Pauline McNeill

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor progress on healthy eating.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are taking advice on formation of an expert advisory grouping to discuss evaluation of the National Healthy Eating Campaign, as well as the wider Scottish Diet Action Plan.

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale will be set for improving the Scottish diet.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Implementation of the Scottish Diet Action Plan began in 1996. The plan set dietary targets for 2005. The recently announced National Healthy Eating Campaign takes forward the Scottish Diet Action Plan in a renewed and focused effort to meet the dietary targe…

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons can be learned from Finland to improve the Scottish diet.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is a long-standing agreement between Scotland and Finland to exchange information on medicine and public health. The Executive is therefore aware of Finnish initiatives to improve healthy eating, such as the diet component of the North Karelia Project. …

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to build on innovative healthy eating initiatives such as breakfast clubs and fruit programmes in schools.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive supports the development of breakfast clubs and fruit provision in schools in a number of ways. <P>The Executive has created a £250,000 Breakfast Service Challenge Fund to expand services targeting vulnerable children and is reviewing c…

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are to be allocated to the healthy eating initiative.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Resources for healthy eating in Scotland are allocated across a wide range of sectors and settings including the Food Standards Agency, the NHS, Health Education Board for Scotland, local government and the voluntary sector.<P>Healthy Eating is a key element …

2 Sep 2002 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what priority the Scottish Executive gives to healthy eating.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The link between Scotland's poor diet and its poor record on health are clear, which is why we are actively promoting healthy eating in our drive to improve the health of people in Scotland.

28 Aug 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve industrial relations in further education colleges.

Answer · Iain Gray: Industrial relations and employment issues within further education colleges, which are autonomous bodies in terms of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, are for the colleges themselves to address. I do of course expect college managers to f…

26 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20841 and S1W-23117 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001 and 13 March 2002, what further consideration it has given to aligning student financial support for students in further and higher education.

Answer · Iain Gray: We will consider further the alignment of the student support for further and higher education students in the light of the forthcoming lifelong learning strategy.

26 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20841 and S1W-23116 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001 and 13 March 2002, whether the current arrangements for Hardship Funds are the most equitable means of funding financial support for those students they apply to.

Answer · Iain Gray: Decisions on awards from Hardship Funds allocations are made by colleges and universities who are best placed to assess whether individual students need this additional support. <P>The current arrangements for Hardship Funds and the Mature Students Bursary Fu…

5 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Secretary of State for Scotland on the future of Scottish airports.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is in regular contact with both the Department for Transport and the Scotland Office regarding the air transport industry in Scotland. Such contacts occur at both official and ministerial levels.

5 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any details of any involvement it has had in the consultation on the future development of air transport in the UK.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Alastair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport launched the consultation process for a UK white paper <I>The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom</I> by a statement to the House of Commons on 23 July. The consultation period runs unti…

2 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what commitments it has been given by the Department of Transport on investment to expand Waverley railway station.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Until more detailed plans for the re-development of Waverley Station have been developed, it is too early to determine what funding will be required.

2 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has secured any investment to expand Waverley railway station.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: To help inform the final design of the station and determine the necessary funding required to develop it, much technical investigative work has to be undertaken to assess, among other things, site conditions and new track and platform layouts. The Scottish E…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance on the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 will include guidance to local authorities on the mix of social housing.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive believes that the mix of social housing is a matter for local authorities to determine in accordance with local circumstances. It therefore does not wish to be prescriptive on what the mix should be. It does, however, offer local author…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with regard to the Clyde Shipyards Task Force report, what progress has been made in community investment around the Scotstoun shipyard.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Clyde Shipyards Task Force report highlighted nine regeneration projects in the Scotstoun area. Scottish Enterprise Glasgow is currently in the process of seeking options for funding these.

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision has been made to include community facilities and small business premises in the Glasgow Harbour development.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The outline planning application for this proposed development was cleared back to Glasgow City Council on 28 June 2001 by the Scottish ministers. It was thereafter for the council to decide what issues were relevant when determining whether to grant planning…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what community installations have been arranged in respect of the Glasgow Harbour development.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The outline planning application for this proposed development was cleared back to Glasgow City Council on 28 June 2001 by the Scottish ministers. It was thereafter for the Council to decide what issues were relevant when determining whether to grant planning…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the site for the Glasgow Harbour development is owned by (a) Clydeport Authority, (b) Glasgow City Council and (c) other organisations.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I understand that Clydeport owns some 21 hectares (approximately 55%) of the development site and Glasgow City Council owns 17 hectares (approximately 44%). The remaining 1% is made up of various ownerships held on long leases.

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what formal assessment has been made of the local social and economic impact of the Glasgow Harbour development.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The outline planning application for this proposed development was cleared back to Glasgow City Council on 28 June 2001 by the Scottish ministers. It was thereafter for the council to decide what issues were relevant when determining whether to grant planning…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution the proposed Glasgow Harbour development will make to retaining a social mix in the west end of Glasgow.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The outline planning application for this proposed development was cleared back to Glasgow City Council on 28 June 2001 by the Scottish ministers. It was thereafter for the council to decide what issues were relevant when determining whether to grant planning…

30 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes to be created in the Glasgow Harbour development will be in the social rented sector.

Answer · Margaret Curran: None.

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what value the #135,000 funding of an epidemiological study in a psychiatric setting of unexplained motor symptoms will contribute given that there will be no diagnostic test.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27522. The epidemiological study is not being carried out in a psychiatric setting.

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on planning application P/PP/75/96/SL/81 regarding Park Quadrant and Park Circus Lane, Glasgow.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The application was considered at a public local inquiry in April and a report was submitted to ministers on 10 July. The contents of the report and the recommendation contained therein are currently being considered and every effort will be made to issue an …

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing proposals for a White Paper on planning.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I expect to announce proposals to enhance the effectiveness of public participation in planning later this year. These will largely be drawn from the outcome of our major consultation exercise, <I>Getting Involved in Planning.</I>

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25868 by Dr Elaine Murray on 28 May 2002, what specific roles have been identified for the contemporary music industry to play in the schools cultural co-ordinators pilot programme.

Answer · Elaine Murray: As I indicated in the answer given to question S1W-25868, the schools cultural co-ordinators pilot programme will seek to maximise the contribution to children and young people's education of the full range of arts and cultural activities; and contemporary mu…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are currently being run in each prison for prisoners categorised as sex offenders.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Currently, two programmes designed to tackle sex offending are being delivered. These are the core programme, STOP 2000, and the Adapted progra…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what data is available on the re-offending rates of sex offenders.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P> There is no reliable data available on the re-offending rates of sex offenders in Scotland. However, in terms of re-incarceration, information…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sex offenders can be placed in each prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Sex offenders are located within the prison estate according to operational needs. There is no limit as to how many can be placed in each priso…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which prisons currently hold prisoners categorised as sex offenders.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Except for Low Moss and Castle Huntly, all our prisons currently hold prisoners whom we categorise as sex offenders.

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners categorised as sex offenders were held in each quarter of each year since 1 January 1999, broken down by prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The information is not available in the form requested. Prisoners may, for a variety of reasons, be treated as sex offenders in prison th…