Parliamentary questions
Michael Russell
1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area have not had a full inspection in the last (i) 10, (ii) 15 and (iii) 20 years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Graham Donaldson, Chief Executive of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Over recent years, HMIE has increased the number of schools inspected each year. In 1996-97 152 school inspections were completed.…
17 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) target times are between full inspections of (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I have asked Graham Donaldson, Chief Executive of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), to respond. His response is as follows:<P>HMIE is working towards the generational cycle whereby a primary school will be inspected once every seven years and a secondary s…
14 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers had no national qualification to Scottish Credit Qualification Framework level 3 or better in academic year 2001-02.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is not yet available for the academic year 2001-02. It will be made public in the Statistics Publication Notice, School Attainment and Qualifications of School Leavers in Scotland: 2001-02, on 25 March 2003.<P>The Statistics Publicat…
11 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1F-2474 by the First Minister on 6 February 2003, whether the use of the quotation contained in that answer, taken from an article of mine in The Herald on 22 October 2001, and intended to show support for the stance taken by the Minister for Tourism, C…
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The use of quotations in answers to parliamentary questions, in debates and in speeches is a perfectly legitimate practice.
11 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to ensure that any public concern about gas leaks, such as the one reported from Park Place and Westport in Lanark, is reflected in urgent action by the relevant authorities and supervised by those responsible for public safety.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Gas safety is a reserved matter. Transco is responsible for running the gas emergency service under its licence conditions. This service is provided free of charge, at point of delivery, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year round. The H…
10 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a letter from Associated British Ports (ABP) about the publicity and public relations for the visit to Troon of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on 30 October 2002 in connection with the centenary of the sailing of the vessel Scotia to the Antarctic and, if so…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Associated British Ports (ABP) has not written to the Scottish Executive about this matter. A representative of ABP telephoned the Scottish Executive shortly before the visit to request accreditation for its photographer. This request was granted and the stan…
10 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons are to be learnt from any complaint by Troon Business Association about the Executive's involvement in the publicity and public relations for the visit of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Troon on 30 October 2002 in connection with the centenary of the sailing of the…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive carried out its role fully and in accordance with its normal remit for Royal engagements. Current operational procedures have proved to be both efficient and effective. It is of course for the media, both local and national, to choose which roya…
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it will follow to enable parliamentary scrutiny of any reports on educational provision in Scotland by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Inspections of educational provision in Scotland are not carried out by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education.
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be made to ensure that any inspection undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education conforms to Scottish practice and procedure given the different inspection regimes in place in Scotland and in England.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Inspections of educational provision in Scotland are not carried out by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education.
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about any use of inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education to inspect education provision for refugee children and whether any presence of these inspectors conforms with the letter and spirit of current educational l…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The inspection of education provision for refugee children in Scotland has been conducted by HM Inspectorate of Education.
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation permits inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education to operate in Scotland.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33881 today. 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/searc…
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any permission for inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education to work in Scotland and, if so, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Inspections of educational provision in Scotland are conducted by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). HMIE has on occasion invited inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education to accompany them in an advisory or observational capacity.
7 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education would operate in Scotland.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education would operate in Scotland if Scottish ministers were to exercise their power under section 66 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to appoint persons other than HM Inspectorate of Education to conduct insp…
6 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of any reductions in local authority budgets for snow clearing on the number of weather-related school closures.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No such assessment has been made.
6 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in each local authority area have been affected by weather-related school closures since 1 October 2002.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the online search costs charged by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) for the information it makes available on the internet with a view to replacing the current charging system with a charge for a single day's unrestricted access.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) keeps its charges under regular review, and has recently set up a user group consisting of customers of its ScotlandsPeople internet site and Scotland Online, the contractors who run the site on its behalf, to a…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the benefit to the economy of genealogy, including tourism within and to Scotland associated with the tracing of ancestry.
