Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31629 by Nicol Stephen on 21 February 2007, whether it will provide a breakdown of payments from the Central Energy Efficiency Fund.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: All local authorities havereceived their full allocation, as indicated in the following table, with theexception of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway whoare all due to receive their second allocation during March 2007.</p><table …
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the final report of the strategic group on Gypsies/Travellers will include measurable targets with allocated budgets.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Gypsy/Traveller StrategicGroup did not include measurable targets with allocated resources in their report,which they have finalised. These are matters for consideration in the further developmentof the Executive’s National Strategy and Action Plan which …
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it currently provides to public authorities about actions they can take to better meet the needs of Gypsies/Travellers, given that its strategic group report on Gypsies/Travellers has not been published.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Communities Scotland providesguidance on local housing strategies on its website to support local authoritiesin meeting the housing needs of all communities in their area, including the Gypsy/Travellercommunity. In addition, the two thematic studies undertake…
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any underspend in the Gypsy/Traveller site improvement grant will be ring-fenced to ensure that it goes towards meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsies/Travellers.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Gypsy/Traveller Site Grant is managed by CommunitiesScotland through the Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) awarded to local authorities.If there is any under spend by local authorities in 2006-07, Communities Scotlandwill look to make available resource…
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding from the Gypsy/Traveller site improvement grant is still available for local authorities that wish to improve sites.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The £3 million Gypsy/Travellersite grant, which was introduced in 2005 and was intended to fund site improvementsby local authorities over three years, has all been allocated. Payments have beenmade to individual local authorities in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and …
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Gypsy/Traveller site improvement grant has made a difference to the accommodation needs of Gypsies/Travellers.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Award of the Gypsy/Travellersite improvement grant was on the basis of improvements to the quality of life andfacilities offered to site residents, identified by individual local authorities.The grant is being spent on a range of improvements including upgrad…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31549 by Hugh Henry on 13 February 2007, how the helpline was advertised (a) prior to February 2005 and (b) from February to August 2005 and at what cost.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The helpline operated by WhoCares? Scotland was advertised on the website of the Scottish Executive.INCAS was funded to circulate information to its membership. A news release wasalso issued by the Scottish Executive on 1 April 2005.</p>
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31550 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007, who is responsible for formally clearing the minutes of meetings of the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group and how long after a meeting it should take to clear such minutes.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31837 on 1 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31550 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007, when it will publish all outstanding minutes of meetings of the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group on its website.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The notes of each meeting of the National Reference Group are cleared at the subsequent meeting by referencegroup members, and published on the Scottish Executive website after they havegone through the normal procedures. All minutes of meetings of the Nation…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31561 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007, whether the booklet, A Can of Worms, is being distributed in its current form and, if so, to whom.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The <i>A Can of Worms</i> bookletis not currently being distributed by the Scottish Executive in any form.</p>
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31561 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007, when a decision will be made as to whether changes are required to improve the booklet, A Can of Worms.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The review group iscontinuing, by correspondence, its consideration of the text and any changes toit. The group aims to complete this work as soon as possible.</p>
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31561 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007, who the members are of the review group.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The members of the groupreviewing the content of the booklet A Can of Worms are representatives of thefollowing organisations:</p><p>Fife Health Board</p><p>British PsychologicalSociety</p><p>Royal College of Psychiatrists</p><p>Health in Mind</p><p>Associati…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the action plan of the Strategic Group on Gypsies/Travellers is complete and whether it will publish the action plan prior to dissolution of the Parliament.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Strategic Group’s Action Plan is complete. However, given it will be drawnon in the further development of the National Strategy and Action Plan, it willrequire to be published simultaneously with the strategy, as will the other threestrategic groups’ rep…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the action plan of the Strategic Group on Race Equality in Rural Areas is complete and whether it will publish the action plan prior to dissolution of the Parliament.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Race Equality in Rural Areas Strategic Group’s Action Plan iscomplete. However, given it will be drawn on in the further development of the NationalStrategy and Action Plan, it will require to be published simultaneously with thestrategy, as will the othe…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the action plan of the Strategic Group on Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market is complete and whether it will publish the action plan prior to dissolution of the Parliament.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market Strategic Group’s action plan iscomplete. However, given it will be drawn on in the further development of the NationalStrategy and Action Plan, it will require to be published simultaneously with thestrategy, as wi…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the action plan of the Strategic Group on Refugees and Asylum Seekers is complete and whether it will publish the action plan prior to dissolution of the Parliament.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The group’saction plan is complete. However, given it will be drawn on in the further developmentof the<i> National Strategy and Action Plan</i>, it will require to be publishedsimultaneously with the strategy, as will the other three strategic groups’ report…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31758 by Rhona Brankin on 14 February 2007, what additional consultees will inform the further development of the race equality strategy.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have already consulted a verywide range of stakeholders on the draft strategy, who have provided valuable feedback.The Executive will consult them again once the strategy has been further developedand following careful consideration of their comments. We w…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31758 by Rhona Brankin on 14 February 2007, what elements of the race equality strategy require further development.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The main elements which we wishto further develop are the balance in the strategy between a focus on preventingracism and on tackling it, the relationship between issues of faith and race andthe terminology and definitions used. However, we have received feed…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19640 by Peter Peacock on 28 October 2005, whether the commitment to provide details of a single point of contact for each organisation that could be published on the Executive website to assist those seeking to access their personal files has now be…
Answer · Hugh Henry: Yes. The updated informationwill be published shortly.</p>
8 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints it has received in respect of breaches of prison custody protocols in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish PrisonService (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS do not operatecustody protocols as described. The management of the prison population iscovered in terms of The Prisons and You…
8 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what denominations are covered by prison custody protocols in respect of religion and belief.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS does not have “prisoncustody protocols”. We have The Prison and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules2006. Denominati…
8 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the implementation of prison custody protocols in respect of religion and belief.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS aims to obey the lawincluding section 43 of the Prison Rules. The Prisons’ Chaplaincy Steering Group,REMIT addresses issues i…
8 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues in respect of the practice of religion and belief by those in prison custody and what the status is of such guidance.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Relevant guidance includes aguide for staff on Religions and Cultures<i>, </i>an SPS Equality and DiversityPolicy and mandatory train…
8 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what prison custody protocols are in place in respect of religion and belief.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS operates in accordancewith the Prisons and Young Offenders’ Institutions (Scotland) Rules2006 (Rule 43) which states that eve…
5 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Law Commission has accepted submissions from survivors’ groups during its consultation, Personal Injury Actions - Limitation and Prescribed Claims.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The commission has advised the Executive that it has not received any responses from survivors’ groups to its DiscussionPaper on <i>Personal Injury Actions: Limitation</i> <i>and Prescribed Claims</i>.</p>
5 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Scottish Law Commission to report on its consultation, Personal Injury Actions - Limitation and Prescribed Claims.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The commission expects to publishits report later this year.</p>
2 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid out under the Central Energy Efficiency Fund.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has paidout £17.68 million under the Central Energy Efficiency Fund to date.</p>
2 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics are disregarded in the preparation of NHS waiting list data.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Statistics on patients oninpatient/day case and out-patient waiting lists are routinely published onISD’s website:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/waiting_times">www.isdscotland.org/waiting_times</a>.</p><p>Statistics are published onthe total number…
2 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of average speed cameras on the road network.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Subject to a successful evaluationof the two year SPECS pilot project on the A77, Transport Scotland willdevelop a strategy for more widespread use of average speed camera enforcement onthe trunk road network. The trial period is due to end in July 2007.</p><…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit of the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group covers all forms of abuse of children and not only sexual abuse.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31550 on 14 February 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…