Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

9 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23151 by Robert Brown on 3 March 2006, why the President of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals was required to publish her biographical details, qualifications and registered interests, while the conveners and members of the tribunals are not req…

Answer · Robert Brown: There is no requirement for thePresident, conveners or members to publish biographical details, qualifications and registered interests. Given thehigh profile of the President, the Scottish Executive published this informationfor general interest.</p>

7 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23104 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 March 2006, whether it expects the trend of rising home ownership to continue for the next 10 years and what its assessment is in figures of the likely growth over the next 20 years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Yes, the Executive expects thelevel of home ownership will continue to increase over the next 10 years. As I statedin my earlier reply future levels of home ownership will depend on a wide rangeof factors. There is too much uncertainty in these factors to pro…

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will be established as soon as possible what the reason or reasons were for one support beam coming loose from its mountings in the debating chamber on 2 March 2006 and what future checks will be required to establish the safety of the roof for anyone enterin…

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether MSPs will be kept closely informed of the progress of any remedial work to be carried out in the Parliament and the speed with which it will be concluded.

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the implications are for the structure of the Parliament of the incident on 2 March 2006 when a support beam came loose from its mounting in the debating chamber.

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether consideration will be given to instituting legal proceedings in respect of any defective work in relation to the construction of the debating chamber roof, in light of the incident on 2 March 2006 when a support beam came loose from its mounting in the chamber.

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body who was responsible for checking the effectiveness of the installation of support beams above the debating chamber.

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

3 Mar 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which contractor was responsible for the installation of support beams above the debating chamber.

Answer · George Reid: I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm</a>.</p>

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23103 by George Lyon on 28 February 2006, whether it will publish this information in a graph and whether it will publish a comparable graph showing equivalent figures in England and Wales.

Answer · George Lyon: GROS do not planto publish information on change in life expectancy since 1979. Suchinformation is available from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). The GAD’swebsite gives data on life expectancy for the UK andits constituent countries, and provides g…

20 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm the approximate date for the introduction of a Private Bill to re-establish an Airdrie to Bathgate rail link and what the anticipated time schedule will be for (a) such a Bill and (b) completion of the project.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Network Rail, the promoters of the project, plan to submit the Airdrie to Bathgate Railway Bill in spring 2006.</p><p>We anticipate the bill beingpassed before the end of the parliamentary session. Services on the re-opened lineare planned to begin in Decembe…

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to amend regulations in respect of Additional Support Needs Tribunals.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland (Practice and Procedure) Rules 2006 were laid in Parliament on 1 March 2006 (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2006-88. These rules re-enact the previous rules (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2005-05-14) with min…

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the members of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals have been or are currently employed by a local education authority, or have been contracted to a local authority in some capacity.

Answer · Robert Brown: Seventy-three percent (11 out of 15) of the members of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals have been or are currently employed by a local authority, or have been contracted to a local authority in some capacity. Only three are currently employed by local a…

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether each and all conveners and members of Additional Support Needs Tribunals have been subject to a disclosure check by the Scottish Criminal Record Office and have received clearance.

Answer · Robert Brown: All conveners and members of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals have been subject to a disclosure check by the Scottish Criminal Record Office and have received clearance.</p>

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the biographical details, qualifications and registered interests of conveners and members of Additional Support Needs Tribunals and, if so, by what date the information will be published.

Answer · Robert Brown: The names of all the conveners and members of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals can be found on the Additional Support Needs Tribunals website at <a href="http://www.asntscotland.gov.uk/">www.asntscotland.gov.uk</a>. The Scottish Executive does not inten…

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether conveners and members of Additional Support Needs Tribunals are required to provide their biographical details prior to appointment.

Answer · Robert Brown: All conveners and members of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals are required to provide their biographical details prior to appointment and all have met this requirement.</p>

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of home ownership has been in each year since 1979, expressed as a percentage of all occupied housing, and by how much it estimates home ownership will increase in each of the next 10 years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table providesinformation on the percentage of the total Scottish housing stock which was owneroccupied at 31 December each year up to December 2004 the latest date for whichan estimate is available. Annual estimates on the tenure of the housing…

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the average life expectancy for (a) men and (b) women has increased in each year since 1979, and by how much it estimates it will increase in each of the next 10 years.

