Parliamentary questions
Michael Russell
1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the option exists to produce bilingual cattle passports in Gaelic and English in line with the decision to allow the use of Welsh on cattle passports issued in Wales.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33513 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…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that cattle passports relating to animals bred in Scotland are given a distinctive Scottish identity as part of the campaign to brand Scottish produce in an advantageous fashion.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33513 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…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals there are to give a distinctive Scottish identity to cattle passports, in line with the decision to ensure that cattle passports from Wales are identifiable as such.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are no plans to give a distinctive Scottish identity to cattle passports. Only one format of passport is used on the UK mainland and the text is shown in English and Welsh. The Welsh language is provided in order to comply with the Welsh Language Act 19…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the cost of educational maintenance allowances in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05 and (d) 2005-06 and how many young people will benefit from the scheme in each of those years.
Answer · Iain Gray: Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) related costs for the years in question are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=276><TR><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>(a) 2002-03 </TD><TD WIDTH="41%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>projected costs </TD…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional costs would be incurred in rolling out the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme to all local authorities by May 2003.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) budget for 2003-04 is £5 million. This will provide funding towards the final year of EMA piloting. National rollout will commence during academic year 2004-05.
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when education maintenance allowances will be made available to all eligible 16-year-olds.
Answer · Iain Gray: Education Maintenance Allowances will be made available to all eligible 16-year-olds across Scotland from the start of academic year 2004-05.
20 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make appointments to the remaining two places on Bord Gaidhlig na h-Alba; if so, when the appointments will be made, and whether those that originally applied will be considered.
Answer · Mike Watson: There are no immediate plans to fill these two places. The main priority at present is for the current members of Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba to develop a good working relationship. The appointment of an additional two bòrd members is an opti…
15 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the function of the Lanarkshire Health Executive, Unit 19, Enterprise House, Dal'iel Street, Motherwell is; what dealings it has had with this organisation, and what monitoring has been put in place regarding the quality of service the organisation delivers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have no knowledge of an NHS organisation operating under this name.
15 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for early retirement from teaching on health grounds have been made in each year since 1 September 1997 and how many of these have been successful.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information available is given in the following table. It is held on a financial year basis and is available only from September 1998. The approved cases include applications which were successful on review.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=…
15 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a bill to reform the record of needs procedure.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive published the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill on Friday 17 January 2003, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26036).
14 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to encourage farmers to replace the export to Europe of live animals with the export of meat and carcasses.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Quality Meat Scotland is working with major lamb producers to support long-term profitable opportunities for quality Scottish lamb products. Whilst we would strongly prefer to see meat and carcasses exported, the clear legal position confirmed by two European…
24 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total catch of salmon was in 2002, broken down by area and type of fishery.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Salmon catch figures for 2002 are not yet available.
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what acreage of Scotland has been sold off in plots of very small si'e with the aim of securing only novelty ownership; how many such schemes there have been in the last 20 years, and what difficulties any such schemes have caused for (a) owners and (b) any others.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32681 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…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it can take to prohibit plots of land of one foot square on Clett Island, off Skye, being sold and marketed as novelty gifts and what measures can be taken to ensure that ownership of such plots is reclaimed from anybody that has already acquired it.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32681 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…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it would give to individuals considering purchasing plots of land of one foot square on Clett Island, off Skye.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32681 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…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any future land legislation includes a prohibition on the sale of very small plots of land within larger land holdings and marketed as novelty gifts or opportunities to own part of Scotland's heritage.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32681 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…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rights and responsibilities would be of owners of one foot square plots of land, such as those presently being sold on Clett Island, off Skye.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32681 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…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposed sale of Clett Island, off Skye, in plots each of one foot square.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Section 4(2)(b) of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 provides that an application for registration in the Land Register of Scotland shall not be accepted by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland if it relates to land which is a souvenir plot, that i…
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the prosecution of Shirley McKie, what costs were incurred by (a) it, (b) the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) and (c) any other public bodies, including the Crown Office and the police, in (i) prosecuting the case, (ii) inquiring into the (1) circumstances of the p…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The cost incurred by the various public bodies involved in work related to these matters cannot be separately identified from within the costs incurred by those bodies in discharging the totality of their business.
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO), or any other public body, made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Shirley McKie either before, during or after their suspension for wrongful identification of the fin…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Criminal Record Office has not made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Ms McKie, nor has any other public body as far as I am aware.<P>The Scottish Executive has accepted respon…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure the Scottish Criminal Records Office has incurred with regard to the (a) salaries, (b) pension contributions and (c) other work-related expenses paid in respect of the fingerprint experts that gave evidence in the prosecution of Shirley McKie, broken down by the periods …
Answer · Hugh Henry: Responsibility for pay and other staff-related service conditions for the civilian staff at the Scottish Criminal Record Office formally rests with Strathclyde Joint Police Board. The board has, however, made available the following information in respect of …
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what response it made, or advice it gave, to the Public Petitions Committee with regard to petition PE544 on the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO); whether any such advice or response indicated that it was unable to provide information to the committee because of a pending civil ca…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The substance of the Scottish Executive's response is recorded at column 2532 of the Official Report of the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee held on 3 December 2002 and can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/ctt…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Education and Young People, the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning or the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport holds responsibility for policy and action on Gaelic when taught as a second language.
Answer · Mike Watson: A cross-cutting approach is employed in the Executive's delivery on Gaelic issues. Gaelic is taught as a second language in both the schools sector and the post-school sector. The Minister for Education and Young People holds policy responsibility for the for…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it gives within its Gaelic policy to enabling adults to learn Gaelic as a second language.
Answer · Mike Watson: The Scottish Executive attaches high priority to enabling adults to learn Gaelic as a second language. The main responsibility for the delivery of this rests with education authorities and the further and higher education sectors. However, an important contri…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical assistance it is giving to help adults learn Gaelic as a second language.
Answer · Mike Watson: The responsibility for the delivery of Gaelic as a second language for adults rests with education authorities and further and higher education institutions. The Scottish Executive also provides assistance to bodies and institutions engaged in Gaelic educatio…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of opportunities to learn Gaelic as a second language for primary school children.
Answer · Mike Watson: The provision of Gaelic as a second language for primary school children is a matter for education authorities. However, the Executive supports with funding the Gaelic Language in the Primary School Programme which operates in a number of authorities. This pr…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of opportunities to learn Gaelic as a second language in secondary schools throughout Scotland.
Answer · Mike Watson: The provision of Gaelic as a second language for secondary schools throughout Scotland is a matter for education authorities and they can also bid into the specific grant scheme for support for this activity. The Executive has acted to improve Gaelic teacher …
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of opportunities throughout Scotland for adult non-native speakers to learn Gaelic.
Answer · Mike Watson: The responsibility for the delivery of Gaelic to adult non-native speakers rests with education authorities and further and higher education institutions. The Scottish Executive provides direct funding to Gaelic bodies and institutions engaged in Gaelic educa…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to ensure that its previous recommendations and those of the Change Management Review Team established by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland regarding openness and accountability in the Scottish Criminal Records Off…
Answer · Hugh Henry: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has a statutory duty to enquire into police efficiency independently of the Scottish Executive. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to direct HMIC in how it should discharge its …
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31827 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002, what outstanding matters from previous inspections of the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) will be considered by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in the follow-up inspection of the SCRO in January 200…
Answer · Hugh Henry: As part of the forthcoming Review Inspection of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary will seek to identify the progress made in addressing all of the recommendations and suggestions contained in its Primary Inspection Re…