Parliamentary questions

Margaret Jamieson

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

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on police resources has been of each occasion on which Mark Biggley has absconded from Ailsa Hospital, Ayr.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not availablecentrally.

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to review its procedures following a restricted patient at Ailsa Hospital, Ayr, absconding twice in four months.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28776 on 27 October 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was advised of the decision to grant restricted patient, Mark Biggley, unescorted leave within the grounds of Ailsa Hospital, Ayr.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A letter was received fromthe Responsible Medical Officer on 28 September 2006, two days after the abscond.

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all protocols regarding restricted patients were followed in the decision to transfer Mark Biggley from the State Hospital, Carstairs, to Ailsa Hospital, Ayr.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes.

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an inquiry into the circumstances of a restricted patient absconding for a second time from Ailsa Hospital, Ayr.

29 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take against NHS Ayrshire and Arran following the absconding of a restricted patient from Ailsa Hospital, Ayr, for the second time in four months.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have instructed Ayrshire andArran Health Board to conduct a Critical Incident Review, and report to us thismonth.In addition, we will shortlyappoint an inquiry team which will consider the decisions and events that led tothe abscond and report to us…

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is considering to protect against counterfeiting of Scotch whisky at home and abroad.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is committedto supporting the Scotch whisky industry’s work to protect its reputation and integrityaround the world, and will assist where possible in protecting Scotch whisky againstall forms of unfair competition. The Scottish Executi…

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote zero tolerance of violence against emergency workers.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No-one should have work infear of being attacked or abused. Attackson emergency workers are unacceptable, dangerous and callous. Those working inemergency situations fill an essential role, and should be able to go abouttheir already difficult and often dange…

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of alleged offences carried out against emergency workers while working in the community, under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, have been reported to procurators fiscal, broken down by profession and job title of the victims.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Crown Office andProcurator Fiscal Service’s case management database does not record the locusof an offence or the profession or job title of victims in a way that wouldallow aggregate information to be extracted in the format requested.The followi…

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases referred to procurators fiscal under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 have been dropped.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Since the Act came intoforce in May 2005, Procurators Fiscal have received reports involving 470 chargesrelating to offences under the Emergency Workers (Scotland)Act 2005. The following table provides a breakdown of the action taken inrelation to those charg…

7 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it records the number of attacks by seagulls on members of the public.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive doesnot hold data on seagull attacks. Local authorities may record this informationin addressing problems caused by urban gulls. Where the local authorities haveprovided information on this subject it has been reflected in the commissio…

7 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities to combat any problems caused as a consequence of increasing numbers of seagulls.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executiveissued copies of their commissioned report entitled Review of UrbanGulls and their Management in Scotland to local authorities during the weekbeginning 22 May 2006; this was also made available on the ScottishExecutive webs…

22 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to support probationer teachers who are placed in denominational schools for their probationary period and who are not able to apply for posts in denominational schools following successful completion of their probation.

Answer · Robert Brown: All probationers on the teacherinduction scheme receive the appropriate support from an experienced teacher astheir mentor, whether allocated to a denominational or a non–denominational teachingpost.There is nothing in law to preventany appropriately q…

22 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that teachers who successfully complete their probation in 2005-06 but who have not obtained teaching posts remain within the education sector.

Answer · Robert Brown: The employment of teachers inteaching posts is a matter for education authorities. In order to meet the nationaltarget of 53,000 teachers by 2007, additional funding of £18 million in 2006-07and £44 million in 2007-08 has been provided for the employment of t…

22 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that appropriate numbers of teachers are trained each year.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive carriesout an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to ensure at a national leveladequate numbers of newly qualified teachers are trained for publicly funded schools.This takes into account factors such as the age profile of the pr…

22 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what tracking mechanism it has in place to ensure that there is appropriate placement of probationer teachers.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive, the GeneralTeaching Council for Scotland and Scottish local authorities work in partnership toensure that every eligible probationer is offered an appropriate one-year teachingpost.

