Parliamentary questions
Paul Martin
317 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Sep 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the forthcoming teacher numbers statistics to show an increase or decrease in teacher employment and for what reasons.
Answer · Michael Russell: Teacher employment is a matter for local authorities. The 2010 teacher census is being conducted today and the results will be published in December. I expect that, given the financial pressures on local authorities and the over supply mistakes of the previou…
17 Jun 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it will have with the UK Government regarding regional television news.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I wrote to Jeremy Hunt, the new UK Government Secretary of State for Culture, the Olympics, Media and Sport, about broadcasting on 24 May. I have subsequently discussed broadcasting with Ed Vaizey, the UK Government Minister for Culture, on 7 June. On both oc…
9 Sep 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm">http://www.scot…
2 Sep 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last met representatives of the renewables industry and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Jim Mather : <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0910-01.htm">http://www.scot…
17 Jun 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the number of knives being carried and used in our communities.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill : <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0625-01.htm">http://www.scot…
11 Jun 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on COSLA’s decision to go it alone to build new infrastructure projects as a result of its concerns about the Scottish Futures Trust.
Answer · John Swinney: I do not recognise this description of COSLA''s position. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with COSLA and the Scottish Futures Trust to ensure that investment in public infrastructure in Scotland achieves maximum value for the taxpayer''s…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9510 by Kenny MacAskill on 5 February 2008, how many of the 33 recommendations in the Justice 2 Sub-committee’s report J2SC/S2/06/R1 on managing registered sex offenders have been delivered since 10 May 2007 and on what date the recommendations were …
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47917).</p>
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs to provide free parking at NHS hospitals, broken down by hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are required to fund the cost of car parking and its management from within their unified budgets whether or not car parking charges were in place. Abolition of car parking charges last year brought those five NHS boards which had car park charging…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS sites need to be accessed by patients, visitors or staff; how many and which of these sites provide parking facilities, and at how many it provides or proposes to provide free parking.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Parking at all NHS sites which are served by NHSScotland operated car parks is free.</p>
18 Mar 2009 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to tackle gang-related violence.
Answer · Alex Salmond: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0326-01.htm">http://www.scot…
26 Feb 2009 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle alcohol abuse.
Answer · Alex Salmond: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0226-01.htm">http://www.scot…
12 Feb 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional funding will be provided to allow Glasgow City Council to improve its primary school estate.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Record levels of capital funding are being provided to local authorities - £175 million (or 20%) more in 2009-10 than in 2007-08. That includes £100 million of capital expenditure to be accelerated from 2010-11.</p> <p >In 2007-08, Glasgow City Council recei…
15 Jan 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to tackle poverty and income inequality.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: <i > This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></b></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0115-01.htm">http://www.scotti…
2 Oct 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental justice projects it is funding.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government funds a number of programmes to improve the lives of people affected by nuisance, pollution, litter, industrial decline and other environmental issues.</p>
24 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time police officers there have been at the end of each month since March 2007, also broken down by police force area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is collected on a quarterly basis and is provided in the Following tables:</p> <p >Number of Full-Time and Part-Time Officers (Head Count) by Quarter, Broken Down by Police Force Area</p> <p >31 March 2007</p> <table border=1 cel…
24 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions from the receipt of Royal Assent to 19 May 2007 the provisions of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 were used for (a) antisocial behaviour orders for under-16-year-olds, (b) dispersal orders, (c) closure notices, (d) fixed penalty notices for noise nu…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Statistics on the number of times antisocial behaviour measures have been used up to end-September 2007 are available on our website at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com/">www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com</a>. </p> <p >Figures…
24 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions from 20 May 2007 to 24 April 2008 the provisions of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 were used for (a) antisocial behaviour orders for under-16-year-olds, (b) dispersal orders, (c) closure notices, (d) fixed penalty notices for noise nuisance, (e) an…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Statistics on the number of times antisocial behaviour measures were used to end-September 2007 are available on our website at <a href="http://www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com/">www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com</a>. Figures for the period up to end-Mar…
24 Apr 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many antisocial behaviour orders were served from 16 May 2007 to 16 April 2008.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The detailed information requested is not held. Statistics on the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued in 2006-07 and 2007-08 are currently being collected and will be published shortly on our website <a href="http://www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.co…
17 Apr 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of how and from which budget it will fund the building and running of Bishopbriggs prison.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Prison Service budget for 2008-09 to 2010-11 includes capital provision for HM Prison Bishopbriggs. Running costs will not be incurred until the period covered by the next Spending Review.</p>
5 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 33 recommendations in the Justice 2 Sub-committee’s report J2SC/S2/06/R1 on managing registered sex offenders have been delivered since 10 May 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As indicated to Parliament by the First Minister on 21 February 2008, I will write to the Convenor of the Justice Committee before 9 March 2008 setting out the detail of the substantial progress that has been made in implementing the recommendations contain…
9 Jan 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what income will be generated by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as a result of the introduction of car parking charges at Stobhill Hospital and the Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Car parking charges must notbe introduced solely for the purpose of generating income. I have decided to introducea maximum daily charge of £3, to be implemented without delay. I will also ask boards, as part of a review their schemesagainst the principles an…
21 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints were received by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice relating to the stop and search policy of the British Transport Police from 16 May to 18 December 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Any complaint about the BritishTransport Police operations and their policy in relation to stop and searches underSection 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 would be a matter for them or the Departmentof Transport.</p><p>I raised my concerns about thenumber of sear…
21 Nov 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that cultural entitlements are developed in every part of Scotland.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: As I confirmed inmy statement to the Parliament on 7 November, having considered carefully theresponses to the consultation on the draft culture (Scotland) bill, I am not convinced that the legally based approach of theprevious administration in this area is …
29 Aug 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde¿s plans to implement car parking charges at Stobhill Hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The introductionof car park charging at Stobhill Hospital is a matter for local determinationby NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in accordance with the current Scottish Government guidance on thatsubject.</p><p>However, I am currentlydeciding whether that guidan…
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on finalising its Scottish Historic Environment Policy 1 (SHEP) document following the recent consultation.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I am pleased to announce thelaunch tomorrow of the final version of Scottish Historical Environmental Policy1 – <i>Scotland’s Historic Environment</i> - (SHEP 1) following public consultation.The series sets out what we believe are ambitious and robust polici…
24 Jan 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to tackle child poverty in the Glasgow Springburn parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We are committed to tacklingchild poverty throughout Scotland in partnership with the UK Government by investing inand supporting deprived communities and the vulnerable children and families withinthem.</p><p>Within Springburn and acrossGlasgow City our empl…
12 Apr 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to make non-departmental public bodies more open and accountable.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Openness and Accountability arefundamental elements of the corporate governance framework under which allnon-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) operate.</p><p>Ministers are committed to assessingthe corporate governance framework and the continuing relevance …
7 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that Glasgow Housing Association successfully completes its second stage stock transfer.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is workingclosely with GHA to resolve the complex issues which have emerged and is doing allthat it can to support them to achieve delivery of Second Stage Transfer (SST).</p><p>Scottish ministers have alreadymade a substantial financia…
7 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard will be on the health of those living in homes that meet the standard.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The GoWell health study, whichwas launched in Glasgow last month and is the first of its kind in Europe, willinvestigate the impact of the planned £1 billion investment in Glasgow’s homes andcommunities on the health and well-being of individuals and families…
16 Nov 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that parents are adequately and coherently informed of all factors relating to the performance of their child¿s school.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We provide parents with, or ensure they can access, information about schools in a wide variety of ways - school development plans and progress reports, school handbooks, headteachers’ annual reports on pupil attainment, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Educatio…