Patricia Ferguson

20 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government concerning its review of the Department for International Development.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: None.</p>

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any future regulations regarding primary class sizes will recognise additional responsibilities faced by teachers working in those schools in which a large number of pupils have English as an additional language.

Answer · Michael Russell: While the issue of English as an additional language was not part of the recent consultation on whether regulations should be introduced to set a statutory maximum of 25 for P1 classes it was raised by some respondents. The Scottish Government is currently co…

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it acknowledges additional responsibilities faced by teachers working in those schools in which a large number of pupils have English as an additional language and, if so, how it plans to recognise these.

Answer · Adam Ingram: All teachers in Scotland are required to effectively identify and respond appropriately to pupils with difficulties in, or barriers to, learning and seek advice in relation to their child protection and additional support needs which may include English as an…

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a class size limit in Gaelic-medium schools that is lower than the limit in mainstream schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government recognises that the matter of the size of bilingual class is worthy of individual consideration and included a question about this in a recent wider ranging consultation exercise on class sizes. Responses to the consultation are curren…

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the outcome of the consultation on regulations to reduce P1 classes to a maximum of 25 pupils.

Answer · Michael Russell: Shortly.</p>

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last discussed with representatives of Glasgow City Council the subject of support for pupils with English as an additional language and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish ministers meet regularly with Glasgow City Council to discuss a wide range of issues. While there have been no meetings specifically on the subject of English as an additional language, officials are due to meet representatives of Glasgow City Counci…

10 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when its officials last discussed with representatives of Glasgow City Council the subject of support for pupils with English as an additional language and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish Government officials meet regularly with Glasgow City Council to discuss a wide range of issues. Officials have not met representatives specifically on the subject of pupils with English as an additional language, however, there is a meeting schedule…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of Scottish tourism has been in each year since 2001.

Answer · Jim Mather: The following table provides information on the value of Scottish tourism each year since 2005. Earlier data is not included as explained in the footnotes.</b></p> <p align=left >Expenditure by Overnight Tourists in Scotland, 2005-09 (£ Million)</p> <table…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight visits to Scotland have been made by UK residents living outside Scotland in each year since 2001.

Answer · Jim Mather: The following table provides information on overnight visits to Scotland by UK residents living outside Scotland each year since 2005. Earlier data is not included as explained in the footnotes. </b></p> <p align=left >Overnight Visits in Scotland by UK res…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight visits to Scotland have been made by non-UK based residents of Europe in each year since 2001.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34170 on 17 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight visits to Scotland have been made by residents of North America in each year since 2001.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34170 on 17 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…

4 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight visits to Scotland have been made by overseas residents in each year since 2001.

Answer · Jim Mather: The following tables provide information on total overnight visits to Scotland by overseas residents in each year since 2001, however as explained in the footnote, Scottish figures for 2005 onwards cannot be directly compared to earlier data.</p> <p >Visits…

13 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies existed in the Scottish civil service in each of the last 12 months.

Answer · John Swinney: In the core Scottish Government and the agencies who utilise its recruitment services there were a total of 764 posts advertised internally and 129 advertised externally in the period 1 May 2009 to 17 May 2010. The following tables show the breakdown per mont…

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that inpatient hospital food is palatable as well as nutritional.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of providing food for patients which is palatable as well as nutritious. That is why Health Facilities Scotland is working with the National Catering Advisory Group to ensure continuous improvement and to shar…

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action it will take with regard to NHS boards that have not achieved green status in respect of Therapeutic Diet Provision.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government expects NHS boards to achieve green status of at least 90% compliance for each of the food standards by April 2011. NHS boards are now better placed than ever to improve compliance, with, for the first time, data against which to measu…

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it will supply to NHS boards whose hospitals have not achieved green status in respect of the National Catering and Nutritional Services Specification.

Answer · Shona Robison: The <i >NHS Scotland National Catering and Nutritional Services Specification: Half Yearly Compliance Report (July “ December 2009)</i> is the first ever publication of data that will drive up standards for the nutritional care of patients. The data gives boa…

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent check is carried out in respect of the information supplied to Health Facilities Scotland regarding the National Catering and Nutritional Services Specification.

