Parliamentary questions

Michael Matheson

1,154 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from the Scottish Legal Aid Board regarding rates for pay for solicitors who undertake legal aid work both in the civil and criminal fields.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Legal Aid Board has raised the issue of remuneration rates for solicitors who undertake civil and criminal legal aid work. Initial discussions have taken place within the Tripartite Working Group which comprises officials of the Scottish Executiv…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the civil legal aid hourly rate of remuneration.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Discussions have taken place in the Tripartite Working Group which comprises officials from the Scottish Executive, the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the question of an increase in legal aid fees. The society intend to make propo…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the civil legal aid hourly rate of remuneration last increased.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The fees for civil legal aid work were last increased in 1995.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to bring forward proposals to create local strategies aimed at encouraging the co-ordination and development of public transport for disabled people.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive's recently issued guidance to local authorities on the preparation of full Local Transport Strategies for their area stresses the need for strategies to address the key transport factors affecting people with disabilities. A copy of the guidance…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a mechanism for undertaking regular consultation with disabled people in relation to the formulation of national or local transport policy.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I announced in March that a national group would be formed to advise the Executive on the transport needs of people with disabilities. The group is expected to meet regularly and will contain representatives of a wide variety of organisations concerned with p…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the number of prisoners in Scottish prisons who suffer from autism.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows.The information is not available.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish a national group, comprising transport providers, disabled people and policy makers, to discuss the transport needs of disabled people.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I announced in March that a national group would be formed to advise the Executive on the transport needs of people with disabilities. It is planned that the group will include representatives of a variety of organisations concerned with people experiencing m…

15 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in order to improve transport provision for disabled people.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I announced on 13 March that I have decided to set up a national group to advise the Executive on the transport needs of people with disabilities. The group, on which a variety of organisations concerned with people experiencing mobility problems, including b…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the response times of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive along with health boards and NHS Trusts work in partnership to ensure the delivery of a responsive, high quality ambulance service. A range of measures with the Scottish Ambulance Service have been or are being taken to improve the serv…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the timescale for the implementation of a priority-based dispatch system for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Matheson to my answer to his question S1W-5172.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the level of new funding provided to Scottish police forces for the purchase of stab-proof vests.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Police forces' budgets are set by their respective police authorities. It is for chief constables to decide how to allocate resources on operational equipment such as the provision of stab proof vests.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the cost of introducing a priority-based dispatch system for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive announced on 7 March that we are providing the Scottish Ambulance Service with £100,000 to help them investigate whether a priority-based system for answering 999 calls would provide a better and more responsive service for patients. We…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the level of funding over the last five years provided to organisations specifically involved in tackling poverty among disabled people.

Answer · Iain Gray: An annual grant of £10,150 was awarded to the Disablement Income Group Scotland from 1995-96 until 1998-99. This funding ceased at the end of March 1999 because of the decision to establish a new disability information service, UPDATE. UPDATE will receive fun…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to tackle increases in male unemployment in the Falkirk area.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is very conscious of the particular problems of areas such as Falkirk and we shall seek to ensure through investing in jobs and skills, fostering enterprise and encouraging the growth of new businesses that we create sustainable economi…

14 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist owner occupiers of Orlit homes who are experiencing difficulties in selling their properties due to their inability to obtain prefabricated reinforced construction certificates.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Orlit house type was designated as defective under the Housing Defects Act 1984. The Act provided financial assistance for the owners of defective houses bought from a public sector authority before 26 April 1984. The assistance was well publicised and wa…

9 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any guidance issued to local authorities on behavioural management techniques.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: General guidance on Special Educational Needs is contained in the Scottish Executive Manual of Good Practice for all staff and professionals involved with children and young people with special educational needs which was issued in January 1999. Furthe…

9 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations are in place to govern the promotion of courses in behavioural management techniques.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: None.

2 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in order to reduce the time taken for the completion of assessments for special educational needs.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Current Scottish Executive guidance to education authorities recommends that the assessment and recording process should not exceed 6 months.

2 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding is provided to police forces to ensure that they adequately comply with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is for Scottish police forces to comply with the law, including any relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, from within the resources available to them.