Parliamentary questions

Ken Macintosh

1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has met or plans to meet food manufacturers and suppliers or their representatives to discuss the introduction of the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish Government officials have regular contact, including at meetings, at seminars and conferences, by email and by telephone, with food and drink manufacturers and their representatives to discuss the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in School…

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to raise awareness of Healthy Eating in Schools: A Guide to Implementing the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 among staff, parents and pupils.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish Government officials regularly promote the Healthy Eating in Schools guidance to local authority and school staff when speaking at conferences and seminars. We also consulted widely with local authority and school staff while drafting the guidance. C…

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to make school caterers aware of Healthy Eating in Schools: A Guide to Implementing the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

Answer · Adam Ingram: In September 2008 I launched the Healthy Eating in Schools guidance at the HM Inspectorate of Education healthy food in schools conference where the audience included local authority catering staff. Officials consulted widely, including with local au…

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers plan to increase the number of teachers qualified to teach the cooking of healthy food in schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: There is no teaching qualification in the cooking of healthy food. It is up to local authorities to ensure that they employ adequate numbers of teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to undertake the teaching …

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers are qualified to teach the cooking of healthy food in primary schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: There is no teaching qualification in the cooking of healthy food. All teachers in primary schools must have a Teaching Qualification and may be required to teach the full range of the primary school curriculum.

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers are qualified to teach the cooking of healthy food in secondary schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: There is no teaching qualification in the cooking of healthy food. Local authorities are required to employ teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to undertake the teaching duties allocated to them. A…

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether teachers need a specific qualification to teach the cooking of healthy food in schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: No. There is no teaching qualification in the cooking of healthy food. The statutory requirement relating to teacher employment is that local authorities shall employ teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to …

11 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in schools to promote the cooking of healthy food.

Answer · Keith Brown: The acquisition of knowledge and skills to enable young people to make healthy food choices which promote lifelong healthy eating habits is a core part of Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes. The Scottish Cooking …

11 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will renew funding to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to support the small grants scheme.

Answer · Michael Russell : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-01.htm">http://www.scott…

5 Mar 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister, in light of the recently published Pupil Census in Scotland statistics, whether the Scottish Government remains confident of fulfilling its pledge to reduce class sizes in primaries one, two and three to 18 pupils or less.

Answer · Alex Salmond: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scott…

29 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers will liaise with the NHS in England and Wales in relation to the recently launched consultation on ethical and sustainable procurement in health care.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will liaise with the NHS in England and Wales on the consultation.

29 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that ethical, sustainable and fair trade principles are applied across its directorates.

Answer · John Swinney: Sustainable economic growth is at the heart of the Scottish Government''s purpose. All directorates are expected to take account of and contribute as appropriate through their policies and operations to the government''s overall purpose, strategic objectives …

29 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to introduce an ethical procurement policy for the NHS.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In December 2008, the Scottish Government published The Scottish Procurement Policy Handbook which provides detail on both ethical standards of business and corporate social responsibility across the public sector in Scotland. NHS National Procurement…

22 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action its Rural Directorate is taking to promote environmental awareness through further development of the eco schools programme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0122-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

8 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture plans to meet the Scottish Artists Union to discuss the establishment of Creative Scotland.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that allocating small but significant funds for the purpose of supporting medical adaptations in housing association properties would benefit many residents throughout Scotland, allowing people to stay in their own homes for longer.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We recognise the benefit which can flow from adapting houses, allowing people to stay in their own homes for longer. In allocating resources for this purpose, Scottish Government has to take account of overall funding available and competing priorities includ…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that funding for medical adaptations in housing association properties is given sufficient priority.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The need for medical adaptations reflects demand and can vary from year to year. Programme agreements with Registered Social Landlords make clear Scottish Government''s readiness to agree arrangements that ensure that medical adaptations can be prioritised.</…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a separate funding allocation for medical adaptations in housing association properties.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We have no plans to establish a separate funding allocation.

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it acceptable that funding for medical adaptations in housing association properties has to come from the Housing Association Grant budget.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It is long established practice for Scottish Government to provide funding towards the cost of medical adaptations from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme. We are discussing funding arrangements with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations an…

11 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have plans to review planning guidance on the location of mobile phone masts.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are no plans to review planning guidance on the location of mobile phone masts at this time. The Scottish Government recognises that research into mobile phones is on-going and as the findings from the second phase of the UK-wide Mobile Telecom…

11 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have commissioned research into the potential health risks posed by mobile phone masts.

Answer · Shona Robison: A UK-wide Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme was set up in 2001, with funding from a number of sources, including the Scottish Government. The findings of the research studies included in this programme were published in the MT…

11 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been further research into the potential health risks posed by mobile phone masts since publication of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones report in 2000.

Answer · Shona Robison: The main programme of research on mobile phone technologies in the UK since 2000 has been that conducted under Phase 1 of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR), which published its first report in 2007. The general conclusion of t…

21 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether health and safety guidance on the dangers and management of asbestos in the workplace are being observed at the University of Glasgow Dental School while asbestos is being removed from the building.

Answer · Shona Robison: The removal of asbestos is subject to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and I can confirm that in compliance with these regulations NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has an asbestos register in place for the dental hospital and school that, based on survey…

21 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers are confident that all necessary precautions are being taken at the University of Glasgow Dental School to protect those who continue to use the premises while asbestos is being removed from the building.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government Health Directorates property management policy requires all NHSScotland bodies to comply with all requirements laid down by statutes bearing upon the health, safety and welfare of staff, patients and visitors in relation to and in respect …

21 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect staff and students at the University of Glasgow Dental School while asbestos is being removed from the building.

Answer · Shona Robison: I have been assured that the removal of asbestos from the facility is being carried out in accordance with health and safety legislation in particular the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. If asbestos is present and to be removed the area is isol…

20 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to fulfil the SNP manifesto commitment to guarantee access to a nursery teacher and increase nursery provision by 50%, in light of reports that the number of nursery teachers is declining.

Answer · Adam Ingram: This government has made significant progress in the last 18 months in terms of improving the position of pre-school children in Scotland, in line with our manifesto commitments. We have made the most significant enhancement to pre-school education since 2002…

20 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the First Minister’s answer to question S3F-1053 on 25 September 2008 (Official Report c. 11225) was accurate given that the figures published by it, and referred to in the answer to question S3W-16934 by Adam Ingram on 11 November 2008, show a decrease in the nu…

Answer · Adam Ingram: Data on numbers of pre-school teachers is collected in two ways in the Scottish Government''s annual pre-school and childcare census “ head count, or physical numbers of teachers and whole-time equivalent (WTE). The question asked by Margaret Smith on 25 Sept…

20 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures ministers, including the First Minister, would follow to correct themselves were they to have given misleading information to the Parliament.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Section 1.1(c) of the Scottish Ministerial Code would apply in such instances.

20 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3F-1053 by Alex Salmond on 25 September 2008 (Official Report c. 11225), what evidence there is to suggest that the number of nursery teachers is substantially increasing.

Answer · Adam Ingram: In the census for 2008, pre-school centres were asked for the first time to report numbers of peripatetic teachers, who work across more than one centre, separately from teachers employed in their centre only. In 2008, the headcount figures for teachers emplo…

13 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans ministers have to improve support in schools for children with long-term conditions.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has recently established a new working relationship with local government which will help support the education of pupils with additional support needs, including those with long-term conditions. The Scottish Government is providing lo…