Parliamentary questions

Sandra White

1,617 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage difference has been between the average annual salary of its black and minority ethnic employees and their white colleagues in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The following table shows the percentage of the average salary of staff in Scottish Executive core departments who have self declared themselves as being from an ethnic minority background compared to staff who have declared themselves as white. Self-declarat…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bonuses have been paid to its employees in each year since 1999 and what the total cost has been of such bonuses.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Bonus payments made to staff within the Scottish Executive Core Departments since 1999 are as follows: Special Bonus Scheme1<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year</td> <…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its employees from a black or minority ethnic background have been awarded an honour in the (a) Queen’s Birthday Honours List or (b) New Year’s Honours List in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the number of employees from a black or minority ethnic background who have been awarded an honour in Her Majesty the Queen’s Honours Lists since 1999.

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of a racial nature have been made against it in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no central record held of complaints of a racial nature made against the Scottish Executive. In the period 1999-2004 there has been only one such recorded complaint made by a Scottish Executive member of staff, in 2002. Figures for 2005 are not avail…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims of bullying or harassment were made against it by its employees in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There have been a total of 55 recorded cases of bullying and harassment raised by Scottish Executive employees since 1999. In line with its Dignity at Work policy, the Executive takes all complaints of this nature very seriously. It aims to ensure that all st…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure whether the current barriers to achieving employment for black and minority ethnic groups have been removed by the UK Government's target date of 2013.

Answer · Allan Wilson: We are establishing a Strategic Group on Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market, which is seeking to increase the number of people from ethnic minorities, including women from a black or ethnic minority background, in employment. A reduction in the employmen…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the economic benefits of greater integration of races into the labour force and the impact that this would have on the economy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has commissioned the following research in this area: Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Scotland: a Skills and Aspirations Audit (March 2004) and Minority Ethnic Enterprise in Scotland: a National Scoping Study (June …

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated specifically to reducing the 21% gap in employment between white women and women from a black or minority ethnic background.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The specific information requestedis not held centrally.

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of public sector workers were from a black or minority ethnic background in each year for which figures are available, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of public sector workers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not collected centrally.

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers were from a black or minority ethnic background in each year for which figures are available, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of social workers.

Answer · Robert Brown: Of the 8,009 people registered as social workers with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) at 11 January 2006 (this includes people who have a social work qualification but are not practising as social workers), 6,237 had completed the equal opportunit…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many head teachers are from a black or minority ethnic background, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of head teachers.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Figures published in Teachers in Scotland 2004, available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 36291) show that there were five head teachers from minority ethnic groups, from a total of 2,520 head teachers with known ethnicities …

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers are from a black or minority ethnic background, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of teachers.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Figures published in Teachers in Scotland 2004 ,available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 36291) show that there were 329 teachers from minority ethnic groups, from a total of 47,163 teachers with known ethnicities (0.7 per c…

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated specifically to the education and training of adult black and minority ethnic groups in each year since 1999.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Information on the targetingof other Executive education and training programmes is not held centrally. Fundingfor programmes such as Skillseekers andModern Apprenticeship programmes isdemand led, and therefore not targeted at specific groups. Funding forComm…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many male childcare apprenticeships there have been under the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2001, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of childcare apprenticeships in the same timescale.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Details about the number of modernapprentices (MAs), broken down by framework and gender since 2001, is an operationalmater for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.However, Scottish Enterprise…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female engineering apprenticeships there have been under the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2001, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of engineering apprenticeships in the same timescale.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Details about the number of modernapprentices (MAs) broken down by framework and gender since 2001 is an operationalmater for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.However, Scottish Enterpriseha…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female construction apprenticeships there have been under the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2001, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of construction apprenticeships in the same timescale.

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female plumbing apprenticeships there have been under the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2001, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of plumbing apprenticeships in the same timescale.

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has piloted or launched in each year since 2001 to end gender segregation for modern apprenticeship trainees.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive’s Equality Unithas developed an Equality Strategy with the aim of mainstreaming equality throughoutthe policy making process. This provides a means by which effective action can beput in place by strategic collaborative partnership working, with…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has had in each year since 2000 to eradicate gender stereotyping in schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive is committed to addressing gender inequalities and stereotyping in Scottish schools. As well as the initiatives listed, we continue to monitor relevant gender data in publications such as Destinations of Leavers from Scottish Schools (2003-04…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to eradicate gender stereotyping among young people.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is committed to addressing gender inequalities and stereotyping among young people in Scottish schools. Specific initiatives - past and on-going - are detailed in the answer to question S2W-22055 on 12 January 2005. All answers to written parlia…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings officials and ministers have had with the Scottish Trades Union Congress in each year since 1999, specifically to discuss aspects of Executive policy.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Information on how manymeetings officials and ministers have had with the STUC since 1999 is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.There have been a verysignificant number of meetings since 1999. The Scottish Executive …

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings officials and ministers have had with representatives of CBI Scotland in each year since 1999, specifically to discuss aspects of Executive policy.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Avery considerable number of meetings between the Executive and CBI Scotland havetaken place since 1999, however the exact number is not held centrally andcould only be obtained at disproportionate cost.OurPartnership Agreement for a Better Scotland, c…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage CBI Scotland to adopt and promote sex equality strategies amongst its members to eradicate sex discrimination in the workplace.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is, of course, a matterfor Confederation of British Industry (CBI) themselves. We understand that the CBIacross the UK is already promoting sex equality strategies amongstits members to help eradicate sex discrimination in the workplace.CBI has pu…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female heads of service it has had in each of its departments in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of heads of service in its departments in the same timescale.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The first female head of department in the Scottish Executive was appointed in 2001 and remains in post. Since eight people currently hold head of department posts, (not including the Permanent Secretary) this is 12.5% of the complement. The percentag…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female directors there have been in each local authority in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of local authority directors in the same timescale.

Answer · George Lyon: The information requested is not held centrally.

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female local authority chief executives there have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of local authority chief executives in the same timescale and broken down by local authority area.

Answer · George Lyon: There are currently four female local authority chief executives at East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk and Perth and Kinross Councils (12.5%). Historical records of such data are not held centrally.

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female councillors there have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of councillors in the same timescale and broken down by local authority area.

Answer · George Lyon: Two hundred and seventy-six femalecouncillors were elected in 1999, which constituted 22.6% of the total number ofcouncillors. Following the 2003 elections, these figure decreased to 266 and 21.8%respectively.The gender breakdown of localauthority coun…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female council leaders there have been in each year since 1999, expressed as a percentage of the total number of all councillors in the same timescale and broken down by local authority area.

Answer · George Lyon: There are currently six femalecouncil leaders at Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, Fife and HighlandCouncils. That is 18.75% of all council leaders. Historical records of such dataare not held centrally.

19 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of comments by former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, that European states were being “disingenuous” in indicating that they have no evidence of rendition flights through member states, whether it will make further representations to Her Majesty’s Government in order to cla…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20910 on 7 December 2005. 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…

16 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21502 by Cathy Jamieson on 14 December 2005, whether a passenger transported for torture is included in the definition of “passenger” by virtue of Article 155 of the Air Navigation Order 2005 (SI 2005 No. 1970).

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has nothing to add to the answer given to S2W-21502 in which the definition of a passenger is given.