Answer · Shona Robison: Health Facilities Scotland intends to carry out verification checks of the data supplied on a regular basis. Furthermore, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) has recently completed its audit processes for assessing NHS Boards against the QIS Clinical Stand…

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme and the home loan scheme received prior to 17 March 2010 have not been processed.

Answer · Jim Mather: The number of applications for Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant and home loan schemes received up to close of business on 17 March 2010 that have not been processed are 131 and 69 respectively.</p>

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason applications for grants and loans under the Energy Saving Scotland (ESS) home renewables grant scheme and the home loan scheme received by the ESS on 16 March 2010 are not being processed.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government decided that applications that had begun to be processed by 17 March 2010 would be progressed. This was based on the amount of funding remaining unallocated for the programme. </p>

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has reduced the maximum payable under the Energy Saving Scotland home loan scheme from £10,000 to £4,000.

Answer · Jim Mather: The maximum intervention under the Energy Saving Scotland home loans scheme was reduced to £4,000 for electricity generating technologies to compliment the Feed-In Tariff which is expected to give a return on investment of 5-8% even without upfront capital su…

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme was ended on 17 March 2010.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme was ended for electricity generating technologies because this funding was allocated on a first come first served basis and saw a substantial increase in the uptake of grants for these technologies over …

12 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money generated from seized assets has been redistributed to community groups and organisations, broken down by constituency.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: To date, the Scottish Government has committed to invest over £14 million in the CashBack for Communities programme which includes diversionary and participatory projects for young people across Scotland.</p> <p >The Scottish Government does not hold the inf…

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Culture and External Affairs will seek views on the Malawi Government’s draft HIV/AIDS Bill during her forthcoming trip to Malawi from any organisation that it has funded to work on HIV prevention.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: My visit to Malawi included visits to four projects currently supported by the International Development Fund. These projects were selected to reflect the work being undertaken under each of the four strands of the Scottish Government''s Co‘operation Agreemen…

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the organisations it funds to work on HIV prevention in Malawi the Minister for Culture and External Affairs will meet during her forthcoming trip to Malawi.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: During my visit to Malawi I visited the Oxfam Scotland project, Managing HIV In Malawi through Enterprise and Empowerment. This project is providing sustainable income opportunities and appropriate healthcare for people affected by HIV/AIDS in the Chiradzulu …

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, whether the Minister for Culture and External Affairs will discuss the Malawi Government’s draft HIV/AIDS Bill with the Malawi Health Strand Lead during her forthcoming trip to Malawi.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: During my visit to Malawi I met with the Minister for Health in Malawi. The discussions focused on the current commitments and future priorities of the health strand of the Co-operation Agreement.</p>

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its funding of organisations to work on HIV prevention in Malawi, what its position is on the criminalisation of HIV transmission and compulsory HIV testing for particular groups, as set out in the Malawi Government’s draft HIV/AIDS Bill.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government believes that there is no place for prejudice or discrimination, and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.</p> <p >The Scottish Government''s Co-oper…

4 Feb 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in respect of the regulation of the property management industry.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is working with industry; consumer; local authority, and housing sector stakeholders to establish a national accreditation scheme for residential property managers.</p>

18 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issued to Glasgow City Council on the governance arrangements required to take forward the Transformational Regeneration Area programme.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Executive has not issued any specific guidance to Glasgow City Council on the governance arrangements to take forward the Transformational Regeneration Areas, instead we have been working closely with Glasgow City Council on making progress in th…

18 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on food per patient per day in each NHS board area in 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not hold this level of information centrally. NHS boards may hold data regarding expenditure on food per patient but this data may not be at the level of detail or period requested.</p>

18 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement a patient satisfaction survey in respect of hospital inpatient food.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Better Together Patient Experience Programme is currently undertaking a national survey (launched in January 2010) which includes a question on hospital food. This information will provide the basis for boards to consider whether more detailed research is…