Parliamentary questions
Brian Fitzpatrick
529 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Scottish Legal Aid Board on developing proposals for a user-friendly community legal service.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I am awaiting the report of a broadly-based working group, including the Scottish Legal Aid Board among other organisations, which I set up to consider how a community legal service might be developed for Scotland. I expect that report at the end of October, …
21 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Scottish Legal Aid Board with pilot schemes on different forms of access to legal services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Legal Aid Board has considered a wide range of applications for pilot projects under Part V of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986, and will be making an announcement on the successful projects soon.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what year-on-year improvements in reducing the number of days lost through exclusions from school and truancy have been achieved since the target of reducing this number by a third was set.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The level of unauthorised absence in both primary and secondary schools was stable between 1997-98 and 1999-2000. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is too early to identify trends in exclusion as the annual survey of exclusions so far covers only two years. However, alth…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it makes available annually to assist in diverting youngsters from the criminal justice system.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to promoting social inclusion and citizenship for all young people. £20 million has been committed over the next three years to provide programmes to tackle persistent offending so that fewer young people will graduate to t…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in reducing (a) arrest rates and (b) crime rates among persons aged under 18 years.
Answer · Iain Gray: Statistics on these specific areas are not currently available to track progress. In Scotland, young people under 16 who offend are dealt with by the Children's Hearing system and those over 16 are normally prosecuted through the criminal justice system. Howe…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to progress the work of the First Minister's Policy Unit on youth crime.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive set up an Advisory Group on Youth Crime and, following its report, accepted all the group's recommendations. Work has begun on implementing them. In particular, this includes the allocation of £20 million over three years, from April 20…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the views of older people on the provision of public services are fully considered.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to ensuring that older people have their say in the development of polices which affect them. Already through the work of the Care Development Group and the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group on the Healthcare of Older People, older people …
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it provides directly or via other bodies to help deaf people access information on education, employment, local authority and library services by videotelephony.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive supports a number of organisations which aim to establish the needs of deaf people and develop strategies to meet identified local needs, including information access. The organisations work with other agencies to encourage development and arran…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its spending plans are on community legal services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18332.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing community legal services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I am awaiting the report of a broadly-based working group which I set up to consider how a community legal service might be developed for Scotland. I expect to receive that report at the end of October, and will consider the way forward once I have studied it.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the online dissemination of best practice in the field of public health.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Steady progress is being made in this area. The websites of the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health - <A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh">www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh</A> and the Health Education Board for Scotland - <A HREF="http://w…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in tackling health inequalities and ill-health due to poverty.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Tackling health inequalities is the overarching aim of our public health strategy, as set out in the White Paper <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I> and <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>. Measures being taken to realise that aim…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in spreading public information on how people can be helped to stay healthy.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A vast amount of activity takes place at both national and local level with a view to providing the Scottish population with the information they need to help them become and stay healthy. At national level, the Health Education Board for Scotland undertakes …
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in providing NHS walk-in centres.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The <I>Programme for Government</I> sets out our commitment to launch a new generation of walk-in/walk-out hospitals (also known as ambulatory care and diagnostic centres) by 2002. Various parts of NHSScotland are currently developing such initiatives.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the provision of services by NHS 24.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Significant consultation with the NHS in Scotland and patient representatives has resulted in the development of a service blueprint for NHS 24. The service has been established as a Special Health Board and is accountable to the Scottish Executive Health Dep…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote best practice in the arrangement and oversight of school trips.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18279.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in encouraging excellence in public services through quality and award schemes such as Charter Mark and Investor in People.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive is committed to providing better public services for the people of Scotland. Quality schemes such as Charter Mark and Investors in People have a part to play, and the Executive facilitates the exchange of best practice and promotes qual…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have taken to encourage small- or medium-si'ed businesses considering development of their export businesses to make use of the services of Trade Partners UK and with what results.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Trade International (STI) delivers all Trade Partners UK services to companies in Scotland, and is the sole organisation to do so. The Trade Division of the newly formed Scottish Development International, which will encompass all Scottish Enterprise…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to support small- or medium-si'ed businesses considering development of their export businesses.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive, through Scottish Trade International (STI), is committed to helping all Scottish exporters. STI's activities have, over the past five years, been directed by "The International Challenge" Export Development Strategy for Scotl…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received on consultations between Scottish Trade International and British Trade International on programmes aimed at meeting the needs of companies in Scotland for the promotion of trade and inward investment.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Trade International (STI) and Locate in Scotland (LiS), which are both joint ventures between the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise, have close working relationships with British Trade International, and its export and inward investment bodi…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Committee on Overseas Promotion.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18286.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with Her Majesty's Government on promotion of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom to foreign investors.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Committee on Overseas Promotion (COP) is the formal organisation for the partnership between Invest-UK and all the national and regional inward investment agencies in the United Kingdom, including Locate in Scotland (LiS).<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">COP has develo…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it gives on the training of teachers and other staff in the public and fee-paying sectors on health and safety issues affecting the arrangement and supervision of school trips.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18279.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Scotland have undergone inspection in the past three years by the Health and Safety Executive in connection with arrangements for school trips.
Answer · Allan Wilson: This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Health and Safety Executive regarding adventure activities undertaken in the context of school trips.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has observer status on the Health and Safety Commission's Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee which is serviced by and attended by the Health and Safety Executive.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents regarding adventure activities undertaken in the context of school trips.
Answer · Allan Wilson: None.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority regarding adventure activities undertaken in the context of school trips.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive and the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority have observer status on the Health and Safety Commission's Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in clarifying the legal duties to children and parents of schools, both in the public and fee-paying sectors, and of local authorities in respect of school trips.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18279.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it gives to schools in the public and fee-paying sectors on how school trips should be arranged and supervised.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Guidance on Safety in Outdoor Activity Centres was issued to local authorities and independent schools by the Scottish Office Education Department in October 1994. While aimed primarily at safety in outdoor activity centres it was made clear that the guidance…
19 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been undertaken by the NHS on the merits or otherwise of locating day hospitals or ambulatory care and diagnostic centres in district general hospitals or regional centres.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer's Acute Services Review Report, published in May 1998, endorsed the development of ambulatory care and diagnostic centres (ACADs), in suitable settings. The report indicated that such centres could respond to both primary and acute s…