Answer · George Lyon: Actual life expectancy at birth (LE) for males and females in Scotland for 1979 to 2004 and projected for 2005 to 2014 is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td rowspan="2"> <p align=center>Y…

2 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15019 by Peter Peacock on 18 March 2005 and to information provided in Exclusions from Schools 2004-05, how many appeals against (a) temporary exclusions and (b) removals from the register were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful in each year since …

Answer · Peter Peacock: The following table shows appeals against exclusion in 2004-05 by exclusion type and the outcome of the appeal.</p> <p>Appeals Against Exclusion from School, 2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p><…

1 Feb 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the up-to-date position is in respect of devolved school management.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to my answer to question S2O-9003 on 9 February 2005, we have issued revised guidance to local authorities on devolved school management. Everything that can reasonably be devolved to head teachers should be, and certainly up to 90% of rele…

27 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 26 January 2006 (Official Report c. 22751) in respect of the safeguarding of the route for a second Forth road crossing, whether land is currently set aside for the construction of a second bridge; if so, by …

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22499 on 7 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamentary website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nursery schools and early years centres do not have a qualified nursery teacher.

Answer · Robert Brown: At January 2005 there were 2,836 pre-school education centres, of which 1,222 did not have any General Teaching Council registered teachers.</p> <p>The Executive has issued guidance on the involvement of teachers in pre-school education which recognises the d…

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified a route, or routes, for a possible replacement Forth Road Bridge and, if so, whether any such routes have been safeguarded for future development.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No proposals or routes for a possible replacement crossing have been identified. The Scottish Executive owns land in North and South Queensferry which was purchased in the 1990s when proposals for a second Forth Road Bridge were being considered at that time.…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that there are employment opportunities for physiotherapy graduates within NHS Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning of the NHS Scotland workforce to deliver a first class health service, that includes junior physiotherapy posts, is primarily a matter for each of the individual health boards in Scotland to determine, depending on the health needs of their local…

1 Dec 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the most up-to-date figures are for the annual maintenance costs of the Holyrood building and what the predicted costs are for each of the next five years.

Answer · John Scott: Maintenance budgets for the current financial year 2005-06 are £634,000, increasing to £1,223,000, for 2006-07. These costs cover all planned and reactive maintenance for building services, building fabric and landscaping. The increase in budget for 2006-07 i…

25 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to adopt any of the recently announced education reforms proposed by the UK Government, such as enabling more schools to become self-governing independent state schools and making it easier for good schools to expand and for new schools to open based on parental demand.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive’s reform programmefor Scotland’s schools – the most comprehensive school modernisationprogramme for a generation - was set out a year ago in <i>Ambitious, Excellent Schools<b></b></i>(Bib. number 34227).</p><p>The English White Paper clearlyshar…

25 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds its Health Department has allocated to NHS boards to cover the costs incurred by primary care services in adjusting their premises and practices in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in particular (a) how much and (b) what percentage of this funding ha…

Answer · Andy Kerr: There have been no general allocationsin respect of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (the DDA) and compliance inPrimary Care.</p><p>There have been three specificDDA related allocations. The first was £1.5 million from the Primary and CommunityCare Prem…

24 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the information provided in its statistical publication, Teachers in Scotland, 2004, how many local authority-employed (a) teachers and (b) additional support assistants have (i) a Bachelor of Education, (ii) a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education and (iii) other qualifications …

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information sought is notcurrently available due to data quality issues. The Executive is working with localauthorities to secure the type of data sought.</p>

8 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-16434 and S2W-17402 by Peter Peacock on 10 May and 27 June 2005 respectively, whether the majority of responses to the consultation on the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill favoured reform or retention of school boards or whether they re…

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18441 on 8 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

8 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16434 by Peter Peacock on 18 May 2005, when it will publish its analysis of the responses to the consultation on the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18441 on 8 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

29 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18442 by Robert Brown on 25 August 2005, from which budget the funding for the Bookstart Scotland scheme has been drawn.

Answer · Robert Brown: Funding for Bookstart Scotland in 2005-06 will be met from a managed reprioritisation of resources within the Education and Young People portfolio as a whole. The specific source of provision in 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be determined following final ministeri…