Parliamentary questions
David Mundell
955 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance on which relatives are liable in respect of the payment for the provision of care by social services departments to an individual.
Answer · Iain Gray: Circular SWSG1/97 gives guidance to local authorities on charging for non-residential care services. In the case of residential or nursing home care, guidance to local authorities in assessing ability to pay and who should contribute is given in Circular SWSG…
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide full details of the computer system currently operated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, including where the system was sourced from, what the initial cost was of the system, what the annual running cost is of the system and whether this particular system, …
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The computer system is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chairman to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in SPICe.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date (a) the Scottish Qualifications Authority, (b) the Scottish Executive and (c) the Minister for Children and Education became aware that problems could arise in the publication of this year's school examination results.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The administration of the examinations is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). On (a), I have asked the Chairman to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in SPICe.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive first became aware …
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified by the Scottish Qualifications Authority or any other associated government or public body of any legal action that has been initiated by any interested parties as a result of current problems resulting from the publication of late or inaccurate examination re…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has not been notified of any legal action resulting from the publication of examination results.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it took in response to the findings of the Public Accounts Select Committee's report on the problems faced by the UK Passport Agency during the summer of 1999 in relation to the implementation of new computer systems in public bodies in Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive contributed to the preparation of the McCartney Report which drew out the lessons from a wide range of major IT implementations in the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas. The report, <I>Successful IT - Modernising Governm…
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister with responsbility for tourism intends to visit Moffat when he is in Dumfries & Galloway on 23 August 2000.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Deputy Minister has no plans to do so.
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it keeps comparative statistics on major flooding incidents throughout Scotland and, if so, whether it will publish details for each of the last ten years for which figures are available and whether there is any national monitoring conducted centrally of such incidents.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Statistics on flooding incidents are not held centrally and therefore the details requested are not available.<P>Whilst national monitoring is not undertaken, the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, as amended in 1997, placed a duty on local authorities to …
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with HM Government about the production of guidelines for energy distributors requiring them to provide network access arrangements at reasonable cost for producers of energy in Scotland from renewable sources.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This is primarily a matter for the industry regulator and therefore is a reserved matter. In view of the importance placed by both the UK Government and the Scottish Executive in the promotion of renewable energy, the Department of Trade and Industry last yea…
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the production of energy from renewable sources and what progress has been made with the review of the planning guidance for renewable energy and the review with electricity companies of the capacity of the Scottish electricity grid to connect more ren…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: As part of the consultation on the wider Scottish Climate Change Programme the Scottish Executive sought views on its proposals to secure an additional 5% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2010 by means of the proposed obligation on electrici…
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4084 by Sarah Boyack on 1 February 2000, what progress has been made in achieving the targets for the proportion of energy used in Scotland that should come from renewable sources.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Consultation on this issue was included in the wider Scottish Climate Change Programme consultation, which concluded on 2 June. I am now considering the responses received and will make a statement in due course.
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs is aware that Dumfries and Galloway council has refused planning permission for the landfill/landraising facility at Dry Rig, Ae Forest, Dumfriesshire and what discussions the Minister has had or intends to have with the Forestry Commission ab…
Answer · John Home Robertson: Yes, I know that the council has refused planning permission for this development. The Forestry Commission has taken account of the representations made by the local community, as well as the council's decision, and has decided that it will not allow anyone t…
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what target it has set for disabled access to be available on all platforms at railway stations.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Disability discrimination is a reserved matter. This applies to disabled access at railway stations. The outstanding provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, concerning access to goods, services and facilities, are being implemented by the UK Gov…
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will refer the issue of disabled access at Lockerbie station to the Transport Advisory Group announced in March, to advise it on the transport needs of people with disabilities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Mundell to my answers to Questions S1W-9062 and S1W-9063.
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the difficulties encountered by southbound disabled rail travellers at Lockerbie station and whether it has had any discussions with Railtrack or other bodies on the provision of disabled access to the station's southbound platform.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-9066.
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in setting up the Transport Advisory Group announced in March, to advise it on the transport needs of people with disabilities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is currently consulting disability groups and transport bodies about the Group's remit and membership. Once all the responses have been considered the Scottish Ministers will make an announcement.
