Parliamentary questions

Andrew Wilson

771 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many residents of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency have been treated at Stobhill Hospital in each of the last three years; whether treatment at the hospital will continue to be provided to residents of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency in the future, and what the reason…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22948.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how residents of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency who do not have access to any private means of transport should travel in order to keep appointments at Monklands Hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-22948.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for Lanarkshire NHS Board and Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever provided briefings or information for use by non-Executive members during meetings of parliamentary committees and, if so, (a) when, (b) in respect of which meetings and (c) to whom each such briefing was provided.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22946.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever provided briefings or information for use by non-Executive members during debates of the Parliament and, if so, (a) when, (b) in respect of which debates and (c) to whom each such briefing was provided.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: It is not practicable to provide the information in the form requested. The Scottish Executive publishes and provides a great deal of information which may be used by non-Executive members, for example, briefings on bills to committees of the Scottish Parliam…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it undertakes any assessment to ensure that best academic practice is employed at further and higher educational establishments, detailing the reasons behind its response.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council engages HM Inspectorate of Education to assess the quality of academic practice at further education colleges.The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has a statutory duty to secure that provision is made…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information on further and higher educational establishments it holds centrally, detailing the reasons for the position on this matter.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive has access to a wide range of information on further and higher educational establishments, including some collected directly for specific purposes, such as data collected by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.The Executive collects such …

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22272 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, why the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education alone have responsibility for holding information centrally on student complaints, grievances and academic appeals at further and highe…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The funding councils are not obliged to hold information centrally on student complaints, grievances and academic appeals. The Executive has no plans to hold such information centrally.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22269 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, what duties of care it has, outwith the duties of care which further and higher education establishments have, in regard to the attendance of students at further and higher education establishments.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: It is for the courts to determine in what circumstances a duty of care is owed to a particular individual.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22268 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it has undertaken any assessment of the potential for it to be held legally or financially liable for any malpractice resulting from grievance and appeal procedures at further and higher educati…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has considered the matter and is of the view that, given the terms of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, liability for any malpractice resulting from grievance and appeal procedures would lie with the establishment in…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22267 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, why it does not have the same powers to direct higher education establishments as it does under section 21 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 to direct further education establishme…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: There is no such power under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. The Executive is currently conducting a review of higher education, during which individuals and organisations are at liberty to propose changes to these arrangements.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22267 by Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether any directions it makes to college boards of management under section 21 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 must be complied with.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Section 21 (1) of the 1992 act states that, "it shall be the duty of a board of management to whom any such directions are given to comply with the directions".

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22267 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether, under section 21 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, it can direct further education establishments to ensure that all grievance and appeal procedures are fully compliant w…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. As autonomous bodies, further education colleges are responsible for deciding what action is necessary to ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements. The power of direction is to be exercised only in accordance with the discharge of their stat…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22267 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether, under section 21 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, it would be reasonable for it to direct further education establishments to ensure that all grievance and appeal proced…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22933.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22289 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, why it looks to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFECF) to take appropriate action in regard to the employment of staff with physical disabilities and what action it has taken to ensure t…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council was established to exercise a wide range of functions on behalf of the Scottish ministers. Although statutory responsibility for employment matters rests with the individual colleges I have asked the council to s…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22289 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, when and how it asked the Scottish Further Education Funding Council "to ensure the promotion of equal opportunities in further education colleges" with regard to the employment of staff with physical d…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In my letter of 17 December 2001 to the Chair of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council I asked the council to support and ensure the promotion of equal opportunities generally, within colleges. I did not confine my request to the matter of the employ…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22289 by Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will provide a full explanation of why it has no plans to collate centrally information on college teaching staff with a physical disability.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22931.The Scottish Executive does not require such information. It is for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to decide what statistics it needs to collect in order to carry out its function…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22289 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will provide a full explanation of why it is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council alone to collect statistics relating to further education colleges and why th…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The collection of statistics relating to further education colleges is a necessary adjunct to the council's funding function and its responsibility to secure adequate and efficient further education in Scotland. These functions were transferred to the council…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22288 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether there is a standard teaching qualification for academic staff in further education establishments and what requirement there is for applicants to possess any such qualification prior to their ap…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Various courses are available leading to the award of a Teaching Qualification (Further Education), ranging in level from certificate of education to Master's degree. Courses are not standard but each is based on and incorporates the core competencies for fur…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22288 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will provide a full explanation of why the Higher Education Statistics Agency does not collect information on full-time and part-time academic staff in universities who hold a recognised qual…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Decisions on appropriate levels of qualifications for staff undertaking teaching duties in higher education institutions are a matter for the individual institutions concerned.Institutions have supported the formation of the Institute for Learning and Teac…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22287 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will provide a full explanation of why the Scottish Further Education Funding Council alone is responsible for monitoring progress in regard to the targets for increasing the percentage of ac…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council sets the targets, makes supporting funding available and monitors progress towards achievement of the targets. It is therefore appropriate that the council should centrally collate this information.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22287 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will place the policy guidance it gave to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council regarding increasing the percentage of academic college staff with a recognised teaching qualification…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Letters of 7 and 8 February 2001 and 17 December 2001 to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council were placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre at the time.

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22286 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002 and the statement that "the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on when staff leave institutions, at what age and in many cases which institutions they have come from or gone t…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested was not provided as the Executive does not collect it, and neither is it available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).Decisions on the data it collects are a matter for the HESA which is funded directly by higher e…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22285 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2002, whether it will provide a full explanation of why neither it nor the Higher Education Statistics Agency collects information on the number of staff required to take compulsory retirement.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Decisions on the data it collects are a matter for the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) which is funded directly by higher education institutions across the UK to cover a wide range of statistical data for institutions. The Executive has no plans to …

11 Feb 2002 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Executive has to change the focus of enterprise development from inward investment to other growth contributors.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Ms Wendy Alexander this week announced a shift in our priorities which will target home grown companies so we have less reliance on enterprise from overseas. This is good news for Scotland.

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many lip-reading tutors were employed in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency area to assist those with hearing difficulties in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for the position on the employment of such tutors in this area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many lip-reading tutors were employed in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency area to assist those with hearing difficulties in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for the position on the employment of such tutors in this area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for the establishment of lip-reading classes in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency area to assist those with hearing difficulties in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for its position on the provision of such classes in this area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish Executive support for lip-reading skills is focussed on the training of tutors in lip-reading, rather than the support of classes in particular areas of the country. Grants are made under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. In 2000-01 a…

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for the establishment of lip-reading classes in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency area to assist those with hearing difficulties in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for its position on the provision of such classes in this area.

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided in total for the creation of lip-reading classes to assist those with hearing difficulties in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for its position on the provision of such classes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish Executive support for lip-reading skills is focussed on the training of tutors in lip-reading. Grants are made under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. In 2000-01 a pump-priming grant of £20,000 was made to the Scottish Course to Train…