Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much (a) business start-up rates, (b) business research and development expenditure, (c) manufacturing capital expenditure, (d) business investment per employee and (e) employment rates will have to grow to achieve the same rate as the UK average by 2006.
Answer · Jim Wallace: (a) Business start-up ratesare expressed as the number of new VAT registrations per 10,000 of the adultpopulation. VAT registrations are published annually by the Department forTrade and Industry; the latest figures are for 2001. To reach the current UK rate …
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much GDP will have to grow between 2003 and 2006 to achieve the same level per head as the UK average by 2006.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2763 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for (a) GDP growth and (b) GDP per head of population for each of the next five years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committed to creating the conditions that will maximise our sustainablelong-term economic growth. It does not forecast Scottish Gross Domestic Productgrowth on set targets in this regard.</p>
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the introduction of regional pay bargaining for the public sector.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues,including regional pay.</p>
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much GDP per person in employment will have to grow to achieve the same level as the UK average by 2006.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not forecast UK or Scottish Gross Domestic Product, productivity or employmentlevels.</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32215 by Iain Gray on 13 December 2002, what the most up-to-date figures are for the percentage of 16- to 19-year-olds not in education, training or employment, broken down by (a) local authority area, (b) gender and (c) age.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Table 1 shows the number andproportion of 16- to 19-year-olds not in education, training or employment (NEET)in Scotland, by gender. Figures are taken from the annual LabourForce Survey (LFS).</p><p>Table 1</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width…
17 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review current procedures and guidelines on public consultations on the establishment of medium-secure care centres.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Draft guidance on consultationand public involvement in service change was issued to the health service in May2002 and will shortly be revised to reflect comments received. The core principlesof the guidance are that the patients and local communities affecte…
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-364 by Mr Andy Kerr on 11 September 2003, whether it will submit written evidence to the Barker Review of Housing Supply, and, if so, whether it will make copies of the evidence available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Discussions have been held recentlybetween the Executive and the Barker Review Team at HM Treasury. We have agreedto provide the team with a range of information and statistical data on housingin Scotland which will be sent as soon as it is available. Copieso…
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs were incurred in the establishment of the Care Commission, broken down into (a) the transfer of functions to the commission, (b) the recruitment of staff, (c) the establishment of office accommodation, (d) advertising costs and (e) any other relevant costs.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information is not held inthe format requested. My officials are considering the available information andI will write to you in due course, placing a copy of the letter in the Parliament’sReference Centre.</p>
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs of the Care Commission have been since its establishment, broken down into relevant categories.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The annual budgeted running costsof the Care Commission since its establishment and as set out in its grant-in-aidletters are as follows: </p><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p>2…
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide comparative costs for the regulation and inspection of care services by local authorities and NHS boards in the three years prior to the establishment of the Care Commission and by the commission in the three years following its establishment.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Comparative information on localauthority and NHS board costs over the relevant period is not held centrally. Forinformation on the Care Commission’s budget I refer the member to the answer givento question S2W-2685 on 30 September 2003, which is available on…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships were (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last five years; what its targets for completion of such apprenticeships were in those years, and what its targets are for the next three years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has committed to increasing the number of Modern Apprenticeship placesin Scotland to 30,000 by 2006 as outlined in <i>A Partnershipfor a Better Scotland</i>.</p><p>The detail on the number ofapprentices starting and completing is an ope…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) its total budget and (b) its total budget for education was allocated to (i) higher education (ii) further education, (iii) vocational education, (iv) community education, (v) primary education and (vi) secondary education in each of the last five financial years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2429 on 19 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) its total budget and (b) its total budget for education has been allocated to (i) higher education, (ii) further education, (iii) vocational education, (iv) community education, (v) primary education and (vi) secondary education for each of the next three financial …
Answer · Andy Kerr: Thefigures requested are not held centrally.</p><p><u>Primary, Secondary and CommunityEducation Budgets</u></p><p>Theseare funded mainly through local authorities and the vast majority of resources providedto local authorities for education are paid through r…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussion with Her Majesty's Government in respect of increasing the threshold at which graduates start to repay their student loans and, if so, whether it will disclose the content of such discussions.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK government on a wide range of issues including the repaymentthreshold for student loans.</p>
