Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,367 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the outcome of its review of higher education.
Answer · Iain Gray: I can today announce the publication of the outcome of the second phase of the review of higher education in Scotland: <I>A Framework for Higher Education in Scotland. Higher Education Review: Phase 2</I>. This paper brings together the conclusions of an 18-m…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation paper on the proposed Tenements (Scotland) Bill will be published and how long the consultation period will be.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Consultation Paper on the proposed Tenements (Scotland) Bill is published today. The bill is based upon the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission in their 1998 <I>Report on the Law of the Tenement</I> (Scot Law Com No 162). The draft bill include…
5 Mar 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to alleviate student debt.
Answer · Iain Gray: Under the new student support arrangements, introduced in 2001-02, students from the lowest income families will have up to £2,050 each year in the form of a non-repayable bursary. This will mean that these students will graduate from a four-year course with …
4 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Active Communities Initiative implementation plan will consider the need for outdoor play facilities for children with disabilities.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Active Communities Initiative is our strategy for supporting voluntary and community action within local communities across Scotland. It has four key objectives: <P>to bring about positive attitudes to volunteering;<P>to locate volunteering at the heart o…
4 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration the Physical Activity Task Force has given to outdoor play facilities for children with disabilities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Physical Activity Task Force (PATF) recommended that all children, including those with disabilities, should have the opportunity to be physically active in their home, educational establishments and community. The task force formulated their recommendati…
4 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to develop outdoor play facilities for children with disabilities.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34447 today. 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/webapp/searc…
4 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to outdoor play facilities for children with disabilities.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Under the Childcare Strategy, the Scottish Executive allocated £16.5 million to local authorities in the financial year 2002-03 to allow them to expand, develop and sustain accessible, affordable, quality child care, including outdoor play provision in child …
26 Feb 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the liquor licensing review.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I am very grateful to Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson and his committee for the considerable commitment they have shown in completing their deliberations in this complex area of public policy, law and procedure within the 18-month timescale suggested by th…
24 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5727 by Iain Gray on 10 October 2002, what action it is taking to retain quality, high-skill call centre enterprises, in the light of any growing pressure within such enterprises to outsource jobs abroad.
Answer · Iain Gray: Alongside the work of Scottish Development International in promoting Scotland as a location for such activity, and the support provided directly to such enterprises through the Regional Selective Assistance scheme, the Executive is contributing to a study by…
19 Feb 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding support will be given to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council in order to avoid staff redundancies in higher education institutions such as Glasgow School of Art.
Answer · Iain Gray: The funding offered to individual institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). Legislation precludes ministers from directing funds to particular institutions.<P>In 2002-03, Glasgow School of Art received just over £8 mi…
27 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #40 million allocated for tackling heart disease will be granted to Greater Glasgow NHS Board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The additional £40 million which is being made available over the next three financial years covers implementation of the whole of our coronary heart disease (CHD) and Stroke Strategy. NHS Greater Glasgow will receive support for its cardiac services Managed …
27 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to improve heart disease rates in Glasgow in light of the prediction by doctors at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow that heart disease rates in the area are expected to increase by a third over the next 20 years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Improving Scotland's health is our most important challenge. Diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD) are increasingly preventable by improvements in physical activity and diet and reductions in smoking. We are taking a comprehensive approach to health i…
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will quantify any shortage of central heating engineers.
Answer · Iain Gray: Industry estimates are that Scotland will require to train around 2,600 central heating installers by December 2004 to ensure that supply matches demand.
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Clyde shipyard engineers were first invited to take up places on skills conversion courses to fill any shortage of central heating engineers.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33332 today. 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/webapp/searc…
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Clyde shipyard engineers have taken up places on skills conversion courses to fill any shortage of central heating engineers.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33332 today. 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/webapp/searc…
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Clyde shipyard engineers have been invited to undertake skills conversion courses to fill any shortage of central heating engineers.
Answer · Iain Gray: Clyde shipyard engineers were first invited to take up skills conversion training courses in February 2002. Forty-six engineers were invited and, to date, 40 have been interviewed. Fourteen have taken places on conversion courses.
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to retain and develop the skills of Clyde shipyard workers.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Clyde Shipyards Task Force Redundancy Management sub-group will be meeting shortly to provide support as necessary to those affected through a dedicated local response team under the Executive's PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) framewor…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives other than the central heating engineering conversion programme are being undertaken to support redundant workers at Clyde shipyards.
Answer · Iain Gray: Redundant employees can retrain using the Training for Work Programme, which provides short or long-term training for up to one year. Under the programme 28 redundant BAE workers are being funded to undertake short-term training as fork lift truck drivers, bu…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when funding began for the Clyde shipyard skills conversion programme.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33335 today. 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/webapp/searc…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated to support the Clyde shipyard skills conversion programme.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33335 today. 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/webapp/searc…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many places are currently available to Clyde shipyard workers on the skills conversion programme.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33335 today. 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/webapp/searc…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the duration is of the Clyde shipyard skills conversion programme.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Clyde Shipyards skills conversion programme is on-going with a continuing commitment to identify skill gaps and develop needs for the future. To date, 45 employees have been involved in the cross skilling programmes. The programme began in early 2002 and …
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has allocated to the Clyde Shipyard Task Force in light of the announcement by BAE Systems that it will make 265 Clyde shipyard workers redundant.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Redundancy Management sub-group of the Clyde Shipyards Task Force is ready to go into action again as soon as necessary. The organisations represented on the redundancy sub-group, particularly JobCentre Plus, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and Glasgow City C…
21 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to retain and develop the skills of Clyde shipyard workers in light of the announcement by BAE Systems that it will make 265 Clyde shipyard workers redundant.
Answer · Iain Gray: The company will be consulting with the unions over the next few weeks and I hope that compulsory redundancies can be kept to a minimum. The Clyde Shipyards Task Force Redundancy Management sub-group will be meeting shortly to provide support as necessary, to…
20 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why there is a difference in approach to the breaching of a bail condition, which is automatically a matter for the courts, and the breaching of an electronic tagging order, which is not.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Unlike breach of a bail condition, breach of a restriction of liberty order is not an offence. Breach of a restriction of liberty order is a matter for the courts under section 245F of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and are reported to the court b…
20 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an offender that commits a crime whilst also breaching an electronic tagging order is automatically referred to the courts for breach of the order.
Answer · Hugh Henry: An offender who commits a crime whilst also breaching a restriction of liberty order will be dealt with by the police for the crime. The breach of the restriction of liberty order will be reported to the court. Breach of a restriction of liberty order is not …
20 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the breach of an electronic tagging order is referred to the courts only after three breaches.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Serious incidents of breach of a restriction of liberty order which demonstrate wilful and measurable non-compliance of the order are reported to the courts within 24 hours of their occurrence. Other more minor violations are reported to the courts cumulative…
15 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being developed to ensure that pregnant women routinely tested for HIV in the Greater Glasgow NHS Board area from April 2003 are aware of the opt-out option.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Prior to their booking visit, all pregnant women in Greater Glasgow NHS Board are sent information about antenatal tests that are offered routinely. <P>From 1 April 2003, this will include information on the antenatal HIV test, why such tests are important, a…
15 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost of treating a baby born with HIV has been in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.
15 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost will be of routine HIV testing of pregnant women in the Greater Glasgow NHS Board area from April 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of routine HIV testing of pregnant women in Greater Glasgow NHS Board area from April 2003 is estimated to be around £80,000 per annum.