Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why "Education for Sustainable Development" has been dropped as a cross-curricular aspect of the national guidelines for the 5-14 curriculum.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The status of 'Education for Sustainable Development' has not changed within the 5-14 curriculum.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The importance of sustainable development is included within the "social and environmental responsibility" component in the revised 5…
21 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of the Deloitte and Touche report A Review into Exam Results Issues Concerning the Scottish Qualifications Authority on 3 November 2000, how it will monitor progress against the recommendations contained in the report.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Following the publication of the Deloitte and Touche report, I asked the SQA to prepare a formal compliance statement setting out how they intended to put the recommendations contained within the Deloitte and Touche report into practice. I am pleased to annou…
6 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8538 by Mr Jim Wallace on 28 July 2000, what the outcome was of its discussions with the Home Office regarding the measures needed to ensure the effectiveness of the Football (Disorder) Act 2000 and whether it is taking any action to monitor whether …
Answer · Jim Wallace: The legislation as enacted reflected our discussions with Home Office Ministers. Any football hooligans from England who breach banning orders or reporting restrictions against them by seeking to use Scottish ports would be subject to arrest. The police in Sc…
21 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that disabled people have continued access to support and advisory services provided by Disability Scotland.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in contact with the interim Administrator who has been appointed by Disability Scotland. We are currently considering his report and the best way forward in ensuring that the interests of people with a disability are properly represe…
20 Sep 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the recruitment and training of more Gaelic medium teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has written to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council drawing attention to the fact that the supply of Gaelic medium teachers continued to be a priority of Scottish Ministers. The council were asked to assist in promoting provisi…
14 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that children are inoculated against measles, mumps and rubella following public concerns over the MMR vaccine.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer wrote to health boards, general practitioners and Primary Care Teams in 1998 and 1999 to provide them with detailed information about the investigations which have taken place into alleged links between MMR and Crohn's disease and au…
12 Sep 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that hospitals can no longer remove or retain children's organs without parental consent.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer I gave to question S1O-2248, asked by Lord James Douglas-Hamilton.
8 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any public concerns about this year's Higher Still Higher maths examination and what steps it is taking to address any such concerns.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Assessment, including the content of examinations, is within the remit of the SQA.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Executive is aware of concerns about this year's Higher Still maths exam. Officials are monitoring the situation with the Scottish Qualifications Authorit…
24 May 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Working for Communities programme is making in the 13 pathfinder areas.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: All Pathfinders are now up and running helping to develop new ways of involving local people in setting priorities for their areas and bringing services more in line with the needs of local people.<P>A Monitoring Framework is now in place to help us learn les…
15 Mar 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the timescale for consultation on national priorities for Scottish schools has been decided.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The consultation on National Priorities will commence shortly and I will ensure that the consultation period is long enough so that all those who want to be involved have the opportunity to do so.
9 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to be finally wound up.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will be wound up on 31 March 2000. The Board was set up to administer the original criminal injuries compensation scheme established in 1964. That scheme ended in April 1996 and a new tariff-based scheme administered b…
8 Mar 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will achieve its targets to speed treatment and shorten waiting times in the NHS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: As I announced in Parliament on 16 December 1999, we are working with the NHS in Scotland to establish national maximum waiting times, to be delivered from March 2001, in the key clinical specialties of heart disease, cancer and mental health. In addition, th…
16 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase National Health Service charges.
