Parliamentary questions

Malcolm Chisholm

362 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

29 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any reliable research that suggests that primaries schools with between 100 and 200 pupils perform less effectively that those with between 400 and 500 pupils.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Primary schools operateeffectively, and necessarily, with rolls of varying sizes. The Scottish Governmentis not aware of any reliable basis which might point to optimum sizes for variouscategories of school.

29 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will employ when making decisions about school closures that are referred to it on the grounds that the school is over 80% full.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Such cases are consideredon the basis of their individual circumstances and merits, and in light of the AdditionalGuidance on Local Authority Proposals for the School Estate, including School Closuresissued by the Scottish Executive in September 2004.<…

29 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school closure decisions have been referred to it on the grounds that a school was over 80% full.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There have been26 such cases since May 1999.

29 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact its policy intention of reducing class sizes in P1, P2 and P3 would have on the capacity of primary schools in Edinburgh.

Answer · Maureen Watt: This will be amatter for the City of Edinburgh Council to determine. the Scottish Government has already provided the council with a £2.345 millionshare of an additional £40 million of capital grant this year towardsalleviating some of the most acute pressur…

29 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has asked local authorities to take account of its policy intention of reducing class sizes to 18 in P1, P2 and P3 when drawing up plans for school closures.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The ScottishGovernment’s position on class size reductions has been clearly signalled toauthorities. Existing guidance on school closures already makes clear that itis for authorities to identify and take account of all relevant factors thatbear on any closur…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects across Scotland are supported by the Community Regeneration Fund and when it considers it reasonable to supply information to those projects about future support.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Information on thenumber of projects and services supported by the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF)is not centrally held. The CRF is being considered as part of the current StrategicSpending Review. The Scottish Government will be making announcements on its…

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has given or plans to give to community planning partnerships about the future of the Community Regeneration Fund.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Community RegenerationFund is being considered as part of the current Strategic Spending Review. The ScottishGovernment will be making announcements on its future as soon as is practical.

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the future of the Community Regeneration Fund.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The CommunityRegeneration Fund is being considered as part of the current Strategic SpendingReview. The Scottish Government will be making announcements on its future assoon as is practical.

5 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Executive will ensure that school pupils will have breater access to cultural opportunities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: From 2008-09, the Scottish Executive will lose projected income of £15 million (net) together withestimated administrative savings of £60,000 per year. There will also be a one-offwrite off of £225,000 of system development costs in 2008-09.There will …

17 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the delivery of the Edinburgh trams scheme; when a decision will be made on the scheme, and how it intends the Parliament to be involved in arriving at that decision.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers have invitedAudit Scotland to review the procedures used to forecast costs and assess risk forthe proposed Edinburgh tram project.The review will cover the approach,the methodology and the scope of the assessment used to identify cos…

19 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31794 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 February 2007, what the cost would be of not co-operating with public health services elsewhere in the United Kingdom in respect of computer systems, communication services and other matters.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Whether to co-operate with partnerson a particular development is considered on a case-by-case basis. The potentialto reduce cost is one of the benefits of co-operation that would be considered inreaching a decision. While the cost of any development, co-oper…

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people responded to the consultation on the Water of Leith flood prevention scheme that followed the public inquiry and, of these, how many supported (a) the City of Edinburgh Council’s scheme and (b) the scheme as amended by the proposals of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Of the 2,365 affected parties invited to make representationson the terms of the modifications under consideration, 337 responded, with a further45, including elected representatives, making representations. A total of 354 werein favour of the modification la…

14 Mar 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on funding for the Haymarket to Granton section of the Edinburgh tram line.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Our commitment of £375million plus inflation (£450 million to £500 million) is a contribution towardsthe capital cost of Phase 1a of the network which runs from Ocean Terminal to Edinburgh Airport.There is proven demand for thetram network along the ro…

6 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have benefited from the Homestake shared equity scheme in Edinburgh through (a) open market purchase and (b) new supply.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:Information about Homestakeshared equity scheme purchases in the City of Edinburgh is available to theend of February 2007 and shows that 395 …

19 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce accelerated procedures for the approval of flood prevention schemes, in light of concerns expressed by local communities that the proposed plans for the Water of Leith were submitted in 2003 and that the local public inquiry was held in November and D…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Flood prevention schemes,other than those of maintenance or repair, can only be carried out under theFlood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. This is to ensure all parties affected bya scheme are properly informed and given the opportunity to object. It isimport…

