Parliamentary questions

Duncan McNeil

426 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

20 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05593 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012, how much was spent in each area of the national programme of materials in each year of the campaign.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As stated in the answer to questions S4W-05593 on 28 February and S4W-06145 on 19 March 2012, the creation and distribution of materials are managed within the agreed budgets of £250,000 for 2009-10, £250,000 for 2010-11 and £500,000 for 2011-12. This approa…

20 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05593 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012, whether there was an underspend in any year of the campaign's central budget and, if so, what that was.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: An underspend of £4,800 was reported for 2010-11. There was no underspend in 2009-10 or 2011-12.

14 Mar 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to tackle youth unemployment in Greenock and Inverclyde.

12 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05593 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012, who received materials in Inverclyde; what materials they received, and what the value of the materials received was in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As stated in the answer to question S4W-05593, the budget and creation of materials for the No Knives, Better Lives initiative are managed centrally and there is no specific allocation per area. A range of materials have been provided for local partners invo…

12 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received confirmation from the European Union on whether an independent Scotland would have to adopt the euro in order to be accepted as a member state.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06143 on 23 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

12 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has engaged with the European Union (EU) to confirm what the EU's formal position would be should an independent Scotland wish to become a member state.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has regular contact with Commission officials and other member states concerning a range of issues. It is not customary to divulge the content of these or any other official government discussions. To do so would inhibit the free and f…

12 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received independent legal opinion regarding the terms under which an independent Scotland would be able to join the European Union and, if so, whether it will publish this.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: In developing policy the Scottish Government seeks a range of advice, including legal advice. It is not the practice of this or any previous Scottish Government to reveal either whether it has received legal advice on a particular matter or, if it has, the co…

7 Mar 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the chief executive officer of the Scottish Prison Service.

10 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it allocated to each No Knives, Better Lives campaign area in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11, is allocating in 2011-12 and will allocate in 2012-13.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The budget for No Knives, Better Lives is managed centrally and there is no specific allocation per area. Monies are used to create a national program of materials that can be used as the initiative rolls out to new areas. This includes social advertising, we…

18 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to promote jobs in Greenock and Inverclyde.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting sustainable economic growth and promoting job creation throughout Scotland, including in Greenock and Inverclyde, and our Economic Strategy provides us with the overarching economic framework to do that. We …

14 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy last met the chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

30 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to create jobs in Inverclyde.

16 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the reorganisation of Caledonian MacBrayne will have on the communities who rely on its services.

9 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy last met the chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

7 Nov 2011 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the GMC survey suggesting that junior doctors feel pressured to work more than a 48-hour week.

2 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the Scottish Prison Service.

21 Sep 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy last met the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

23 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to the No Knives Better Lives campaign in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Scotland for 2011-12.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The budget statement 2011-12 was recently announced setting out the Scottish Government''s draft budget for next year. The budget will be debated in Parliament in February before it is voted on. The Scottish Government cannot give specific figures for how muc…

19 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the planned completion dates are for each phase of HMP Inverclyde.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to the question S3W-37706 on 25 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availa…

19 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned expenditure on HMP Inverclyde will be financed from the capital budget of the Scottish Prison Service.

19 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the planned annual expenditure on HMP Inverclyde will be over each year of the projected time span of the construction period.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is committed to building HMP Inverclyde as a replacement for HMP Greenock. The SPS and Inverclyde Counc…

11 Nov 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in tackling knife crime.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is working with the Violence Reduction Unit and other partners to tackle knife crime. Violent crime is at its lowest level in over 30 years with the crime of handling an offensive weapon having reduced 30% since 2006-07. This success h…

5 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to the No Knives Better Lives campaign, broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to spend at least £500,000 on No Knives, Better Lives from April 2009 through to March 2011. Spending in 2009-10 was approximately £200,000 which includes the cost of developing the campaign and piloting it in Inverclyde. …

5 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will assist Inverclyde Renewables Alliance in developing Inverclyde as a renewables manufacturing location following its inclusion in the west coast cluster in the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan.

Answer · Jim Mather: Phase 2 of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan (N-RIP) sets out a clear route map for how port/site owners can seek public funding support for their investment plans and the criteria that will be applied by Scottish Enterprise in appraising applicatio…

5 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with the Spanish manufacturing firm, Gamesa, regarding investment in the Scottish renewables industry and what future meetings it has planned.

Answer · Jim Mather: The First Minister met Gamesa in Scotland in June 2010 and in Bilbao in September 2010. Scottish Development International officials have had a number of meetings with the company including meetings that took place during the company''s visits to Scotland in …

3 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many unsuccessful job applications newly qualified midwives are expected to have made before they are eligible for the one year job guarantee scheme for nurses and midwives.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of job applications newly qualified midwives should make before applying to the One Year Job Guarantee Scheme is not specified in guidance. However, applicants may be asked by NHS Education for Scotland (who administer the scheme) to provide writte…

3 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified midwives have (a) applied to and (b) received assistance under the one year job guarantee scheme for nurses and midwives since the scheme’s inception.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of newly qualified midwives who have applied to and received assistance under the One Year Job Guarantee Scheme since its inception is set out below: One Year Job Guarantee Scheme - Midwifery <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding…

3 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with the UK Government in respect of the Report to the Secretary of State on the Review of Elective Home Education in England, published in June 2009.

Answer · Michael Russell: Ministers have had no discussions with Westminster in respect of the report as it concerns changes to the provision of education in England and Wales and as such has no relevance to Scotland.

3 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to local authorities on setting the minimum number of teaching hours required for a home-schooled child.

Answer · Michael Russell: There are guidelines issued to authorities on setting the minimum number of teaching hours required to home educate a child. However, section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 sets out that it is the duty of parents to provide efficient education suitab…

3 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to local authorities on the required qualifications for someone who teaches a home-schooled child.

Answer · Michael Russell: There are no qualifications required to home educate a child. However, section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 sets out that it is the duty of parents to provide efficient education suitable to the age ability and aptitude of the child. Local authorit…