Parliamentary questions
Michael Russell
1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposed alterations to a draft school inspection report suggested by a local education authority that are detrimental to the school are investigated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education before being accepted.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-21706 and S1W-21708. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence.
10 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are followed when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is considering whether to alter a draft inspection report following comments made by a local authority.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21706. During inspections, Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) take account of evidence drawn from a number of sources, including comments by the education authority, headteacher and school board chair, data f…
10 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years in order to render them more critical of a school following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21706. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence and not solely on comments from any source, including an education authority. Final responsibilit…
10 Jan 2002 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: It is standard practice for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to show all draft reports to the relevant education authority, headteacher and school board chair before publication. Any additional evidence provided at this stage is taken into accou…
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines exist with regard to staff who are deemed to be redundant after restructuring exercises in non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Guidance on personnel management practices is included in the current central Government guide for departments on non-departmental public bodies.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines exist with regard to severance payments for senior members of staff of non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21577.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the outcome of discussions on funding theatre in Scotland, including the discussions with the Scottish Arts Council which were reported to the Parliament by the then Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in the debate on the National Cultural Strategy on 25 Oct…
Answer · Elaine Murray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21574.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18835 by Allan Wilson on 11 November 2001, what progress it has made regarding the establishment of a National Theatre for Scotland.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Arts Council's submission on Scottish theatre seeks significant additional funding. It also raises a number of detailed issues relating to the theatre sector which we are examining with care. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a…
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Federation of Scottish Theatre and others about additional funding for theatre in Scotland and when it will announce its conclusions about such funding.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive has taken opinion from the sector in its consideration of the Scottish Arts Council's submission on funding for Scottish theatre. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
24 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19469 by Iain Gray on 26 November 2001, why the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service did not provide information at that time on the provision of mandate forms under the Data Protection Act in prisons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Prison Service keeps its policy and procedures on data protection under review. As part of that process, and following a sugges…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement a "winding down" scheme that allows mature teachers to reduce hours whilst continuing to base pensions on the final full-time salary, as outlined in Section 3 of the report A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is taking forward work on a winding down scheme as outlined in Section 3 of the report <I>A Teaching Profession for the 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century </I>in partnership with the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. Discussions are taking place wi…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position would be with regard to any plan for a Public/Private Partnership project submitted by a local authority that permitted departments of the authority to bid for part or all of the contract.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is a matter for local authorities to decide whether such a plan complied with its current legal powers and obligations, such as those provided by Local Authorities (Goods & Services) Act 1970, although we would also expect it to take Best Value into accoun…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it takes to ensure that commercial confidentiality issues do not impede full democratic discussion of proposed Public/Private Partnership business plans when they are discussed by local authority members prior to being submitted to the Executive.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Arrangements for approval within local authorities are a matter for local authorities.<P>Scottish Executive approval processes relate to the award of financial support and so are primarily concerned with ascertaining that the conditions for support have been …
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it takes to verify that financial information supporting outline business plans for Public/Private Partnership projects submitted by local authorities has in each case been seen and approved by the members of the local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Arrangements for approval within local authorities are a matter for the local authority.<P>Scottish Executive approval processes relate to the award of financial support and so are primarily concerned with ascertaining that the conditions for support have bee…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it takes to verify that outline business plans for Public/Private Partnership projects submitted by local authorities have in each case been discussed fully and approved by the members of the local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Arrangements for approval within local authorities are a matter of local accountability.<P>Scottish Executive approval processes relate to the award of financial support and so are primarily concerned with ascertaining that the conditions for support have bee…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assessment of the advice given by the Principals of Scottish universities on the transfer of the functions of the Studentship Advisory Committee of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to a UK-wide body included an assessment of any consultation carried out by individual Pri…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive's understanding of the views of higher education institutions was based on representations received from Universities Scotland, as the sector's representative body. Internal consultation within institutions is a matter for the members of Univers…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of the Arts and Humanities Research Board will be required to be experts in the field of Scottish culture and what representations it has made to the board on this issue.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Membership of the main board and its supporting panels and committees is a matter for the Arts and Humanities Review Board itself. However, the current review of the Arts and Humanities Research Board provides an opportunity to consider how Scottish interests…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a UK body such as the Arts and Humanities Research Board, based outside Scotland, is in a better position to evaluate applications for research funding into topics relating to Scottish culture than the Studentship Advisory Committee of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Arts and Humanities Research Board already has a record of evaluating applications favourably for research funding from academic members of staff in higher education institutions in Scotland, including in the field of Scottish culture and society. The fun…
17 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the chairmen and members of the Studentship Advisory Committee of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland were consulted about the recent decision to transfer the agency's functions to the UK-wide Arts and Humanities Research Board.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. I very much regret the omission, and I have arranged for the chairman, who drew the matter to my attention, to receive a full apology.
14 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments it has made to assist arts organisations with the reduction of deficits, broken down by amount and organisation, in the last two years.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive has awarded the Piping Centre £550,000 in this period for this purpose (I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21105). No other award has been made by the Executive directly, although Scottish Opera received £1.9 million in 2000-…
14 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what direct or indirect financial assistance it has given to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the last two years and what the purpose of the assistance was.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Arts Council has provided funding to the the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) in the last two years as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=323><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALI…
14 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what direct or indirect financial assistance it has given to the Glasgow Piping Centre in the last two years and what the purpose of the assistance was.
Answer · Elaine Murray: In September 2000, the Piping Centre in Glasgow received a grant of £250,000 from the Scottish Executive. In November 2001 they were granted £300,000. Both grants were offered to reduce the debt of the centre and thus help it continue to provide tuition for m…
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes will be made to the Higher Still English exam syllabus following consultations with parents and teachers.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21099 on 7 January 2002. I asked Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to implement the proposals in the NQTG review of this subject and SQA have now written to centres advising them of the changes.
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in resolving any concerns expressed by parents and teachers about the Higher Still English exam.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The National Qualifications Task Group established a sub-group last year to review the design of National Courses in English and Communication. The sub-group reported in November 2001 and a copy of its report has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Cent…
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the closure of local hospital and respite services which have the support of local communities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21085. In such instances, commissioners of care services should negotiate with care providers at local level, taking into account the wishes of local people.
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Lanarkshire Health Board regarding the proposed closure of St Mary's Hospital, Lanark and what consideration has been given to the support locally for the hospital's retention.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The proposed closure of St Mary's Hospital is a matter for local negotiation. We understand that representatives from South Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire recently attended a meeting with the Management Committee of St Mary's Hospital to discuss the …
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the proposed closure of St Mary's Hospital, Lanark.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have received one such representation.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to promote a British culture among those Scots, of all ethnic groups, who hold that their national identity is Scottish rather than British.
Answer · Elaine Murray: All Scots can and should take pride in the culture of Scotland and the culture of Britain in all their diversity.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it would define British culture.
Answer · Elaine Murray: It is not for the Executive to seek to define British culture.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the promotion of a British culture in Scotland by Her Majesty's Government.
Answer · Elaine Murray: Scotland has made and continues to make a significant contribution to British, European and World culture.