by year.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive does nothave information about the number of basic bank accounts opened in Scotland.</p>
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Scottish clearing banks to consider the banks’ contribution to tackling financial exclusion and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Executive met with the banksand other stakeholders on the 17 January this year. Items discussed included:</p><p>The First Year ImplementationPlan for the Strategy for the Financial Services Industry in Scotland.</p><p>The Scottish Executive’s FinancialInc…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assist the Scottish Maritime Museum in accessing funds to protect and promote Scotland’s maritime history.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25490 on 9 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support it will provide to the Scottish Maritime Museum in future.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: In the Cultural Statement on19 January 2006 I announced that future funding for non-national museums, includingScotland’s industrial museums, would focus on supporting significant “national standard”collections. In addition to funding of £440,000 set aside fo…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been provided to the Scottish Maritime Museum in each financial year since 1999-2000.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The requested information isin the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=85 valign=top> <p align=center>1999-2000</p> <p align=center>(£)</p> </td> <td width=71 valign=top> <p align=center>2000-01…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will pay the annual boat maintenance grant to the Scottish Maritime Museum.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Executive is providing £160,000 per year core fundingfor the Scottish Maritime Museum. We have also agreed to continue funding of £30,000 in2006-07 for its curator post. I am pleased to say that the Executive will also provideadditional funding for mainte…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop guidance on how to encourage children’s play opportunities, whilst managing risk.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive currentlyhas no plans to develop specific guidance in this area.</p><p>Within early education and childcare,the National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16require that activities provided by staff allow…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop a new range of playwork training material and courses to meet the needs of the education profession.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive has no plans toproduce a new range of playwork training materials or courses for the educationprofession.</p><p>The Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA), working in partnership with the relevant sector skills councils, Skills Activefor playwor…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop guidance to facilitate the development of a community-build play area programme.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive has no plans todevelop guidance specifically to facilitate the development of a community-buildplay area programme. However, the £318 million Community Regeneration Fund allocatedto Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) is supporting a range of…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct all local authorities to take a lead role in developing local play policies.
Answer · Robert Brown: A number of Scottish Executivepolicies and strategies already require local authorities and individual providersto support play opportunities for children.</p><p>In particular, the Executive’sChildcare Strategy stresses the importance of ample opportunities f…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct more resources and initiatives to take account of the fundamental significance of play in children’s lives.
Answer · Robert Brown: A number of existing initiativestakes account of the significance of play in children’s lives. There are currentlytwo initiatives where policy in this area is being further developed.</p><p>The existing three to five curriculumrecognises the powerful contribu…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that recent developments in understanding the benefits of play are included in training courses for all new teachers and nursery staff.
Answer · Robert Brown: The three to five curriculumrecognises the powerful contribution that play makes to children’s learning. Thecurriculum review will extend the approach used in pre-school to the initial stagesof primary. Any changes to the curriculum, including any relating to…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the development of training for existing school staff to enable them to understand the value of play.
Answer · Robert Brown: Teachers are contractually obligedto undertake 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year. Eachteacher, in discussion with his/her line manager, produces an annual plan of CPDactivity based on personal need taking account of school, local…
25 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a statutory duty on local authorities to provide for children's play needs to minimum standards.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive has no plansto place a general duty on local authorities in the way described. </p><p>Local authorities have aspecific duty under the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland)Regulations 1967. These regulations also state t…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on progress in implementing each of the 29 recommendations in The Same As You?.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>The same as you? </i>Implementation Group has produced a number of reports,which demonstrate areas where work has been taken forward to implement therecommendations of <i>The same as you?. </i>These reports look at<i> </i>hospitalclosure and service reprov…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last reviewed the Partnership in Practice agreements; whether it was satisfied with progress in each local authority area, and when it next plans to review these agreements.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is currentlyin the process of drafting a National Overview of the Partnership in Practice(PiP) agreements for 2004-07. The agreements indicate local authorities are generallymaking good progress and identify locally agreed priorities for action.…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the quality and range of services provided by local authorities to people with learning disabilities.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive monitors therange of services provided by local authorities for people with learning disabilitiesin a number of ways. Monitoring of services for people with learningdisabilities is delivered through the inspection of services by the Social WorkI…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of reductions in learning disability services by local authorities for the current financial year and, if so, whether these will have an impact on their ability to deliver the recommendations of The Same As You?.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is not awareof any reduction in learning disability services provided by local authorities.Patterns of local authority expenditure for learning disability services areoutlined in the answer to question S2W-25133 on 8 May 2006. All answers to wri…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to NHS boards for learning disability services in each year since 1999, broken down by board.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No specific funding allocationis made to NHS boards for learning disability services. Each NHS board is givenan annual allocation of funds to meet the health care needs of its residentpopulation, including the cost of learning disability services, taking acco…
10 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to local authorities for learning disability services in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities receive£16 million Change Fund per annum, to help implement the recommendations in <i>Thesame as you?</i> review of services for people with learning disabilities.Additionally they are to receive an extra £4.2 million in 2006-07 and £5 milli…
6 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring systems are in place to track the progress of delivering continued funding to New Futures Fund projects; what the frequency is of such monitoring, and which Executive department will receive and act on the monitoring reports.
Answer · Allan Wilson: We are currently developing monitoringarrangements on the use of New Future Fund successor funding as part of the guidanceto Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). The Enterprise, Transport and LifelongLearning Department with assistance from Communities Sco…
6 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement in December 2005 regarding the funding for New Futures Fund projects, how many of the 43 projects currently receiving funding have had confirmation that they will continue to be funded for the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, broken down by local authority …
Answer · Allan Wilson: We do not yet have this information.We have agreed with Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) that by the end of Februarythey should have notified projects that funding has been extended until June 2006.Early in June, CPPs will set out longer term plans on h…
6 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4504 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003, what the outcome was of discussions with the Department of Work and Pensions regarding reform of arrestment and furthcoming.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The outcome of discussions withthe Department of Work and Pensions is the proposal in the Bankruptcy and DiligenceBill to stop creditors from arresting all the money in a bank account. A minimumbalance will be protected, currently fixed at £370. This reform w…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how its investment in new and refurbished schools will improve opportunities for children and young people.
Answer · Peter Peacock: As part of the school estate strategy we have initiated the largest school building programme of modern times which will deliver 300 new or substantially refurbished schools by 2009 along with widespread improvements in many other schools. We are supporting s…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage children to become more physically active during their school lives.
Answer · Peter Peacock: A comprehensive programme of action is in place to encourage physical activity in and around the school day. Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization, Scotland is one of the few countries to have put in place a national physical activity…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to football supporters’ trusts.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the question S2W-22686 answered on 2 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…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided to football supporters’ trusts in each year since 1999-2000.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive does not provide funding or support directly to football supporters’ trusts. Funding was made available by the Executive to support the establishment of Supporters Direct in Scotland in 2002 to work with responsible groups of supporters…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for young people with learning disabilities (a) entering and (b) during employment.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Careers Scotland provides a range of employability services, including key worker support, which help young people to access and sustain employment. The enterprise networks deliver <i>Get Ready for Work</i>, a programme for 16/17 year olds who, with additiona…
26 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it advertises any support available to facilitate the transition from (a) school to further education and (b) further education to employment to make young people with learning disabilities aware of the availability of such support.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 requires education authorities to publish information about a range of specified matters such as their policy in relation to provision for additional support needs. This could include provisi…