19 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of the Water of Leith flood prevention scheme, there are any additional factors that Scottish Ministers will take into account, given the time that has elapsed since the local public inquiry was held.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Public Local Inquiry onthe Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme was held between 2 November and 10 December 2004. Theoutcome of the Public Local Inquiry required the Executive to undertake apublic consultation on proposed modifications, which led to 386…

19 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a target date has been set to announce Scottish Ministers’ decision on the Water of Leith flood prevention scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Our consideration of theWater of Leith Flood prevention Scheme has presented the Executive with manychallenges in seeking to confirm a scheme which will deliver the maximumresilience against flooding in a way which is fair to all. Our consideration of the com…

3 Jul 2000 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Executive intends to bring forward proposals to change the law in relation to stalking and harassment.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We are committed to reviewing the law in relation to harassment and stalking by 2001. To that end, we launched a consultation exercise in March this year, and are now analysing the responses. We will discuss our proposals in the Parliament as soon as possible.

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections of public sector right to buy sales from (a) 1986 to 1996 and (b) 1991 to 1996 would have been made in 1986 and 1991 respectively, using the methodology developed by Scottish Homes to predict the likely take-up of right to buy if it were extended to all tenants of non-cha…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Projections for 1986 to 1996 are not available. Projections for 1991-96 give sales estimates of 127,610 - equivalent to 15%. The actual sales in the period were 118,475 or 14%. These projections relate to the anticipated take-up amongst the 43,000 non-charita…

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available the detailed methodology which was used by Scottish Homes to predict the likely take up of right to buy if it were extended to all tenants of charitable housing associations.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I have placed a copy of the detailed methodology outlined as part of our proposal in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. There are no proposals to extend the right to buy to all tenants of charitable housing associations.

24 Jan 2000 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether he will outline the future programme of work of the British-Irish Council and in particular the role that the Scottish Executive will play in it.

Answer · Donald Dewar: The first meeting of the British-Irish Council identified an initial list of issues for early consideration by the Council. With the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Executive is taking lead responsibility for the Council's consideration of one of th…

1 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward its commitment to promote equality of opportunity for all.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Within the parameters of the Scotland Act 1998 and as reaffirmed in Making it Work Together: A Programme for Government, the Scottish Executive is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all; establishing an equality unit within the Scottish…

15 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the number and the average pay scales of childcare workers employed in Scotland are, broken down by (a) gender, (b) sector (private, public, non profit making, self employed) and (c) part-time/full-time employment for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not currently collected centrally. We are commissioning a workforce survey which will report on key aspects of the childcare workforce around late spring 2000.

5 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide additional financial support to Scottish Opera and whether it will make a statement.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: In May of this year the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) notified 3 year funding allocations to Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. These allocations assumed, on the basis of plans and forecasts prepared in discussion with each of the companies and subsequently ag…

30 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given consideration to the introduction of retractable syringes in the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A pilot scheme on the use of retractable needles is currently being carried out at West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust. In addition data on needlestick injuries in the NHS in Scotland is currently being collected. We are also liaising with the Department of Hea…

29 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given consideration to the introduction of retractable syringes in the NHS.

9 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what are the levels of half median male earnings for (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each local authority area.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Latest figures for half median male earnings, for Scotland, and for local authorities for which reliable information is available, are shown in the table below.Median and half median gross weekly pay of men in full time work Scotland, April 1998<P ALIGN="R…

23 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of nursing posts that are (a) vacant and (b) permanently held open.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In relation to the data supplied for questions S1W-683 and S1W-684 the following definitions were used for nursing posts that are a) vacant and b) permanently held open.<OL TYPE="a"><LI>All funded posts unfilled at the census point.</LI></O…

23 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the number of nursing posts, in this financial year, that are (a) vacant and (b) permanently held open, for each acute hospital trust and primary care trust in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not yet available.

23 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the number of nursing posts that were (a) vacant and (b) permanently held open in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1997-98 and (iii) 1998-99, for each NHS Trust in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information available is shown in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=633><TR><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=5 HEIGHT=13> Qualified nu…