Parliamentary questions

Sandra White

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

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Development International’s standard procedures are for the setting up and delivery of trade missions.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Development International''s programme of international trade missions is arranged according to what would best meet the objectives of its Trade and Investment teams and are arranged in accordance with UK Trade and Investment''s trade guidelines. All…

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what companies attended the recent Scottish Development International trade mission to Israel and what the cost of the mission was.

Answer · Jim Mather: The names of the companies participating in the mission is not in the public domain because of the commercially sensitive nature of this information. The budget for the mission was £10,000. These funds have not all been drawn down as yet.

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the performance of Scottish Development International is monitored.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Development International''s performance is measured against two key targets. These are: numbers of planned jobs and high value jobs by inward investors and the number of Scottish companies assisted to internationalise.

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of (a) the structure, broken down by (i) directorate or department and (ii) senior staff, and (b) remuneration levels for (i) senior staff and (ii) board members of Scottish Development International.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Development International is headed by its interim CEO, David Smith and consists of the following directorates: Scotland Europa; Group Services; Trade and Investment Scotland; Trade and Investment Americas; Trade and Investment Europe, Middle East an…

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Scottish Development International’s annual accounts do not appear to be in the public domain.

Answer · Jim Mather: As part of the joint venture between the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, SDI''s activities are included in Scottish Enterprise''s annual accounts.

15 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to Scottish Development International in each year since its creation.

Answer · Jim Mather: The funding provided to Scottish Development International since its creation in 2001 is provided in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap valign=top > Year </td> …

5 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in response to concerns raised over the proposed trade mission to Israel by Scottish Development International.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government supports a number of trade missions to the Middle East, for example last October when SDI visited the United Arab Emirates. The trade mission to Israel is taking place as part of Scottish Development International''s planned p…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made to continue to fund and develop programmes that take a progressive approach to failed asylum seekers as an alternative to detention.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is totally opposed to the detention of children of asylum seekers in Dungavel or elsewhere. We are currently supporting the Family Returns Project in Glasgow for three years. The project will run as an alternative to detention…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations will be made to the Home Office regarding its policy of directing staff not to deal with MSPs on the issue of asylum seekers.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution met with Phil Woolas, Minister of State for Borders and Immigration on 9 November and raised the Home Office policy of directing staff not to correspond with MSPs in individual asylum cases. It w…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for the detention of asylum seeking children of the UK Government’s removal of its reservation concerning the provisions in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child relating to immigration control.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is totally opposed to the detention of children of asylum seekers in Dungavel or elsewhere and fully supports the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Asylum is reserved to the UK Government and it would…

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding future EU funding for carbon capture and storage technology.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is engaged in close dialogue with the UK Government over future EU funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology through the New Entrants Reserve of the Emissions Trading Scheme, which proposes to allocate 300 million emissio…

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government and the European Commission regarding the rejection of Scottish Power’s bid for EU funding for carbon capture and storage technology at Longannet power station.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with the UK Government to ensure that Scottish carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects “ including Longannet “ are eligible for future EU funding, in particular under the New Entrants Reserve of the Emis…

8 Oct 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it provides to local authorities to meet its recycling targets and how it will encourage the local authorities that are failing to meet these targets.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1008-01.htm">http://www.scott…

29 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and which, voluntary sector organisations have been allowed to carry grants forward to future financial years or had them reprofiled to that effect by the Equality Unit since 2003 and what the amount was in each case.

Answer · Alex Neil: We are unable to answer this question in full because the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. We provide funding for a number of projects for more than one year and allocate funding for each of the years of the gran…

29 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and which, voluntary sector organisations have had grants recalled by the Equality Unit since 2003 due to a failure to meet grant criteria and what the amount was in each case.

23 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has written in support of the BBC Trust submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport listed events review, which recommended the inclusion of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Scotland’s international football matches as part the BBC's free-to-air events.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government responded on 14 July 2009 to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport''s consultation on listed, or free-to-air events. I have also met twice with Dougie Donnelly, the Scottish member of the review team. The Scottish Govern…

23 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's listed events review.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27649 on 1 October 2009. 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…

23 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many suicides have been recorded over the last five years, broken down by Scottish Parliament constituency and expressed as a percentage of the Scottish average.

Answer · Shona Robison: The figures requested are as follows. These statistics have been produced on the same basis as the published information on probable suicides available on the website of the General Register Office for Scotland. Details can be accessed via this link: <p …

9 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures contained in the draft Housing (Scotland) Bill are intended to reform the situation surrounding the licensing of houses in multiple occupancy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm">http://www.scot…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations the Equality Unit has funded since 2003, showing the amount and date of each award.

Answer · Alex Neil: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 49237).

17 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support a transport summit for Glasgow, bringing together various stakeholders to discuss the challenges and aspirations facing the city and its environs.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0625-01.htm">http://www.scot…

10 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to explore areas of opportunity in Latin America that would prove beneficial to Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0618-01.htm">http://www.scot…

9 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether membership of the independent advisory panel for the Town Centre Regeneration Fund has been determined.

Answer · Alex Neil: I am pleased to confirm that membership of the External Advisory Panel has been determined. Mr Alan Wilson, for many years the Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Ms Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chamber, and Mr Ro…

30 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional monies have been provided to Glasgow City Council for the provision of community service orders.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Glasgow Community Justice Authority received an increase this year of £358,689 over their allocation for 2008-09 for the provision of community service orders. This represents the authority''s share of the additional £2 million allocated to Community Justice …

30 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what monies have been provided to Glasgow City Council for the provision of community service orders.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Glasgow Community Justice Authority received an allocation of £2,495,922 for 2009-10 for the provision of community service orders.

30 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders have been delayed as a result of the Glasgow community safety workers’ strike.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We understand that there is currently a backlog of approximately 300 new community service orders within Glasgow for which a team placement will be required when the current industrial dispute is resolved.

30 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence it has had with Glasgow City Council with regard to the community safety workers’ strike.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Glasgow City Council has provided my officials with regular updates of developments during the dispute. These have focused on the steps taken to seek resolution of the dispute and measures taken to keep the courts and offenders informed. On 23 April …

24 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on a housing Bill.

Answer · Alex Neil: We have today published the Draft Housing (Scotland) Bill: a consultation which invites comments on our proposals to safeguard the future of Scotland''s social housing, by reforming the Right to Buy, and improve the value that tena…

21 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the provision of support for children with special needs in schools.

Answer · Adam Ingram: As part of their general inspection programme Her Majesty''s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) continue to review and report on provision for children with additional support needs in all schools across Scotland. They also report on specific aspects of provisi…

21 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal requirements are for detailing the level of support and service provision that must be included in coordinated support plans for children with special needs.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Section 9(2) of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 provides that a co-ordinated support plan must contain certain information, including the education authority''s conclusions as to the factor or factors from which the additio…