Alex Neil

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the current procedures for medical supervision at the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) sees no need to do so. In his report following an inspection of the prison in March of this year, HM Chief I…

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the practices and procedures for the observation of "at risk" prisoners who are under the supervision of the Clinical Manager at the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Prison Service sees no need to do so.

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input nurses have had to the mental health strategy at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The prison's mental health strategy has been developed with input from experienced nursing professionals as well as the medical officer and con…

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suspected of swallowing a package have been kept in the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock for less than four hours since the health centre opened.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Two.

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock has been the subject of an investigation by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and, if so, what the current status is of any such investigation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>There has been no such investigation.

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the performance of Quality Meat Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I have seen Quality Meat Scotland's forward plans and am impressed with the approach set out. Quality Meat Scotland is owned jointly by the Meat and Livestock Commission and the two bodies representative of levy payers, NFU Scotland and the Scottish Associati…

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input it made to the review by the Department of Trade and Industry of National Training Organisations and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of any written evidence which it submitted.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The consultation exercise on the future structure of the National Training Organisation network was conducted jointly by the Lifelong Learning Ministers in the Department for Education and Employment (now Department for Education and Skills) and the three dev…

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether pigeon racing will be classed as a sport and, if so, when.

Answer · Allan Wilson: <B><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>sport</B>scotland has no plans to seek agreement with the other UK sports councils on recognising pigeon racing as a sport. Decisions on the recognition of sports are a matter for the Sports Councils in the UK acting unanimously.<…

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent staff (a) it and (b) each of the public bodies for which it is responsible employs in media and public relations functions.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Media and Communications professional staff in the Scottish Executive are as follows:<U><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Campaign and Publications</U>&#9;<U>Press Office</U><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1 x Senior Civil Service Grade (5)&#9;1 x Senior Civil Service Grade <P ALIGN…

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) it and (b) each of the public bodies for which it is responsible have spent on media relations consultants in each of the last two financial years and in the current financial year to date.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Information about public relations and marketing companies that are employed by Scottish public bodies for which the Scottish Executive has direct responsibility is kept under review following the undertaking given by the then First Minister in his reply to q…

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of local economic forums in the Highlands and Islands area.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16569.

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Local Economic Forums have now been formed; how many times each has met; how many consultancy contracts have been let or are in the process of being tendered in relation to their work, and what the value is of each such contract.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="61%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Forums in the Scottish Enterprise area</TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Formed</TD><TD WIDTH="25%" V…

22 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what internal advice and other confidential documents it makes available to the First Minister's parliamentary private secretary.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Official information made available to my parliamentary private secretary is limited to what is necessary for the discharge of her parliamentary and political duties.

22 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Over Thirty Month Scheme for cattle will restart.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16394.

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring new subordinate legislation forward in relation to the operation of Individual Learning Accounts.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We intend that the new regulations will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible. We will, however, first wish to consider carefully what changes may need to be made to any scheme, and incorporated in those regulations.

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that additional monies made available for human resources development within universities are used to enhance the job security of contract research staff.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: It is for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) to decide how these resources will be most effectively used. The recent guidance letter in which this additional funding was announced also specifically highlighted the need for SHEFC to continue…

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the detailed spending plans for the additional money made available as a result of the 2001 UK budget.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I will do so after the Finance Committee has reported on phase 1 of the budget.

15 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its waiting list targets are for the NHSiS beyond April 2002.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The length of time people wait for treatment is more important to them than the number of people who are waiting.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> <I>Our</I> <I>National Health: a plan for action, a plan for change </I>sets out the Executive's aims of reducing waiting and …

29 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15345 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 23 May 2001, whether it will show the modern apprenticeship pass rate for completers and for those still in training separately for 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: he table provides the information requested.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Modern Apprenticeship Pass Rate: 1999-2000 and 2000-01<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=643><TR><TD WIDTH="35%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSPAN=2><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=1><P>&nbsp;<P ALIGN="CE…

29 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to examine any implications for Scotland of the French Prime Minister's recent proposals regarding reform of the European Union.

Answer · Jack McConnell: There is no need for us to seek a ministerial meeting on this specific subject. We maintain extremely close contact with the UK Government on all EU issues of significance to Scotland. These arrangements are underpinned by the Memorandum of Understanding and …

24 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an urgent review of pay and conditions of nursing staff employed in private nursing and residential homes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Nursing homes are privately owned and therefore the pay and conditions of staff are not determined by the Scottish Executive. Residential homes are currently barred from employing nurses.

24 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care or the proposed Scottish Social Services Council will have any power to influence the pay and conditions of staff working in private nursing and residential homes and what impact the creation of these bodies is expected …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Pay and conditions are matters for employers. Any influence of the Commission or Council would be indirect.<P>The Commission will inspect care homes against the National Care Standards and will be able to comment on any matter which affects the quality of car…

23 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15344 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 18 May 2001, what the estimated annual cost will be of collecting endowment payments from EU students who leave the UK after graduating.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Details of the arrangements for collecting the Graduate Endowment are being finalised in discussions between the Scottish Executive and the Student Loans Company. However, the view of the Student Loans Company to date has been that, as the number of liable st…

18 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many environmental risk assessments have been carried out on the Ravenscraig site in Lanarkshire and whether the findings of any such assessments are publicly available.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: An environmental impact assessment was carried out by Aspinwall and Company in support of a planning application by British Steel PLC in November 1994 for the proposed development of a secure containment facility at Ravenscraig. The resulting Environmental St…

17 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its planning policy is in relation to out-of-town retail and leisure developments.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Retailing. A copy of this is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 1081).

17 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had regarding the future development of the Ravenscraig site in Lanarkshire.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: During the course of the last year, officials from the Enterprise, Planning Services and Environment Divisions of the Scottish Executive have all met with Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire on various occasions to discuss different aspects of the Ravenscraig red…

8 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated average cost was in 2000-01 of advertising an appointment to a non-departmental public body.

Answer · Angus MacKay: During the period in question, some 61 vacancies to non-departmental public bodies were advertised for a total cost of almost £242,000. The average cost of advertising an appointment amounted to £3,966. Under the terms of the Commissioner for Public Appointme…

8 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated average cost was in 2000-01 of providing official support to ministers when giving evidence to a committee of the Parliament.

Answer · Tom McCabe: That information is not held in the format requested.

8 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made or plans to make to A Model for a Licensing Scheme, submitted to it on behalf of all sectors of the construction industry.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has considered the submitted proposals for a construction trades licensing scheme, and has written to the trade associations concerned indicating that it is supportive of the aims of the scheme to improve standards within the sector. Th…

7 May 2001 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Executive has to enhance Scotland's research and development base.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive's detailed plans to enhance Scotland's research base are set out in <I>Working together for Scotland, The Framework for Economic Development</I>, <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland</I> and the <I>Report of the Knowledge Economy Cross-cutting Initia…