Parliamentary questions
Mr Brian Monteith
1,042 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many personal injury accidents occurred on the A92 between Tayport and Glenrothes in each of the past five years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The number of personal injury accidents in each of the last five years (1996-2000) on the A92 between Tayport and Glenrothes is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=359><TR><TD WIDTH="18%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P>Year</TD><TD …
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which petrol stations in (a) Stirling, (b) Clackmannanshire, (c) Fife and (d) Perth and Kinross have successfully applied for assistance under the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No petrol stations in these areas have applied for assistance under the scheme.
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations and outside bodies have been sent copies of Striking the Balance - a new approach to debt management and the accompanying consultation questionnaire.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Copies of the report of the Working Group on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant Sale, <I>Striking the Balance - a new approach to debt management</I>, together with a consultation questionnaire have been issued to some 600 organisations, bodies and indivi…
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary school (a) pupils and (b) staff in (i) Stirling, (ii) Clackmannanshire, (iii) Fife and (iv) Perth and Kinross have e-mail addresses at school.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Numbers of secondary school e-mail addresses are shown in the following table. The figures relate to the position nearly a year ago, and recent contacts with the four education authorities indicate that considerable progress has been made since then.<TABLE BO…
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve safety at the road/rail level crossing at Cornton, Stirling.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, the provision and regulation of railway services, which includes railway safety, are reserved matters. They are the responsibility of the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) within the UK…
17 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of participation in pre-school education by three-year-olds and four-year-olds by type of pre-school provision such as nurseries, playgroups, childminders and other forms of child care.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A total of 103,381 three and four year old children were receiving publicly funded pre-school education in the summer term of the last school session. The following table breaks down the places they occupied by type of provision. The figures refer to places, …
6 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in response to concerns expressed about the A85 at Glen Ogle by local people in their petition presented recently to the Deputy Minister for Transport and Planning.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has plans to undertake improvements identified for a number of sections on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Lix Toll. These include schemes to improve visibility and road realignment at bends. The new Operating Company, BEAR Scotland Lt…
6 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8561 from Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000, how many injury road accidents occurred during 2000 on the Stirling to Ballat Cross stretch of the A811.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">During 2000 there were 13 injury road accidents which were identified in the STATS 19 returns as …
6 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10928 by Mr Jack McConnell on 17 November 2000, how many places are expected to be filled at teacher-training institutions in each of the next three years in each category of study.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The following table shows how many places are expected to be filled at teacher training institutions in each category of study in the academic session 2001-02.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=415><TR><TD WIDTH="66%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=20><P>In…
5 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether health boards and local authorities collate the details which they both hold of the number of children with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and, if so, how this is done.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Any such collation would be for health boards and education and/or social work authorities to agree locally, and the Executive does not hold information on whether and how it is done. Consultation between health, education and social work authority would norm…
5 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16459 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 July 2001, whether the target for reducing exclusions from schools by one third by 2002, as announced by the Minister for Children and Education on 13 September 1999, no longer applies.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The target referred to in September 1999 reflected the target for exclusions which was announced in 1998 following publication of a Social Exclusion Unit report to the UK Government.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive reviewed a number of targets establ…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the costs involved in launching and distributing its consultation document Rivers, Lochs, Coasts: The Future for Scotland's Waters.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The cost of designing, printing and distributing 2,500 copies of the consultation paper was in the region of £9,000.
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the allowances payable to jurors in respect of childminding and babysitting.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The allowances payable to jurors in respect of childminding and babysitting are set by the Scottish Court Service. There are no plans to review these allowances.
28 Jun 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any design changes have been made to the windows in the MSP office block of the new Parliament building at Holyrood and, if so, what the consequential additional costs and time delays in construction were.
Answer · David Steel: Design changes were made to the MSP block windows as a consequence of the Value Engineering exercise carried out in late 1999. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that there were no consequential time delays and the changes have resulted…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its collaborative review of initial teacher education will be published.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The answer to question S1W-15074 described the Collaborative Review of Initial Teacher Education as a departmental consultation exercise. May I take this opportunity to correct that statement. The consultation should have been listed as "Collaborative Re…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its review of devolved school management will be published.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The DSM Review Group expects to publish their report in late August.
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its consultation on Promoting the International Dimension in Scottish Schools will be published.
Answer · Jack McConnell: We intend to publish this report early in school session 2001-02.
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its consultation on the Schools Scotland Code 1956 will be published.
Answer · Jack McConnell: 67 detailed responses on the future of the Code's provisions were received. Consideration was delayed to allow negotiation and implementation of the McCrone Report's recommendations, which had implications for areas of the Code such as grades of posts in scho…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its consultation on national priorities for schools education in Scotland will be published.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The report summarising responses to the consultation on national priorities for school education was sent to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament in December 2000. I have now instructed that it be placed in the Parliament's Re…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its consultation on the proposed transfer of DSS resources to local authorities for young people leaving care will be published.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: In response to question S1W-2680, Mr Sam Galbraith announced the results of the consultation, which showed a majority support for the principle of a general fund. He also announced the setting up of an implementation group, comprising representatives from key…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14208 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001, when a report on its consultation on the regulation of early education and child care will be published.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: <I>The Regulation of Early Education and Childcare - The Way Ahead</I>, published in May 2000, set out our conclusions following consultation in March 1999. During the course of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill, we further amended our policy proposals t…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations and individuals were sent the Greater Protection for Hutters consultation document.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Copies of the consultation paper were sent to all parties who had made representations on the subject of hutters in response to the first Land Reform Policy Group consultation. This included a number of landlords whose estates included hut sites (including th…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the full costs were of launching, publishing and distributing its Greater Protection for Hutters consultation document.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The cost of designing, printing, copying and distributing copies of the consultation paper was in the region of £1,500.
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14189 by Sarah Boyack on 28 March 2001, what types of schemes to improve road safety on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich it will be discussing with the new operating company with responsibility for this stretch of road and when any such d…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive convened a meeting on 5 June 2001 with BEAR Scotland Ltd and the Balquhidder Community Council to discuss progress on various matters relating to improvement works on the A85 at Lochearnhead. These include:<P>- alterations to the A84/A8…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8650 by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000, how many personal injury accidents occurred on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich in each year from 1990 to 1994.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Details of the personal injury accidents which have occurred on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich for each year from 1990 to 1994 is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=342><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=6 HEIGHT=17><P>A85 betw…
22 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8650 by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000, how many personal injury accidents occurred on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich in 2000 and in 2001 to date.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Details of the personal injury accidents which have occurred on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich in 2000 and in 2001 up to 27 June is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=436><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=6 HEIGHT=17><P>A85 be…
20 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current target is for the reduction of exclusions and truancy in schools and what the timescale is for achievement of this target.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The target of reducing by one third of the days lost every year through exclusions from school and truancy is set out in Milestone 10 in the Social Justice Action Plan. No timescale is specified in this target, but I expect education authorities to deliver ye…
20 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish in its next annual social justice report (a) details of current levels of school truancy and exclusions and (b) any associated targets.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is committed to reporting annually on our progress in achieving our social justice targets and milestones, which includes the milestone of reducing by one third the days lost every year through exclusions from school and truancy. Data f…
20 Jun 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any responsibilities in respect of the location of police force headquarters.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Section 2(4) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 stipulates that a police authority may, subject to the consent of the Scottish ministers, provide and maintain such land and buildings and other structures as may be required for the purposes of a police force.
20 Jun 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of the Scottish Arts Council and what issues will be discussed.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive is in regular contact with the council and its representatives with whom they meet frequently. A wide range of issues relating to the arts in Scotland is discussed.