Ken Macintosh

29 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it has given to third sector organisations to support children with diabetes.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In the last 18 months we have provided Diabetes UK Scotland with funding of some £80,000, mainly related to its work in helping people with diabetes contribute directly to diabetes service planning, but including a young people''s forum being held in Glasgow …

29 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in primary schools are registered as having diabetes.

Answer · Keith Brown: The information requested is not held centrally.</p> <p >However, there are currently 1,197 children aged between five and 12 years diagnosed with diabetes in Scotland.</p>

29 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving in schools to children with type 1 diabetes.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government believes that all children in Scotland, including those with diabetes, should be able to enjoy a full school life because their school gives them the necessary support.</p> <p >Legislation, policy and guidance are in place to support …

27 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it considers that local authorities such as East Renfrewshire Council can reduce class sizes below the limits of 30 and 33 in the absence of any further legislation.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300, on 10 June 2009. 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/…

27 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it can give local authorities such as East Renfrewshire Council, faced with the prospect of rising class sizes.

Answer · Keith Brown: Local government has received record levels of funding that should enable them to make progress on meeting the concordat commitment to make progress on reducing P1 to P3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils. The Scottish Government will discuss with East Renfrew…

27 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation setting new limits on class sizes.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300, on 10 June 2009. 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/…

27 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the regulations governing placing requests with a view to helping parents, pupils and local authorities.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300 on 10 June 2009. 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/B…

27 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reform the regulations governing placing requests.

Answer · Keith Brown: We need to ensure that the ability of national and local government to establish and support class size limits is properly balanced with the rights of parents to make placing requests about where their children are educated. We are considering, with COSLA and…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to local authorities to enhance voluntary redundancy payments for employees.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23761 on 26 May 2009. 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…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to local authorities to reduce the number of proposed redundancies.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23761 on 26 May 2009. 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…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with each local authority regarding reducing the number of proposed redundancies.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23761 on 26 May 2009. 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…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with COSLA regarding reducing the number of proposed redundancies by local authorities.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has regular discussions with COSLA on a range of issues involving local government, including finance. However, employment matters are for local authorities themselves to manage as independent corporate bodies within the resources avai…

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps ministers are taking to reduce the number of proposed redundancies by local authorities.

Answer · John Swinney: Employment matters are for local authorities themselves to manage, as independent corporate bodies.</p>

8 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the real-terms increase is in the local government settlement for East Renfrewshire Council for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and in the proposed budget for 2010-11.

Answer · John Swinney: As a result of the concordat agreement, funding for local government changed fundamentally from 1 April 2008 with the rolling-up of the vast majority of former ring-fenced grants into the local government finance settlements. As a consequence there is no dire…

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support has been made available to help head teachers prepare for the introduction of the baccalaureate examination.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is currently providing local government in Scotland with £23 billion for the period 2008-10. It is the responsibility of local authorities to set budgets for education, within the overall resources provided to them.</p> <p >Two of th…

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has put in place to help (a) head teachers and (b) teachers prepare for the introduction of the baccalaureate examination.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has funded the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to develop and support the implementation of the Scottish Science and Language Baccalaureates. As with other National Qualifications, SQA is providing support to all centres who wi…

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has for the uptake of the baccalaureate examination.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not set targets for the uptake of qualifications. There has been a positive response to the baccalaureates, with over 100 schools and colleges expressing an interest in offering the award in their initial implementation years. It …

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that pupils from rural areas will be offered the chance to sit the baccalaureate examination.

Answer · Keith Brown: The schools and colleges which have expressed an interest in the baccalaureates are drawn from across Scotland, from both urban and rural areas.</p> <p >Local authorities are already adopting imaginative solutions to increase access to Higher and Advanced H…

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities will not be offering the baccalaureate examination in any schools in the (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 academic year.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23545 on 19 May 2009. 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…

5 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools will be offering the baccalaureate examination in the (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 academic year.

Answer · Keith Brown: There has been a positive response to the Scottish Science and Language Baccalaureates, with over 100 schools and colleges across Scotland expressing an interest in offering the award in their initial implementation years. However, the precise number of schoo…

8 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which (a) local authority areas and (b) NHS hospital departments NHS waiting times are over 12 months.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: On 31 December 2008, no local authority areas and hospital departments which fall under current waiting time standards had waiting times of over 12 months.</p>

8 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas waiting times for clinical psychology services are over 12 months.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally.</p>

8 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for clinical psychology services in Edinburgh.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22830 on 30 April 2009. 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/…

8 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are NHS hospital departments that are exempt from its waiting times targets.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22827 on 30 April 2009. 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/…

8 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether clinical psychology services are included in its waiting times targets.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: At present, there are no waiting times targets for access to clinical psychology services.</p> <p >The NHS is working to achieve the Scottish Government''s target of a maximum waiting time of 18 weeks from referral to treatment by the end of 2011. This targe…

2 Apr 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , in light of the SNP manifesto commitment to maintain teacher numbers, what steps it is taking following publication of the latest statistics revealing a decline in teacher numbers of just under 1,000.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Councils are reporting education budgets increasing in real terms. Ministers will be meeting COSLA to discuss the results of the teacher census statistics for September 2008 and their implications.</p>

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21747 by Keith Brown on 25 March 2009, how many pupils have taken cooking classes on the Scottish cooking bus in the last 12 months.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus was launched at the Royal Highland Show in June 2008 and following staff training commenced visits to schools in mid-August.</p> <p >During the eight months that the Cooking Bus has been operational, 2,192 pupils have taken…

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21747 by Keith Brown on 25 March 2009, which secondary schools the Scottish cooking bus has visited in the last 12 months.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus was launched at the Royal Highland Show in June 2008 and following staff training commenced visits to schools in mid-August.</p> <p >During the eight months that the Cooking Bus has been operational, it has visited the foll…

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21747 by Keith Brown on 25 March 2009, which primary schools the Scottish cooking bus has visited in the last 12 months.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus was launched at the Royal Highland Show in June 2008 and following staff training commenced visits to schools in mid-August.</p> <p >During the eight months that the Cooking Bus has been operational, it has visited the fol…

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21747 by Keith Brown on 25 March 2009, where the Scottish cooking bus has visited in the last 12 months.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus was launched at the Royal Highland Show in June 2008 and following staff training commenced visits in mid-August.</p> <p >During the eight months that the Cooking Bus has been operational, it has visited the following sites…