Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals who have gained a Higher National Diploma in each of the last 10 years have chosen to enter higher education outwith Scotland.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
2 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals who have gained a Higher National Diploma in each of the last 10 years have subsequently entered higher education and, of these, how many entered higher education at a level above that of the first year level of their course.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much expenditure it has incurred implementing the recommendations of its diaspora strategy, launched in October 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28694 on 9 November 2006. 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…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of its diaspora strategy, launched in October 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The First Minister launched thediaspora strategy in October 2005 during his visit to Canada.</p><p>The diaspora strategy aims toencourage the active participation of ancestral Scots and other groups with an affinityto Scotland in promoting Scotland as a great…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28165 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, what the total expenditure has been on the e-magazine, Scotland-Now.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to answerto question S2W-28691 on 9 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28165 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, how the e-magazine, Scotland-Now, has been publicised.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28691 on 9 November 2006. 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…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28165 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, how many individual subscriptions there have been to the e-magazine, Scotland-Now.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executiveengages with the Scottish diaspora to further Scotland’s interestsfor the long-term benefit of our economy and society. <i>Scotland</i><i>-Now</i> showcases modern Scotland as a great place to liveand work, visit, study and invest.</p><p…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28167 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, how many people are employed by the Relocation Advisory Service.
Answer · Tom McCabe: At the time of its launch inlate October 2005, the Relocation Advisory Service had six people, includingtwo immigration specialists seconded from the Home Office and Immigration AdvisoryService.</p><p>The staff numbers in the RelocationAdvisory Service have i…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28167 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, who is responsible for running the Relocation Advisory Service.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Relocation Advisory Serviceis located within the Finance and Central Services Department of the Scottish Executiveand as such is the responsibility of Scottish ministers.</p>
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28167 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, what the total expenditure has been on the Relocation Advisory Service.
Answer · Tom McCabe: With regard to the followingcosts; the initial start up phase of the Relocation Advisory Service incurred someone-off set-up costs, and there are on-going costs relating to the day to day provisionof the service:</p><p>One-Off Costs</p><p>Developing the softw…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28167 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, how the existence of the Relocation Advisory Service has been publicised.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Relocation Advisory Service(RAS) has been marketed to international audiences both overseas and in Scotland, includingto careers services. RAS leaflets and materials carrying contact details for RASand the URL <a href="http://www.scotlandistheplace.com/">…
26 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28167 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 September 2006, on what issues the Relocation Advisory Service offers advice.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The advice which the RelocationAdvisory Service (RAS) offers covers all aspects of living, working, studying anddoing business in Scotland, including how to find a job, the immigration and workpermits process, finding accommodation, accessing education, healt…
25 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional revenue would be raised if the council tax on second homes was paid in full with no discount.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The additional revenue that wouldbe raised if there was no second homes discount is estimated to be £5.2 millionfor 2006-07.</p>
25 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional revenue would be raised if empty properties were subject to council tax payments.
Answer · Tom McCabe: At 4 September 2006 there were 103,105dwellings exempt from council tax liability, of which 44,339 were classed as unoccupied.</p><p>Categories of unoccupied dwellingsinclude new properties not yet occupied, dwellings under repair, dwellings withdeceased owne…
25 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered merging the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Learning and Teaching Scotland.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Qualifications Authorityand Learning and Teaching Scotland have distinctly different roles to perform butcollaborate closely on key issues and increasingly share services through the co-locationof their offices in Glasgow. Ministers have no plans…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will provide further explanation of what he meant when he told the Justice 1 Committee that the advocate depute “also formed a view on the basis of the information that…
Answer · Colin Boyd: As I made clear when I gave evidenceto the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, when the Advocate Depute becameaware of the evidence to be led by the defence from Mr Wertheim and Mr Grieve, hecarefully assessed this, along with the evidence available fro…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether, at any stage in the police inquiry or the Crown Office’s precognition prior to the Lord Advocate’s decision to prosecute Shirley McKie for perjury, there had …
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28528 on 28 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will issue a full explanation of what he meant when he told the Justice 1 Committee that “the evidence that was given was not in accordance with what the advocate deput…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28528 on 28 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, whether the Lord Advocate will make public “the other evidence” that the Crown Office states was available to support its prosecution of Shirley McKie for perjury (Official Report, c. 3705).
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28528 on 28 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), at what point prior to or during Shirley McKie’s trial for perjury the Crown Office became aware that there was (a) a professional challenge to the Scottish Criminal R…
Answer · Colin Boyd: The Crown were made aware ata very late stage, just prior to the commencement of the Shirley McKie trial, thatthe defence intended to lead fingerprint evidence challenging the identificationof Y7 by SCRO. No such evidence was available at the time the case wa…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), which ministers and officials (a) were provided with a copy of the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie and (b) had a…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23304 on 21 March 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether there were two sources of credible and reliable evidence to establish each of the essential facts in relation to the allegation of perjury by Shirley McKie pri…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28528 on 28 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether the police officers who had guarded the scene of crime at Marion Ross’s house in Kilmarnock after she was murdered were all interviewed by the (a) police or (b…
Answer · Colin Boyd: Statements were provided by thepolice officers responsible for guarding the scene of crime and, where appropriate,these officers were precognosced by the Procurator Fiscal.</p>
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether any corroborative evidence, in addition to a fingerprint, was in the possession of the Crown Office at the time the Lord Advocate took the decision to prosecut…
Answer · Colin Boyd: As I made clear in my evidenceto the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I do not intend to discuss in detailthe evidence involved in the Shirley McKie investigation and trial, as Shirley McKiewas acquitted of the charge brought against her.</p><p>There…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), what action has been taken by the (a) police and (b) Crown Office to investigate the validity of the report in a national newspaper that a Mr Docherty has allegedly co…
Answer · Colin Boyd: It is not appropriate to disclosedetails of a criminal investigation, particularly in relation to a specific personor persons, for operational reasons.</p><p>As I made clear in my evidenceto the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, officially the murder …
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), in how many cases in each of the last 10 years the Crown Office has requested or instructed the police service to investigate or carry out further investigations into …
Answer · Colin Boyd: This information is unavailable,as there is no central record held of such cases.</p><p>In any event, it would not beappropriate, for operational reasons, to disclose information about criminal investigationsinto unsolved crimes.</p>
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), what the total cost was of commissioning, preparing and issuing the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie case.
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-23970 and S2W-25241 on 3 April 2006 and 8 June 20006respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="…
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether the Lord Advocate will publish the recommendations made to him by William Gilchrist in respect of the follow-up to the MacKay report into the Scottish Criminal…
Answer · Colin Boyd: As I made clear in my oral evidenceto the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I do not intend to publish the reportand recommendations prepared by Mr Gilchrist.</p>
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate's oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether the Lord Advocate can now confirm how and when he first became involved in the Shirley McKie case.
Answer · Colin Boyd: As I told the Justice 1 Committeeon 12 September 2006, I became involved in the Shirley McKie case when thematter was reported to me in relation to the allegation of perjury against her.</p>
20 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Enterprise in respect of the rundown and subsequent expansion of its Strategic Procurement Hub.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Enterprise and as such there have been no discussions with theExecutive.</p>