Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met with the Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL) since July 1999 to discuss developments in digital technologies and communications; who attended any such meetings; what matters were discussed, and specifically whether the establishment of an OFTEL office in…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Telecommunications regulation is reserved. The Scottish Executive holds discussions with UK Departments and other organisations, including OFTEL, as necessary.
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of skillseekers' training allowances paid in each year from 1997-98 to present, broken down by (i) local enterprise company area and (ii) skill area.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested.
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each (a) local enterprise company and (b) local authority has spent on initiatives promoting or facilitating the provision of workplace training in each year since 1997.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The data by local enterprise company is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested. No such data for local authorities is held by the Executive.
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed by local enterprise companies or other public bodies in connection with initiatives which provide or facilitate the provision of workplace training in each year since 1997 and whether it holds any estimate of the number of people working on such initiati…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The question of local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask them to write to Mr MacAskill with the information requested. No such data is held for other public bodies. According …
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from Scottish Executive or Scottish Office sources has been committed to the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh in each year from 1997-98 to the present, specifying the recipient organisation in each case.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Information on Executive spending is not generally attributable to specific neighbourhoods, but the available information is as follows:<P>Identifiable Scottish Office/Scottish Executive spending in Craigmillar<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=6…
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are in relation to workplace training in Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive places high priority on workplace training. <I>A Smart Successful Scotland</I> sets out our priority for meeting the demand for high quality in-work training, helping to ensure that every Scot is ready for tomorrow's jobs.<P>Priority is given to…
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to promote workplace training in Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive works closely with the enterprise network, employer-led National Training Organisations and trade unions to promote training opportunities that are closely related to the needs of the workplace. Record numbers of Modern Apprentices are …
15 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided by it or the Scottish Office in each year from 1997-98 to the current year for initiatives relating to workplace training in Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: A number of workplace training initiatives are undertaken by the enterprise network, funded from within the block grant-in-aid provided by the Scottish Executive to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The details of the level of funding …
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council for research and development in each year since 1995.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The allocations are:<DIR><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1995-96:	£102 million<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1996-97:	£104 million<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1997-98:	£109 million<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1998-99:	£120 million<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1999-2000:	£129 milli…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the planning system to make it a requirement that fibre optic telecommunications are installed in new industrial parks and housing estates.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no such plans. The proposed review of National Planning Policy Guideline 2 on Business and Industry will consider the planning implications for business and industry development of advances in information and communications technology.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that planning regulations address the telecommunications needs of the 21st century.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive recognises the importance of the telecommunications sector to Scotland. As an example, the recent consultation package on "Planning and Radio Telecommunications", prompted by concerns about mobile phone masts, was drawn up in consultat…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify a minimum megabyte capacity for telecommunications infrastructure in new residential buildings and, if so, what this capacity will be.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Building regulations are the main mechanism for specifying standards for new buildings. There is no requirement within the building regulations for telecommunications provision and we have no plans, at present, to introduce any minimum standard.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what European Union grants for the telecommunications network have been accessed since May 1997 and whether it will detail the amount of each grant and the purpose of each project.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Since May 1997, European Structural Fund grants have been accessed towards funding the following projects.<P>Highlands & Islands Mobile Telecommunications Network<B> </B><P>Total Costs:		£15,040,000<P>ERDF Award:	£3,800,000<FONT FACE="Arial"><P A…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the sources of funding from the European Union which are available for telecommunications infrastructure.
Answer · Peter Peacock: European Structural Funding for telecommunications infrastructure is available mainly in the Highlands & Islands under the Special Transitional Programme. For 2000 to 2006, around £5.7 million is available for direct support for broadband network extensio…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for the smuggling of fuel there were in each year since 1997 and what sentences were imposed in relation to any convictions in such cases.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Cases of smuggling are not broken down for recording purposes according to the nature of the contraband and the information is consequently not available.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the loss to the economy through the smuggling of fuel into Scotland and whether it has made any assessment of the extent of such smuggling in order to arrive at such an estimate.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the smuggling of fuel.
