Parliamentary questions
Donald Gorrie
955 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it, the Scottish Arts Council or the British Council provide for Scottish artists or performing groups exhibiting or performing abroad.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Working in partnership is vital in promoting Scotland abroad. In the last few years the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Arts Council and the British Council Scotland have collaborated on a number of high-profile promotions of Scotland’s art, artists and desi…
12 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing an environmental court or an environmental appeals tribunal.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Detailed consideration of these matters is on-going but you should be aware that strong action is already taken against those who commit environmental crime. In February 2004 the Lord Advocate announced the establishment of a national network of 17 specialist…
12 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8893 by Peter Peacock on 30 June 2004, what progress has been made by the group undertaking the review of social work.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The review group is now in place, under the chairmanship of William Roe. It has met three times. The group’s initial discussions have included the values of social work, the current social work task, social work developments in the context of wider policy cha…
11 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the archive of Richard Demarco is retained complete in Scotland and is available for public inspection.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: It is open to the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS), which already own a significant part of the archive, to consider purchasing the remainder if that were necessary to ensure its retention. Work continues to be done on cataloguing both that part of the ar…
8 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate sufficient funding to local authorities that is not ring-fenced for specific programmes to enable them to sustain frontline childcare services and fill any gaps that might develop.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Childcare Strategy aims to provide affordable, accessible, good quality child care in all neighbourhoods.</p><p>To enable local authorities to address the aims of the strategy at a local level, the Executive has allocated Childcare Strategy fundi…
8 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing Action Plan for Social Services Workforce, issued in April 2002.
Answer · Euan Robson: A great deal of progress has been made on the 12-point Action Plan, as follows:</p><p><strike>1.</strike>1. Awareness and Career Recruitment Campaign</p><p>The multi-layered <i>Care in Scotland</i> campaign, involving TV, radio and press, was launched in Octo…
8 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial or other assistance the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition receives from public funds.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition does not receive financial or other assistance from public funds.</p>
8 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes to liquor licensing laws will be accompanied by increased funding (a) raised from fees or (b) allocated by the Executive to local authorities to enable them to administer and enforce new laws.
Answer · Tavish Scott: We stated in our white paper issued in May that our preference, in line with policy in other areas of licensing, is for full cost recovery through the licensing fee. We intend to conduct a fee review in due course as part of our progress towards the new syst…
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that universities train more history teachers from 2005-06 onwards to meet the requirements of schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to ensure at a national level adequate numbers of newly qualified teachers are trained for when they are required in publicly funded schools. This takes into account factors such…
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the teaching of history, including the life and contribution of Scots at home and abroad, will continue to be a core activity in primary and secondary schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-11266 on 3 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sear…
6 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recent funding allocation in respect of the Supporting People initiative takes account of the National Joint Council pay settlement of 2.95% from 1 April 2004.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The funding allocations for the Supporting People programme announced on 1 October did take into account the National Joint Council pay settlement of 2.5% from 1 April 2004.</p>
6 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget allocations it has made to the Supporting People initiative in each of the next three years, showing percentage year-on-year increases and broken down by (a) recipient organisation and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Funding for Supporting People of £407.3 million in 2005-06 £399 million in 2006-07 and £401.1 million in 2007-08 was announced on 23 December. This represents double the provision in England on a per capita basis.</p><p>The allocation of resources (see the fo…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests it has received from people aged over 93 who do not want family historians to know their details as stated in the Scottish 1911 census records until the records are 100 years old.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive has received nosuch requests from persons aged over 93.</p>
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to establish minimum statutory standards for student teachers working with, and educating, children with autism.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Quality Assurance in Initial Teacher Education document establishes a comprehensive and unitary set of benchmark statements which are the requirements of each programme of initial teacher education in Scotland. This is the standard for initial teacher edu…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure the quality of educational services provided to children with autism and what guidance it has given to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education regarding carrying out inspections and reviews of such services.
