Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support it provided to museums and galleries in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and how much it is providing in 2002-03, broken down by type of museum and gallery.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive does not provide direct funding to non-national museums and galleries in Scotland. The Executive is responsible only for the National Institutions. Funding to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland for 1…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA about the contribution that museums and galleries make to education.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Joint Implementation Group for the Cultural Strategy is chaired by Mike Watson and its membership includes COSLA. At its second meeting in January this year it reviewed a wide range of issues relating to education including the contribution of museums and…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provided to museums and galleries in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 expressed per capita and as compared with other parts of the United Kingdom.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive does not provide direct funding to non-national museums and galleries in Scotland. The Executive is responsible only for the National Institutions. Funding to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland for 1…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 15 July 2002 of #257 million additional funding for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding consequentials will be allocated to its Tourism, Culture and Sport portfolio.
Answer · Mike Watson: The funding consequentials from the Chancellors' announcement on 15 July 2002 were paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund. <P>Decisions on the allocation of the money from the Scottish Consolidated Fund are made by Scottish ministers. <I>Building a Better S…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its consultation paper on the action plan for Scotland's museums, announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 10 July 2002, for the consultation originally scheduled to commence in August 2002.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The consultation paper on the action plan for Scotland's museums was published on 6 September 2002. The deadline for submissions and the closure of the consultation period is now 6 December 2002.
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward work on the action plan for Scotland's museums announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 10 July 2002.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive initiated a three-month consultation on the findings of the National Audit of Scotland's Museums and Galleries on the 9 September. The consultation process will include a seminar organised by the Scottish Museums Council on 4 November. Informati…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned research to quantify the contribution of museums and galleries to tourism and, if so, what the key conclusions were.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The important contribution of Scotland's museums and galleries to tourism is recognised in the VisitScotland's Tourism Framework for Action and in the Report of the National Audit of Scotland's Museums and Galleries. The latter shows that in 2000 there were o…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned research on the economic, social or educational impact of museums and galleries and, if so, what the key conclusions were.
Answer · Elaine Murray: <I>Museum and Social Justice</I> published by the Scottish Museums Council in December 2000 identifies the contribution of museums to the social justice agenda. The Executive has not commissioned research in the other areas mentioned.
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons can be learned from the report by the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, Renaissance in the Regions: a new vision for England's museums, and how any such lessons could be applied to Scotland.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The recent findings of important work in England, for example, the Renaissance in the Regions report and the Heritage Lottery Fund's Needs Assessment (UK based) are wholly consistent with the findings of the National Audit of Scotland's Museums and Galleries.…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25845 by Iain Gray on 27 May 2002, what progress it has made in considering a successor to the individual learning accounts scheme and when it now plans to announce details of such a scheme.
Answer · Iain Gray: Work on the formulation of a successor to the individual learning account scheme continues to make progress. Officials are currently consulting key stakeholders about my plans in principle and will in due course confer with them further about the operational …
26 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the criteria will be finalised for allocating the #50 million to enhance existing plans to improve waste water treatment; what the key criteria are likely to be; what the relative weighting of such criteria will be, and what opportunity there will be for communities affected to have…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The £50 million referred to in Quality and Standards 2 (Bib. number 15676) has been allocated to help ease constraints on new development and to help with first time sewerage in rural areas.<P>Scottish Water is currently conducting a thorough survey of their …
26 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its policy on first-time connections to the waste water system.
Answer · Ross Finnie: My officials are currently considering this matter and are in discussion with Scottish Water and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Scottish Water is currently conducting a thorough survey of their network, with a view to understanding the scale of the d…
25 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the ethnicity of households benefiting from the central heating installation programme.
Answer · Hugh Henry: No. This is a universal programme to ensure that all over 60s households in the private sector and all social rented tenants without central heating have access to a free central heating system, insulation and energy advice.
25 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make further funding available to enhance the environmental benefits of planned waste water treatment works.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No.<P>The funding available to Scottish Water during the current four year investment cycle is described in some detail in <I>Water Quality and Standards Investment Priorities for Scotland's Water Authorities 2002-2006</I> (Bib. number 15676). The purpose of…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the implementation group for The Same as You? last met; what issues were discussed, and what the membership of the group has been from its inception to date.
