Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in developing a framework to improve standards in the construction industry.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Modernising Constructionstrategy paper, <i>Achieving</i><b> </b><i>Construction Innovation and Excellencein Scotland</i>,<i> </i>which was published on 27 August,<i> </i>set out a numberof recommendations to achieve improvements in the performance of the …
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the British Airport Authority regarding whether the authority will adhere to the Executive's policy of dispersal of public sector jobs and services, particularly from Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has hadno such discussions with the British Airport Authority (BAA). BAA operates in theprivate sector and the location of its workforce and services is an operationalmatter for the company.</p>
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefit it anticipated would be gained from using public funding from the Route Development Fund to help establish direct flights from Edinburgh to New York when direct flights from Glasgow to New York were already in operation.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The development of a new directtransatlantic route serving Scotland represents a significant enhancement in Scotland’sbusiness and tourism links with the United States. It also reduces the miles travelledby putting travellers direct to their destination witho…
23 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into the most effective use of the Route Development Fund.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Works commissioned or undertakenby the Scottish Executive or Scottish Enterprise on route development have beento provide a framework to assess the benefits of improved air route connectivityfor Scotland, in terms of enhancing business links and in-bound tour…
23 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed (a) directly and (b) indirectly in (i) Glasgow Airport and (ii) Edinburgh Airport.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Glasgow Airport employs around 5,000 people directly and approximately15,000 people indirectly.</p><p>Edinburgh Airport employs around 2,200 people directly and approximately7,000 people indirectly.</p>
23 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much business is generated for the Scottish economy by (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not estimate the business generated for the Scottish economy by particulargeographic areas. However, as an indication, based on the most up–to-date informationcurrently available, the local authority areas for these cities account …
23 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deliver new routes from Glasgow Airport.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is activelypromoting Glasgow Airport through engagement with airlines on potential new routesfrom Scotland which could enhance business links and encourage in-bound tourism.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to abolish national testing in schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I have today launched aconsultation on <i>Assessment, Testing and Reporting 3-14</i> which aims toensure that the quality of information that pupils, parents, teachers andpolicy makers receive will increase through establishing an integratedassessment system …
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce an environmental court and, if so, when such plans will be implemented.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has noplans at present to create an environmental court.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its national strategy for youth services.
Answer · Euan Robson: As noted in the Partnership Agreementdocument, as part of our commitment to encourage the active participation of youngpeople we will be developing a national strategy for youth work. We will be workingwith the statutory and voluntary sectors to develop propo…
19 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the financial impact will be on housing associations of the withdrawal of grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her reply is as follows:</p><p>The financial impact onhousing associations will depend on their individual circumstances. However, weexpect that the majority of housi…
19 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects to save by the withdrawal of grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her reply is as follows:</p><p>The withdrawal of section 54Tax Relief Grant to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) will not be fully effectiveuntil 2006, when a replac…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the development of national standards to assist in the monitoring of youth projects.
Answer · Euan Robson: As part of the inspection ofcommunity learning and development, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE)report on aspects of youth work provision. HMIE reports comment on the quality of the youth work provision and, where necessary, make recommendations…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support capacity building for youth work in Glasgow.
Answer · Euan Robson: Support for local authority youthwork provision is provided through community education Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE).In the current year, Glasgow’s allocation of GAE for community education amounts to£13.103 million, approximately half of which is estimated …
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is encouraging the involvement of pupils in the preparation of school development plans, as referred to in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has given local authorities guidance on their duty under the Standards inScotland’s School etc Act 2000 to ensure that annual development plans are preparedfor their schools and that pupils attending the school are given an opportunityt…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We reflect the articles containedwithin the Convention on the Rights of the Child when taking forward policy andintroducing legislation that has an effect on the lives of children and young people.</p>
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have partnership arrangements with the voluntary sector for the provision of pre-school nursery and play provision.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000, which came into force in April 2002, placed a duty on authoritiesto secure a pre-school education place for all eligible children. The duty allowslocal authorities to secure pre‑school education from vol…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has made available to the Economic and Social Science Council's teaching and learning programme and how much has been expended in Scotland in each of the last three years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is committed to contributing £2,041,463 to the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) between 1999 and 2008. So far, the Scottish Executive has spent £1 million on Phases 1 and 2 (1…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support educational research.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is supporting educational research in a number of ways. On 23 June 2003, the Executive announced a new Applied Education Research Scheme. This is a £2 million five-year programme, jointly funded by the Executive and the Scottish Higher …
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce its draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Tenements (Scotland)Bill will be introduced early in 2004.</p>
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage pilot schemes to ensure best practice for the establishment of reserve or sinking funds for the owners of tenement buildings.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has no plans to encourage pilot schemes in connection with reserve or sinking funds for the owners of tenement buildings.</p>
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will provide to support the establishment of owners' associations for tenement buildings.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Assistance and encouragement for the establishment of owners’ associations is the subject of recommendations by the Housing Improvement Task Force.</p><p>The task force favours the establishment of owners’ associations whether as a requirement for new develop…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to establishing a single national accreditation scheme for property managers.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Housing Improvement Task Force (HITF) report included a recommendation that the Scottish Executive should, through Communities Scotland, establish a single national voluntary accreditation scheme for property managers in Scotland in partnership with the i…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support youth work by uniformed and non-uniformed organisations.
Answer · Euan Robson: Through the Children andYoung people’s Group grant scheme, we provide grant of £1,175,569 to supportthe work of the HQs of 31 national voluntary youth work organisations.</p><p>Education Department hasalso allocated £500,000 in the current year to YouthLink S…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether money held in blocked right to buy accounts will be made available to registered social landlords.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>There are some circumstanceswhere lenders require assignation of right to buy (RTB) proceeds to accountsheld with the lenders (often refe…
13 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to increase funding in Glasgow for drug addiction services since the report on estimating the national and local prevalence of problem drug misuse was published in November 2001.
Answer · Hugh Henry: NHS boards and local authorities were allocated resources for drug addiction services for the period2001-02 to 2003-04. This gave Drug Action Teams and their local planningpartners, for the first time, security of three-year funding to plan anddeliver service…
4 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action against NHS boards that do not meet its objective of providing digital hearing aids and support on a routine basis where they are the most clinically effective option, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1824 on 27 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/se…
4 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its commitment to allow the provision of digital hearing aids and support on a routine basis where they are the most clinically effective option will be delivered, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: NHS boards are currently developing action plans for hearing aid services modernisation, which will include provision of digital hearing aids when this is the most clinically effective option. These plans will then be considered by the Audiology Modernisation…
4 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to supporting single sellers' surveys for house purchases and sales.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Housing Improvement Task Force final report, published in March 2003, contained a recommendation that the Executive should support a pilot of the single survey. At that time I announced the intention to adopt that recommendation, a decision that is reflec…
29 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Education (Public Records) (Scotland) Regulations, to be made under section 4 of the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002, will come into effect.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It is hoped that the regulations will be laid before Parliament this year and, subject to the approval of the Parliament, will come into effect 21 days after they are laid.