Parliamentary questions

Mr Frank McAveety

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

10 Feb 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Scottish Enterprise and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Jim Mather: Ministers and officials meet representatives of Scottish Enterprise on a regular basis in the ministerial office in Atlantic Quay. The most recent meeting with ministers was on 1 February 2011 when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth met …

20 Jan 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the Minister for Environment is doing to ensure that the carbon emissions impact of the 2014 Commonwealth Games is minimised.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is working with its delivery partners to reduce carbon emissions from the games. Specific measures include the innovative modification and re-use of venues, along with a new generation of lower carbon buildings. With the extensive prom…

30 Sep 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding the future of services in the east end of Glasgow, such as Lightburn Hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In line with current guidance on informing, engaging and consulting people in developing health and community services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde asked government officials earlier this year to confirm the NHS board''s assumption that their proposed chang…

9 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy on oral health.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The action plan for improving oral health and modernising NHS dental services has been in place since 2005. A key component of the action plan is the Childsmile programme, which is a dental preventative programme for children from birth. In 2007 the Scottish …

9 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to improve oral health across Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Since 2007 we have been building on the action plan for improving oral health and modernising dental services, extending the Childsmile programmes across Scotland and launching Childsmile School. We have continued to see an improvement in children''s dental h…

9 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consider water fluoridation.

Answer · Shona Robison: There are currently no plans to fluoridate the public water supply. The Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985 places the onus on NHS boards, based on local consultations and full support of the general public, to apply to Scottish Water if they wish to introduce a fl…

1 Jul 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to combat antisocial behaviour in Glasgow.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We are pursuing the policies I outlined earlier today. I am sure that the member will welcome, as I do, the CashBack funded Jump2It programme for basketball in primary schools. The programme ran in 37 primary schools in the east end of Glasgow for 3,…

4 Feb 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with Home Office ministers or officials regarding the impact of A8 nationals on services in local communities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Government officials regularly attend COSLA Strategic Migration Partnership meetings which discuss the delivery of services to asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers in Scotland. This group includes Home Office/UKBA officials and most recently …

14 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities it has assisted in developing an effective play strategy to increase the range of quality play opportunities for children and young people.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Through the single outcome agreement process, local authorities and community planning partners are responsible for securing improved outcomes for children in their local areas, where necessary realigning existing resources to support the early years framewor…

14 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether national planning guidelines have been strengthened to give greater protection to green spaces for sport and informal recreational activity, particularly in urban and deprived communities.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: SPP11 was revised in November 2007 to strengthen policy on open space protection. SPP 11 continues the presumption against redevelopment of valued open space, with new requirements for sportscotland to be consulted on a wider range of applications for develop…

14 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to prioritise making school grounds and facilities more accessible after school hours and during weekends.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Local authorities'' and COSLA''s commitment to making school facilities more accessible for community use is already well documented. The Audit Scotland report, Improving the School Estate, indicated that many existing schools are already providing co…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, how many times ministers have visited cities outside Scotland that have previously hosted a national sporting event.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23771 on 26 May 2009. 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/Apps2/Bu…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have visited cities outside Scotland to learn from their experiences of hosting a national sporting event and facilities development in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Shona Robison: Yes. Since May 2007, the following visits took place where the programme, or an element of the programme, related to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=132 valign=top > <p align=…

3 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what volunteering programmes it has initiated in order to introduce young people to local sporting programmes.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government supports a range of volunteering programmes, through its various partner organisations, to engage young people with sport. The member may wish to contact sportscotland, the delivery body responsible for supporting people in Scotland to…

3 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21582 by Shona Robison on 18 March 2009, how many school sports clubs receive subsidised sports lets and what direct funding has been given to schools for this purpose.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested on subsidised sports lets is not held centrally. This is a matter for individual local authorities. On funding, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21580 on 18 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions a…

3 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21583 by Keith Brown on 25 March 2009, how much in additional funding has been provided to subsidise five days of outdoor education for schools in deprived communities and how many schools in the 10 most deprived council wards provide five days outdo…

Answer · Keith Brown: As I said in my answer to question S3W-21583 on 25 March 2009, we will, in due course, bring forward detailed proposals for allocating the additional £1 million budget commitment to assist with outdoor education. We do not gather information centrall…

2 Apr 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provides to support sporting activities for disabled people.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government provides funding for disability sport through sportscotland to Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), the governing body. sportscotland has informed me that last year they awarded £276,750 towards coaching; performance development; administr…

5 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the formula for the allocation of funds to local authorities for the upkeep of roads.

Answer · John Swinney: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scot…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding has been provided in its budget to subsidise five days outdoor education for the 10 most deprived council wards.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth gave a commitment during the budget process that he would release £1 million to assist with financing outdoor education. We will bring forward detailed proposals in due course, following discussions wit…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it has given to local authorities to provide subsidised lets to after school sports clubs.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21580 on 18 March 2009. 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/Apps2/…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many greenfield and brownfield sites have been built in each of the last five years in the 10 most deprived council wards.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Planning Policy 3 (SPP3) defines brownfield land as land which has previously been developed and greenfield land as land which has never been previously developed or used for an urban use, or land that has been brought into active or beneficial use f…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of resources has been ring-fenced for local authorities to fund grassroots sporting activities in 2009 and what the level was last year.

Answer · Shona Robison: Under the new relationship set out in the concordat it is for local authorities to shape and deliver local services to deliver on the priorities for their local area whilst contributing to improving national outcomes for Scotland. Councils now have discretion…

19 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and sports facility developments in Scotland, how many times ministers have visited Manchester since 10 November 2007 to learn more about the Manchester Velodrome and National Cycling Centre.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21163 on 18 March 2009. 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/Apps2/…

19 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have visited Manchester since 10 November 2007 to discuss how the city used the 2002 Commonwealth Games to promote (a) economic urban regeneration, (b) tourism and (c) healthy lifestyles, broken down by date and minister.

Answer · Shona Robison: There have been no such ministerial visits. However, after Glasgow''s successful bid, Scottish Government officials visited Manchester officials in April 2008 to discuss and learn from their experience of hosting the games.

12 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to strengthen enforcement of the legal age limit for the purchase of alcohol.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0212-01.htm">http://www.scot…

5 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met Glasgow City Council’s director of education.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I meet regularly with Directors of Education at meetings arranged with the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES). These provide an opportunity for dialogue on progress and implementation of policy for education in Scotland. Such meetings ha…

29 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has had with Glasgow City Council to discuss the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0129-01.htm">http://…

8 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last met the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police and what matters were discussed.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

27 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent media interest in funding available from the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) and the fact that ministers will be setting new high-level policy directions for the BLF in Scotland from 2009, whether the Scottish Government will set out the (a) level of funding lost to the BLF as …

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: (a) The diversion from the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland as a result of the 2012 Olympics is estimated at £73 million. The diversion will have the biggest impact in 2009-10 and 2010-11. (b) The Big Lottery Fund in Scotland reports that the following l…

13 Nov 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the requirements are for recruits to the police service and whether the standards have changed in the last 18 months.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The requirements of recruits to the Scottish police service are set out in regulation 9 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 2004. The standards set out in these regulations have not changed in the last 18 months. Each new recruit to the Scottish po…