Parliamentary questions
Des McNulty
1,840 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what subjects in S1 and S2 are taught using setting procedures, broken down by local authority, and what evidence there is that this procedure improves pupil performance.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information held is incomplete and is not broken down by local authority.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The HM Inspectors of Schools report <I>Achievement for All</I> published in 1996 drew on the results of international studies on achievement, a review of research …
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to (a) prevent the dip in pupil performance at S1 and S2 level highlighted by Her Majesty's Inspectors and (b) increase parents' confidence that all pupils will be encouraged to achieve their potential at this stage in their education.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: HM Inspectors of Schools have published a number of reports to support schools in raising pupil attainment in S1 and S2. The reports have been followed up by discussions with Directors of Education on how the reports' recommendations can be implemented.<P ALI…
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the numbers and proportions of people in penal establishments in Scotland compare with the rest of the UK and relevant European comparators and what steps are being taken to reverse the growth in the prison population.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the table below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">We are committed to ensuring that the courts have a wide range of sentencing options available so that sentencers can make a non-custodial decision where they consider it is appropriate …
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to simplify and speed up the process of creating a record of need; whether it is satisfied that equivalent cases are treated consistently by different local authorities, and whether the current length of time involved in creating a record of need is acting as a det…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: In their response to the Riddell Report in autumn 1999, Ministers set up a National Special Educational Needs Advisory Forum under the chairmanship of Peter Peacock, Deputy Minister for Children and Education. At its inaugural meeting on 28 March, the forum a…
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the proportion is of "speciality" intensive care unit beds relative to (a) other acute sector low technology or "ordinary" beds and (b) long stay beds, broken down by health board area for each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on the number of intensive care beds per 100 other acute beds, and per 100 long stay beds by health board area for the years ending 31 March 1998 and 1999 is given in the table. Comparable figures for March 1997 are not available due to recording …
18 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all those Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership projects for which full business cases have been published since May 1999 and indicate for which projects it anticipates full business cases will be published during the current financial year.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership projects for which full business cases have been published since May 1999 are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Client Body</TD><TD…
5 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and technical criteria are used in determining the best value for money solutions for specific schemes needed to meet the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Water Authorities use a range of criteria in determining the best investment solutions for constructing schemes to serve their customers needs, including those schemes needed to meet the requirements of the 1994 Regulations.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The…
5 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct a multi-modal corridor study covering the A82 between Anniesland and the Erskine Bridge and the A814 between Finnieston and the Erskine Bridge.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The A82 between Anniesland and the Erskine Bridge and the A814 between Finnieston and the Erskine Bridge are not trunk roads and are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time taken to process a breach of (a) a probation order and (b) a community service order is in Dumbarton Sheriff Court and how many outstanding breaches of probation and community service orders are currently waiting to be dealt with in Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The average length of time taken to process a breach of (a) a probation order and (b) a community service order at Dumbarton Sheriff Court is (a) 14 weeks and (b) 17 weeks. The figures relate to actions initiated during 1999 and are the period between receipt…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to respond to the projected shortage of junior doctors in Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Many factors affect the number of junior doctors needed to provide effective healthcare. The current steps being taken to reduce junior doctors' hours, while ensuring that service demands are met, have an impact on the required supply of doctors in training g…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any sites in West Dunbartonshire have been put forward to potential inward investors by Scottish Enterprise or Locate in Scotland as possible locations for new investment during the last five years and, if so, what type of project and how many potential jobs were involved in each …
Answer · Henry McLeish: Discussions with potential inward investors are commercially confidential.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs created in each of the last five years in (a) Lothian, (b) Lanarkshire, (c) Fife, (d) Glasgow and (e) Dunbartonshire are attributable to the work of Locate in Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The following details are available of planned jobs announced for the areas specified over the last five years; arising from projects attracted by Locate in Scotland:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=555><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"> </…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many child deaths in the past five years were caused by (a) heroin and (b) methadone.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The information available is given in the table below.<P>Deaths involving certain drugs, persons aged under 16, Scotland<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=498><TR><TD WIDTH="47%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P></TD><TD WIDTH="11%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much housing debt each local authority currently owes, expressed as (a) a total amount and (b) an amount per council house owned by the authority.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The latest available information requested is shown in the table below.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=640><TR><TD WIDTH="39%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Council</TD><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Estimated HRA Debt as at 3…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital debt each local authority currently owes, expressed as (a) a total amount, (b) a per capita amount and (c) a per household amount.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The requested figures for the most recent available year (1998-99) are provided in the following table.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Local Authority Capital Debt 1998-99<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=602><TR><TD WIDTH="29%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD W…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the money generated by the "tobacco tax" will be targeted at the promotion of healthy eating, including nutritional education within schools.
