Parliamentary questions
Johann Lamont
1,407 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Accounts Commission report The impact of the race equality duty on council services, what steps are being taken to address the recommendation that the Scottish Government should ensure the availability of more up-to-date and useful social and demographic data on min…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has work underway to improve the range and quality of equality information across the public sector. This work includes promoting the use of harmonised questions on ethnic groups which will allow for comparison of data from different s…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Audit Scotland report on the impact of the race equality duty on council services, what action the Scottish Government intends to take in light of comments from the chairperson of the Accounts Commission who suggests that the main focus of councils has been the deve…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It is not for the Scottish Government to comment on recommendations made by the Accounts Commission in relation to councils. Both the Scottish Government and councils are subject to the same public sector equality duties, however we do expect all public bodie…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons interim targets have not been set towards the shared commitment to ending child poverty by 2020 in Achieving Our Potential, the Scottish Government’s anti-poverty framework.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18764 on 7 January 2009.</p> <p >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.parliamen…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to produce a policy paper for consideration by the Parliament on changes in relation to welfare benefits and employability and the role of Skills Development Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not intend to produce a policy paper for consideration by the Parliament on changes in relation to welfare benefits and employability and the role of Skills Development Scotland. Welfare benefits are a matter reserved to the UK Pa…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to tackle the problems highlighted in the Audit Scotland document Priorities and Risks Framework, which concludes that “councils have, overall, conducted very few [equality] impact assessments on services.”
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Local authorities are subject to the public sector equality duties and are therefore required to equality impact assess their policies and services. Audit Scotland''s <i >Priorities and Risks Framework</i> highlights a number of important issues and the Scott…
16 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report to the Parliament on the progress of the Inspiring Scotland project.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Inspiring Scotland announced its first portfolio of supported organisations on 20 November last year. We continue to work with Inspiring Scotland to ensure the organisations it supports deliver in a manner that is fully aligned with our More Choices, More Cha…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15631 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide information on the number of respite weeks reported to COSLA since April 2008.
Answer · Shona Robison: In recent years, information on the provision of respite by local authorities has been collected by Audit Scotland as part of its Statutory Performance Indicator data set. Audit Scotland have still to publish the data for 2007-08, which will provide the basel…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16822 by Fergus Ewing on 30 October 2008, whether it can confirm that the application for funding to the Equality Unit referred to was the sole funding application to the unit approved in principle by the First Minister.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16822 on 30 October 2008. 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/Apps…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs have little to say about the means by which people will be assisted to live independently.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs do not reflect many of the aspirations of Changing Lives.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. 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/Apps2/Bu…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs have little to say about the importance of personalisation in service design and delivery of community care.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. 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/Apps2/Bu…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs have little to say about the role of technology in independent living.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. 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/Apps2/Bu…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs have little to say about the importance of the social care workforce.
Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. 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/Apps2/Bu…
20 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the analysis of single outcome agreements (SOAs) by Community Care Providers Scotland, how it will address the finding that SOAs have little to say about the role of the voluntary sector in social care.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Single outcome agreements do not replace all of the underlying service planning and performance management arrangements in place in local authority areas. They provide an outcome framework and focus for service planning, resource planning and performance mana…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S3W-16720 by Shona Robison on 28 October 2008, whether the additional £4 million referred to will be used solely for the needs of disabled children.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government provided the additional £4 million, which I referred to in the answer to question S3W-16720, to ensure that the concordat commitment to make progress towards an additional 10,000 respite weeks a year is delivered in full by 2010-11.</p…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16720 by Shona Robison on 28 October 2008, whether the additional £4 million referred to was allocated from the £34 million that the UK Government made available for respite care for disabled children and, if so, whether the remaining £30 million wil…
Answer · Shona Robison: The £4 million referred to in question S3W-16720 has been identified from within existing Health Directorate budgets.</p> <p >Consequentials flowing from the UK Government''s announcement of an extra £340 million for disabled children were not hypothecated i…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the conclusions of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, including that 21 local authorities made no specific commitment to addressing domestic abuse with their local partnerships.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17734 on 24 November 2008. 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/App…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the conclusion of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that most of the single outcome agreements had no outcome against which to measure performance.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17734 on 24 November 2008. 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/App…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the finding of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that only seven local authorities made a specific reference to reducing domestic abuse or violence against women as a local outcome.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17734, on 24 November 2008. 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/Ap…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the finding of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that nine local authorities had no reference to domestic abuse in their single outcome agreements.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17734 on 24 November 2008. 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/App…
11 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the findings of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, in relation to domestic abuse and violence against women.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: As Scottish Women''s Aid themselves state, the single outcome agreements (SOAs) are new for both national and local government and this is a process still in development. The next stage of SOA development will ensure the full involvement of community planning…
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-16024 and S3W-16025 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, whether it considers that the First Minister routinely having sight of advice relating to significant issues is the same as the First Minister giving approval in principle to a funding applicat…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The First Minister having sight of advice relating to significant issues and giving approval in principle to a funding application are distinct although not mutually exclusive.</p>
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release the minutes of all funding decisions from May 2007 that were agreed in principle by the First Minister, subject to agreement by officials of a detailed proposal.
Answer · John Swinney: The 2007 Spending Review outcome, setting out key funding decisions, was agreed by the Cabinet and published in November 2007. The Budget Bill 2007 was scrutinised by the Parliament and its committees, and expenditure is reported on in a range of ways, for ex…
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the decisions on applications for funding to the Equality Unit from May 2007 that were approved in principle by the First Minister, subject to agreement by officials of a detailed proposal.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The application for funding to the Equality Unit that was approved in principle by the First Minister, subject to agreement by officials of a detailed proposal, is detailed in the answer to question S3W-16025 on 2 October 2008. The First Minister has an inter…
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-16024 and S3W-16025 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, whether all significant initiatives involve the same procedure for approval as that outlined in the answer to the latter question.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Ministerial approval is sought for all significant funding proposals.</p>
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16022 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, why partner organisations were not invited to be involved in the establishment of a group to take forward an IslamFest.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Islamic Foundation are co-ordinating the delivery of IslamFest and are responsible for decisions on the involvement of other organisations or individuals.</p>
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it received written confirmation of the establishment of the Scottish Islamic Foundation.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Islamic Foundation was constituted in January 2008 and formally launched in June 2008. Organisations do not routinely write to the Scottish Government to confirm they have been formally established.</p>
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16022 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, how individuals were invited to be involved in the IslamFest proposal.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Muslim Council of Britain and the Muslim Association of Britain developed the initial proposal for IslamFest and were responsible for decisions on the involvement of other organisations or individuals during the period of the previous administration.</p>
6 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16022 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, whether it will list the individuals who were originally involved in the IslamFest proposal.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The individuals who submitted the original IslamFest proposal to the previous administration were Osama Saeed, representing the Muslim Association of Britain and Salah Beltagui, representing the Muslim Council of Britain.</p>
3 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16025 by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2008, whether it will release the minute that confirms the First Minister’s approval in principle of the funding of the IslamFest.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This document was published on 3 September 2008, and can be accessed through the following link <a href="http://www.scotlandagainstracism.com/onescotland/387.html">http://www.scotlandagainstracism.com/onescotland/387.html</a>.</p>