Parliamentary questions
Alex Johnstone
582 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by local authorities in (a) community planning and (b) community budgeting.
Answer · Peter Peacock: (a) There is now a Community Planning Partnership in each local authority area in Scotland. Local authorities have played a significant role in the development of Community Planning Partnerships in their areas.<P>The Local Government in Scotland Bill currentl…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors (a) community planning and (b) community budgeting by local authorities.
Answer · Peter Peacock: (a) The Local Government in Scotland Bill as introduced, identifies local authorities as facilitators of the community planning process. As such, it places a requirement on local authorities to produce a report on what has been done by way of community planni…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions were reached following its review of the Excellence Fund.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland review of the Excellence Fund reached the following main conclusions:<P>There remains a need for the continuation of specific grant funding focused on driving change and targeted…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific lessons were learned in its review of the Excellence Fund by studying the Standards Fund administered by the Department for Education and Skills.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The remit of the review of the Excellence Fund, agreed and carried out by the Scottish Executive and Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (on behalf of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) did not include a specific analysis of the Stand…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce national guidelines on rural school closures following the consideration of this matter by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and COSLA.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive will take forward with COSLA discussion of the Convention's unsuccessful attempt to produce a Code of Practice on rural school closures, following a recommendation to that effect made to COSLA by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee. The p…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities allow parents the right to select the nursery place of their choice for their three- or four-year-old child, whether that place be in the local authority, private or independent sector.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: From 1 April this year, the Standard in Schools Act (2000) placed a duty on local authorities to secure a free part-time pre-school education place for all three and four-year-olds whose parents want one. Section 35 of the act gives authorities express power …
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses any differences in the costs of private sector nursery places in comparison with similar nursery places provided by local authorities.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This is a matter for local authorities. In meeting the duty in respect of pre-school education local authorities may secure places either at their own hand or by commissioning partners in the private and voluntary sectors. <P>In March 2001, Audit Scotland iss…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to communicate effectively with private sector nursery providers and their representatives.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29045. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to make more use of the private nursery sector.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The value of the role played by the private and voluntary sectors in delivering pre-school education is widely recognised. The Executive remains committed to the concept of a mixed economy in the childcare sector, and offers guidance to local authorities on a…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to minimise costs to the agricultural sector of its proposals to bring waste from farms, such as packaging waste and redundant equipment, under the same regulatory framework as such waste from other businesses and to bring farm dumps under the same regulatory …
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of the agricultural sector about its proposals to bring (a) waste from farms, such as packaging waste and redundant equipment, under the same regulatory framework as such waste from other businesses and (b) farm dumps under the same regulat…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what scientific evidence there is to suggest that farm dumps cause environmental damage.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it expects the cost to be to the agricultural sector of bringing farm dumps under the same regulatory structure as landfill sites.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it expects the cost to be to the agricultural sector of bringing waste from farms, such as packaging waste and redundant equipment, under the same regulatory framework as such waste from other businesses.
Answer · Ross Finnie: As farm dumps have hitherto been practically unregulated, there is limited information about them on which to base estimates of environmental risks or of the cost of regulation. The Scottish Executive published a consultation paper <I>Safer Landfill </I>on 29…
28 Aug 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects local authorities to administer funds allocated for the provision of nursery places.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Under the Standards in Scotland's Schools Act (2000) from 1 April this year local authorities were placed under a duty to secure a free part-time pre-school education place for all three- and four-year-olds whose parents wish one.<P>To assist them in meeting …
16 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in order to expand the elderly residential and care home sector in the light of the expected increase in the number of people aged over 85, identified in the Fair Care for Older People - Care Development Group Report.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28473.
16 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional places will need to be created in the elderly residential and care home sector over the next 10 years, given the expected increase in the number of people aged over 85, identified in the Fair Care for Older People - Care Development Group Report.
Answer · Frank McAveety: A review of the range and capacity of community care services for older people in Scotland over the next five, 10 and 15 years is currently under way. This will include a strategic review of care home provision, to identify the most effective way of developin…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses any differences in the costs of private elderly residential and care homes in comparison with similar homes run by local authorities.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The costs of providing care for older people in local authority run care homes is a matter for individual councils. In their report in November 2001 the National Review Group on Care Home Costs stated that independent care homes were being publicly underfunde…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to communicate effectively with private elderly residential and care home providers and their representatives.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The National Review Group recommended that the sectors involved in the preparation of the Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland should continue to have regular meetings.<P>In response to this recommendation, we will invite all the parties con…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact national minimum wage increases and European working time regulations have had on the private elderly residential and care home sector and what measures it has taken to alleviate any negative impact.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The National Review Group Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland considered various ways of anticipating increases in care home costs. The group concluded that an increase in real terms should be applied to care home fees over the next three y…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assist private elderly residential and care home providers in meeting the Care Commission's target that at least half of their staff achieve Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 or equivalent by 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: To help meet this aim registration of the workforce will be phased in over a number of years. The qualifications criteria for registration in phase one, that includes heads of residential care homes and heads of adult day care services, is out to consultation…
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to support staff training for staff in the private elderly residential and care home sector.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce, launched in April 2002, is underpinned by five strategic aims, one of which is "to raise investment and learning and support for all front-line staff in local authorities and the independent sector"…
2 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to require local authority councillors to declare all outside earnings and interests and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A statutory Code of Conduct for Councillors will come into effect later this year. The code sets out the financial and non-financial interests which must be registered and declared by councillors. The code was prepared by the Convention of Scottish Local Auth…
2 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to VisitScotland to discuss adding links to local family history societies' websites to the ancestralscotland.com website.
Answer · Mike Watson: I understand that family history society links were added to ancestralscotland.com as part of its most recent update.
2 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working with local family history societies to boost family tourism.
Answer · Mike Watson: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland and the Area Tourist Boards.
2 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in boosting genealogical and family history tourism.
Answer · Mike Watson: On 24 January I launched the genealogy tourism website www.ancestralscotland.com and took the opportunity during the Tartan Week celebrations to promote the website to potential visitors from America. This website assists users from around the world to resear…
21 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current cost per page is of distributing its press releases; how many press releases, including corrections, recall notices, re-issued releases and invitations for media representatives to interview ministers, it has distributed since July 1999; what the total cost has been the c…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has issued 9,319 press releases and media invitations since July 1999. The cost of distributing these releases to up to 100 media outlets was £276,034. All individual press releases are available on the Scottish Executive website. We do…
5 Jun 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to Her Majesty's Government over job losses in the north-east's oil industry following the increase in corporation tax on oil companies announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.
8 May 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcomes were of its meeting on 29 April 2002 with representatives of Angus Council and the other local authorities neighbouring Dundee.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The meeting held with Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross Councils on 29 April, discussed a range of matters relating to the Cities Review, including the role of Dundee as a metropolitan centre, current and future patterns of development in the area of the Tay …
1 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to maintain the integrity of local authority structure plans with regard to development in local authority areas.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Where a planning authority wishes to grant planning permission for a development which constitutes a significant departure from the structure plan, it must first notify the application to the Scottish ministers. This gives ministers an opportunity to consider…