Hugh O'Donnell

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by what dates each of the key points for action in HM Inspectorate of Education’s October 2007 report on the implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 will be achieved.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Since the key points for actionare for a wide range of agencies and organisations, it is not possible to be prescriptiveabout achievement dates.</p>

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing each of the seven key points for action in HM Inspectorate of Education’s October 2007 report on the implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The seven key points for actionare for a wide range of agencies and organisations; the Scottish Government is notsolely responsible for their implementation. We are currently considering our rolein taking these actions forward.</p><p>Under the new relationshi…

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from the strategic waste fund was distributed by each local authority, and to which organisations, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7635 on 21 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which organisation will be responsible for the oversight and distribution of any scheme introduced as a replacement of the strategic waste fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Budget Statement indicatedthat the Scottish Government will retain over £154 million over three years to assistimplementation of the National Waste Plan and to provide support for bodies carryingout zero waste activities. These resources will be distribut…

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that the strategic waste fund is appropriately distributed by local authorities and not retained by them for their own use.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Strategic Waste Fund is beingtransferred to the overall Local Government Finance Settlement. We are working towardsa single outcome agreement with each council. This will set the national and localoutcomes for each council, to which local authorities will…

8 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to replace the strategic waste fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Budget Announcement of 14 November 2007 outlinedthat allocations made through the Strategic Waste Fund are being transferred tothe local government settlement. In addition, £154 million over three years hasbeen retained by the Scottish Government to suppo…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what budget lines in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 include the funding from the Children’s Services – Women’s Aid Fund and the Violence Against Women Fund which will not be rolled up into the local government finance settlement for 2008-09.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: This funding is included in the Promoting Equalities budget.</p>

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it listed the Children’s Services – Women’s Aid Fund and the Violence Against Women Fund on page 75 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 as being rolled up into settlement in 2008-09 if these funds are not to be rolled up into the local government settlement.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The budget documentlisted the Violence against Women Fund and the Children’s Services Women’s Aid Fundbut did not clarify that it was only an element of these funds which was being rolledinto the local government settlement. However, the Minister for Communit…

20 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Consumer Council, energywatch and Postwatch in advance of the changes to consumer representation set out in the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007.

Answer · Jim Mather: The ScottishExecutive discussed with the Scottish Consumer Council and energywatch theviews these bodies had on the proposed changes to consumer representation. Ithad no specific discussions with Postwatch on this issue.</p>

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how its budget will support the mainstreaming of equal opportunities issues across public services.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish budgetreflects our commitment to ensuring that our spending plans are for all of Scotland. We have stated in the budget document that we will workto ensure our investment and policies promote equality and do not perpetuate inequalityor disadvanta…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how equal opportunities agendas will be addressed by its budget and what policies and resources it will commit to this area.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6290 on 21 November 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…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address financial and funding inequalities that impact on wheelchair users and when it will implement any such plans.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6287 on 20 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the quality of the NHS wheelchair service, including replacements, assessments and repairs.

Answer · Shona Robison: Following theindependent review <i>Moving Forward: Review of NHS Wheelchair and SeatingServices in Scotland</i>, I have established a project board and appointed aproject manager to carry outan in-depth analysis of the 40 recommendations of the review. This i…

24 Oct 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is tackling prosecutions for alcohol consumption in public places.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The CrownOffice and Procurator Fiscal Service is responsible for the prosecution of crimein Scotland and does so in the public interest.</p><p>Recentlypublished figures show that procurators fiscal have taken action in 92% of caseswhich involve alleged alcoho…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address the issue of the 15% most deprived areas having 6% of playgroup services.

Answer · Adam Ingram: It is for local authoritiesand child care partnerships to consider the mix of nursery, playgroup, family centreand other services needed to meet the needs of children and families in particularareas in the way that best serves them. The Scottish Government fu…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of disabled people using public transport, particularly trains.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We want to increasethe number of all passengers using bus services by improving the public transportexperience. To deliver this aim we are taking forward the implementation of <i>Movinginto the Future – an Action Plan for Buses</i> which will drive up the qua…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address the gender imbalance in local authority social work services in local authorities, where the majority are women.