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new standard grade course in Technological Studies will proceed in the coming academic year and, if this matter is still under consideration, when a decision will be announced.
Answer · Jack McConnell: SQA has developed new General and Credit Standard Grade courses in technological studies which will be available from session 2001-02. The Foundation level course will be discontinued and pupils directed into courses more appropriate for their needs. A letter…
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current (a) hourly, (b) daily and (c) weekly charges are for use of the nursery facilities at Victoria Quay and what these costs have been in each year since 1997.
Answer · Angus MacKay: It is not the Scottish Executive practice to publish commercial information provided to it in confidence by suppliers tendering for Scottish Executive contracts. The contractor may choose to disclose this information.
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children attended the nursery facilities at Victoria Quay in each month since January 1997.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive does not require the contractor to provide monthly attendance details. We do however hold information on occupancy rates. This information is retained centrally for only six months. The occupancy rates are as follows:<P>August 2000 - 74…
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the contract for running the nursery facilities at Victoria Quay has recently been out to tender; if so, why; which companies were invited to tender, and which companies lodged tenders.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The current contract for the provision of nursery services at Victoria Quay expires on 28 February 2001. Advertisements were placed in Nursery World and Government Opportunities on 9 June 2000 calling for expressions of interest in tendering for the requireme…
8 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for environmental health offences there were in each year since 1997 and, of these, how many related to food poisoning, broken down by local authority area in each case.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Since April 2000, the role of collating food enforcement activities from local authorities passed from the Scottish Executive to the Food Standards Agency. The tables provide prosecution and conviction figures broken down by local authority.<P>There is no sub…
8 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many environmental health officers were employed in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.
8 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was allocated and spent on the roll out of broadband communications in each year since 1997 and what the allocation is for each year until 2003, showing the budget heading each amount was and is being allocated to.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Expenditure on broadband has formed a part of a number of major public sector programmes in the digital field, but this expenditure generally cannot currently be disaggregated from other aspects of those programmes.<P>The Scottish Executive is currently revie…
7 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households do not have access to natural gas, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: No information is held centrally on the number of households without access to natural gas. The results of the last Scottish House Condition Survey show that, in 1996, 1.45 million dwellings or 68.5% of the stock had mains gas. Figures are not available by lo…
7 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether research in universities is best stimulated and promoted by targeting funding at the best departments or by encouraging improvement in other departments.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: We look to our research base to provide a range of short, medium and long-term economic and social benefits, through research undertaken here, or through the dissemination of knowledge and technology developed elsewhere. As such it is important that we both s…
7 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken or proposes to take regarding any intention by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to fund only departments graded four or five in the research assessment exercise.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is currently undertaking a review of its policies and methods for funding research. A consultation paper was issued on 18 December, which forms the second stage of the Council's review. The paper describes the fun…
7 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council regarding the criteria to be used for the third research assessment exercise in Scottish universities.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Research Assessment process is conducted jointly by the four UK Research Councils as part of their statutory responsibilities. Government Departments and Devolved Administrations have a responsibility for higher education and the funding councils. Neither…
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release of 5 February 2001, what programmes the #250 million committed to digital initiatives will be allocated to and what the timescale is for achieving this expenditure.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The press release on 5 February 2001 noted that the Executive has already committed £250 million for digital initiatives including schools, hospitals and across the public sector.<P>The table below details the programmes that funds have been allocated to and …
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for biomass as a renewable energy source in each year since 1997 and what funding is planned in the future.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Support for research and development in biomass, as for all renewable technologies, is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry.<P>Of the three biomass projects awarded contracts as a result of the three Orders compr…
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to support or promote a trading exchange for green certificates in energy and how such a scheme would operate.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: It is expected that the new Renewables Obligation (Scotland), and equivalent obligations elsewhere, will eventually result in a market for renewables obligation certificates, which will be traded separately from the renewable electricity they will represent. …