Parliamentary questions
Michael Matheson
1,154 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a national development officer for outdoor education will be in post at Learning and Teaching Scotland and what the officer's remit will be.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16657 on 2 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.sea…
18 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what Learning and Teaching Scotland's development goals are in respect of outdoor education.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The main development goal for Learning and Teaching Scotland is to continue driving up the quality of learning experiences through various, diverse programmes and approaches.</p> <p>The appointment of the development officer is a matter for Learning and Teach…
11 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons under 16 years of age have been held in prison in each of the last six years, broken down by (a) prison and (b) length of stay.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-16259 and S2W-16260 on <br> 11 May 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questio…
23 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15179 by Patricia Ferguson on 22 March 2005, whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding provided by the lead applicant and its funding partners for each of the projects.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: This information is set out in the table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Lead Applicant</p> <p>Project</p></td> <td colspan="2"> <p align=center>Contribution From</p> <p align=center> </p><…
23 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15179 by Patricia Ferguson on 22 March 2005, whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding provided by the (a) Exchequer and (b) Lottery Sports Fund for each project and the source of the Exchequer funding.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: A total of £28.8 million of Exchequer funding is being invested in the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy. That funding was announced following the outcome of the 2002 Spending Review.</p> <p>No specific allocation of Exchequer and Lottery funds…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to provide clear advice and better support for teachers to develop their confidence and skills in teaching physical education, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Physical Education Review Group (PERG) was set up by Scottish ministers as a direct result of the recommendations in <i>Let’s Make Scotland More Active</i>. In my response to the PERG report, I set out my three key aims for physical education: to provide …
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to (a) motivate and (b) ensure that there are safe routes for children to walk to school, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive funds the employment of Active School Managers, Active School Co-ordinators and School Travel Co-ordinators in each local authority area. Active School Co-ordinators are preparing a coherent programme of high-quality opportunities for children t…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to adapt for national use programmes, such as that in Fife, that guide parents through progressive activities that are appropriate to a child's state of development from birth to five years old, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is funding a national development officer for Play@Home, the physical activity programme for children from birth to five years. This will allow all NHS boards to train health visitors in use of this resource from birth onwards.</p> <p>I…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to support all parents in gaining the necessary skills to take an active role in helping their children enjoy an active life, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is funding a national development officer for Play@Home, a physical activity programme for children from birth to five years. This programme provides parents with guidance on safe and beneficial ways of handling a child to stimulate mot…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to increase participation in physical activity by children (a) with a disability and (b) from ethnic minority groups.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We are seeking to ensure that every child in Scotland has access to services to support them in being active enough to meet the minimum activity level required for health. The Executive has invested £24 million in Active Schools and over 600 Active School Co-…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to develop and maintain a physical activity website, including a database of local opportunities and contacts, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Two websites have been developed to raise public awareness and knowledge of physical activity. One forms part of the Healthyliving national campaign and is available at <ahref="http://www.healthyliving.gov.uk/physicalactivity/">http://www.healthyliving.gov.uk…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to create or assign a department with a clear duty for taking the increasing physical activity strategy forward, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Andy Kerr: With the publication of <i>Let’s Make Scotland More Active</i> in 2003, a designated policy team for physical activity has been established within the Scottish Executive’s Health Improvement Strategy Division.</p> <p>Delivery of the physical activity strategy…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to assist schools to increase the physical education curriculum to at least two hours per week and have resources available for its delivery, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Physical Education Review Group (PERG) was set up by Scottish ministers as a direct result of the recommendations in <i>Let’s Make Scotland More Active</i>. In my response to the PERG report, I set out my three key aims for physical education: to provide …
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken on its commitment to monitor and evaluate whether sport programmes are high-quality and effective and cover all the agencies involved, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Active.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Executive is committed to the continuous evaluation and monitoring of programmes to ensure that they are effective and are of high quality.</p> <p><b>Sport</b>scotland has developed an Evaluation Strategy which aims to:</p><p>ensure that adequate systems …
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to provide accurate and evidence-based advice to those working in the voluntary sector to counteract limited awareness of, and knowledge about, physical activity and limited opportunity for education and training, as referred to in Let's Make Scotland More Acti…