Answer · Susan Deacon: We shall lay regulations to increase National Health Service charges in Scotland from 1 April 2000. There will be an increase in the prescription charge of 10p, from £5.90 to £6.00 per item dispensed. This 1.7% increase is based on the All Item…
9 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the remit and membership of the working group it has proposed to review curricular advice and materials in the light of the proposed repeal of section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The remit of the Working Group is as follows:<DIR><DIR><P>"In the light of the Scottish Executive's intention to repeal section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986:<P>to consider the scope and general content of the package of safeguards described in the lett…
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify what proportion of Objective 2 EU structural funds will be directed towards enhancing skills in local areas.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The main source of European funding for skills training in local areas will be the Objective 3 Programme. In line with the terms of the EU Regulation, any additional assistance from the European Social Fund which could be contained within any Objective 2…
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will comment on the publication of the UK Raptor Working Group final report.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I welcome the publication of the UK Raptor Working Group Report. I am particularly grateful for the work which has gone into the preparation of the report and commend the commitment which Working Group Members have given to this issue over a number of years. …
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the water authorities have made in implementing the recommendations of the report on the diesel contamination incident at the Burncrooks waterworks in December 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The water authorities' responses to the recommendations were subject to independent audit by the consulting engineers Binnie Black and Veatch (BBV) last year. BBV found that the authorities are making satisfactory progress, but that further work remains to be…
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Red Tape Review of the meat industry.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive's response formed in conjunction with other GB Departments has today been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The response welcomes the Pooley Group's recommendations which include more flexible supervision of plants, …
20 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to promote accurate and informed teaching about the Holocaust in Scottish schools.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Scottish schools have the opportunity to inform their pupils about issues connected with the Holocaust through subject areas ranging from history and modern studies to religious and moral education and English language. The Government has recently announced t…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken a view on information provided by Perth and Kinross and City of Edinburgh Councils about the financial problems in their direct labour organisations and direct services organisations.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Both councils have responded. They have begun to address the financial failures in their DLO and DSO. I am not therefore proposing to take any formal action at this stage. I have asked my officials to clarify a number of points with each council so that I can…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of Best Value Task Force for Scottish local authorities.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Final Report of the Best Value Task Force was published on Friday 10 December. It makes a number of recommendations about the development of Best Value in Scotland.<P>Since the introduction of Best Value after the 1997 general election, local government h…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive if it will report on the results of the finance consultation based on Spending Plans for Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: We initially sent out over 1,500 documents to a range of private and public individuals and organisations including all MSPs, Council leaders, Chief Executives, secondary schools and libraries. We subsequently received requests for additional copies and the f…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be responding to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee's Stage 1 report on the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is responding today to the Committee's report and copies are available to members in the Document Supply Centre.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a statement on its plans for implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy Agenda 2000 reform package.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I have to-day written to the Convener of the Rural affairs Committee announcing our plans for the detailed implementation of the Agenda 2000 CAP reform package and outlining our proposals for further consultation on the Rural Development Regulation and on the…
2 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with special educational needs attended mainstream primary and secondary schools in the years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and, of those children, how many attended (a) full time; (b) more than two thirds of the time but not full time; (c) between one third and two thirds o…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information requested has been placed in SPICe.<FONT SIZE=2>
2 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by local education authorities on supporting children with special educational needs in mainstream primary and secondary schools in the years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. Net revenue expenditure on special education, which includes special schools as well as special classes in mainstream primary and secondary schools, is given in the table below.<FONT FACE="Aria…
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on removing the French ban on Scottish beef.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Following discussions in Brussels, which involved the European Commission, French Government and UK Government, including Scottish Executive representatives, a document has been prepared which enables the French Government to reconsider its original decision …
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on the human health implications of organophosphates will be published.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is publishing its report today.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This is a comprehensive report which addresses the concerns which have been expressed about the safety or organophosphate c…
24 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the planning system following consideration of the responses to the consultation paper Land Use Planning under a Scottish Parliament.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is clear from the responses to the consultation paper on <I>Land Use Planning under a Scottish Parliament</I> that while there is no major public outcry for massive change to the main elements of the planning system, there is equally no room for complacenc…
16 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish a centre to provide the NHS with advice on new health technologies, including drugs.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The White Paper <I>Designed to Care</I> included a commitment to support the establishment of a Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre to evaluate and provide advice to the NHS in Scotland on cost-effectiveness of all innovations in health care, includi…