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the target turnaround time is from receipt of examination papers by the Scottish Qualifications Authority to notification of results to candidates for (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2425 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa"…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government and the Student Loan Company regarding the income threshold at which graduates start to repay their student loans.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issuesincluding the repayment threshold for student loans.</p>
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) target and (b) actual turnaround time was from receipt of examination papers by the Scottish Qualifications Authority to notification of results to candidates for (i) summer 2003 and (ii) each of the last five years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The operation of theexamination system and the issuing of examination results are matters for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).</p><p>However, for each of thelast three years, performance measures relating to the issuing of results havebeen agreed …
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made for the organisation of an annual business forum, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committedto working in partnership with the Scottish Parliament to ensure that the needsof Scottish businesses are fully understood and taken account of in policy makingto maximise the drivers for growth.</p><p>Discussions are on-goi…
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether a Public Appointments Committee should be established and on when an appropriate time would be for the Parliament to establish such a committee.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This is entirely a matter forthe Parliament.</p>
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are in the area of autism within the NHS, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Patientsdiagnosed with autism will receive their care from a variety of health careprofessionals in a variety of NHS settings. In general, these staff will cover arange of patients, not specifically those diagnosed with autism. Centrally helddata on vacancies…
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the consultation process on the fluoridation of water.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Submissions from more than1,300 individuals or organisations, and almost as many postcards, and petitionswere received in response to our consultation document <i>Towards Better OralHealth in Children</i>. Independent researchers were appointed to collate and…
3 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had into the review by HM Treasury of the housing market as part of its economic assessment of membership of the single currency.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A Government decision to recommend UK entry into EMU isa reserved matter, and therefore a matter for the UK Government. The Governmentwill only recommend UK membership of EMU if it is in the national economic interest.The Secretary of State for Transport and …
2 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-975 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 July 2003, whether any difficulties have been encountered by Lord Fraser of Carmylie in undertaking his responsibilities pertaining to the inquiry into the Holyrood Building project and, if so, what such difficulties wer…
Answer · Jack McConnell: We are unaware of LordFraser having experienced any difficulties.</p>
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Secretary of State for Scotland has given it a guarantee that Lord Fraser of Carmyllie will have access to all past and present personnel of Her Majesty's Government whom he may wish to interview as part of his inquiry into the Holyrood building project and, if not, whether i…
Answer · Jack McConnell: If Lord Fraser should encounter any difficulty, I am confident from my discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland that I would have his full co-operation in resolving it.
11 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the results of the review of fluoridation policy.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-247 on 4 June 2002. 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/webap…
28 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) powers and (b) plans it has to introduce legislation to provide safeguards for debtors with bank accounts by restricting the extent to which an arrestment attaches to monies in bank accounts and establish an arrestment restriction procedure, whereby a debtor would be able to appl…
Answer · Hugh Henry: In this parliamentary year we will consult on and bring forward proposals for reform to the law on the enforcement of civil obligations in Scotland. The Executive consulted extensively on diligence reform last year and has published an independent analysis of…
26 May 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its detailed plan to reduce class si'es at primary one to 25 children as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We will announce our plans once detailed consultations with education authorities have taken place.
19 Feb 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date work will commence on the upgrade of the A77 between Fenwick and Malletsheugh.
Answer · Iain Gray: The preferred bidder has started preliminary site preparation work this week, covered by a pre-contract agreement in advance of the formal contract.
12 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33400 by Des McNulty on 5 February 2003, how many of the planning permission appeals in each category were in the (a) Hamilton North and Bellshill and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudon parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Des McNulty: The information requested is not held on a parliamentary constituency basis. The relevant planning authorities are North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire. The following tables therefore show the number of planning permission appeals determined…