Parliamentary questions
Gil Paterson
788 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deputy fiscals were employed in each year since 1996 and how many new deputy fiscals were appointed in each year since 1996.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=590><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>YEAR</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Total Deputes Employed (average per m…
3 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much tourism and associated revenues in Scotland increased as a result of England hosting the European Championships in 1996.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No statistics are available on the direct impact of these championships on Scottish tourism.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements between the Scottish Prison Service and other bodies have been prematurely terminated due to closure.
Answer · Jim Wallace: None.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the si'e and nature of financial provision set aside to cover the cost of terminating contracts with outside bodies following the closure of the remand centre at Longriggend.
Answer · Jim Wallace: None, since the Scottish Prison Service have no such contracts.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to have any meetings with North Lanarkshire Council over the closure of Longriggend Remand Unit.
Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service. The SPS has met with North Lanarkshire Council over the closure of the Unit and may have further meetings as necessary.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements exist between the Scottish Prison Service and North Lanarkshire Council for services other than social work services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: None.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what notice has been given to North Lanarkshire Council of changes to the contract for provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There is no contract with the Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre. The Scottish Prison Service informed the Council on 21 October 1999 that Longriggend would close in April 2000.
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements are in place with North Lanarkshire Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre, and what notice is required to be given to the council to terminate the contract.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There is no contract with the Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre.
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number and value of sewerage assets currently owned by the private sector through Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnerships, and the number and value of sewerage assets publicly owned in respect of (i) East of Scotland Water (ii) West of Scotland…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are nine PFI waste-water schemes currently being developed on behalf of the Scottish water authorities. The value of these schemes is a matter for the PFI contractors but the equivalent capital cost by conventional procurement would be around £600 milli…
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number and value of water supply assets currently owned by the private sector through Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnerships, and the number and value of water supply assets publicly owned in respect of (i) East of Scotland Water (ii) West of …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no PFI schemes relating to the supply of drinking water.
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the success in reducing the number of accidents on the A89 linking Coatbridge and Bargeddie following the installation of a speed camera, whether it has proposals to make funding available for such installations at similar blackspots on other roads in Lanarkshire.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Local authorities, in association with the police, are responsible for the installation and operation of speed cameras on local roads such as the A89. The Scottish Executive, in association with the police, is responsible for cameras on trunk roads.<P ALIGN="…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary and secondary teachers have so far been allocated funding through the teachers' computers allowance, and what guidelines and mechanisms are used in the distribution of this fund to teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: In the first pilot phase of the Computers for Teachers scheme, 1,974 primary teachers, 2,783 secondary teachers and 117 SEN teachers have been offered support.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The scheme is administered by the Scottish Council for Educational Technology (SC…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school teachers are expected to qualify in each of the next three years.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: It is estimated that approaching 900 students will graduate from higher education institutions in Scotland with primary teaching qualifications in summer 2000, and between 750 and 800 in each of the following two years. In subsequent years the number of gradu…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many text books, at what cost, and how many computers, at what cost, were purchased in North and South Lanarkshire in 1998-99.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not collect detailed information of this kind. Detailed decisions on the purchase of books and equipment are matters for the local authorities and schools.
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school teachers have left the education service through natural wastage over the last three years.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: In 1996-97 1,059 teachers and in 1997-98 350 teachers left the primary sector, where a return to teaching was unlikely. These are the only two years for which information is currently available.
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the improvements made following the Christmas drink-driving campaign in Strathclyde, whether it has plans for similar campaigns later in the year, and whether budgetary allocations will be made for such campaigns.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of road safety education and publicity materials.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>The Scottish Road Safety Campaign is planning publicity later this year t…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the contaminated land survey proposed for Monklands will include consideration of the impact of contaminated land on the health of people in local communities and whether funding will be made available for treatment of contaminated land found as a result of this survey.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that North Lanarkshire Council is currently gathering information on potential contaminated land sites within its area, including Monklands, so that when the new contaminated land regime is implemented later this year it will be well placed to ca…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation process has been carried out over plans to abolish section 2A of the Local Government Scotland Act.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The repeal of section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 has been a longstanding commitment of the UK Government. The Scottish Executive also expressed its commitment to the principles of equal opportunities and to tackling exclusion in all walks of life in …
23 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the money it has pledged through the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund will also go towards the funding of rape crisis centres or whether a separate allocation will be made.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The bidding guidance for the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund makes it clear that we will be considering bids from local authorities in partnership with voluntary organisations in their area. A rape crisis centre may well be one of those organisations.
17 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the closure of the secondary school at Tomintoul, which only affects one pupil this year, will remain financially advantageous next year, when ten pupils will be affected.
Answer · Peter Peacock: This Moray Council proposal cannot be implemented without the consent of the Scottish Ministers. We shall take all relevant issues into account in considering the Council's application.
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-587 by Jackie Baillie on 11 November 1999, how much of the #8 million allocation to the domestic abuse service development fund is new money and what plans it has to maintain resourcing to the fund in the long term.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: This is the first national fund for tackling violence against women. It is new money.<P>The fund is currently scheduled to operate for 2000-01 and 2001-02.
8 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2648 by Jackie Baillie on 2 December 1999, what allowance was allocated to each authority during the determination of Revenue Support Grant levels for the next three financial years to provide match funding for bids under the Domestic Abuse Service D…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The vast majority of Scottish Executive grant support to local authorities, as with their income from local taxation, is not hypothecated for specific purposes. As I indicated in my statement to Parliament on 27 October, we will expect authorities to demonstr…
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that National Health Service dental treatment is available to all sections of Scottish society.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A number of measures are already in place to extend availability to NHS dental services in Scotland.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-587 by Jackie Baillie on 11 November 1999, whether it will give a commitment to organisations such as Scottish Women's Aid that priority in bids for funds from the domestic abuse service development fund will not be given to innovative schemes over s…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Grants will be made for those projects which best fulfil the aim of developing multi-agency working to improve local service provision.
17 Nov 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that National Health Service dental treatment is available to all sections of Scottish society.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A number of measures are already in place to extend availability to NHS dental services in Scotland.
28 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the streetlighting in Greengairs is currently in a state of repair which meets the standards required by Scotland's local authorities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The standard of lighting in Greengairs is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council.
27 Oct 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the streetlighting in Greengairs is currently in a state of repair which meets the standards required by Scotland's local authorities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The standard of lighting in Greengairs is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council.
26 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by the Scottish Prison Service on streetlighting in Greengairs in each of the past three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Prison Service have no interest in the street lighting system at Greengairs and, have therefore incurred no expenditure in this area over the last three years.
26 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Scottish population lives in areas which are not covered by streetlighting provided by the local authority or other public bodies.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested.
21 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of its intention to remove the statutory basis of the SJNC, it will set out a timetable for the implementation of the relevant legislation to ensure that the current maximum composite class si'e of 25 is maintained, that the current maximum class si'e of 33 in the up…
Answer · Peter Peacock: Legislative provisions allowing regulations to be made already exists in the form of section 2 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Further consideration of the need for regulations under this power will follow from consultation on the recommendation of the …