Karen Whitefield

19 Jan 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce truancy.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has a range of policies to help schools tackle absenteeism, and continues to work with education authorities to refine and develop their policies and practice.</p>

19 Jan 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that Transport Scotland will work in partnership with local NHS boards to ensure good access to health facilities.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The new transport agency, which is due to be up an running by the end of 2005, will consult with all stakeholders including local NHS boards, to ensure good access to transport services. Health issues will be taken into account in developing the National Tran…

12 Jan 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in providing free dental and eye checks for all.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Partnership Commitment isto provide free eye and dental checks for all before 2007. We will legislate forthe implementation in the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Billwhich has recently been introduced in Parliament. Discussions on detailed imp…

22 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding Supporting People funding and whether it will revise the allocations announced on 1 October 2004.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Representations have been received from COSLA, local authorities and a range of other external stakeholders about funding for Supporting People. The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring a fairer distribution of resources across Scotland and to ensuring…

15 Dec 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage graduates to consider teaching as their first career option.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Graduate recruitment to initial teacher education is very strong. For example, in 2004 universities recruited over 80% more students to PGCE maths courses and over 50% more to PGCE English courses than in 2003.</p><p>In addition, we will launch a teacher recr…

30 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report of the Short-Term Working Group on Outstanding Warrants.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I am publishing the report of the working group today. The group identified and considered in detail a number of issues relating to warrants within the Scottish criminal justice system, including prisoner releases from courts. The report makes 20 recommendati…

27 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for implementing the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The new provisions on antisocial behaviour strategies, antisocial behaviour orders, dispersal of groups, closure of premises and new environmental powers come into force today. The other measures will commence over the coming months. The timetable for this is…

27 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on the strategic review of the delivery of legal aid, advice and information in Scotland will be made available.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The report to Scottish ministers and the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the Strategic Review of the delivery of legal aid, advice and information will be published on 29 October 2004. A full copy of the report will be available on the Scottish Executive website.…

27 Oct 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Airdrie to Bathgate rail link will be completed and when the new service will be operational.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The rail link is planned for completion by the end of 2008 with new services running shortly thereafter.</p>

15 Sep 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to ensure the early identification of people with diabetes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Screening Committee Policy Position (March 2004)<b> </b>advocates targeted screening of those in high-risk groups - in particular, members of certain minority ethnic groups and people with obesity. This will be taken forward in Scotland as part o…

17 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment within A Partnership for a Better Scotland &#147;to consult on a national system of warnings for young offenders with a restorative element where appropriate&#148;.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Following consultation with stakeholders, guidelines setting out the principles and operation of the new restorative warning system will be issued to the police on Monday 21 June. The purpose of the new system which will apply to young people between the ages…

28 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned from HM Inspectorate of Prisons: Report on HM Prison Shotts.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: <i>HM Inspector of Prisons: Reporton HMP Shotts</i>, published on 22 April,noted that, I quote, “The Governor and staff have made real efforts to move on fromthe incidents in the prison in January 2003 and these efforts have been successful.”That has been the…

14 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its conclusions following receipt of the Airdrie to Bathgate rail line engineering feasibility study.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The engineering study has been completed and copies are available from West Lothian Council. The study has confirmed that the railway line proposals are feasible. The Scottish Executive is working with West Lothian Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Strat…

24 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to extend its anti-smoking campaign to young people, particularly young women.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Preventingyoung people from starting to smoke is a matter of great importance to the Scottish Executive, and many of our initiativesdirectly target young women.</p><p>A “Breathof Fresh Air for Scotland”, the first ever tobacco actionplan designed specifically…

18 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered increasing the minimum age at which a person can purchase alcohol from an off-licence from 18 to 21.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to raise the minimum age for purchasing alcohol from anoff-licence. Ministers are considering the regulation of off-licences followingthe report of the working group on off-sales in the community and will respondto that rep…

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to tackle high re-offending rates.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have put the reform of the criminal justice system at the heart of our policies. The people of Scotlanddeserve strong, safe communities. To deliver this we must address theunacceptably high rate of re-offending we see in Scotland.</p><p>Today I am launchin…

28 Jan 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist social inclusion projects with funding.

Answer · Margaret Curran: During 2003-04 CommunitiesScotland will provide core funding of £60.1 million directly to SocialInclusion Partnerships to assist in project funding. This level of funding willcontinue into 2004-05.</p>

21 Jan 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the use of public transport from suburban areas into city centres.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive works with transport authoritiesand transport operators to encourage the use of public transport from suburbanareas into city centres, and continues to support a wide range of bus, rail,park and ride and modal shift initiatives.</p>

8 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking regarding the use of seatbelts on school buses.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive issued revised guidance to education authorities on school transportissues in August 2003. Circular 7/2003, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29135), reminds them of their dutyof ca…

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Scottish Prison Service has to upgrade the sewerage plant at Longriggend to ensure that it is of an acceptable standard for Scottish Water and what the time scale is for any such plans.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>Options for upgrading thesewerage plant are still being developed. No time scale has yet been set.</p>

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations in respect of roads and lighting maintenance the Scottish Prison Service transferred as part of the sale of land and property at the former HM Prison Longriggend.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>A 1/80th share of themaintenance of the private roads and street lighting system within the village of Upperton.</p>

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Prison Service will fulfil its commitment, made to the Upperton Residents' Association, to repair the seven street lights in Longriggend.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>The majority of this workwas carried out on 22 December 2003 and is planned to be fully completed by 23 January 2004.</p>

13 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its response to the consultation by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on the proposals for the establishment of a supreme court and constitutional reforms.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive todayissued its response to the consultation by the Department for ConstitutionalAffairs on constitutional reforms, including the setting up of a UK SupremeCourt to replace the House of Lords sitting as an appeal court.</p><p>The Execut…

22 Oct 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rates relief is available to non-profit-making sports clubs.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Non-profit-makingsports clubs in Scotland are able to receive 80% mandatoryrate relief if they register as charities with the Inland Revenue. Localauthorities have discretionary powers to top up this relief up to the maximum100%. Sports clubs that do not meet…

18 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its performance in answering ministerial correspondence was in the second quarter of 2003.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S1W-24583 on 28 March 2002, I undertook to continue to reportquarterly on the numbers of letters received by ministers and our performance inanswering them.</p><p>All answers to written parliamentaryquestions …

17 Sep 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to resource and support alternative sports such as skateboarding and mountain biking.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive has allocated tolocal authorities £180 million Quality of Life funding over the three-year periodto 2005-06. This funding will be used to improve the local environment and increaseopportunities for children and young people. A number of local au…

25 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address light pollution of the night sky.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Road lighting is often identified as one of the main sources of light pollution. At present both the Executive and local authorities work to the relevant British Standards for road lighting installation and employ technologies which take full account of advan…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be put in place to deal with requests for information until the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 comes into force.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>, which informs decisions made on whether or not to disclose information, will remain in place until the statutory Freedom of Information regime is brought into force on 1 January 2005. <P…

18 Jun 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service will provide assistance to facilitate an early return to work for prison staff injured in accidents at work.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Yes. The Scottish Prison Service offer a range of support services to enable any employee who is absent due to ill-health to return to work as quickly as possible. This is supported by medical advice supplied by the Occupational Health Advisors to the Service.

19 May 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin to implement its proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour and make communities safer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Implementation of the proposals on anti-social behaviour in the partnership agreement is being taken forward as one of the Executive's top priorities. We will publish draft proposals for an anti-social behaviour bill for consultation before the summer recess.