Donald Gorrie

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what publicly accessible specialist facilities for the environmentally safe disposal and recycling of dry cell and car batteries currently exist and where such facilities are located, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No specialist facilities for the disposal or recycling of dry cell and car batteries currently exist in Scotland. Dry cell and car batteries that are collected and stored at metal recycling sites in Scotland are typically consigned to specialist facilities in…

26 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the numbers of beneficiaries under the Millennium Volunteer Programme will not be artificially inflated by lower cost matchmakers being favoured over more specialist and expensive placement providers.

Answer · Iain Gray: Each application for support under the Millennium Volunteers initiative is treated on individual merit. There is no bias that gives advantage to the matchmaker approach. <P>Applications for support are made to the voluntary sector consortium that manages the …

21 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making towards the introduction of a small business rates relief scheme.

Answer · Andy Kerr: We are carefully considering the views received in response to the consultation paper we published earlier in the year. We will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible.

13 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18955 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 November 2001, whether the debt owners have changed since 31 March 2001 and, if so, who the present debt owners are and how much is owned by each company.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The debt owners have not changed since 31 March 2001.

12 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18956 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 November 2001, when the contract awarded to the Student Loans Company Ltd to administer the debt portfolio on behalf of private owners ends, and whether the terms of the administration and collection arrangements coul…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Under the terms of both debt sales, concluded in March 1998 and March 1999, the Student Loans Company remains responsible for the administration of debt and the collection of repayments for at least the first five years of private ownership. <P>The administra…

24 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities to help reduce the number of injuries resulting from the use of fireworks during this year's Guy Fawkes celebrations.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-03987.

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18121 by Ms Wendy Alexander on the 27 September 2001, whether it will give a breakdown of the results of the court actions raised against graduates to recover student loans in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18956.

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18120 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001, whether the operational procedures adopted by the Student Loans Company Ltd in respect of the collection of loan debt sold to Finance for Higher Education Ltd and Honours Trustee Ltd are identical to …

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I am advised by the Student Loans Company Ltd that there is no difference between the collections procedures which are applied to loans under the sold debt portfolios and those applied to the retained loans. Although occasional additional work has been carrie…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8121 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001, how many of the court actions raised against graduates to recover student loans were (a) sold in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 1998-99 and (b) retained by the Student Loans Company.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I am advised by the Student Loans Ltd Company that the breakdown requested is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=560><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">Financial Year</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="42%"…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) educational psychologists were employed by each local authority in each of the past three years and (b) posts for educational psychologists are currently vacant in each authority.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is provided in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=583><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=20><P></TD><TD WIDTH="26%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT=20><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">19…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to education authorities on the advance notice and information given to teachers about children joining their classes who have autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or dyspraxia.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has not issued guidance specifically on this issue. However, the <I>Manual of Good Practice </I>for special educational needs,<I> </I>issued to all schools in 1999, stresses the need for properly planned and supported transitions of pupils with …

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to education authorities on permitting children with dyspraxia, autistic spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to be exempted from foreign languages study.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive has not issued guidance to exempt pupils with these special educational needs from foreign language study. Scottish ministers are committed to taking forward entitlement to language learning for all children and young people. Whether or not part…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to education authorities on the duties and responsibilities of teaching staff in relation to the supervision or support of children with special needs during non-teaching periods of the school day.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive has not issued guidance on this issue.<P>Under the implementation agreement, <I>A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century</I>, teachers are not expected to be routinely involved in the direct and regular supervision and support of pupils during…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue guidelines to local authorities on minimum training requirement guidelines for staff recruited to provide support services to school-age children with special needs.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no plans to issue such guidelines. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) <I>Manual of Good Practice</I> emphasises the need for appropriate training for all staff. <P>All teachers should, as part of their Initial Teacher Education (ITE), receive some …

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide a "diagnostic centre" for children who are believed to have some form of autistic spectrum disorder, dyspraxia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no such plans.

