Parliamentary questions
John Swinney
262 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many UK delegations to either formal or informal EU Council of Ministers meetings have been led by Scottish Executive ministers since 1 July 1999, specifying the date and subject of each of these meetings.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Two. A Scottish Executive Minister led at the Education Council on 8 June 2000 and at the Education Council Meeting on 12 February 2001.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many formal and informal meetings of the EU Council of Ministers it has been informed about in advance by departments of Her Majesty's Government since 1 July 1999, specifying the date and subject of each of these meetings.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive is informed by UK Government Departments of all formal and informal meetings of the EU Council.<P>Details of these meetings are set out in the tables:<P>FORMAL EU COUNCIL MEETINGS<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=517><TR><TD WIDTH=…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have attended formal and informal meetings of the EU Council of Ministers since 1 July 1999, specifying the date and subject of each of these meetings.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information is given in the table:<FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scottish Minister's Attendance at Council<P>1 July 1999 - 8 March 2001<P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=493><TR><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP"><F…
19 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the outcome of the Opportunities and Choices consultation exercise on post-school provision for 16-18 year olds which closed in September 1999.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: There were 110 responses to the <I>Opportunities and Choices</I> consultation exercise from a wide range of agencies including colleges, the enterprise network, employers, National Training Organisations, local authorities and representative bodies. There was…
30 Aug 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for access to higher education institutions of the recent problems within the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service reported yesterday that the number of applicants from Scotland admitted to universities in the United Kingdom was 2.6% higher than at the same point in the admissions process in 1999. This implies that the subs…
6 Jul 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will invite tenders from Scottish companies for the supply of Scottish tree and plant products for the soft landscaping of the Holyrood site of the Parliament.
Answer · David Steel: Contracts for the "soft landscaping" at the Holyrood site will be let in accordance with current EC procurement directives which ensure free and open competition in all member states. It is hoped and expected that Scottish companies will participate…
21 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the threshold set for the Scottish Graduate Endowment.
Answer · Henry McLeish: We are currently consulting on our proposals for student support. Our consultation document <I>Scotland: The Learning Nation- Helping Students</I> was issued on 24 May and we have asked for comments and views by 31 August 2000. The comments we have so far rec…
7 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to give additional funding to branches of the Citi'ens' Advice Bureau.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Decisions on support funding for Citizen's Advice Bureaux are for local authorities to make in light of their assessment of local needs and priorities.
6 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to fund fourth year tuition fees for students from other parts of the UK studying at Scottish universities.
Answer · Henry McLeish: As announced on 29 March, students from other parts of the UK who take a 4 year course at a Scottish institution, which is a year longer than the rest of the UK, will have their fees paid in the final year. This will apply to those entering courses from 2001 …
6 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had with the Department of Media, Culture and Sport regarding the New Opportunities Fund in Scotland.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive maintains regular contact with the Department for Media, Culture and Sport on all policy issues concerning the New Opportunities Fund and other National Lottery distributors.
6 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners died of hypothermia in each health board area in each year since 1992.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information available is given in the following tables. Table A covers all deaths where hypothermia was mentioned on the certificate of cause of death; table B is restricted to those where hypothermia was considered to be the underlying cause of death.<P …
6 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1312 by Henry McLeish on 9 March 2000, whether it will list all the meetings it has had with the Department of Social Security regarding the recommendations of the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive has met with representatives of the Department for Social Security and the other UK Education Departments on three occasions since January this year to discuss the interface between the student support system and the benefit system. The dates we…
31 May 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the number of stations on the Perth to Inverness railway line.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training do (a) Procurator Fiscals and (b) temporary Sheriffs receive in crash scene interpretation and whether any changes are proposed.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Procurators Fiscal have the benefit of a wide training calendar at both national and regional level. Matters relating to road traffic accidents are addressed from time to time in the training programme and, especially at regional level, there are opportunitie…
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been raised through fines as a result of the speed cameras on the A90 Forfar bypass.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Since March 1999, £183,360 has been collected from fixed penalties issued by the police as a result of the speed cameras on the A90 Forfar bypass. It is not possible to provide figures for other fines and conditional offers imposed because of detection by the…
21 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the policy commitments it has made which involve money from the New Opportunities Fund specifying, in each case, the exact amount involved.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: In accordance with the Government's policy directions in August 1998, the New Opportunities Fund is supporting the following initiatives in Scotland:<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><UL><LI>Healthy Living Centres			 £34.5 million</LI><LI>Out of Sc…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time further education students paid tuition fees in the academic years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, how many of these paid the full fee; how many paid more than half the full fee, and how many paid less than half the full fee.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally. The Scottish Further Education Funding Council is currently collecting data on student numbers for academic year 1998-99, but not on levels of tuition fee paid.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the implications of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the payment of fourth year tuition fees by students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland studying at Scottish universities.
