Parliamentary questions
David Mundell
955 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the outcomes from the Borders Visions conference held in Carlisle on 6 October 2000 and, if so, what steps it will take in response.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I understand that a second Borders Visions Conference will be held on 4 and 5 October 2001. The theme of this conference will be the delivery of services in rural areas.
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to information management and technology issues in the preparation of the Scottish Health Plan.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A wide range of health-related issues is being considered in the context of the forthcoming Scottish Health Plan, including the key part information management and technology has to play in the modernisation of the NHS.
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is in each NHS Trust for information management and technology for 2000-01.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.
29 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish passenger port is the busiest and how many people use it annually.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is given in tables 10.11, 10.12, 10.13 and 10.14 of <I>Scottish Transport Statistics No 19, 2000 Edition</I>, published by the Scottish Executive in August 2000. A copy of this is available in the Parliament's Information Centre (Bib…
29 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many behaviour optometrists are employed by the National Health Service in Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally. However, there are currently 29 qualified optometrists employed in the NHS in Scotland. How many are behaviour optometrists is not known.
29 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many behaviour optometrists are practising in Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.
11 Sep 2000 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Executive is taking to ensure that local authorities maintain the network of rural schools.
Answer · Donald Dewar: All our policies for schools are directed towards ensuring that all children in rural areas benefit from school provision of the highest quality.
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of school computer systems are compatible with Scottish Qualifications Authority computer systems to allow the exchange of data.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I understand that all school computer systems are capable, in principle, of achieving compatibility with the computer system operated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The independent inquiry which I have commissioned will look at the electronic excha…
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority has taken steps to arrange the marking of the 2000-01 Advanced Higher exam papers.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The independent inquiry which I have commissioned will look at the recruitment of markers for all National Qualifications under Higher Still, SCE Higher, Certificate of Sixth Year Studies and Standard Grade exams, and will make recommendations about how this …
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive whether all materials required for the 2000-01 Advanced Highers have been made available to schools.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer David Mundell to the answers I gave to question S1W-9243 on 7 September and question S1W-9510 on 21 September.
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all the material required for the 2000-01 Higher Still courses has been made available to schools from the Higher Still Development Unit.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer David Mundell to the answers I gave to question S1W-9243 on 7 September and question S1W-9510 on 21 September.
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any difficulties with results or certificate delivery have been encountered by candidates in this year's Scottish Qualifications Authority exams who were taking a combination of Higher Still, National Certificate modules and/or Higher National units.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I am not aware of any candidates so affected. The Scottish Qualifications Authority's focus on resolving the problems experienced with results of national awards taken in schools and colleges has inevitably led to some delay in the processing of certificates …
8 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority has had any difficulties with the production of this year's results or with the delivery of certificates in respect of Higher National Certificate courses and National Certificate courses and modules.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The priority for the Scottish Qualifications Authority has been to resolve the problems which arose this summer with national awards taken in schools and colleges. This has inevitably led to some delay in the processing of certificates for Higher National and…
31 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any grants relating to railway services available specifically for the provision of services for disabled persons at railway stations; who the grants have been made to; what effect would the granting of an exemption from or a delay in the required date for implementati…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has not made grants available for this purpose; however, the Executive has made a number of additional capital allocations to transport authorities through its Public Transport Fund, aimed at projects which incorporate improved access t…
28 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the independent management consultant's report commissioned by the Scottish Tourist Board from PriceWaterhouseCoopers will be made public.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No. This is an internal review commissioned by and for the board of the STB.
28 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made or intends to make any funds available to local authorities or others to encourage the undergrounding of existing overhead cables and wires for environmental reasons.
Answer · Henry McLeish: We have no plans to do so.
28 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any powers to require utilities and local authorities to co-operate in the undergrounding of overhead cable and wires for environmental reasons.
Answer · Henry McLeish: All new overhead lines require the consent of Scottish Ministers under section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. In dealing with such applications, Ministers must have regard to environmental considerations, but the Scottish Executive has no powers to require t…
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues any guidelines on the management of ragwort on ground under its ownership or control or under the ownership or control of any of its agencies or local authorities.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No. But the Scottish Executive funds the Scottish Agriculture College to provide advice to farmers and horse owners on a wide variety of livestock diseases. The most recent Technical Note entitled <I>Ragwort Poisoning in Livestock - Prevention and Control</I>…
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking or intends to take to reduce the incidence of ragwort poisoning.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive investigates all reported incidents of ragwort on land where livestock are at risk, whether or not the land is in agricultural use.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Weeds Act 1959 places the responsibility for weeds control on the occupier of the …
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it maintains records of incidents of ragwort poisoning and, if so, whether it will publish them for the last five years broken down geographically.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Ragwort poisoning is not a notifiable disease. There is therefore no statutory requirement for cases to be notified to the Scottish Executive. However, the Scottish Executive funds disease surveillance through the Scottish Agriculture College Disease Surveill…
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, whether it is satisfied that all persons employed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority as markers were appropriately qualified to perform that role.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer to the answer I gave to question S1W-9303 today.
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7646 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 June 2000, whether it is satisfied that all exam papers have been marked consistently to the required standard.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Qualifications Authority quality assurance procedures are set out in its Examiner's Handbook. The independent inquiry which I am commissioning will examine whether there were any instances in which these quality assurance procedures were not foll…
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7646 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 June 2000, what steps it took to verify any assurances given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) that the marking of exam papers by the SQA would be completed on time.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Assurances on marking offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) were probed by my officials during their frequent discussions with senior officials at SQA. Marking of examination papers was completed in sufficient time to enable results to be iss…
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7646 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 June 2000, when the Minister for Children and Education first became aware that there were difficulties with the marking of exam papers by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: As I explained in my statement to Parliament on 6 September, I became aware in June that SQA were having difficulty recruiting sufficient exam markers in some subjects.
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7646 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 June 2000, what role the Minister for Children and Education played in the monitoring process.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: My officials kept me informed of the outcome of their discussions with SQA. I also met with David Miller and Ron Tuck, respectively the Chairman and former Chief Executive of the SQA, to discuss arrangements leading to the publication of results.
21 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7646 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 June 2000, what form its monitoring took of the situation in relation to the marking of exam papers by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: My officials held weekly meetings with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and were in more frequent telephone contact on all aspects of the process of producing examination results, including marking.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider designating the B7076 as an alternative tourist route to the M74.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The B7076 is a local road and its designation as an alternative tourist route is a matter for the Scottish Tourist Board in conjunction with the local roads authorities to address.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive will consider any application for sig…
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any formal definition of elder abuse.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no formal definition of elder abuse. We know that some organisations subscribe to the definition that elder abuse is a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectat…
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance on the appropriateness of taking into account the income of a spouse or partner when assessing an individual's ability to pay for the provision of care by social services departments.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-9224.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance to local authorities on the appropriateness of seeking payment from relatives in respect of the provision of care by social services departments to an individual.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-9224.