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital patients categorised as delayed discharges are currently awaiting transfer to (a) local authority and (b) private residential or nursing homes and how many additional bed spaces will now be made available as a result of the recent agreement reached between it, Scottish C…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Most recent figures from Information and Statistics Division's <I>Patients Ready for Discharge in the NHSScotland </I>show that, at 15 July 2001, there were 98 patients delayed in Scottish hospitals and awaiting a place in a local authority residential or nur…

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an investigation into why the average cost of providing a local authority residential care place for older people and people with dementia in the South Lanarkshire council area in both 2000-01 and 2001-02 was, according to the South Lanarkshire Joint Community C…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is for each council to demonstrate to electors and auditors that it is achieving Best Value in its use of resources.

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lanarkshire branch of Scottish Care has rescinded, or intends to rescind, its termination of its contract with North and South Lanarkshire Councils following the recent agreement reached between the Executive, Scottish Care and CoSLA on the funding of private care home places …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for the councils concerned and for Scottish Care.

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any financial penalties imposed on private sector firms in each of the last five years for failures to deliver in relation to key performance indicators in (a) Private Finance Initiative and (b) Public/Private Partnership projects.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18247.

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Private Finance Initiative and (b) Public/Private Partnership contracts have been agreed in each of the last five years; how many were satisfactorily completed, and in how many was compensation (i) claimed from and (ii) paid by contractors, detailing the reason, the amount a…

Answer · Angus MacKay: The following table shows the number of Private Finance Initiative contracts that have been agreed (signed) and satisfactorily completed (operational) in each of the last five years. Information on compensation is commercially confidential and being a matter …

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Private Finance Initiative projects have been managed by it and the Scottish Office in each of the last 10 years; what its estimate is of the cost savings made in each project compared with the public sector alternative, and what outstanding payments will be made in relation to e…

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive (and formerly the Scottish Office) has managed three Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects in the last 10 years: Skye Bridge (signed 1991); M6 (signed 1997); Kilmarnock Prison (signed 1997). The Executive's policy is that PFI should…

19 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what standard penalty clauses have been included in its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and how many have been invoked since May 1999.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Treasury Taskforce Standardisation of PFI Contracts has been available since July 1999. A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 16339). It is broadly indicative of the type of provisions contained within PFI contracts althoug…

14 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S1W-17072 by Jim Wallace on 14 August 2001, whether it endorses the decision of the Scottish Prison Service to refuse prisoners in Scottish jails permission to take part in the Scene of the Crime art exhibition in Edinburgh when prisoners from English and Welsh p…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I am aware that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) does support prisoner involvement in a number of exhibitions and competitions annually. However, the particular exhibition referred to was thought likely to cause considerable public offence. The view of SPS w…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish graduates have been advised that they face court action to recover outstanding student loans in each of the last three years.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The number of actions raised in Scottish courts in each of the last three financial years is:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=153><TR><TD WIDTH="63%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1998-99</TD><TD WIDTH="37%" VALIG…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of outstanding student loans in Scotland has been sold by it or by the Student Loans Company to commercial financial organisations in each of the last three years and what the total value was of any loans sold in each of these years.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: On 24 March 1998, the Government sold a portfolio of student loan debt with a value of £1.022 billion to Finance for Higher Education Ltd and on 23 March 1999 sold a second portfolio with a value of £1.030 billion to Honours Trustee Ltd. The loans were select…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are engaged in the recovery of outstanding student loans in Scotland; when the contracts for such work were concluded, and what details of these contracts are in the public domain.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Student Loans Company appointed the following companies for specific debt recovery services through a public procurement exercise conducted under the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) competition, the notice being published on 14 October…

12 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the Scottish Prison Service is accountable

Answer · Jim Wallace: As an agency of the Scottish Executive it is responsible to me.

7 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to regulate the private security industry.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Following informal discussions earlier this year with the police associations, local government and representatives from the private security industry, a consultation paper is being issued today containing proposals to regulate the industry. The consultation …

7 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what checks are in place to ensure that all private sector involvement, financial or otherwise, in Social Inclusion Partnerships is provided by companies with an established and independently assessed record of ethical investment and best practice, particularly in terms of their overseas …

Answer · Margaret Curran: Any checks on those involved in local regeneration activities are a matter for individual Social Inclusion Partnerships to determine locally.

7 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a code of conduct outlining minimum standards of ethical practice to which all companies directly and indirectly contractually involved with public sector projects must conform and what issues any such code would cover.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce a code of conduct outlining minimum standards of ethical practice to companies involved with the public sector.