Answer · Frank McAveety: All this information, including the minutes of the last meeting of <I>The same as you?</I> Implementation Group on 10 May 2002, is available on the Review of Services for People with a Learning Disability website at<P>www.scotland.gov.uk/ldsr.
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on learning and disability services by each local authority in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The information is provided in Section 6 of the annual<I> CIPFA Rating Review Actual of Income & Expenditure 2000-01</I> (Bib no. 19781) and section 4 of the <I>CIPFA Rating Review Estimates of Income & Expenditure 2001-02</I> (Bib no. 17055) copies o…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the level and efficacy of spend from the funding allocated from the learning disability services change fund to local authorities.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26763 on 27 June 2002.
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is planned to be allocated from the learning disability services change fund to each local authority through grant aided expenditure allocations for 2003-04.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The total provision for Learning Disabilities Change Fund is £16 million in 2003-04, recurring thereafter. The resources are being allocated through the general local government settlement distribution - separate allocations for each authority have not been p…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated from the learning disability services change fund to each local authority through grant aided expenditure allocations for 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The total provision for Learning Disability Change Fund is £8 million in 2001-02, and £12 million in 2002-03. The resources are being allocated through the general local government settlement distribution - separate allocations for each authority have not bee…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why there is not a target in the Scottish Enterprise operating plan for 2002-03 for the number of Social Economy organisations assisted as in 2001-02 and how it intends to monitor performance in this area.
Answer · Iain Gray: Scottish Enterprise plays an important part in achieving social justice objectives. The Executive was satisfied that the current operating plan includes outputs relating to inclusion across a range of activities including business starts and skills and learni…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of Scottish Enterprise's performance for the number of women business start-ups assisted in 2002-03 and projections for women business start-ups to the end of 2002-03, both broken down by local enterprise company area.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I shall ask Robert Crawford, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, to write to the member.
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors progress by Scottish Enterprise against the agreed operating plan targets and, if so, how.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Management Statement issued by the Scottish Executive to Scottish Enterprise requires that they submit statements twice a year to the Executive showing performance against each of the key operating targets identified in their annual operating plan. In add…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of spending by Scottish Enterprise in the current year on (a) business support and start-up programmes for women only and (b) women generally, both in cash terms and as a percentage of Scottish Enterprise's overall budget.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I shall ask Robert Crawford, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, to write to the member.
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop a strategic framework for women's enterprise.
Answer · Iain Gray: Business advice and support for women is delivered by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The Scottish Executive acknowledge that these services should reflect the specific needs of current or potential women entrepreneurs. The need for …
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a national centre for women's enterprise to bring a specific focus to the start-up and support of businesses run by women and to develop and disseminate best practice.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive is currently considering the case for a national centre for women's enterprise. No final decision has yet been reached.
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23613 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 12 March 2002, whether the feasibility study on establishing a national centre for women's enterprise, originally scheduled to be concluded by the end of May 2002, will now be published.
Answer · Iain Gray: A feasibility study on establishing a national centre for women's enterprise was undertaken by the Paisley Enterprise Research Centre of the University of Paisley. The Executive is currently considering the report and will shortly announce arrangements for it…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop children's centres in each of the 20% most disadvantaged areas to ensure the best possible start in life by providing access to health, education and other services for children and their parents.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Closing the opportunity gap for Scotland's children is a key policy for the Executive. Through Sure Start Scotland we provide resources to give every child the best possible start in life. This supports joint-agency integrated service provision, which is ofte…
22 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many childcare places there are currently per head of the population in comparison with the rest of the United Kingdom; whether it will provide details of their geographic distribution, and whether there are any plans to increase capacity.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We do not, as yet, have reliable data on the number of childcare places in Scotland. Our current monitoring arrangement (through the annual census of Children's Daycare and Pre-School Education Centres) provides data on numbers of children attending these ser…
19 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward the Rethinking Construction Initiative given that the National Audit Office indicates that construction amounts to approximately 8% of Gross Domestic Product and that 30% savings could be made in the costs of construction.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27751 on 15 August 2002.
19 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to use the formula consequentials arising from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement on 15 July 2002 that funding for the Active Communities Unit will be increased from #35 million to #65 million by 2005-06 and a direct fund of #125 million will be established for vol…
Answer · Andy Kerr: We will announce detailed spending plans for the three years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 in September.