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to abolish separate registration of nursing and residential care homes and create a single registration system covering both.
Answer · Iain Gray: We are proposing to replace the current separate systems of registration of residential care and nursing homes with a new system registering both types as "care homes". This system will be operated by the proposed Scottish Commission for the Regulat…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are seasonal variations in heating oil prices, whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty's Government on the effect in Scotland of such variations on the socially excluded and, if so, what was the outcome.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with Her Majesty's Government on the effects of seasonal variations in heating oil prices as this issue is a reserved matter.
4 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or the Scottish Tourist Board has detected any trends in visitor numbers or country of origin in the current tourist season and what comparisons are available with the last five years.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Trends in Overall Numbers of Visitors (British & Overseas (million))<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=460><TR><TD WIDTH="22%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1995</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="14%" V…
4 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why funding for the Scottish School Board Association's Grapevine publication has been withdrawn.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The decision to withdraw funding for Grapevine was taken following a review of funding priorities in light of current budget pressures.
28 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake research into any impact of the Protection Of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill on traditional equestrian events such as Common Ridings, agricultural shows and point-to-points.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to commission any further research on the Protection of Mammals (Scotland) Bill. It will be for the Rural Affairs Committee, as the lead Committee which will consider the Bill, to determine whether any further research is r…
21 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to measure the extent of the use of new technology by local authorities in the delivery of their services.
Answer · Frank McAveety: We are discussing with CoSLA arrangements to ensure that local authorities are fully involved in delivering the First Minister's commitment that all Scottish public services will be available online no later than 2005.
14 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Knowledge Economy Task Force to report.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Knowledge Economy Task Force is expected to finalise its report by August of this year, following which I will consult with Cabinet colleagues.
9 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any mechanisms in place to allow it to pay funds directly to individual schools and, if not, what plans it has to introduce such mechanisms.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: There are no regulations currently in place under which the Scottish Executive has the power to pay funds directly to individual schools which are under the management of local authorities, and we have no plans to make such regulations. As is clear from the a…
9 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1867 by Sarah Boyack on 8 June 2000, whether the Station Park in Moffat qualifies for signage from the M74.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Station Park in Moffat does not meet the criteria applied for the provision of tourist signposting from a motorway.
8 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public funding the Moredun Foundation has received in each of the last five financial years and what the future funding plans are for those years for which figures are available.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive provides funding for the Moredun Research Institute (MRI), a subsidiary of the Moredun Foundation. The total sums paid to MRI in each of the last five financial years, and the allocations for this year and next year, are as follows:<P A…
7 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport and the Environment last visited Moffat and what road issues she discussed with local residents.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I last visited Moffat on 10 June when I attended the first meeting of the Southern Upland Partnership. In the margins of that meeting I had a number of informal discussions with local residents on roads issues and have agreed that my officials should meet loc…
5 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be of the Scottish Qualifications Authority's proposal that those teachers who act as markers should be released from classroom duties for two days to mark exam papers at home.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The recruitment of markers is the responsibility of SQA.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">I understand from them that the total cost will not be known until the recruitment process is complete.
5 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many classroom days will be lost as a result of the Scottish Qualification Authority's proposal that those teachers who act as markers should be released from classroom duties for two days to mark exam papers at home.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The recruitment of markers is the responsibility of SQA.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">I understand from SQA that the total numbers of days for which markers have to be released will not be known until the recruitment process is complete.
5 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), about the SQA's proposal that those teachers who act as markers should be released from classroom duties for two days to mark exam papers at home in order to overcome the problem of lack of markers and, if so, w…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: As the recruitment of markers is an operational matter for the SQA, the Executive was not consulted on its proposals. However, we have been assured by the SQA that marking of exam papers will be completed on time. We are continuing to monitor the situation.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the theories set out by Jonas Ridderstale and Kjell Nordstrom in their book Funky Business and, if so, what conclusions it has drawn and whether they will have any implications for its own working practices and its policies on the working practices of Scottish bu…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is continually modernising its working practices and encourages all other organisations to do the same. The Executive is receptive to a range of current thinking in this area.