Parliamentary questions

Hugh Henry

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

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4091 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it intends to obtain information from local authorities about likely increases in composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 as a result of the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5577 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice was sought or obtained about the impact on composite classes of the decision to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3, prior to any decision being made.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5578 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4091 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, what discussions have taken place with COSLA about increases in composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 following the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5606 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4094 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether class size reduction to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 will be achieved by May 2011, following discussions with local authorities.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Discussions with theConvention of Scottish Local Authorities are continuing. Our class size commitmentsand the year-on-year progress that can be made will feature in discussions.

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to revise its skills strategy and, if so, when it intends to publish a revised strategy.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Governmentdoes not intend to revise its skills strategy.

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4095 by Maureen Watt in 20 September 2007, what assessment was made of the implications for the physical accommodation requirements in schools operating at high occupancy prior to making a decision to proceed with the policy of reducing classes sizes…

Answer · Maureen Watt: We have madeclear that the pace and scale of changes which will be needed to meet ourcommitment to reducing primary 1 to primary 3 class sizes is subject to furtherdiscussion with COSLA and other interests. As was the case with recent classsize changes, the f…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4095 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, what assessment was made of the implications for the physical accommodation requirements in all schools before the decision was made to pursue the policy of reducing class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4096 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it will provide a breakdown of how each local authority has spent its share of the additional £40 million of Schools Fund grant in pursuance of reducing class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Schools Fund capitalgrant, including the additional £40 million, is for expenditure at any stage of the current financial year which ends on 31 March 2008.

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4096 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether estimates were made of the additional capital requirements in each year from 2007-08 to 2011-12 to support the reduction in class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 before the decision was made to…

Answer · Maureen Watt: We have madeclear that the pace and scale of changes which will be needed to meet ourcommitment to reducing P1 to P3 class sizes is subject to further discussion withCOSLA and other interests. As was the case with recent class size changes, thefull implicatio…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4092 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether any profiling work was done on the impact of reducing class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 before the decision was made to proceed with this policy.

Answer · Adam Ingram: We have always beenand remain fully committed to the implementation of our class size commitment, consciousof the scale of the commitment we were entering into, but also in the confidentknowledge of the benefits that will result for children’s development.

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4093 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it will ask each local authority to provide an estimate of the number of additional composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 that will result from the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Answer · Adam Ingram: No. Class formationcan be modelled at a national level as part of the teacher workforce planning exercisewhen estimating the numbers of teachers required in future years, but actual decisionson class formation are matters for individual local authorities.

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4092 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it will publish the work being undertaken.

Answer · Maureen Watt: This year’s teacherworkforce planning process has just commenced. It will result in advice to the Scottish Funding Council on the requirements for new teachers which willinclude our commitments to class size reduction along with requirements derivedfrom other…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4098 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007 and given that it recognises that its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 will have implications for the physical accommodation requirements in some schools, whether it will speci…

Answer · Maureen Watt: Schools operatingat high occupancy levels are most likely to be affected. As with any issueaffecting the provision of school places it is for the local authorities toconsider the position at individual schools in the light of localcircumstances. We have alrea…

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional teaching posts (a) were created from January 2006 to May 2007 and (b) will be created from May 2007 to May 2008 as a result of additional Executive funding.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on teachernumbers is collected in September through the annual Teachers in Scotland census. The 2006 census showed 54,484 teachers, includingthose in pre-schools and visiting specialists, an increase of 867 teachers from2005. The results of the 20…

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the international research to which it refers in support of its decision to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The student teacherachievement ratio project in Tennessee provides evidence that smaller classsizes in the early years leads to improvements in attainment particularly for childrenfrom deprived areas.

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its review of the Chartered Teachers programme.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The CharteredTeacher Review Group are expected to report to the Scottish Ministers duringNovember. We will publish the report, along with our response, following dueconsideration of its recommendations.

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of all work carried out since December 2006 in respect of reviewing the Sure Start programme.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government’sEarly Years Strategy will review the full range of early years services, includingSure Start Scotland. The strategy will be published in summer/autumn2008.

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish ministers can influence the operational deployment of police officers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Police (Scotland) Act 1967 provides for a tripartite sharing ofresponsibility for policing between Scottish ministers, police authorities andchief constables, who are collectively responsible for setting policingpriorities.

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the operational deployment of police officers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The relevant chiefconstable is responsible for the operational deployment of police officers. Thisis conferred by the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, which requires that whenofficers are performing their duties they must do so under the direction of theappropriat…

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the highest number was of police officers in employment from 1 January to 3 May 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Data on policenumbers is collated on a quarterly basis. For the period ending 31 March 2007 therewere 16,234 police officers (whole-time equivalents) and for the period ending30 June 2007 there were 16,265 police officers (whole-time equivalents).

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that there will be no cuts in local authority services as a result of a freeze in council tax from 2008.

Answer · John Swinney: The funding to beprovided to each local authority for the period 2008-11 is being discussed as partof my on-going discussions with COSLA on the current Spending Review. It is my intentionthat the funding which will be given to local government will be suffici…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional resources will be provided to local authorities to ensure a freeze in council tax from 2008.

Answer · John Swinney: The cost of freezingthe council tax is being taken forward as part of my on-going discussions with COSLAin the run up to the announcement of the outcome of the current Spending Review.

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the target is for the minimum number of police officers to be employed by May 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5268 on 29 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be 1,000 more police officers in employment by May 2011 than were in employment in May 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Governmenthas not set a numerical target for the number of police officers that forces shouldemploy.

3 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the target is for the maximum waiting time for an appointment to see a GP.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The ScottishGovernment’s target on access to GP services is that anyone contacting their GPpractice should have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other health care professionalwithin 48 hours.For theyears 2005-06 and 2006-07, NHS boards reported (nat…

17 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional teaching posts have been created by the current administration.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-4189 on 20 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

17 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional teaching posts were created in 2006-07.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on howmany additional teaching posts were created in 2006-07 will be obtained from theresults of the 2007 teacher census, published in March 2008.

17 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it is paying Fiona Armstrong to chair the National Procurement Conference and Exhibition on 31 October 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The event is beingorganised by BiP Ltd and the Scottish Government is not paying the chair. The eventis self-financing, through sale by BiP of tickets and exhibition space.

17 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional investment will be provided to Scottish universities to achieve qualified teacher numbers that will ensure that class sizes are reduced to 18 for primary 1 to primary 3 by 2011.

Answer · Maureen Watt: In academic session2007-08 additional funding has been made available to provide at least 250 morestudent places for the Professional Graduate Diploma of Education primary course,alongside an increase of 50-100 places in the Bachelor of Education intake.<…

17 Sep 2007 · Written Question

Answer · Maureen Watt: The planned intaketo the Professional Graduate Diploma of Education (PGDE) and the Bachelor of Education(BEd) in 2007 is:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td nowrap valign=bottom> PGDE Primary </td> <td nowrap valign=bottom> …