Parliamentary questions

Karen Gillon

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

15 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the development of partnerships between the home, the school and the community in order to raise educational standards in all age groups.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We are supporting a number of initiatives under the Excellence Fund to develop partnerships between home, school and community. The Supporting Parents and Early Intervention initiatives are specifically dedicated to developing home-school…

15 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in raising levels of numeracy and literacy amongst adults.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I have announced on 15 May that I shall be setting up a task force to identify the true extent of the problem and its characteristics, set out a detailed programme of action, detail where resources have to be spent and provide targets to drive forward improve…

12 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report on the implementation in Scotland of Part V of the Police Act 1997, which provides for extended access to criminal record checks.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have reviewed the position and have decided to plan the introduction of the new checks in Scotland so that it comes into line with the plans for implementation in England and Wales. This is because we consider the two operations need to be developed in par…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had into the revised assisted area map.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Assisted Areas map is a reserved matter.The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas …

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide further safeguards for victims of sexual abuse and their families.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Executive's commitment to ensuring that victims of sexual abuse and their families are adequately safeguarded is demonstrated in a number of different ways.Children are one of our main priorities and a range of measures in the Children …

10 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to encourage and support parents in introducing infants and their children to books and reading.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive fully recognises the crucial role parents can play in cultivating their children's skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for books and reading. At the pre-school stage, the Framework for Curriculum 3-5 encourages parents to assist in their c…

5 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which Ministers will handle the National Parks (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Donald Dewar: The Minister for Transport and the Environment has asked the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Nicol Stephen, to support her on the parliamentary stages of the National Parks (Scotland) Bill.

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to announce the outcome of the applications received for grants from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund for 2000-01.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Awards totalling more than £2.7 million from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund have been made. £1.533 million from the Executive's Rural Challenge Fund - £863,000 already committed to ongoing projects and £670,000 for new projects - and £1.116 million from …

28 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5030 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 March 2000 and the European Committee's Report on European Structural Fund Programme Management Executives and their relationship with the Scottish Executive, whether it will make a statement on the review of the Progra…

Answer · Jack McConnell: When I appeared before the European Committee on 21 March I set out my broad welcome for the recommendations in the review, which aimed to streamline the process of administering Structural Funds Programmes so that they achieve maximum impact and leave a lega…

27 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in developing its equality strategy and programme of action.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Following the debate on 2 December 1999 and the Parliament's endorsement of the Executive's statement Towards an Equality Strategy: a Framework, the Executive undertook a consultation exercise to assist it in developing its strategy. Formal consultatio…

26 Apr 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learned from the USA in relation to tackling drug abuse.

Answer · Jim Wallace: During the Deputy Minister for Justice's recent visit to the United States of America he had the opportunity to see at first hand a range of policies and practices for tackling the problem of drug misuse. The Scottish Executive will be reflecting on the lesso…

19 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5625 by Henry McLeish on 10 April 2000, what issues will the Minister raise with DAKS Simpson when he visits the company and when will that visit take place.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I intend to visit DAKS Simpson shortly. I will wish to discuss with the management and union representatives how best we can help those being made redundant find jobs and, as required by the company, what training programmes could be provided for those who wi…

19 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the school exclusion strategy.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We are investing £23 million over three years (1999-2000-2001-02) in the Alternatives to Exclusion programme. The objective of this programme is to help authorities develop practical initiatives which provide alternatives to exclusion. Projects being supporte…

12 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been taken on the location of the Scottish University for Industry's headquarters.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I am glad to announce today that the new Europa Building, in Glasgow's Argyle Street, has been chosen as the location for the Scottish UfI's headquarters. The company's staff of around 25 are expected to locate there at the end of May. The Europa Building is …

12 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement about the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2000.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2000 govern the new arrangements for the collection of repayments of income-contingent loans through the tax system. They were subject to the affirmative resolution procedure at Westminster and confer duti…

12 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm, following the agreement by the European Commission of the Objective 2 map, how much European Structural Fund support will be available within the Objective 2 programmes for the East, South and West of Scotland between 2000 and 2006.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I can announce the amount of European Structural Funding available per head of population both in respect of the full eligible areas and in the transitional areas. The increase above the indicative amounts overall, announced previously, is small but the incre…

12 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has supplied to business ratepayers on the revaluation of non-domestic rates which came into effect on 1 April 2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is producing three explanatory leaflets dealing with various aspects of the Revaluation, including the Appeal Procedure and Transitional Arrangements. I have issued copies of the first two leaflets to all MSP's and have asked officials …

6 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received or expects to receive from Strathclyde Passenger Transport regarding the award of Transport Challenge Fund support for the Larkhall to Milngavie rail route and when it will take a decision on the project.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) submitted their outline business case for the project to the then Scottish Office in October 1998. Several issues arising from this submission required further scrutiny. A number of exchanges followed commu…

6 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an investigation into the provision of public transport to major hospitals.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the legislation governing the current system of building control.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I recently approved a major policy review of the building control system. A consultation paper that will invite ideas on the reform of the system will be issued on 6 April and I would encourage all interested individuals, organisations and authorities to resp…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit, membership and work programme is of the Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland was established as part of the delivery of the Programme for Government commitment to integrate the principles of environmentally and socially sustainable development into all Government policies.<P ALIGN="…

3 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what share farmers in the Clydesdale constituency will receive from the agricultural funding package announced last week.

Answer · Ross Finnie: It is not possible at this stage to know what share of the recently announced agricultural aid package will go to Clydesdale farmers as this will depend upon uptake in the various schemes. Information is, in any case, not readily available on a parliamentary …

3 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information were handled in the period 1 July to 31 December 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In the first six months of the operation of the Code a total of 29 formal Code requests were dealt with. 10 requests were categorised as formal because information was refused. Of the 29 formal requests, the target time of 20 days for public bodies to respond…

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will announce when the EC Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls will be transposed into Scots law.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Regulations which transpose EC Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls into Scots law have been laid before Parliament and will come into force on 8 May 2000.Polychlorinated bi…

30 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what consultations have taken place regarding the new Scottish Parliament logo.

Answer · David Steel: As part of its responsibility for corporate matters, the SPCB decided that the text-based corporate identity, which had been commissioned for use at the beginning of the Scottish Parliament in May 1999, should be enhanced by the addition of a badge or logo. A…

30 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what role MSPs will play in the selection of a new Scottish Parliament logo.

30 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether and when proposals for the Scottish Parliament logo will be available for discussion with all MSPs.

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the educational attainment of boys.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-5762.

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role sport is playing in activities aimed at raising the educational achievement of boys.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We want to raise the educational attainment of all of our young people. We recently commissioned a research project which aims to identify factors which influence the relative attainment of boys and girls and to provide advice on how good performance by both …

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is having on the role of sport in social inclusion strategies.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive's Social Inclusion Strategy identifies the important role sport can play in promoting social inclusion. In collaboration with sportscotland we have commissioned research that focuses on the role of sport in regenerating urban dep…