Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,367 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns of the Educational Institute of Scotland regarding possible redundancies resulting from the New Campus Glasgow project.
Answer · Keith Brown: Employment issues are a matter for a college''s board of management, as the employer. It is my understanding that the colleges in central Glasgow which are discussing merger do not intend that any compulsory redundancies should occur as a direct result of mer…
30 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a business case has been submitted by the New Campus Glasgow project.
Answer · Keith Brown: No business case has yet been submitted to ministers relating to the New Campus Glasgow project.</p>
30 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32224 by Keith Brown on 18 March 2010, when the meetings with the Scottish Funding Council took place and what was discussed.
Answer · Keith Brown: Meetings took place on 10 February 2009, 5 May 2009, 26 October 2009, 21 December 2009, 25 January 2010, 2 February 2010 and 22 February 2010. The primary purpose of these meetings was to enable ministers and officials to be updated on relevant aspects of pos…
29 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the detention of children at Dungavel Detention Centre and where and when such discussions took place.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Fiona Hyslop (the then Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning) met with the Minister of State (then Liam Byrne) on 11 October 2007 in London. She continued to raise the concern of the detention of children in written correspondence with Liam By…
22 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to the UK Payments Council regarding the phasing out of cheques.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government has made no representations to the UK Payments Council regarding the phasing out of cheques and to date has not been made aware of any concerns on this issue by consumers or businesses.</p>
22 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with banking representatives concerning the phasing out of cheques and its impact on Scottish businesses and consumers.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government officials have had no discussions with banking representatives regarding the phasing out of cheques and to date has not been made aware of any concerns or impact on this issue by consumers or businesses.</p>
11 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for someone with additional support needs who has moved from one local authority area to another to be assessed by their new local authority.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32328 on 24 March 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/…
11 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum waiting time is for someone with additional support needs who has moved from one local authority area to another to be assessed by their new local authority.
Answer · Adam Ingram: This information requested is not held centrally.</p> <p>The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the 2004 act) places education authorities under a duty to make adequate and efficient provision for the additional support needs of…
11 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason a re-assessment of someone with additional support needs who moves from one local authority area to another is necessary when they have already been assessed by a professional in their previous local authority.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, additional support is defined as support that is different in some way from that generally provided for children of the same age in pre-school centres and schools in the area to which …
11 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the national guidelines are regarding the transfer of social work services for children with additional support needs between local authorities.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, the local authority with responsibility for the child''s or young person''s education is under a duty to deliver any social work support services if that child or young person requires…
5 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9722 by Keith Brown on 4 March 2010 (Official Report c. 24271), whether it will clarify how many times it has met representatives of the Scottish Funding Council to discuss the New Campus Glasgow complex and proposed merger.
Answer · Keith Brown: A total of seven meetings has taken place to discuss one or other of these issues.</p>
5 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has asked the Scottish Funding Council to explain why it has reduced funding for architecture courses.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-32198 and S3W-32200 on 15 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.sc…
5 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the Scottish Funding Council to maintain funding levels for architecture courses.
Answer · Michael Russell: Further to my answer to question S3W-31132 on 4 February 2010, the Minister for Culture and External Affairs met the Scottish Funding Council on 9 March 2010 to discuss concerns raised by the sector about the council''s proposals to reduce the funding level f…
5 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the impact on the industry of the Scottish Funding Council’s planned reduction in funding for architecture courses.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32198 on 15 March 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/…
5 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Scottish Funding Council’s planned reduction in funding for architecture courses.
Answer · Michael Russell: This is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), not Scottish ministers. The SFC''s proposal to reduce funding for the teaching of architecture formed part of its recent consultation on subject price groups. The responses to the consultation are the s…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has undertaken to achieve the aims and objectives set out in Digital Inclusion: Connecting Scotland’s people.
Answer · John Swinney: The actions in the 2001 Digital Inclusion Strategy <i >Connecting Scotland''s People</i> “ published under the previous administration “ were superseded by the actions in the 2007 <i >Digital Inclusion in Partnership</i> Strategy, also produced under the prev…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the report, Digital Britain, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and, if so, when.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish ministers responded on 12 March 2009 to the interim Digital Britain report. That response can be found on the Scottish Government''s website at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/127313/0079137.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov.uk…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the report, Digital Britain, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been discussed at meetings between it and the UK Government and, if so, what the outcomes of such discussions were.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31905 on 3 March 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…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken work to update Digital Inclusion: Connecting Scotland’s people since 2006.
Answer · John Swinney: The 2001 digital inclusion strategy <i >Connecting Scotland''s People</i> “ published under the previous administration “ was reviewed in 2006 before being superseded by the 2007 <i >Digital Inclusion in Partnership</i> strategy, also produced under the forme…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the content of Digital Inclusion: Connecting Scotland’s people remains government policy.
Answer · John Swinney: The 2001 digital inclusion strategy <i >Connecting Scotland''s People</i> “ published under the previous administration “ was reviewed in 2006 before being superseded by the 2007 <i >Digital Inclusion in Partnership</i> strategy, also produced under the previ…
19 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have appointed a digital champion to co-ordinate their preparations for the digital terrestrial broadcast switchover.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Digital UK is the independent, not-for-profit organisation leading the process of digital TV switchover in the UK. For digital switchover, Scotland is divided into two regions “ STV North and STV Central.</p> <p >Digital UK advise that 25 of the 30 local au…
18 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have appointed a digital champion to coordinate their preparations for the digital terrestrial broadcast switchover.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The occupancy of HMP Kilmarnock on the Friday of each week in 2010 is as follows:</p> <p >Number of Prisoners</p> <table …
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30626 by Bruce Crawford on 25 January 2010, on what date the proposed Referendum Bill will be published.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill was published on 25 February 2010.</p>
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30746 by Bruce Crawford on 28 January 2010, how many officials from the (a) Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel and (b) relevant policy directorate have been employed in the drafting of the proposed Referendum Bill.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Referendum Bill team comprises of three policy officials. The drafting of the Referendum (Scotland) Bill was carried out by two officials in the Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel.</p>
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates Scotland’s share of the UK national debt will be in the event of Scottish independence.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The proportion of the UK national debt assigned to Scotland under independence would be subject to negotiation as part of a revised constitutional settlement.</p> <p >The Scottish Government believes any apportionment of the UK national debt should take int…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its favoured model is for dividing UK assets and liabilities in the event of Scottish independence.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31757 on 11 March 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/…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether other EU nationals living in Scotland will be allowed to vote in its proposed referendum on Scottish independence.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to Chapter 2 of <i >Scotland''s Future, Draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill Consultation Paper</i>, published on 25 February 2010. It can be accessed at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Elections/rbc">http://www.scotland.g…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have discussed their plans for Scottish independence with (a) members and (b) officials of the European Commission.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Scottish ministers have discussions about a range of matters of importance to the people of Scotland with members and officials of the European Commission.</p>
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9386 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 February 2010, when the seminar on music tuition that it is holding with COSLA and Creative Scotland will take place and what the agenda is.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-9386 on 4 February 2010 which informed Parliament that the Scottish Government is holding a joint seminar with COSLA and Creative Scotland to take forward culture in the wide sense. This event, which is not spe…
1 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the traditional arts industry.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government along with others across the public sector continue to support the traditional arts industry throughout Scotland. The Scottish Arts Council, as the main funding body for the arts in Scotland, supports a variety of traditional arts orga…