Parliamentary questions

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

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

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, how much has been allocated to Bookstart Scotland for (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has allocated £750,000 to Bookstart in Scotland over the next three financial years: £250,000 in 2005-06, £250,000 in 2006-07 and £250,000 in 2007-08.

15 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Bookstart scheme to allocate £27 million for pre-school education in the written word in England and Wales will be applied in Scotland.

Answer · Robert Brown: As pre-school education is a devolved matter, the recent announcement of £27 million over three years for Bookstart in England will not apply to Scotland. The Scottish Executive currently funds Bookstart Scotland to provide a free bag of books to every baby i…

15 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent publication of the responses to the consultation on the draft Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill, what percentage of the consultation responses received were in favour of the retention of school boards, either as they are or with some amendment, improveme…

Answer · Peter Peacock: A full analysis of the consultation responses received will be made available when the bill is introduced.

15 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of capital investment not funded from revenue was in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools in each year since 1975.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The table gives details of local authority gross capital expenditure on schools, excluding expenditure funded from revenue, for the financial years 1975‑76 to 2004‑05. Prior to 1990-2001, the information collected was not broken down into differen…

15 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all schools which were (a) opened, (b) closed and (c) refurbished in each year since 1975, broken down by sector.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Systematic information on the opening and closing of schools was not collected before June 1995. The following tables provide details of primary, secondary and special schools opened and closed between June 1995 and July 2005. Both local authority and indepen…

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the gross revenue expenditure per (a) primary school pupil and (b) secondary school pupil was in schools in each year from 1990 to 1998.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The gross revenue expenditure by local authorities per primary and secondary pupil for the years 1993-94 to 1998-99 are shown in Table 1. Data on the gross revenue expenditure in each sector were not collected prior to 1993-94 and therefore per pupil figures …

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what gross revenue expenditure in schools was in each year from 1990 to 1998.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The gross revenue expenditure on school education by local authorities in each year from 1990-91 to 1998-99 is shown in the following table . Table 1: Gross Revenue Expenditure, 1990-91 to 1998-99<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <th…

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils had, by the end of S6, gained (a) five or more awards at SCQF Level 6 and (b) one or more award at SCQF Level 7 in each year since 1990.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-18429 on 31 August 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/…

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils had, by the end of S5, gained (a) five or more awards at SCQF Level 6 and (b) one or more award at SCQF Level 7 in each year since 1990.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-18429 answered on 31 August 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.parli…

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils gained (a) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 3, (b) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 4 and (c) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 5 in each year since 1990.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on qualifications gained by S4 pupils levels is contained in Scottish Executive Statistics Publication Notices on attainment and school leaver qualifications. Copies can be obtained from the Parliament’s Information Centre using the Bib. numbers s…

12 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of primary 7 pupils achieved Level D or above in (a) mathematics, (b) English reading and (c) English writing in each year since 1990.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is only available from 1998-99 and is contained in the Scottish Executive’s annual Statistics Publication Notice 5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded School. Copies can be obtained from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre using Bi…

17 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the responses to its consultation on the draft Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill were in favour of the retention of school boards, either as they are or with some amendment, improvement or adjustment to their current form, and what percentage of the responses…

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested isnot available. Responses are still being analysed.

14 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific resources will be made available to the voluntary and community sectors to enable them to contribute effectively to the implementation of the Executive's sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility.

Answer · Andy Kerr: <a name=23B241.htm>The Executivehas agreed additional funding of £15 million over the next three financial yearsto help with the implementation of the strategy. Most of the first year’s fundingof £5 million, some £4.5 million, has already been made available …

14 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that prevention and community support are made a priority in implementing the aims of its sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility, in light of the lessons learned in Lothians collaborative approaches to HIV in the 1980s and 1990s and to sexual…

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards have been asked tosubmit detailed clinical plans and inter-agency strategies to support the deliveryof the Sexual Health Strategy by end September 2005. These will include demonstrableevidence on collaborative approaches in responding to prevention…

14 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure the practical integration of HIV interventions into the action plan of its sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-17310 on 27 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

14 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that there is an inclusive, informed debate and a consensus on the values needed to underpin the effective implementation of its sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The sexual health strategy isbased upon responses received to a wide ranging and inclusive consultation process.The implementation of that strategy will be guided by the National Sexual HealthAdvisory Committee, chaired by myself. The membership of this commi…

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16378 by Mr Andy Kerr on 18 May 2005, when the building of the new facilities for acute psychiatric patients will be completed.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I understand from NHS Lothian that the new Royal Edinburgh Hospital, which will provide acute psychiatric in-patient facilities for patients from Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, is planned to open in 2009-10.

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16378 by Mr Andy Kerr on 18 May 2005, whether the proposed facilities for acute psychiatric patients will be of the same standard as those previously proposed by the management of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Meeting the clinical needs of all patients in Lothian is the responsibility of Lothian NHS Board. The new Royal Edinburgh Hospital will provide acute in-patient facilities for patients from Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. This will include modern, pur…

20 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tests carried out in schools for the OECD "PISA 2003" survey were internally invigilated.

Answer · Peter Peacock: In all but one school the PISA 2003 tests were invigilated by external test administrators who were not members of the school staff. School staff administered the tests in one small school in a remote location.

20 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools took part in the OECD's "PISA 2003" survey (a) in total and (b) broken down by local authority and how many (i) independent schools and (ii) pupils from each school took part in the survey.

Answer · Peter Peacock: 98 Scottish secondary schools took part in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey in 2003. This sample is representative of all mainstream secondary schools in Scotland (local authority, grant-aided, and independent sch…