Answer · Adam Ingram: It is for social workservice providers to make sure that their workforce is diverse and representativeof the Scottish population and in line with equality legislation, to ensure thatemployment practices are not discriminatory.</p><p>A Scottish Governmentworki…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of men working in pre-school education and childcare.

Answer · Adam Ingram: It is for pre-schooleducation and child care providers to make sure that their workforce is diverseand representative of the Scottish population and, in line with equality legislation,to ensure that employment practices are not discriminatory.</p><p>However, …

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to facilitate an increase in attendance by ethnic minority groups at cultural events.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish ArtsCouncil, Scottish Screen and the National Collections, like other public bodies,are under a legal duty to promote race equality, and following a duty placed onthem by the Scottish Government last year, are each due to publish race equalitysch…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to facilitate an increase in attendance by disabled people at cultural events.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish ArtsCouncil, Scottish Screen and the National Collections, like other public bodies,are under a legal duty to promote disability equality and, following a duty placedon them by the Scottish Government in December 2005, all have published disabili…

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide funding for disabled students’ allowances.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Yes the Scottish Governmentwill continue to provide funding for disabled students’ allowance.</p>

26 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address the number of girls being excluded from schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The decision to excludepupils from schools lies with head teachers and education authorities and is takenon an individual basis in light of the circumstances of the case. The Scottish Governmentsupports this local decision-making to exclude where necessary as…

24 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many charges of assault on police officers have been deserted or abondoned in each court jurisdiction in each of the last five years.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The numbers of chargesof assault on police officers reported to procurators fiscal in terms of the Police(Scotland) Act 1967 in each of the past five years, where court proceedings wereinitiated but the case was subsequently deserted or abandoned, are shown i…

24 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances of assaults on police officers have been reported to procurators fiscal in each court jurisdiction in each of the last five years

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The numbers of chargesof assault on police officers reported to procurators fiscal in terms of the Police(Scotland) Act 1967 are shown in the following table.</p><p>Charges: OffencesUnder Section 41(1)(a) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967</p><table border=1 c…

13 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will develop its proposals in relation to individual health plans for school pupils, as referred to in Better Health Better Care: A Discussion Document and, in particular, how the plans will impact upon the nursing profession.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are seeking viewson these proposals as part of the <i>Better Health, Better Care</i> consultation.Views received in response to the discussion paper will inform the development andprogress of this work.</p>

7 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what use it makes of the information on housing land availability provided by local authorities in their annual housing land audits, as required by paragraph 67 of Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 3 - Planning for Housing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Annual housingland audits are a key tool for local authorities in monitoring their developmentplans and ensuring that an adequate supply of land for housing is maintained. Asset out in <i>SPP3,</i> where such monitoring indicates that the availabilityof housi…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had since May 2007 with the Fire Brigades Union and other key stakeholders on the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: No meetings have takenplace on the specific issue of control rooms. However, I am currently engaged ina series of meetings with a range of fire and rescue service stakeholders to hearat first hand the issues affecting the service. As part of this, I will be m…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to replace Scotland’s eight fire control rooms with larger control rooms.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As noted in the answer to question S3W-1610 on 19 July 2007, ministers are currentlyconsidering the issue in the context of advice on Scotland’s preparedness to deal with simultaneous major emergencies.</p><p>All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are …

3 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of consumption of alcohol in public places have been reported by the police to procurators fiscal in each court jurisdiction in each of the last five years.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The numbers of chargesreported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last fiveyears relating to the consumption of alcohol in public places in terms of the LocalGovernment (Scotland) Act 1973 are shown as follows.</p><p>Charges: loc…

3 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers of arrest the police have in relation to consumption of alcohol in public places under (a) relevant legislation and (b) common law.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Section 61 of theCrime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that if a constable suspects thata person in a public place is under the age of 18 and is in possession of alcohol,he or she may confiscate the alcohol and dispose of it. The police can also c…