Hugh O'Donnell

3 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have taken place for consumption of alcohol in public places 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 and which resultedin court proceedings being commenced are shown as follows.</p><p>These cha…

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to ensure that the Scottish Parliament's views on the UK Government’s consultation, Discrimination Law Review - A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain, are taken into account, given that the formal consultation period…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmentis currently finalising a response to the Discrimination Law Review, which it intendsto send to UK ministers in due course. We will be responding in our capacity asthe Scottish Government, views of other stakeholders will of course help…

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be responding formally to the UK Government’s consultation, Discrimination Law Review - A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmentis currently finalising a response to the Discrimination Law Review, which it intendsto send to UK Ministers in due course. Scottish Government officials have been inregular contact with the Discrimination Law Review team to discuss the…

15 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that local authorities do not use supply teachers or probationer teachers to limit the number of available new permanent teaching posts.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The employment ofteachers is a matter for local authorities as employers. All local authorities haveagreed to offer probationers posts on the Induction year. Not all posts are suitablefor probationers and it is the responsibility of local authorities to ident…

15 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase local authority funding with a view to increasing the recruitment of newly qualified teachers.

Answer · Maureen Watt: During the SmarterScotland debate on 20 June 2007 the Cabinet Secretary for Education and LifelongLearning announced additional funding to enable local authorities to employ an additional300 teachers.</p>

15 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will broaden the introduction of its policy to reduce class sizes, in light of the number of newly qualified teachers without permanent teaching posts.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Our commitments toincrease the number of teachers in the early years and to reduce P1 to P3 to a maximumof 18 will require substantial numbers of new primary teachers. Early progress hasbeen made with our announcement of additional funding for local authoriti…

15 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any imbalance between undergraduate teacher training places at universities and permanent teaching vacancies in schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We do not believethere is an imbalance. The aim of the annual teacher workforce planning exerciseis to broadly balance the supply and demand for qualified teachers which arise throughoutthe academic year. We have ambitious plans to increase the number of teac…

15 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that newly qualified teachers who have completed their probationary terms have the opportunity to apply for full-time teaching posts in Scotland.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There are no impedimentsto teachers who have completed their probationary year from applying for advertisedteaching posts in Scotland.</p>

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the power to issue guidance to local authorities with regard to discretionary housing payments and, if so, what guidance it has issued.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmenthas no functions in relation to Discretionary Housing Payments. These are administeredby local authorities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.</p>

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations are placed on local authorities to ensure that full benefit entitlement checks are done as a matter of routine by money advice staff employed by them when dealing with clients.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It is for local authoritiesto determine the most appropriate way of delivering services in their area. Thismight include referral to other agencies with more specialist knowledge, for example,of welfare rights, rather than providing such a service themselves.…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure wider recognition of the professional role of citizens advice bureaux in the provision of money advice.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Citizens Advice alreadyhas an established reputation for providing independent, trusted and quality adviceon a range of topics, including money advice. There is therefore no need for the Scottish government to take steps to ensure wider recognition of its rol…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the need for councils to develop single corporate debt policies that are applied by all council departments when dealing with people in financial difficulties or debt.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We continue to workwith the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to encourage all councils to adoptcorporate debt strategies.</p>

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to close a loophole in legislation which allows pups that have had their tails docked to be imported into Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Executivehas no plans to make it an offence to import puppies with docked tails into Scotland. This would prevent pet owners with legally docked dogsbringing them to Scotland and it would be an illegal barrier to thetrade in puppies from other EU…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions involving the mistreatment of animals have been deserted by procurators fiscal in each jurisdiction in each of the last five years.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: There are a largenumber of offences which may involve the mistreatment of animals. In some cases,the same charge may also cover other conduct which does not involve such mistreatment.</p><p>The information heldin the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to create a central accessible database of those banned from keeping animals following court actions and successful prosecutions.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Courts have had thepower to disqualify people from keeping animal since 1954. As disqualification ordersmade by English and Welsh courts apply in Scotland and orders made by Scottish courts apply in England and Wales, an effective database will need to be GB-…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the proposed merger of Cumbernauld Housing Partnership (CHP) and Sanctuary Housing should be subject to a democratic vote by tenants of CHP as an integral part of the merger process.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.</p><p>Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Cumbernauld HousingPartnership (CHP) and Sanctuary (Scotland) Housing Associationhave agreed in principle that they wish to form a group …