7 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26029 by Nicol Stephen on 6 June 2006, how its guidance issued to further and higher education colleges in May 2005 meets the requirements of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE); why HMIE has raised the issue of enhanced disclosure for staff in a pos…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: HMIE’s expectations in this areaare founded on legislation, Lifelong Partners (the Scottish Executive’s school-collegepartnership strategy), and its own evaluation of existing good practice. HMIE wereheavily involved in both the policy development for Lifelon…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25841 by Lewis Macdonald on 23 May 2006, what involvement the local police have in determining the community assessment of a patient transferring to less secure accommodation and in providing assistance to multidisciplinary teams at case conferences.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Clinical staff will involve thepolice in multidisciplinary care programme approach meetings where that is appropriate.New guidance on the care programme approach, including how the police should beengaged in that process, is being developed to reflect the pro…

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will instruct all colleges to undertake disclosure checks for all staff who have contact with under 18-year-olds and vulnerable adult learners.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive hasno powers to direct Scotland's Colleges offurther and higher education. However, we issued guidance in May 2005 to advisethat colleges should not place staff without an enhanced disclosure in aposition of trust for school pupils or s…

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what community assessment is undertaken prior to a restricted patient being moved to less secure accommodation.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Chapter 8 and Annex C of theMemorandum of Procedure contain guidance on restricted patients transferringbetween hospitals involving a drop in the level of security. A working version of the Memorandum of Procedure is available on:<ahref="…

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what protocols are in place in respect of restricted patients who are granted unescorted leave.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Chapter 5 and Annex B2 and B3of the Memorandum of Procedure set out the guidance in relation to suspensionof detention for restricted patients. A working version of the Memorandum ofProcedure is available on:<ahref="http://www.scotland.go…

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what protocols are in place to ensure that risk assessments are undertaken prior to restricted patients being moved to less secure accommodation.

20 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the compliance of education authorities in delivering its policies.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Education authorities implementpolicies taking into account local circumstances. Policies and delivery are subjectto regular discussion between the Executive and education authorities, and authoritiesthemselves are regularly inspected by HM Inspectorate of Ed…

20 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether changes to the curriculum of teacher training courses will include training on how to deal with bullying and its impact on children with special needs.

Answer · Peter Peacock: In response to the 2nd stagereview of initial teacher education (ITE) I challenged ITE providers and the GeneralTeaching Council to ensure that classroom management and awareness of additionalsupport needs receive higher priority in ITE courses. Changes are a…

20 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is provided to teachers on anti-bullying strategies for schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The training of teachers in schoolsis delivered through continuing professional development programmes developed byeducation authorities in light of local priorities and circumstances, and utilising,where necessary, training provided through the Anti-Bullying…

12 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22919 and S2W-23443 by Nicol Stephen on 22 February and 6 April 2006, what consultation will take place with MSPs who are not members of the appropriate committee to ensure that Scottish Enterprise is aware of their views on the impact at local lev…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A number of MSPs requested meetingsand discussions with me to discuss Scottish Enterprise’s restructuring proposals.I conveyed the views expressed to Scottish Enterprise, took those views into accountwhen making my statement on Scottish Enterprise on 30 March…

23 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to assist East Ayrshire Council to deliver its regeneration strategy for Kilmarnock town centre.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s regenerationpolicy statement, published on 28 February, identifies Ayrshire as one of only tworegional regeneration priorities, and it commits the Executive both to pursuingregeneration opportunities there that will have a regional impact, and…

23 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the criteria used to determine the allocations for Business Improvement Districts complement the aims of its new regeneration strategy policy.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Business Improvement Districts(BID) do not feed directly into the regeneration strategy but can contribute towardsthe regeneration of the areas in which they are located.BIDs are intended to be led bylocal businesses and will be largely funded by the s…

23 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it has in place to ensure that its decisions result in benefit and compliance across its departments.

Answer · Tom McCabe: A range of measures are in placeto ensure that our decisions result in benefit and compliance across Scottish Executivedepartments. Policy and legislative proposals are subject to wide consultation,impact assessment - including with reference to key cross-cut…

23 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise remains committed to regeneration.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The ministerial policy statementon regeneration, People and Place, emphasised the central role that theenterprise networks have in taking forward large-scale regeneration projects andsupporting smaller community regeneration initiatives. I wrote to Sir John W…