Answer · Peter Peacock: As part of the normal process of inspection, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) consider the adequacy of provision for special educational needs, including that for autism. The Scottish Executive has commissioned HMIE to conduct a specific inspect…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that year-round education is available to all children with autism who require it.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Education authorities do not have a duty to provide year-round education to any pupils. It is for local authorities to determine how they discharge their statutory responsibilities and, in particular, the nature, extent and timing of the provision they make f…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with autism are receiving year-round educational support, including when schools are closed, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested is not collected centrally.</p>
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, or place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, any “model” of what is an acceptable standard of individualised educational programme for an autistic child.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The handbook accompanying the Scottish Executive’s <i>Success For All </i>project contains an example of the possible content of an IEP and can be found at <ahref="http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/">http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducati…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision of minimum standards for the development and implementation of individualised educational programmes (IEPs) would enhance the quality of IEPs being developed and implemented for children with autism.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to question S2W-10846 answered on 4 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sear…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum standards for the development and implementation of individualised educational programmes for children with autism are provided as part of guidelines that it issues.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The <i>Manual of Good Practice in Special Educational Needs</i> identifies the key features of effective practice in developing Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs) for children and young people with special educational needs, including autism. The ma…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what appeals procedure is available to parents who are in dispute with an education authority in respect of the delivery of their child’s year-round educational requirements.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to question S2W-10843 answered on 4 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sear…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an autistic child’s needs under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are separate from, and in addition to, any educational need.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 are all part of the legislative framework that a local authority has to operate within. </p><p>The 1995 act places duties upon the local …
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an education authority can refuse to deliver year-round education when schools are closed where an autistic child needs such education.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Education authorities have to operate within the legislative framework of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.</p><p>The 1980 act requires them to secure adequate and efficient provision of school education …
20 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S2W-10103 by George Reid on 20 September 2004, whether there will be a ballot for MSPs’ staff to participate in the Parliament’s opening day as guests on the same basis as for its staff.
Answer · George Reid: A ballot will not be held for MSPs’ staff to participate in the Parliament’s opening day as guests. However, a large number of MSPs’ staff are very much involved in the opening as both they and SPCB staff are presently working together in teams to make the Op…
20 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what insurance protection is in place for the personal property of those employed to work at Holyrood.
Answer · Duncan McNeil: The SPCB does not maintaininsurance for this matter.</p>
17 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has established the operational co-ordination group, as referred to in recommendation 10 of Tackling Religious Hatred - Update on the recommendations of the cross-party working group on religious hatred, and, if so, who the members of the group are and, if the group has not bee…
Answer · Margaret Curran: The proposals for this group were made as part of the Executive’s broader strategy on tackling sectarianism and religious intolerance. An officials group has already been established to co-ordinate the work that the Executive is taking forward in this area. A…
17 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the personal expenses allowance for individuals in care homes from the current level of #18.10 per week.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The personal expenses allowance for care home residents is normally increased in April each year. No decisions have yet been taken on the April 2005 uprating.</p>
16 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with a registered disability have applied for vacancies in the Executive in each year since 1999, broken down by grade and expressed also as a percentage of the total number of applicants.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) repealed parts of the Disabled Persons (employment) Act (NI) 1945. This means that there is no longer a register of disabled people. </p><p>The Scottish Executive asks applicants to self declare whether they have a…
16 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many people with a registered disability have applied for vacancies in the Parliament in each year since 1999, broken down by grade and expressed also as a percentage of the total number of applicants.
Answer · Duncan McNeil: The SPCB introduced a new grading system for parliamentary staff in 2002. Information prior to this date in the detail requested is not available. “Registered disability” is no longer a recognised definition; instead we ask applicants to indicate whether they…
16 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it has employed with a registered disability in each year since 1999, broken down by grade and expressed also as a percentage of total staff numbers.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive’s Diversity Strategy, launched in November 2000, has set demanding targets for the recruitment of under-represented groups, including staff with disabilities. Progress towards these targets is set out below.</p><p class=MsoBodyTextIndent>In line…