Parliamentary questions
Phil Gallie
528 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of candidates sitting Higher exams sat (a) SCE Higher physics in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 1998-99 and (b) either SCE Higher physics or National Qualification Higher level physics in 1999-2000 and, in each case, what proportion of the candidates sitting physics were sitting it …
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is set out in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1997-98</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1998-99</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALI…
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2561 by Mr Jack McConnell on 23 November 2000, what proportion of the candidates who sat Higher Mathematics in each of the last five years were sitting the exam for the first time.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is set out in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=5><P>Proportion of Higher Maths Candidates Sitting Exam for the First Time</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>1996-97<…
28 Feb 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8534 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 July 2000, whether any cases in the last six months have been abandoned because of a breach of statutory time limits and, if so, how many.
Answer · Neil Davidson: Between 1 August 2000 and 31 January 2001, 1,113 cases are recorded as having been marked no proceedings by Procurators Fiscal on the ground that they had been reported to the fiscal after the expiry of the relevant statutory time bar.<P>No cases are recorded…
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which district courts Mr Sheils visited in the course of compiling his report.
Answer · Jim Wallace: As explained in the answer to question S1W-13131, the Secretary of Commissions met various groups of Justices of the Peace. These meetings were held, at their request, in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Dumbarton and Giffnock.
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Shiels Report on district courts was due to be published in November 2000; if so, what the reason was for the delay and when it will be published.
Answer · Jim Wallace: As promised by the then Deputy Minister for Justice when introducing the Bail, Judicial Appointments etc (Scotland) Bill in May 2000, officials have been consulting informally on what issues to identify for review in a consultation paper. As part of this proc…
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the tender period closed for the term trunk road contracts in Ayrshire and the South West of Scotland and what the target date for announcement of successful bids was.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Tenders for each of the trunk road management and maintenance contracts were submitted to the Scottish Executive in accordance with the instructions for tendering before noon on 30 October 2000. At that stage it was hoped that an announcement of a successful …
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the term trunk road contracts will be awarded for Ayrshire and the South West of Scotland and when the successful bidders will be announced.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The result of the competition was announced in my reply to Des McNulty on 23 January (question S1W-12726). I subsequently announced my intention to award the contract in my answer to Mary Mulligan on 2 February (question S1W-13044).
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to disband the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board.
Answer · Jim Wallace: A policy and financial management review of the board was carried out last year in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance on the need for routine reviews of Non-Departmental Public Bodies. The report of the review is currently being considered.
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board has met in the past year.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Board met on eight occasions in the calendar year 2000.
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registrations the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board has made since its inception in 1995 and what the board's running costs have been in each year since 1995.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board came into operation on 1 March 1997 and has registered 12 practitioners since that time. There are 10 practitioners currently registered with the board.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The board's running cost…
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Business Faculty students there were at Paisley University in academic years (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii)1999-2000 and (iv) 2000-01.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Information on student numbers by faculty is not held centrally. Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show there were 1,625 students on Business Administration courses at Paisley University in 1997-98 and 1,589 in 1998-99. Data for 1999-2000 wi…
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the management structure and staffing numbers were at the Paisley University Business Faculty in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 2000-01.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Management structures within institutions is a matter for those institutions and information is not held centrally. Information collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency indicates that, in 1997-98, there were 24 staff at Paisley University recorded …
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many student applications were made to Paisley University in academic years (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000 and (iv) 2000-01.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information for applications made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is given in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=283><TR><TD WIDTH="47%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENT…
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the performance of the Paisley University Business Faculty.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: None. The performance of the faculty is a matter for Paisley University, in consultation if appropriate with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.
18 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Lucy Crone, recently appointed as part-time chairman of Employment Tribunals, holds a position with UNISON and whether this has any implications for her ability to be a neutral chairman on employment matters.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12076.
18 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Lucy Crone, recently appointed as a part-time chairman of Employment Tribunals, is a member of the Law Society of Scotland and what credentials she holds with respect to practising in Scottish law.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Appointments to the Panel of Chairmen of Employment Tribunals in Scotland are made by the Lord President of the Court of Session. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive. Ministerial responsibility for Employment Tribunals rests with t…
15 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Millan Commission, due to be published in the summer of 2000, will now be published.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand the Millan Committee, which is reviewing the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984, expects to publish its final report early in the New Year.
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Members of the Scottish Parliament are afforded any dispensations under the criminal justice system not available to those whom they represent.
Answer · Iain Gray: No Member of the Scottish Parliament is afforded any dispensation under the criminal justice system.
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any circumstances whereby an individual may defer an alternative sentence of imprisonment to a time of their choosing and whether any of these circumstances apply in respect of Tommy Sheridan MSP.
Answer · Iain Gray: No.<B> </B>The enforcement of fines imposed by a particular court is a matter for that court.
6 Dec 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Children and Young People Safety Initiative implemented by Strathclyde Police in conjunction with South Lanarkshire council has been a success and what steps it will take to promote such initiatives elsewhere.
Answer · Iain Gray: The evaluation report which was published in 1998 certainly paints a very positive picture. The vast majority of the communities in which the initiative operated were very supportive of its aims and effectiveness. It is, of course, an operational matter for i…
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring to the attention of schoolchildren the effects which shoplifting can have on others in terms of the price of goods and the impact of such behaviour on shopkeepers and other, particularly elderly, customers.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no plans at this particular time.
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crime is considered to be drug related.
Answer · Iain Gray: Estimates of the level of offending by drug misusers are available from a study of the piloting of drug testing published by the Scottish Executive's Central Research Unit (<I>Interviewing and Drug Testing of Arrestees in Scotland</I>, McKeganey et al'). A co…
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crime is attributed to action by (a) individuals and (b) organised groups.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11618.
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to combat retail crime.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is a founder partner and major funder of the Scottish Business Crime Centre. The centre is a collaboration involving the police, business sector and Scottish Executive whose main aim is to combat crime in the business sector. It is curr…
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crime can be attributed to those of school age.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11618.
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of retail crimes can be attributed to (a) customer theft, (b) staff theft and (c) burglary.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11618.
29 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost of retail crime is to (a) business and (b) the public purse.
Answer · Iain Gray: This information is not held centrally. However a survey <I>Counting the Cost - Crime against business in Scotland</I>, published by the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit in November 1999, provides a comprehensive picture of the extent, nature and cost…
15 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the proportion of candidates sitting Higher exams who sit Higher Mathematics.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The proportion of Higher candidates sitting Mathematics has remained consistent at nearly 34% over the past five years.
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Heathfield retail development and Ayr United Stadium developments were called in for public inquiry.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The application was called-in on 25 August 1999 for determination by the Scottish Ministers because of the possible implications for (a) national and local retail policies; (b) for Lochside Road/Old Farm Road as a location for strategic industrial investment;…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the proposed IKEA development at Braehead has not been called in for public inquiry.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Having given very careful consideration to this matter Scottish Ministers decided that, on the basis of the evidence before them, there were no planning grounds to warrant their intervention.