Answer · Andy Kerr: Our approach to the implementation of the physical activity strategy has been to establish a broad workforce development plan, inclusive of the private, public and voluntary sectors. In that context:</p> <p>We have commissioned a consultation and plan for wor…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to achieve the target of (a) 50% of all adults aged over 16 and (b) 80% of all children aged 16 and under meeting the minimum recommended levels of physical activity.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We have three nationalsurveillance tools for measuring activity levels in Scotland: the Scottish Health Survey, Health Education Population Survey and HealthBehaviour in School-aged Children.</p><p><i>Scottish Health Survey </i>is used to monitor overall leve…
16 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since the publication of Let's Make Scotland More Active to raise awareness among the population of how much physical activity is needed for good health.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We have created an overall communication programme for physical activity as part of the Healthyliving campaign. The public health education elements of the communication programme, which is designed to support behaviour change, include mass media advertising,…
10 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have secured funding for projects under the National Facilities Strategy; how much funding each project has received, and what the timescale is for completion of each project.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15179 on 22 March 2005. 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/…
10 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the £230 million investment in new sports facilities.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Executive and <b>sport</b>scotland has awarded £49.5 million to the 10 successful bids made under the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy. This contribution, along with that from the funding partners, will see a total investment of up to £230…
10 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all the correspondence, minutes or notes of meetings relating to the decision on the location of the national theatre in Glasgow.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive will examine the scope for publishing informationrelating to the decision to locate the permanentheadquarters of the National Theatre of Scotland in the Greater Easterhouse CulturalCampus, Glasgow, in accordancewith the provisions of th…
9 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the UK Government in respect of meeting representatives of the music industry to discuss the impact on the Scottish music industry of the law as it affects the sale of tickets for music events by ticket touts and online auction websites.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to make representations to the UK Government on this matter.</p>
9 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government in respect of the impact on the Scottish music industry of the advice available to people considering buying tickets for music events from individuals offering such tickets on online auction websites.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to question S2W-15112 on 17 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http…
9 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the UK Government regarding the introduction of legislation to control or limit the sale of tickets for music concerts, music festivals, other sporting events and the theatre by street-based and online ticket touts and whether it has received any…
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to question S2W-15112 on 17 March 2005. 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.search">htt…
9 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the UK Government on seeking discussions with the owners of online auction websites in respect of protections available to individuals who have bought or been offered tickets for music events online in the United Kingdom and the impact this has o…
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to questionS2W-15112 on 17 March 2005. 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/wa.search">http:/…
9 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the UK Government regarding the impact on the Scottish music industry of the effectiveness of current legal provisions in dealing with the fraudulent sale of music event tickets online and misrepresentation of the number of tickets available for …
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: No, the Scottish Executive has made no representations to the UK Government nor received any representations from the Scottishmusic industry, or wider entertainment and sports industries, in relation to ticketselling or reselling matters.</p>
4 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the number of fraudulent sales of tickets for football matches and convictions for ticket touting at football matches.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Touting is an offence under Section 55 of the Civic Government Act 1982, but there is no specific offence of ticket touting at football matches.</p>
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific actions it has taken to implement the advice on enhancing the status of the Scots language contained in the last report of the European Committee of Experts on the United Kingdom's application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Committee of Experts recommended to the UK government that it should help create conditions for the use of Scots in public life, through the adoption of a language policy and concrete measures, in co-operation with the speakers of the language. The Execut…
10 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it funds and resources the Scots language; what level of funding it has made available to support the Scots language in each of the last three years, and how much funding it will make available in the next financial year.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has not earmarked a specific budget for Scots language development. It provides funding for Scots activities through the general resources which it makes available to cultural and educational bodies, local authorities and the enterprise…
10 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any advice to local authorities about the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Local authorities were issued with advice on the Charter in February 2002. At this point the Scottish Executive wrote to all Scottish local authorities and public bodies informing them that the UK Government had signed the Charter and informed them of the spe…
10 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice has been issued to civil servants concerning the application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Officials of the Scottish Executive have been charged with advising ministers on the development of a national language strategy which will include measures in relation to Scots. The development of such a strategy is one of the government’s partnership commit…