Parliamentary questions

Michael Russell

1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for qualified students to enter a course leading to a qualification in nursing broken down by health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-9749.

8 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for qualified students to enter a course leading to a qualification in nursing.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There is no such measure. Each individual case will vary and will depend on a number of factors such as date of application compared to the course dates at the chosen institution, the student's choice of institution, the branch of nursing that is selected and…

6 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take in the light of the 40% rise in applications for housing made in North Ayrshire under homeless persons legislation between 1996-97 and 1998-99, reported in Statistical Bulletin: Housing Series HSG/2000/S.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Since these applications were recorded, the Executive has established the Homelessness Task Force, which I chair, to consider the causes of homelessness and to make recommendations on improving legislation and services. We have already accepted the interim re…

28 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will itemise the costs of the launch event for the National Cultural Strategy, including the hire of musicians and performers.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The costs for the launch of the National Cultural Strategy were as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Metro Ecosse (all design, lighting and set up costs) £7,800<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">There were no costs incurred for either the actual hire of the hall or of…

28 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those bodies and individuals who gave evidence or made suggestions during the consultation process for the National Cultural Strategy.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: As the information relating to this PQ is lengthy, I will write to the member with the full details. A copy of the list has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

28 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will itemise the cost of the focus group, including travel, fees and subsistence expenses, and the public consultation exercise which led to the publication of its National Cultural Strategy document Creating our Future, Minding our Past

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The costs of the focus group and public consultation were:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="69%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Travel and Subsistence costs for focus group members</TD><TD WIDTH="31%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="RIGHT">£ 250<…

28 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will itemise the costs, including the staff costs, for the preparation, printing, photography, design, publication and distribution of Creating our Future, Minding our Past.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The costs are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Design (inc photography)</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="RIGHT">£16,000</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P AL…

12 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8128 by Sarah Boyack on 4 July 2000, what it considers to be the appropriate use of Gaelic in National Parks with regard to signage and bilingual publications.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: It will be for each national park authority, together with its partners in preparing the National Park Plan, to decide on the most appropriate means of promoting Gaelic. Guidance for each national park authority will identify best practice.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address concerns expressed by Kilmartin House Trust and others that gravel extraction in Kilmartin area of Argyll is damaging a number of archaeological sites.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The archaeological sites concerned were discovered during archaeological work undertaken in advance of quarrying, under a valid planning consent issued by Strathclyde Regional Council. The elements of the site that lay within Phases One and Two of the quarry'…

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what will be included in any guidance for public bodies regarding implications of the National Parks Bill, and what the implications of any such guidance will be for Gaelic bilingual signage and bilingual publications in national parks.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The guidance to be issued to National Park authorities will include:<UL><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI>Financial Memorandum and Management Statements governing financial, management and corporate planning matters;</LI><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI>Guidance on the formulatio…

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many parental requests for Gaelic-medium education have been received by local authorities in Scotland in the last five years.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The information requested is not held centrally, but the number of children in Gaelic-medium education has increased over the period.

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expert advice from language planners and other linguistic authorities has been taken with regard to any official projections of the number of Gaelic speakers resident in Scotland in 2005, 2010 and 2015.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: No official projections of the numbers of Gaelic speakers have been made. The Executive's policy is that there should be opportunities for learning and using the language, in particular by supporting Gaelic-medium education where parents request it for their …

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-7845.

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: No official projection of the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland is made.

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote improvements in the standard of bathing waters at the seven Scottish bathing beaches recently found to have failed to meet the European Union's minimum standards.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Bathing Waters 1999 Bathing Water Quality Results report published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency contains information on the work which is being done at each bathing water. A copy of this report has been placed in the Parliament's…

5 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the administrative and operational budget of the Scottish Arts Council, excluding grant aid to applicants, was spent on vehicle fuel in 1999.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Arts Council. The information requested is not held centrally.

5 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on vehicle fuel by the (i) National Museum of Scotland, (ii) National Library of Scotland and (iii) National Galleries of Scotland during 1999.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Expenditure on vehicle fuel during 1999 was as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="49%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">National Museums of Scotland</TD><TD WIDTH="51%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">£4,585</TD></TR><TR…

5 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much bodies funded by the Scottish Arts Council received in grant aid in 1999 which was spent on vehicle fuel.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Arts Council. The information requested is not held centrally.

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is towards access to any governmental records held in Scotland which are presently closed to researchers for periods from 30 to 100 years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: No file is totally closed. Any file may be made available to those who have a legal right to see it, and any decision on access by researchers is made in the spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information introduced on 1 July 1999.…

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it intends to make under the proposed freedom of information legislation with regard to Her Majesty's Government records held in Scotland by bodies responsibility for which is not devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament in relation to "access to information", as set out in The Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedules 4 and 5) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/1749), does not extend to information held by UK Government …

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether access to Customs and Excise records held in Scotland will come within the scope of its proposed freedom of information legislation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Information held by UK public bodies, such as Customs and Excise, operating in Scotland will be subject to UK Freedom of Information legislation. Information held by Scottish public bodies, except information supplied by a Minister of the Crown or government …

31 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the National Heritage Lottery Fund with regard to support for Scottish museums.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: None. The allocation of National Lottery funds is a matter for the distributing bodies themselves.

22 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a full and independent review of all criminal prosecutions in which fingerprint identification was provided by the staff of the Scottish Criminal Records Office, with particular reference to those cases in which identification was provided by Charles Stewart, Hugh …

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the reply I gave to question S1W-6949. A review by HMCIC which is inspecting the standards and quality within the Fingerprint Section at Scottish Criminal Record Office is ongoing. In the interests of all parties involved it would be app…