Ian Jenkins

3 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure was on (a) police officers and (b) policing per head of population in (i) each police force and (ii) Scotland in 1979, 1987 and in each year since 1992, and what change in expenditure these figures represented in real terms.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information provided in the following tables is based on &quot;net grant earning expenditure&quot; on police services which is broadly equivalent to total current expenditure as funded by local authorities and central government grant.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">N…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which parliamentary constituencies contain residential accommodation of institutions of higher education.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The location of residential accommodation of higher education institutions is a matter for those institutions and information is not held centrally.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which parliamentary constituencies fall within which New Deal Units of Delivery.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">New Deal Units of Delivery …

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of waste was recycled in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: A recycling rate of 3.8% for waste collected by local authorities in the financial year 1998-99 is given on page 2 of <I>Benchmarking Refuse Collection</I> <I>- a review of council's refuse collection services</I> published by the Accounts Commission in 2000,…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual percentage change in the volume of all motor vehicle traffic was for each year since 1984.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Information on the volume of motor vehicle traffic in Scotland is contained in Scottish Transport Statistics no. 19 - 2000 Edition, copies of which are available from SPICe. Table H1 in that publication gives estimates of the volume of motor vehicle traffic o…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of teacher vacancies was in (i) nursery schools, (ii) primary schools and (iii) secondary schools for each year since 1997 in (a) Scotland and (b) each education authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: As you are aware I have recently sent a report on the supply of teachers to the Convener of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee detailing the background to the current position on the collection of information relevant to teacher supply and outlining p…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10595 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 November 2000, what measures it has taken, or intends to take, to combat the decline in the number of presentations of pupils in technological studies at Standard Grade and Higher Grade.

Answer · Jack McConnell: While the curriculum offered in schools is a matter for headteachers and local authorities, the Scottish Executive has taken a number of steps to address the decline in uptake of technological studies. These include:<P>asking the Scottish Qualifications Autho…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10595 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 November 2000, why the number of presentations of pupils in technological studies at Standard Grade and Higher Grade has decreased over the last five years.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The decline in uptake in technological studies is due to pupils choosing to undertake other courses of study. These may include the other subjects within the technology mode in which the overall number of presentations has risen.

6 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people enrolled on teacher training courses at educational establishments in each year since 1979.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I have today sent the Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee a report on the supply of teachers. A response to your specific question can be found at Annex B of the report.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Copies of the report have been placed in t…

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information Midlothian Council submitted with notification of its decision to approve a Sunday market in the pedestrian precinct, John Street, Penicuik; how many letters of objection and petitions were received, and whether the council provided specific details of public representati…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive received a copy of the application for planning permission, copies of all consultation responses and representations received by Midlothian Council and a statement by the council which comments on these responses and representations and…

6 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to reduce the working hours of junior hospital doctors to the levels laid down in the New Deal of 1991.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to my answer given to S1W-8596.

6 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address the concerns of the Implementation Support Group, expressed in its report of February 2000, that the criteria set for junior doctors' working conditions in 1991's New Deal are still not being met.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I share the concerns of the Implementation Support Group (ISG) which is why I have accepted 21 of the 27 recommendations contained within its report and have written to trusts stating my expectation that they act promptly to implement these recommendations at…

14 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations are in place governing the sale of offensive weapons including replica swords, daggers and axes, either through retail outlets or through mail order.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The sale of any knife, knife blade, other article with a blade or which is sharply pointed, or axe, to a person under the age of 16 is prohibited. In addition it is an offence to market a knife in a way which suggests that it is suitable for combat or is like…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail, broken down by local authority, (a) the capital expenditure and (b) the revenue expenditure allocated to education in each year from 1979 to 1999.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information available on capital allocations is given in the tables below which cover financial years 1979-80 to 1995-96. From financial year 1996-97 specific programme allocations were replaced with a single allocation covering all the non-housing capita…

17 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide incentives for homeowners and developers to install solar heating mechanisms in homes and whether there is any evidence that the present upfront costs are a disincentive.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There are no plans for such incentives. It is for householders and landlords to decide on the heating systems they use. The cost of the mechanisms may discourage some investment but the reason may equally lie in the technical limitations of current systems. D…

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent reports it has received from its representatives on the working group on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis about the group's progress and when it expects the group's report and findings to be made available to Ministers and the medical profession in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Scottish observers on the main Working Group and the Children's Group have reported informally that good progress continues to be made on both groups. Progress briefings are available on the Department of Health website at <A HREF="http://www.doh.gov.uk/cfs-m…

19 Apr 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received recently from voluntary sector organisations regarding the future structure of funding for the sector.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive's relationship with the voluntary sector, including funding matters, is set out in the <I>Scottish Compact</I>, which was endorsed by this Parliament last November, and in the good practice guides that support it. The implementation of …

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drama teachers there currently are by local authority and how many of these are currently in full-time employment.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally.