Answer · Henry McLeish: While this is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the Executive seeks appropriate advice on the legality of its own actions.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether EU students who two years in their home county and then study a third and final year at a higher education institution, leaving with an ordinary degree, will be expected to contribute to the Graduate Endowment.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed that Scottish domiciled and EU students who graduate from a Scottish institution will be liable for student support and the Graduate Endowment. The detail of the arrangements is currently being considered and will be subject to consultation and…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated income will be from Graduate Endowment from graduates who were classed as EU students when studying at higher education institutions in the first five years of its collection.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled and EU students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to make a contribution will commence on graduation and collection will be…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to collect the Graduate Endowment from graduates who were classed as EU students when studying at higher education institutions.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed that Scottish domiciled and EU students who graduate from a Scottish institution will be liable for student support and the Graduate Endowment. The detail of the arrangements is currently being considered and will be subject to consultation and…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated income is from the Graduate Endowment in each of the first five years of its collection.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled (and EU) students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to make a contribution will commence on graduation and collection will …
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated number of graduates is who will make a contribution towards the Graduate Endowment in each of the first five academic years of its collection.
Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled (and EU) students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to contribute will commence on graduation and collection is income cont…
16 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish domiciled students studying at higher education institutions in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are studying courses not available at higher education institutions in Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Information is not available centrally on how many Scottish domiciled students studying at higher education institutions in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are on courses not available at higher education institutions in Scotland.
16 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish domiciled students are on courses which involve studying at a university in Scotland for a proportion of their course and at a higher education institution outside Scotland but within the United Kingdom for the remainder of their course.
Answer · Henry McLeish: In academic session 1999-2000 there are a total of 149 students attending a course in medicine jointly undertaken at St Andrews University and Manchester University. In addition there may be a number of students on "sandwich" courses which involve a…
20 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-661 by Susan Deacon on 28 September 1999, whether it can provide a more up to date estimate of the capital and running costs of fluoridating drinking water.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The water authorities have now refined their initial estimates of the total costs implied in introducing fluoridation schemes on the basis described in my previous Answer, to £34 million capital and £6.7 million annual operating costs.
8 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether blood products exported to other European countries in the mid 1980's were tested for raised alanine aminotranferase (ALT) levels as an indicator of the presence of hepatitis and whether such a test was conducted on blood products given to patients.
Answer · Susan Deacon: No Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service blood products were exported to Europe in the mid-1980s.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>There has never been any requirement for blood products to be ALT tested for NHS patients.
26 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the number of students making a contribution towards their tuition fees who will pay (i) #994; (ii) #995; (iii) #996; (iv) #997; (v) #998; (vi) #999 and (vii) #1,000.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The information requested is shown in the table below. Figures quoted are for academic year 1998-1999, the last full year for which data is available.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><B><P ALIGN="CENTER">Amo…
11 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation took place between itself and the Department for Education and Employment in relation to the submission of evidence to the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive was sent a copy of the DfEE paper to check for factual accuracy in relation to Scotland before it was submitted to the Committee.
10 Nov 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation took place between itself and the Department for Education and Employment in relation to the submission of evidence to the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive was sent a copy of the DfEE paper to check for factual accuracy in relation to Scotland before it was submitted to the Committee.