Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18802 by Angus MacKay on 19 November 2001, whether it will list the number of (a) public appointments made to non-departmental public bodies, (b) appointees that declared a political affiliation and (c) appointees affiliated to each of the political …
Answer · Andy Kerr: There have been 381 appointments and re-appointments made within the period 1 April 2001 to 20 September 2002. Of these, 293 (77%) declared no political activity. Details of the 88 (23%) who did declare political activity are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPAC…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of robberies in each year since 1993 were carried out at knife-point in (a) Scotland and (b) each police force area.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not collected centrally.
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of robberies in each year since 1993 involved young people as either (a) the victim, (b) the offender or (c) both in (i) Scotland and (ii) each police force area.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The recorded crime statistics collected centrally do not include information on those arrested or the circumstances of crimes, such as the method of committing the crime or the age of the offender. The available information given in the table shows the total …
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of offenders arrested for the possession of a knife in each year since 1993 were under the age of 18 in (a) Scotland and (b) each police force area.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The recorded crime statistics collected centrally do not include information on those arrested or the circumstances of crimes, such as the method of committing the crime or the age of the offender. The available information given in the table shows the total …
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses' training places it funded in each education institution in each of the last three years and how many places it plans to fund in each of the next three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of nurse training places funded by the Scottish Executive in each of the last three years and for 2002-03 is set out in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=463><TR><TD WIDTH="37%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Insti…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many trainee nurses funded by it (a) started and (b) completed their training in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is set out in the following table. Information for 2001-02 has not yet been published. <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=302><TR><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Year</TD><TD WIDTH="41%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Commencements</TD…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses were recruited in each of the last three years and how many new recruitments are planned in each of the next three years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number of qualified nurses and midwives recruited in each of the last three years by NHS board is shown in the following table.<P>I am awaiting information about number of recruitments planned and will reply to the member in writing and will also place a …
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Her Majesty's Government sought its agreement to proceed with the Health Service Commissioners (Amendment) Act 2000.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: No. The Health Service Commissioners (Amendment) Act 2000 does not extend to Scotland.
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in ensuring that concordats between it and Her Majesty's Government are fully complied with and how it carries out this role.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Each bilateral concordat provides for dispute resolution procedures, at senior official level and ministerial level, and also refers to the process for triggering a formal intervention of the Joint Ministerial Committee, the final dispute resolution option. T…
6 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a formal process under which it can approach Her Majesty's Government about UK legislation that covers devolved matters in Scotland prior to it becoming law and, if so, what formal process is involved and under what authority it operates
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the implications of UK legislation for Scotland.
3 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents have occurred in the Strathclyde Police divisions (a) N and (b) Q in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage only accident…
3 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in attracting new jobs and industry to Hamilton North and Bellshill.
Answer · Iain Gray: Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire is focusing on the direction and priorities set out in the Executive's <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland</I>. This sets out the foundation for sustained improvement in economic performance in Scotland. It focuses on three key cha…
3 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested in Regional Selective Assistance in Hamilton North and Bellshill in each year since 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is contained in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=585><TR><TD WIDTH="15%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>RSA Offers Accepted</TD><TD WIDTH="31%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Planned Capit…
3 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested by Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire in Hamilton North and Bellshill since May 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much time the Deputy Minister for Justice has spent on ministerial duties in each of the last three months.
Answer · Jack McConnell: It is entirely the responsibility of each minister and deputy minister to apportion the time he or she spends on ministerial and constituency duties.
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a reduction of 2% in the current interest rates would have on its finances.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There is likely to be a limited impact on the Executive's finances through loan charge support to local authorities. A reduction in interest rates would influence the calculation of loan charge support for local authorities. The impact of a reduction in inter…
22 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) is taking in relation to (a) monitoring compliance by universities with grant funding conditions and (b) ensuring that internal personnel and staff management strategies are in place and are being demonstrated to university…
Answer · Iain Gray: SHEFC monitors the use of funds to which a specific condition has been applied to the offer of a grant in a variety of ways. The new condition of core grants introduced by SHEFC from 2002-03 includes a requirement that institutions, taking account of their ow…
22 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the University of Dundee on compulsory redundancy of university staff and effective personnel and staff management in the university sector.
Answer · Iain Gray: No representations have been made to the University of Dundee by the Executive in this regard. Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and decisions concerning staffing levels and human resource management are a primarily a matter for individual i…
22 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of compulsory redundancy in the university sector is consistent with the need to ensure, improve and maintain effective personnel and staff management; what guidance it has issued to the sector on this issue; whether such guidance is being adhered to, and how it monitors c…
Answer · Iain Gray: The annual guidance letter to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) in December 2001 stated that the Executive looked to the council to develop systems which will provide evidence that institutions are giving priority to and making progress in…
22 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances the use of compulsory redundancy in the university sector would be an appropriate method of staff management.
Answer · Iain Gray: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and decisions concerning staffing levels and human resource management are primarily a matter for them and their governing bodies.
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the news release SENW065/2002 on 14 August 2002, what (a) powers and (b) involvement it has in respect of appointing a new Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Executive.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27031 on 23 July 2002.
15 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the policy analyst posts advertised on 14 June 2002 have now been filled.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The policy analyst recruitment process is still on-going and selection decisions are not expected for some weeks. At this level of recruitment, successful candidates are likely to be subject to three months notice to their current employers. It is likely ther…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedure is required to amend Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Section 30(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 allows for Her Majesty by Order in Council to make any modifications of schedule 4 or 5 which She considers necessary or expedient. An order under this section requires the approval of each House of Parliament and of the…
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minister can veto the transfer of one of its civil servants to a UK government department.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions about the deployment of individual civil servants are management matters for the Scottish Executive and are within the delegated responsibility of the Permanent Secretary and his colleagues.
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times since May 1999 it has used its powers under Part III of the Police Act 1997.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive hasno powers under Part III of the Police Act 1997, which concerns authorisation of interference with property and wirelesstelegraphy. In Scotland, only the Chief Constable of a police force canauthorise such interference.</p><p>The Chi…
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times and with regard to what appointments within the EU institutions it has been consulted by Her Majesty's Government since May 1999.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in touch with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including appointments to EU institutions.
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what right of appeal is available in the event of Her Majesty's Government indicating that a function is outwith the devolved competence of the Parliament under section 54 of the Scotland Act 1998 and to which body any such appeal would be made.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive and the UK Government will always seek to resolve any difference of view as to whether a function is within or outside devolved competence but if that is not possible Scottish ministers are entitled to act on their view of the position.…
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on any modifications which have been made to the Schedule of reserved matters under section 29(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 and what any such modifications were.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including issues relating to legislative competence where appropriate. Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998, which sets out reserved matters, has been amended by the…
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates would be raised in net revenue by making use of the tax-varying powers of the Scottish Parliament by raising income tax by (a) one pence, (b) two pence and (c) three pence in the pound.
Answer · Andy Kerr: HM Treasury publish an estimate of impact of the use of the Scottish Parliament's tax varying powers each year in the Financial Statement and Budget Report. This year's document states that a one penny change in the Scottish variable rate of income tax for 20…
13 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at which European Council meetings its ministers have led the UK delegation as defined in Article 146 of the Maastricht Treaty since May 1999, detailing the name of the relevant ministers, the subjects discussed and decisions taken.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table provides the information requested:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Date, Council and Lead Minister</TD><TD WIDTH="45%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Subjects Discussed</TD><TD WIDTH="38%" VALIGN="T…