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary and secondary schools currently have drama teachers on their staff and what proportion this represents of the total number of schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: It is estimated that in September 1998 152 publicly funded secondary schools had at least one teacher with a main teaching subject qualification in drama or speech and drama. This equates to 39 per cent of such schools.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Corresponding figures…

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drama teachers were employed in primary and secondary schools in each of the last five years.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Detailed information on teachers employed in Scottish schools has been collected at four yearly intervals. The full-time equivalent (FTE) number of teachers in publicly funded secondary schools whose main teaching qualification was in drama or speech and dram…

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are currently available for the training of drama teachers.

Answer · Peter Peacock: A one year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) course is available for the training of drama teachers. This initial teacher education course can be undertaken at three out of the five teacher education institutions offering PGCE courses in Scotland.

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to the teaching of drama in schools, and whether it has any plans to expand resources in this field.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Drama is firmly embedded in the Expressive Arts 5-14 guidelines.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Qualifications in Drama are available at Standard Grade and Higher, and an Advanced Higher is being introduced for first examination in 2001.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is for local …

8 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport regarding the National Lottery licence renewal and any effect this may have on the allocation and distribution of funding to Scottish charities.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The new National Lottery licence will be awarded by the National Lottery Commission, which is an independent body. The award will have no effect on the distribution of lottery funds, which will remain a matter for the Lottery distributing bodies.

14 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3307 by Sarah Boyack on 15 December 1999, whether the study into the reopening of the Borders Railway has been completed.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The study commissioned by the Scottish Executive, Scottish Borders Council, Midlothian Council and Scottish Borders Enterprise has now been completed. It was proposed by the Borders Working Party as a contribution to the consideration of how transport links t…

11 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its reasons were for not calling in proposals by Midlothian Council to develop a new alignment of the A701 in Edinburgh's green belt and how this project reflects its integrated transport policy objectives.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Ministers took the view that the proposals, which were in accord with the statutory development plan, did not merit call-in.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>In intimating this decision to Midlothian Council, it was emphasised that the Scottish Minist…

11 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposals for the realignment of the A701 in Midlothian as accepted by the Executive on 1 February still contain each of the measures for enhancing bus services and public transport contained in the original proposals for a PFI based project that went before the regulatory ser…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not have information on the details of proposals at stages prior to their submission to the Scottish Ministers. However, the Notice of Intention to Develop in respect of improvements to the A701, which was submitted to the Scottish…

19 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any guidelines which instruct or encourage its departments or other agencies when issuing consultation documents to include community councils on their list of consultees.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive follows clear best practice guidelines on conducting consultation exercises. Consultees will vary according to the subject matter and decisions on consultation lists are therefore taken on a case-by-case basis.<P>In addition, details of…

1 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what documents it has received from Midlothian Council in relation to the proposed upgrading of the A701 and in particular how many letters of objection have been received.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive have received from Midlothian Council an outline bid for Transport Challenge Funding (July 1996), an outline business case for upgrading of the A701 (May 1998), a report on the affordability of the A701 project (February 1999) and a rep…

8 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the concern amongst traders and some community groups about the increased numbers of charity shops working under preferential trading conditions in the high streets of Scottish towns, and whether there is any research, planned or in progress, into the longer term ef…

Answer · Jack McConnell: Charity shops perform a valuable function and the principle of rates relief is long established. H M Treasury recently consulted on the whole question of charity taxation, including rates relief for charity shops. One of the suggestions in the consultation pa…

19 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been involved in negotiations between Her Majesty's Government and the National Health Service Pensions Agency, with reference to the Ambulance Service Association Report of the Pensions and Retirement Age Working Group (1997), and if so, whether it will give an update on t…

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am aware of the work currently being undertaken by the NHS Pensions Policy Group and the NHS Pensions Agency on the issues raised in the Ambulance Service Association's Report of the Pensions and Retirement Age Working Group. The Scottish Executive will co…