Robert Brown

29 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to establish the Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Establishment of a Scottish Human Rights Commission remains an Executive priority and as such is reflected in the Partnership Agreement. <P>The Executive has a very full programme of legislation and it has been necessary to prioritise issues to be dealt with …

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will roll out across Scotland digital accessible information system CD technology for blind and partially sighted schoolchildren.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive provided initial funding to the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) to pilot a CD-ROM based system, known as DAISY, which makes use of new digital technology to provide blind and partially sighted pupils with alternative ways t…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a national transcription centre to record key texts in audio or audio visual format to support the education of blind and partially sighted schoolchildren.

Answer · Euan Robson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1405. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">h…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements it will require local authorities to make in their libraries in the provision of preferred formats of books to comply with disability discrimination legislation.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The provision of library services is a matter for local authorities. However, the Executive encourages local authorities to make appropriate arrangements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the new Local Government Act.

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities to provide talking books for blind and partially sighted people as part of the library service.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive has no such plans, since the provision of library services is a matter for local authorities. However, the Executive encourages local authorities to make appropriate arrangements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the new Local Gov…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements there are for testing children's eyesight.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Children under 16 are entitled to a free NHS sight test at either six monthly or yearly intervals, depending on the extent of their visual condition, or earlier where there is a clinical reason.<P>There is no national programme of universal vision screening f…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports an expansion of summer playschemes.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Childcare Strategy aims to provide affordable, accessible, good quality childcare for children aged 0-14 in all neighbourhoods. Local authorities are responsible, in conjunction with Childcare Partnerships, for identifying and addressing local ch…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving for the provision of free or low cost summer activities for children.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Executive provides childcare strategy funding to support local authorities in developing local childcare strategies. Local authorities determine allocations at local level and may choose to support the provision of seasonal projects such as summer playsch…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require non-resident property owners to register their permanent address on a publicly available register.

Answer · Hugh Henry: A Consultation Paper on a draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill was published on 20 March and the consultation period concluded on 13 June. The paper recognised the difficulties of identifying and contacting owners and asked for suggestions as to how missing owners…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering imposing minimum standards on tenement owners and owners' associations for basic maintenance tasks.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill includes provisions that will help to maintain tenement buildings. The draft Bill introduces the tenement management scheme which should allow repairs to be carried out more easily and more often than under the present law.…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include provision for supporting compulsory long term house maintenance funds for multiple ownership buildings in any tenement law reform bill.

Answer · Hugh Henry: A Consultation Paper on a draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill was published on 20 March and the consultation period concluded on 13 June. The paper sought views on the establishment of compulsory sinking funds. The Executive will be considering responses to the c…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the development of house owners' associations.

Answer · Hugh Henry: This matter is being considered in light of the recommendations of the Housing Improvement Task Force and the consultation exercise on the draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill. The Executive will be considering the responses to the consultation paper and bringing …

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward proposals to increase the number of skilled workers in the construction industry in Glasgow.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The initiatives to increase the number of skilled workers in the construction industry in Glasgow are being handled by Scottish Enterprise.

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships in the construction industry have been taken up by people resident in Glasgow in each year since 1999, broken down by trade.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise. I understand that Robert Crawford, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, has responded to you direct and a copy of his response has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether student loan regulations act as a deterrent for children of large households attending university.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Student loans have been a key part of an affordable student support system since their introduction in 1990. Where a student is undertaking full-time higher education and has at least one brother or sister, the assessed parental contribution towards his or he…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to raise the financial eligibility cut-off points for student loans.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Under the student support arrangements, all students undertaking an eligible course (with the exception of those who have defaulted on a previous student loan agreement) are entitled to receive a minimum level of a means tested student loan regardless of thei…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect small local shops against crime.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Small retail businesses benefit indirectly from public space CCTV systems, funded by the Executive, many of which are deployed in the vicinity of local shops and neighbourhood shopping parades.<P>One of the Partnership Agreement commitments is to expand CCTV,…

7 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure the availability of modern studies course options to higher level in every secondary school.

Answer · Euan Robson: There is no statutory national curriculum in Scotland. It is therefore for education authorities and schools to decide on the course options they provide.

3 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to direct local authorities to employ dedicated home energy conservation officers.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Local authorities’ reports under the Home Energy Conservation Act show that a number of them do have dedicated home energy conservation officers. Others incorporate energy conservation with relevant functions such as control of council stock or housing improv…

3 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities on the meaning of "significant improvement" in energy efficiency under section 2 of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995; whether it has set any targets for such authorities (a) collectively and (b) individually in respect of making suc…

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Targets for improving the energy efficiency of residential accommodation under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) are not set by the Scottish Executive; they are agreed with local authorities. The HECA is intended to promote a significant improvement in …

11 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the availability of pulmonary rehabilitation classes to lung disease sufferers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The treatment of lung disease sufferers is a matter for NHS boards to plan, in accordance with their assessment of local needs and circumstances and in consultation with interested parties including patients' groups and the voluntary sector.

11 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to supply ambulatory oxygen to lung disease sufferers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I made a policy commitment in October 2002 that small lightweight oxygen cylinders would be added to the Scottish Drug Tariff. We are currently working on the details of implementation, and intend to make ambulatory oxygen available on GP prescription by the …

9 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the working group on volunteering referred to in its news release SEfm133/2003 of 4 June 2003 and whether the group has been directed to ensure that existing voluntary and non-profit organisations, such as the Woodlands Youth Initiative in Glasgow and Universal …

Answer · Margaret Curran: The composition of the working group that will oversee the introduction of the Scotscorps scheme announced by the First Minister will be announced in due course.<P>The views of appropriate voluntary sector interests will be sought as the working group develop…

27 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make use of the Post Office network to promote Executive services.

Answer · Andy Kerr: What matters is identifying the most effective locations for meeting people's needs for access to public services. The Scottish Executive, as part of its 21st Century Government agenda, has developed and supported the delivery of public services through a ran…

27 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the Post Office in its efforts to revitalise the Post Office network, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Post offices, postal services and Royal Mail Group plc are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive's £2 million Fund to Develop Post Offices in Deprived Urban Areas was launched on 30 December 2002. It aims to contribute to the community regeneration of depr…

26 May 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to introduce charity law reform.

Answer · Margaret Curran: As I made clear in both my statement last Wednesday and in my answer to Cathy Peattie's question last Thursday, we are considering the scope and timing of such legislation and we are determined to ensure that it will be as comprehensive and effective as possi…

19 May 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the bid for the European Maritime Safety Agency to be located in Glasgow.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is a reserved matter but the Executive has liaised closely with the UK Government in supporting the bid to locate the European Maritime Safety Agency in Glasgow.

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the availability of disabled persons housing services across Scotland and what funding it is providing to increase this availability.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive supports the disabled persons housing service model of provision. Where available, these services are funded by local authorities who have a duty under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to take account of the housing needs of disabled peo…

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase accessibility for disabled people to houses.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive continues to explore and develop national policies to increase accessibility for disabled people to houses. This includes:<P>changes to building standards to provide significantly improved access for people with disabilities;<P>the intr…

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have (a) applied for entry and (b) been accepted to study pharmacy courses at universities in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is given in the table:<P>Scottish Applicants and Accepted Applicants to B3 Pharmacy in Scottish Universities, 1998-2002* <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=264><TR><TD WIDTH="29%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSPAN=2><P>Data</TD><TD W…