Answer · Mike Watson: VisitScotland is currently awaiting the results of an audit jointly funded with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to quantify the value to Scotland of the genealogy tourism sector. The findings are due in late spring.
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the availability of burial and graveyard records and assist local authorities in making them available to researchers and genealogical enquirers on a uniform basis throughout Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33623 today. 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/searc…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the availability of burgh records and assist local authorities in making them available to researchers and genealogical enquirers on a uniform basis throughout Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 empowers local authorities to make whatever provision they consider appropriate for enabling any person to inspect their records. The Executive recognises the importance of such records to researchers and genealog…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider changes to legislation to allow access to census records after 80 years rather than 100 years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive has no plans to consider changes to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to reduce from its present 100 years the exemption applying to access to census records relating to individuals. The provisions in the act reflect undertakings gi…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against a refusal of early retirement on medical grounds have been (a) accepted and (b) refused in each year since 1999 by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) and how many of the initial or further health assessments relating to these appeals were undertaken by Lan…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The process following the refusal of medical early retirement allows the applicant to apply for a review of the decision at any time. All such reviews are undertaken by Workability Ltd (formerly Lanarkshire Health Executive) who make a further recommendation …
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what declarations of interest have been made by employees of, or advisers to, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency with regard to their directorship of any companies undertaking contracted work for the agency in the field of health assessments or any other area of work.
Answer · Andy Kerr: None. Except in so far as the directors and employees of Workability Ltd provide medical advice to the Scottish Public Pension Agency under its contract with them.
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what rules govern the use of outside contractors working for the Scottish Public Pensions Agency on health assessments of employees seeking early retirement from posts covered by the agency and, in particular, what declaration of interest any employees of, or advisers to, the agency have …
Answer · Andy Kerr: Outside contractors working for the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) are subject to normal public sector procurement arrangements. The Chief Executive of Workability Ltd is the medical adviser to SPPA under the contract and other staff of Workability ma…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements the Scottish Public Pensions Agency makes, or has made, with outside contractors for health assessments of employees seeking early retirement from posts covered by the agency and what evaluation it has made of those contractors in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since 1999, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) has had a contract with Workability Ltd, formerly Lanarkshire Health Executive for the provision of medical advice, primarily assessments of employees seeking early retirement on medical grounds. Performa…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contracted arrangements exist, or have existed, between Lanarkshire Health Executive Ltd, Workability Ltd and Business Link (Virtual Services) Ltd and any executive agency.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33614 today. 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/searc…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what dealings it has had, or any of its agencies have had, with Workability Ltd and Business Link (Virtual Services) Ltd whose registered offices are at 9 Kitchener Street, Wishaw.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Public Pensions Agency has a contract with Workability Ltd for the provision of medical advice, primarily recommendations as to whether early retirement should be granted on medical grounds under the Scottish Teachers Superannuation Scheme and th…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has undertaken regarding the awareness by teachers of the need to complete a form to report an incident of violent or threatening behaviour in order that such an incident can be included in local authority and national statistics.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive issues guidance to all education authorities regarding how schools should record incidents. The guidance makes it clear that all incidents should be reported to the head teacher and on to the education authority. The Executive has not undertaken…
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figures in Incidents of Violence and Anti-social Behaviour against Local Authority School Staff in 2001/02 include incidents of violent or threatening behaviour to teachers by pupils that occur outwith school premises.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Yes. This information can be found in the publication, <I>Incidents of Violent and Anti Social Behaviour against local authority staff in 2001/02</I>, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26274).
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any circumstances in which, despite experiencing an incident of violence or threatening behaviour, teachers are encouraged or instructed not to complete a form reporting that incident.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The guidance the Scottish Executive issues, to education authorities, on the reporting of incidents of anti social behaviour and violence against staff in schools makes it clear that all such incidents should be reported. Since 1997, local authorities have be…
29 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the present method of reporting on schools and their pupils' attainment through league tables.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not report on schools and their pupils' attainment through league tables.