Answer · Susan Deacon: It is my intention that a proportion of the £26 million from the additional tobacco taxation announced in this year's budget statement should fund initiatives aimed at improving Scotland's diet; and that these initiatives should have a particular focus on enc…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it is anticipated that data from the next census will be made available to researchers interested in analysing social and economic indicators.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Registrar General for Scotland intends to produce the main national and local results of the 2001 Census to a pre-announced timetable.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This timetable is still being considered in the light of work on processing the Census Rehearsal data.…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many announcements involving new jobs in Dunbartonshire it has been involved in since May 1999, listed in date order; how many jobs each announcement referred to; which constituency the jobs in each case are to be located in, and by what date the jobs in each announcement are expected…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive has been involved in two projects where public announcements involving new jobs in Dunbartonshire have been made since May 1999. The specific details requested are shown in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on gathering reliable information about income levels by local authority areas, including both West and East Dunbartonshire.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Household Survey will provide information on household income by local authority area after the first full sweep of the survey (i.e. after two years) - the results of which are likely to be made available in the summer of 2001.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4447 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 March 2000, whether it is taking any steps to secure reliable information, by local authority area, about (i) the average number of child dependants of households dependent on income support and (ii) the average number …
Answer · Jack McConnell: Discussions are underway with the Department of Social Security and the Office for National Statistics to investigate the use of nationwide surveys (such as the Family Expenditure Survey, the Family Resources Survey and the General Household Survey) to provid…
2 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure the adequate provision of specialist legal advice to asylum seekers and their dependants.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-6473.
2 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had in the development of the criteria used to determine to which areas asylum seekers and their dependants are sent in Scotland.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.
2 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what translation services are currently available to assist the successful induction of asylum seekers and their dependants into host communities.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-6473.
2 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with local authorities and other interested parties regarding the delivery and management of services which local authorities could be contracted to provide asylum seekers and their dependants.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is a matter between the National Asylum Support Service and a consortium of Scottish local authorities.
2 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it submitted a response to the consultation document by Her Majesty's Government on the main regulations relating to Part (vi) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all improvement and prohibition notices issued in respect of friable asbestos in local authority properties.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to health, safety and welfare in connection with the control of dangerous substances.
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the number of prosecutions, broken down by local authority, carried out for contravention of asbestos regulations in each of the last three years for which figures are available, in how many of these prosecutions fines were imposed and what was the average fine.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to health, safety and welfare in connection with the control of dangerous substances.
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents, broken down by each local authority, of friable asbestos in (a) local authority housing stock (b) local authority public buildings and (c) in Scotland generally were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years for which figures are avail…
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to health, safety and welfare in connection with the control of dangerous substances.
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual costs were to each local authority for the removal of asbestos from (a) their housing stock and (b) those public buildings for which it has responsibility, broken down for each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The table below sets out the annual cost to each local authority for the removal or encapsulation of asbestos from council owned housing stock over the past three years from 1997, including an estimated figure for 1999-2000. The Scottish Executive does not ho…
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have carried out asbestos removal operations from (a) their housing stock and (b) those public buildings for which they have responsibility such as schools, libraries and leisure facilities, and whether it will detail the total amount of asbestos removed and this a…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The table attached to SIW-6096 shows those local authorities that have removed or encapsulated asbestos in their council-owned housing stock over the past three years. No information is available centrally on the total amount of asbestos removed or on asbesto…