Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how small and medium-sized enterprises can access resources for enhancing the language skills of their employees.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24829 on 24 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it makes available to small and medium-sized enterprises to enhance the language skills of their employees.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Local Enterprise Companies canhelp small and medium-sized enterprises with their business needs, by directingthem to relevant support.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its departments is responsible for developing a framework for language skills for Scottish businesses.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has noplans to develop a framework for language skills for Scottish businesses.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that employees in Scottish businesses have the language skills necessary to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Enterprise Networksprovide advice and support to all Scotland’s businesses,including advice on export. The Sector Skills Development Agency is funding theLanguage Skills Alliance, which will support employers in helping them to articulatedemand for langua…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out or commissioned into the benefits of the work of Language Network Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: No research has been carriedout or commissioned by us into the benefits of the work of Language Network Scotland.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the proven and potential benefits to Scottish businesses and the Scottish economy are of the work of Language Network Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The work of LanguageNetwork Scotland has not yet been evaluated. The RegionalLanguage Networks project, of which Language Network Scotland is a part, will be evaluated during this financial year.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the Department for Education and Skills in respect of any reduction in funding for Language Network Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: We have no plansto make representations to the Department for Education and Skills in respect ofthis matter.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Education and Skills regarding the funding of Language Network Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There were no such discussionsprior to this question being lodged.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its agencies will carry out the independent inspection of the immigration service in Scotland.
Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions on how inspectionof the immigration service will work in practice are on-going.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new procedures announced by it and the Home Office in respect of the treatment of asylum seeking families will ensure compliance with the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer · Robert Brown: None of the measures announcedby the Home Office affect the duties that local authorities and others have underthe Children (Scotland) Act, for example the duty on local authorities to provideservices to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need, …
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it is having into the review of family removal processes and whether this is the review which was previously referred to by the First Minister.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive will make representationsto the Home Office as part of its review of family removals. The review is thatto which the First Minister referred at First Minister’s questions on 30 March 2006.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it advocates the concept of a lead professional to help provide services for asylum seeking families with children before their cases are determined, as well as after their cases have fallen.
Answer · Robert Brown: Yes. Precise details are stillto be agreed, but there is agreement in principle from all parties that lead professionalsshould work with the children of asylum seekers from the point at which they andtheir family are dispersed into the community.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the appointment of the new Regional Director for Immigration in Scotland will hamper or enhance the Fresh Talent initiative.
Answer · Robert Brown: This new appointment will helpthe Executive build on the existing positive links with the Home Office on managedmigration.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will have an input into the appointment process of the new Regional Director for Immigration in Scotland.
Answer · Robert Brown: No. The Regional Director willbe appointed and employed by the Home Office.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional involvement it will have in the development of the concept of a lead professional for failed asylum seeking families with children and from what profession these lead professionals are expected to come.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive will be fully involvedin discussions about the role of lead professionals. Lead professionals are expectedto be whoever is best placed to ensure the needs of the child are met, whatevertheir professional background.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on when the lead professional concept, developed with the Home Office for use in the treatment of failed asylum seeking families with children, is expected to come into operation.
Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions with local agencieson when the lead professional arrangements will begin are on-going.</p>
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event of a successful bid, funding for Commonwealth Games projects will come from resources already announced for regeneration projects in Glasgow.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. In the regenerationpolicy statement published on 28 February 2006, the Scottish Executive gave acommitment to provide start-up funding and further support for theestablishment of an Urban Regeneration Company to take forward the Clyde Gatewayregeneration …
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it has monitored progress on its iniatives in respect of communities since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has monitoredprogress through the specific monitoring systems put in place for eachinitiative. Details of these systems and associated monitoring reports, forinitiatives such as Social Inclusion Partnerships, the Better NeighbourhoodServices Fun…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding provided for regeneration will be in addition to that from the Cities Growth Fund and the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is investingan estimated £2.4 billion up to 2008 in a range of programmes across a numberof portfolios which support different aspects of regeneration. This includesthe Cities Growth Fund, Vacant and Derelict Land Fund and £318 millionCommunity …
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what relationship urban regeneration companies (URCs) will have with pathfinder partnerships as referred to in its consultation on URCs.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s consultationon Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) invited local authorities and existinglocal partnerships to express an interest in applying for URC Pathfinder status.Following that consultation process, on 30 June 2004the Minister for Commu…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether resources allocated for the regeneration of the Clyde corridor will be spent on providing facilities for the Commonwealth Games 2014 if the bid is successful.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Funds to provide facilitiesfor the Commonwealth Games will not come from the regeneration budget. However,the regeneration of the Clyde Corridor, which is the Executive’s nationalregeneration priority, will assist the bid to host the CommonwealthGames.</p>
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what identifiable improvements have resulted from the allocation of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is anticipated that allocationof the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund 2004-06 will result in the reclamation andremediation of over 300 hectares of vacant and derelict land in Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and Dundee, with significant benefits for the surroundin…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what identifiable improvements have resulted from the allocation of the Cities Growth Fund.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Cities Growth Fund issupporting a wide range of projects to provide or improve facilities andinfrastructure in and around Scotland’s six cities. These include, for example, theHermiston park and ride facility on the outskirts of Edinburgh,the refurbishmen…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken towards the "effective governance arrangements at a regional level" referred to in Review of Scotland's Cities.
Answer · Tom McCabe: In line with my answers toquestions S2W-22373 and S2W-22374 on 27 January 2006, the Executiverecognises the critical role played by successful and dynamic city-regions. Ourprincipal aim is to make it easier for organisations to work together – bothfor greater…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29407 by Ms Margaret Curran on 1 October 2002, whether the details of the neighbourhood warden schemes have now been finalised.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24219 on 23 March 2006.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.…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29407 by Ms Margaret Curran on 1 October 2002, under what circumstances the (a) local authority and (b) police would be the appropriate agency for a neighbourhood warden to report to.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24219 on 23 March 2006. 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…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the impact of community wardens.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24219 on 23 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community wardens have been employed since the announcement by the Minister for Communities on 18 February 2004 in respect of addressing anti-social behaviour issues.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Our funding has enabledevery council to establish a community warden scheme with around 550 nowpatrolling Scotland’s streets. Employment and reporting arrangements forcommunity wardens are a matter for local agencies. We have commissioned anevaluation of the …
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many female officers have been recruited into each rank within (a) each police force and (b) the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency in the last year.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information for the latestyear available is shown in the following table.</p><p>No. of Female officers Recruitedin 2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=160 valign=top> <p>Central</p> </td> <td width=44 valign=top> <…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been redeployed as a result of the first phase of the contracting-out of prisoner escort and court custody services.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13357 on 25 January 2006. 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/…