Ms Wendy Alexander

24 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made prior to 22 September 2009 to the (a) European Commission and (b) UK Government regarding the EU probe into competition in British banking services; whether these submissions are in writing, and, if so, whether it will publish them.

Answer · John Swinney: The European Commission (EC) is currently in discussion with those banks which received aid from member state governments and under its Rescue and Restructuring guidelines, as applied by Article 87(2)(b) of the EC Treaty, this aid must be followed by an appro…

24 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s teacher access model for pre-school children, which has halved the number of teachers working in the pre-five sector in one year, is in line with new guidance published by the Scottish Government.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26723 on 24 September 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/Ap…

10 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors how many teachers are retiring in each year in each local authority, the extent of pension enhancements offered and the associated costs and prospective liabilities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Our teacher workforce modelling exercise monitors, through the annual teacher census, the overall number of teachers leaving and returning to the workforce, irrespective of whether they are retiring or leaving for another reason. The extent of pension enhance…

10 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns that teachers retiring early, sometimes with many years of enhanced pensions, subsequently seek and obtain supply posts in the same authority at a time when so many post-probationers cannot find work.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Recruitment and deployment of teachers are matters for local authority employers to determine.</p> <p >Two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group (chaired by COSLA) report published last year referred to post probationers and supply …

10 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that public bodies and local authorities pay their bills within 10 days of receipt.

Answer · John Swinney: The payment performance of the Scottish Government and the bodies that use the Scottish Government''s systems is at a very high level, with an average of 95% of payments for the month of August 2009 made within 10 days consistent with the kind of levels we ha…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take immediate steps to tackle the situation for post-probation teachers across Scotland that has resulted in only 4 of over 320 probationers employed in Renfrewshire having a full-time job with Renfrewshire Council.

Answer · Keith Brown: The employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. The Scottish Government is currently providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding of £23 billion for the period 2008-10. We have also taken steps to rebalance the supply and…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, given the shortage of teaching positions and the rise in those seeking teaching supply positions, whether it will consider making teaching disclosure arrangements portable so that there are no unnecessary delays in supply teachers securing work.

Answer · Adam Ingram: It has been recognised that a Disclosure Scotland check is valid only on the day of issue. This means that they are not portable and this can be a burden for some users. This will change when the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Scheme (PVG Scheme) …

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons it considers it reasonable for each local authority to require a different disclosure arrangement for each supply teacher when the relevant teacher has a record of service in other local authority areas where disclosure has taken place.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There is no requirement in the Police Act 1997 (the legislation under which Disclosure Scotland operates) for criminal record checks to be carried out. It is, however, an offence (under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003) for an employer to offer …

9 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the forthcoming housing Bill will tackle public concern that factors continue to rely on responsible tenants to meet the full costs of communal repairs and are not effectively pursuing owners unwilling to contribute.

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

3 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address knife crime in Paisley.

Answer · Fergus Ewing : <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0903-01.htm">http://www.scot…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the equal opportunities requirements are in relation to the allocation of teaching supply work.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Code of Practice on the Use of Temporary Contracts for Teachers, developed by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the body responsible for teachers'' pay and conditions of service states that employees on temporary contracts should not be tre…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can choose to ignore past work experience when allocating teaching supply work.

Answer · Keith Brown: The recruitment and deployment of supply teachers are matters for local authority employers to determine.</p>

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prioritisation by local authorities of ex-probationers or recent graduates when allocating teaching supply work would comply with the provisions of employment law.

Answer · Keith Brown: Two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These are:</p> <p >Recommendation 4: Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-probation teachers …

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that priority should be given to either ex-probationers or recent graduates in the allocation of teaching supply work.

Answer · Keith Brown: Two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These were:</p> <p align=left >Recommendation 4<b>:</b> Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance has been offered to local authorities about the employment of supply teachers and, if so, what guidance.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the tripartite body responsible for pay and conditions of service for teachers, has developed a Code of Practice on the Use of Temporary Contracts which aims to assist councils in managing their staffing requir…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and head teachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with the Scottish National Party’s manifesto commitments.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26723 on 24 September 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/Ap…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and head teachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with Scottish Government policy.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26723 on 24 September 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/Ap…

27 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and headteachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering access to a teacher for all pre-school children, but it is for local authorities to take decisions on teacher deployment.</p> <p >Renfrewshire Council have adopted a peripatetic teacher model in their nurse…

30 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Renfrewshire benefited from the Energy Assistance Package between 1 April and 30 July 2009 and to which specific aspect(s) of the package can each be attributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of people and the number of households benefiting from the Energy Assistance Package in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire Council areas during the period requested, as notified by the Energy Saving Trust, was 450 and 327 respectively.</p> <p >The…

28 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25932 by John Swinney on 28 July 2009, whether it regards it as desirable that local authorities publish real terms data for their major spending programmes.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25932 on 28 July 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/B…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consistent with the principles of best value and transparency for a local authority chief executive or director of finance to refuse a request from an elected member for real-terms data for headline budgets such as the Scottish Government provides in its draft budget.

Answer · John Swinney: It is not for Scottish ministers to determine whether specific actions by a local authority are consistent with best value principles. This is a matter which an elected member should pursue through normal channels within the council.</p>

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it desirable that local authorities publish real-terms data in the same way that it does as part of its budget documentation and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government issues regular guidance to local authorities in Scotland to ensure Councils adopt a broad consistency of practice and a minimum standard of content for the production of financial information for general use. However, local authorities…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it desirable that local authorities publish their budgets on a consistent basis.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government issues regular guidance to local authorities in Scotland encouraging councils to adopt a broad consistency of practice and a minimum standard of content in the publication of their financial information for general use. However, local …

3 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many trainee police officers are being given on-the-job training rather than the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan programme and for what proportion of their course.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: All police officers in Scotland attend the nationally approved and accredited Probationer Training Programme delivered at the Scottish Police College.</p> <p >Police forces provide on-the-job training in addition to the Probationer Training Programme at the …

28 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when data on healthcare associated infections, including Clostridium difficile, broken down by hospital, will be publicly available online.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Since January 2009, all NHS boards have been required to publish data on their websites on hospital-by-hospital performance on Clostridium difficile and other key Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) data, and to discuss the findings at board meetings. The H…

6 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and other assistance it has provided or plans to provide to assist third parties, including neighbours, local communities and NGOs, to access e-planning services.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The ePlanning Programme is delivering a step change in planning service delivery and driving forward efficiencies in the planning system, moving planning away from a paper process to electronic ways of working. The programme allows for decisions to be made mo…

6 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the benefits of the e-planning system will be for third parties to the planning process, including neighbours, local communities and NGOs.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: ePlanning will deliver a step change in planning service delivery, providing a wide range of online services to end users that creates an end-to-end ePlanning service; from initial inquiries, to applications, decisions, and where applicable, through the plann…

6 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the e-planning programme has been and what the estimated final cost is.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The programme provides an opportunity to release £16.7 million in savings for an initial investment of £11.2 million. It will also deliver considerable value to citizens and businesses by creating a higher quality, faster, more consistent, more inclusive and …

6 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the interests of local communities and other third parties involved in the planning system were represented at the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Association of Scottish Community Councils and Planning Aid Scotland were invited to represent the interests of local communities. Planning Aid Scotland are a charity who provide training and support and encourage engagement in the planning process.</p> …

6 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009 contributed to the inclusive and sustainable aims of the modernised planning system as set out in the 2005 white paper, Modernising the Planning System.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the planning system by: strengthening the involvement of communities; speeding up decisions; reflecting local views better, and allowing quicker investment decisions. ePlanning is an integral part of this mode…