Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is taking to ensure that the new draft experiences and outcomes in social studies is not used to allow more teachers with no qualifications or expertise in history to teach history.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005 place a requirement on local authorities to employ adequate numbers of teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable those teachers to undertake the teaching dutie…
22 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the new Curriculum for Excellence and with the publication of the draft experiences and outcomes in social studies, only qualified teachers of history will be able to teach history.
Answer · Maureen Watt: There are no plans to change the current position under the Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005 which impose a duty on education authorities to employ adequate numbers of teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necess…
22 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 30 January 2008 that “we want to ensure that Scottish history is taught in our schools, but it is not just history teachers who can teach it” (Official Report, c. 5622), whether she believes that only…
Answer · Maureen Watt: Teachers should have the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to undertake the teaching duties allocated to them and this is reflected in the current Regulations.</p> <p >Subject expertise is a strength of the Scottish Educa…
22 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 30 January 2008 that “we want to ensure that Scottish history is taught in our schools, but it is not just history teachers who can teach it” (Official Report, c. 5622), whether her remarks refer only…
Answer · Maureen Watt: Teachers should have the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to undertake the teaching duties allocated to them and this is reflected in the current Regulations.</p> <p >Subject expertise is a strength of the Scottish Educa…
21 Feb 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is making available to community patient transport services
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Community transport organisations play a vital role in proving access to NHS facilities in areas where public transport services are limited. They benefit from a number of funding streams, for example funding from the Rural Communities Transport Initiative, p…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it sees lessons on the Holocaust fitting into the new Curriculum for Excellence framework.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary question's are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it could involve the young people who have participated in the visits to Auschwitz in updating Holocaust education materials.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the UK Government’s aim to encourage two pupils from every school to visit Auschwitz.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make Holocaust education material available on the web.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to record the testimony of Holocaust survivors to add to the teaching packs circulated to schools.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to update the Holocaust teaching packs circulated to schools in 2000 and 2002.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Holocaust teaching packs prepared by Learning and Teaching Scotland in 2000 and 2002 have been updated.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Scotland do not have lessons about the Holocaust.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Scotland teach their pupils about the Holocaust.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary question's are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help pupils learn about the events of the Holocaust as part of lessons on citizenship and anti-racist education.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9612 on 6 March 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/webapp/wa…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage schools to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The responsibility for the management and delivery of the Scottish curriculum is a matter for education authorities and head teachers, or in the case of independent schools, the boards of governors and head teachers. The Scottish Government's concordat with C…
24 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to inform mothers and daughters about the importance of cervical screening through a new national information and awareness campaign timed to coincide with the roll-out of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Cervical ScreeningProgramme are working closely with Health Service colleagues delivering the HPVvaccination programme to ensure women are informed of the importance of screening.Existing publications on cervical screening are being revised to in…
24 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of women aged between 20 and 26 taking up smear tests, in light of the number of women eligible for a test who do not currently take up the offer.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is consideringhow to improve uptake in all age groups for cervical screening and has asked foradvice from the National Advisory Group on Breast and Cervical Screening on thissubject. At the same time the teams working on Cervical Cance…
24 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make either the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine or cervical screening available to all women aged between 18 and 26 who request them.
Answer · Shona Robison: The national HPV immunisationprogramme includes girls aged around 12-13 years and a catch up campaign for girlsaged 13 to under 18 years at September 2008. This is based on advice from the JointCommittee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises t…
24 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure maximum uptake of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.
Answer · Shona Robison: The immunisation programme isbeing delivered as a schools based programme.</p><p>Health Protection Scotland undertookan appraisal of delivery modes which concluded delivery through schools would achievehigher vaccine uptake levels.</p><p>Engagement will be ma…
24 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the national human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme is on schedule for the 2008-09 school year.
Answer · Shona Robison: Yes, implementation of thehuman papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme is on schedule for delivery inthe 2008-09 school year.</p>
10 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4068 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 September 2007, what work it has undertaken in preparing to announce a judicial inquiry into the Shirley McKie case.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Work has been undertaken to informParliament of the intention to establish this inquiry under powers conferred bythe Inquiries Act 2005 and to meet the requirements laid down in that act.</p>
10 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an announcement on establishing a judicial inquiry into the Shirley McKie case before the end of June 2008.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes.</p>
4 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the National Bus Travel Concessionary Scheme to ensure that all deafblind people in Scotland qualify for a companion pass.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no plans toamend the current eligibility criteria before the review of the scheme is completedin autumn 2008. At present the scheme does not have a specific “deafblind” categoryof eligibility.</p><p>Registered blind peopleautomatically qualify for a c…
4 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the National Bus Travel Concessionary Scheme to people on the lower rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Eligibility criteriafor the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons willbe reviewed following the receipt of the final report into the operation of thecurrent scheme in autumn 2008.</p>
4 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the National Bus Travel Concessionary Scheme to ensure that those individuals who previously qualified for a pass because of a disability or sensory impairment do not have their free bus pass taken away.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no plans tochange the current eligibility criteria in advance of the independent review of the scheme which is due to report by autumn 2008.</p>
4 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review as a matter of urgency the impact of the National Bus Travel Concessionary Scheme on people with a disability or sensory impairment.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Eligibility criteriafor the Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons willbe reviewed following the receipt of the final report into the operation of thecurrent scheme in autumn 2008.</p>
4 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the criteria used to assess eligibility for disabled people in the National Bus Travel Concessionary Scheme.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Eligibility criteriafor the Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons willbe reviewed following the receipt of the final report into the operation of thecurrent scheme in autumn 2008.</p>
13 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether new legislation increasing the smoking age to 18 will be accompanied by a commitment to continue the funding of smoke-free enforcement.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-4318 on 24 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
13 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend funding for smoke-free enforcement beyond March 2008.
Answer · Shona Robison: Future funding forenforcement of the smoke-free laws is being considered as part of the 2007 SpendingReview.</p>