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding will be available to Cumbernauld Housing Partnership in the event that its merger with Sanctuary Housing is approved by relevant authorities.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>There are no plansto provide additional funding to Cumbernauld Housing Partnership as a consequenceof it’s proposed group structure arrangemen…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether properties built or acquired by the new housing association resulting from Cumbernauld Housing Partnership (CHP) becoming part of Sanctuary Housing will be in the ownership of CHP or of Sanctuary Housing.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.</p><p>Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Cumbernauld HousingPartnership and Sanctuary (Scotland) Housing Association are engaged in discussionsabout a proposed group structure. U…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Cumbernauld Housing Partnership (CHP), Sanctuary Housing and Communities Scotland regarding the proposed merger of CHP and Sanctuary Housing.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.</p><p>Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Communities Scotland, as housing regulator, and as part of our interventionstrategy for Cumbernauld Housing Partnership (CHP), has discus…

8 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Communities Scotland, Cumbernauld Housing Partnership and North Lanarkshire Council in relation to the redevelopment of the MacIehose and Ainslie road areas in Cumbernauld and when some progress on the work can be expected.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Scottish Governmentofficials, including those in Communities Scotland, have discussed various aspectsof the redevelopment of the Maclehose and…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1560 by Maureen Watt on 10 July 2007, who monitors compliance by local authorities in relation to the quality and safety of contract buses used to transport children to and from schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Education authoritiesare responsible for provision of school transport and for setting the terms andconditions of any contracts to provide school buses. It is for authorities themselvesto monitor contract performance, assisted as appropriate by the police and…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1560 by Maureen Watt on 10 July 2007, who monitors compliance by local authorities in relation to adult supervision on contract buses used to transport children to and from school.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Education authoritiesare responsible for provision of school transport and for setting the terms andconditions of any contracts to provide school buses. It is for authorities themselvesto monitor contract performance, including adult supervision, where they h…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1562 by Stewart Stevenson on 12 July 2007, what the operational procedure is regarding zigzagged yellow lines around schools.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: To be legally enforceable,“zig-zagged yellow lines” around schools must have road markings and road signsin accordance with the provisions of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directionsand be supported by a Traffic Regulation Order in accordance with…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1564 by Kenny MacAskill on 16 July 2007, whether it is considering any new measures to reduce the purchase or acquisition of alcohol by young people.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is consideringa range of options in relation to this issue as part of work on developing a long-termalcohol strategy.</p>

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1237 by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007, whether it plans to ask chief constables to prioritise the enforcement of 20mph speed zones around schools.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are no plansto do so, as the prioritisation of policing activities is entirely an operationalmatter for the relevant Chief Constable.</p>

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1555 by Maureen Watt on 17 July 2007, how it is informed of or assesses the extent of bullying in schools given that there is no national data collection.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Executiveremains aware of the extent of bullying through ongoing discussions withstakeholders, including ChildLine backed up with wider information from theAnti-Bullying Leadership Group, voluntary organisations and other servicesworking directly with chi…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1554 by Maureen Watt on 17 July 2007, how much funding it provides to the Childline Anti-Bullying Helpline and how long that funding will continue.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Executivehas provided funding for the Childline Bullying Helpline since 1997. In 2006-07, the Executive provided £148,000,and a further £76,000 will be provided to the end of the funding period in September2007.</p><p>Childline Scotland are curre…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1556 by Maureen Watt on 17 July 2007, when it plans to look at new forms of bullying including text and cyber bullying.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Executivehas already considered the misuse of mobile phones in schools and has provided guidanceto authorities to support them to promote responsible use of mobile phones.</p><p>In addition, the Executivecurrently funds Repect<i>me</i>, the natio…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1556 by Maureen Watt on 17 July 2007, when it intends to implement direct support to schools and communities through the Respectme national anti-bullying service.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Respect<i>me</i> waslaunched in March 2007 and is currently establishing and delivering its services.Advice and training is available now to schools and communities, advice is alsoavailable via the Respect<i>me</i> website. Respect<i>me</i> has already provid…

1 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1565 by Shona Robison on 19 July 2007, what the specific content and outcome was of its most recent contact with the UK Government regarding advertising alcohol.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There has been norecent contact specifically on the advertising of alcohol between Scottish Executiveand the UK Government.</p>