Parliamentary questions

Scott Barrie

275 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

14 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership and remit of the Cabinet Delivery Group on Closing the Opportunity Gap will be and whether it will take external advice.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Cabinet Delivery Groupon Closing the Opportunity Gap is composed of the following ministers and deputyministers:Minister for Communities (Chair)Minister for Environment and Rural Development(Deputy Chair)Minister for Health and Commun…

26 Nov 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Water about the current level of water stocks.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Myofficials are in regular contact with the relevant people in Scottish Water andthey have been keeping ministers informed about the up to date situation.

19 Nov 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timetable has been set for the removal of Crown immunity from the planning system.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: That will depend on the progress of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, which contains the relevant legislative provisions and is currently before theWestminster Parliament. If Royal Assent is forthcoming next year, then we willhave to consult on and m…

17 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities in respect of the criteria that should be used when placing or removing a child's name on or from child protection registers.

Answer · Euan Robson: Protecting Children: AShared Responsibility – Guidanceon Inter-Agency Co-operation provides guidance to local authorities inrespect of the criteria that should be used when placing and removing a child’sname on or from child protection registers…

13 Nov 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what the outcome has been of the recent consultations about the question and answer sessions held by the Holyrood progress group.

Answer · George Reid: The Convener of the Holyroodprogress group (HPG) has confirmed that the results of the consultationexercise to determine whether or not MSPs wished to continue with the HPG questionand answer sessions are as follows:<table border=1 cell…

11 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to local authorities for the provision of services to young people leaving care.

Answer · Euan Robson: I am pleased to announce that the Executive is making £10 million available over this and the next two years to provide an improved service to young people leaving care, including a full assessment of their needs, and to provide financial and other support fo…

22 Oct 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to help families living in overcrowded conditions.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Tacklingovercrowding by rehousing families where this is necessary should be a priorityfor the allocation policies of all social landlords. To increase the amount ofaffordable housing available generally, the Executive is providing £237 millionthrough Communi…

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish a strategy for (a) visually and (b) hearing impaired people.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans to publish a specific strategy for visually or hearingimpaired people. It is, however, extending the principles set out in Fairfor All across the NHS to ensure that health services recognise and respondsensitively to…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance issued to Procurators Fiscal encourages the prosecution of licensees charged with selling alcohol to minors.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: Procurators Fiscal considerall cases reported to them on their individual merits. To assist ProcuratorsFiscal in their consideration of cases, confidential, internal guidance isprovided in relation to a range of issues. Proceedings will be commenced if therei…

17 Sep 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving adult literacy.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Following the publication of the Scottish Executive’s Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland reportin July 2001, we have allocated new funding of £51 million over a five-year periodto 2006 to support 80,000 adults by 2004 and 150,000 by 2006. £40 mill…

3 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with NHS Fife regarding the Right for Fife process, with particular regard to the future configuration of acute hospital services within Fife.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Officials in the Scottish Executive Health Department have regular discussions with NHS Fife on a widerange of issues, including the “Right for Fife” process and the proposed future configuration ofacute hospital services.

3 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses it received to its consultation on the establishment of a child witness support service and how many responses supported the establishment of such a service.

Answer · Hugh Henry: A total of 75 responses werereceived on the package of proposals to reform the way child witnesses aredealt with in the criminal justice system and children’s hearings courtproceedings. Of those, 53 specifically responded to the section relating to theestabli…

3 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on its consultation on the establishment of a child witness support service.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The consultation produced arange of views on how best to take forward proposals for a child witness service. We are currently considering these and will make an announcement indue course.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Lord Advocate will publish guidelines on prosecution under section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: Guidance will be issued to Procurators Fiscal before the provision is commenced.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 will come into force.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 will come into force this autumn, on a date yet to be finalised.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken regarding the information campaign on positive parenting and alternative disciplinary tactics, announced by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice on 19 February 2003 during the Stage 3 debate on the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill 2003 (Official Re…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive is preparing an information campaign on positive parenting and alternatives to physical punishment which will be launched to coincide with the commencement of section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 in the autumn. This will also i…

4 Jun 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the carriage of human organs for transplant by blue-light ambulance service vehicles will be considered a medical emergency and exempt from speed restrictions.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The legislation relating to those vehicles subject to exemptions from speed limits is the responsibility of the UK Government.

27 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 will come into force.

Answer · Tavish Scott: A timetable for the implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 is set out in the Scottish ministers' report to Parliament on implementation of the act which was laid in the Parliament on 28 May. The act will be brought fully into force i…

26 May 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to help people from deprived urban areas exercise their statutory rights of access to mountains under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 establishes rights of responsible access for everyone to land and inland water in Scotland. The act also places a duty on local authorities and National Park authorities to draw up plans for systems of core paths …

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report by the Crown Agent on the aims, objectives and targets in the criminal justice system will be published and what action it will take as a result.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Crown Agent's report will be published today.The Lord Advocate and I welcome the report, which provides a careful and reasoned diagnosis of the fragmentation in our criminal justice system. The report describes how a more coherent approach could be ach…

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing the secure estate following the announcement that five providers had been invited to adapt their plans to meet the geographical spread of places that it requires.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive's Action Plan to reduce Youth Crime stated our intention to reconfigure the secure accommodation available across Scotland. Our objectives were to develop additional places for girls, to provide a better geographical spread and to introduce a wi…

14 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in developing proposals to regulate the private security industry.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Seventy-two responses were received to the consultation paper the Scottish Executive issued in September 2001 seeking views on the regulation of the private security industry. The consultation exercise indicated widespread support for regulation although ther…

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish proposals following the consultation paper Vital Voices: Helping Vulnerable Witnesses Give Evidence for changes to the law of evidence and court procedures to benefit vulnerable witnesses.

Answer · Hugh Henry: A Policy Statement will be published today and will be available on the Scottish Executive website. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26600).

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the views of children and young people are sought as a matter of course during the formulation of its policies on education, children and young people.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Child Strategy Statement issued by the Scottish Executive sets out the importance to all Scottish Executive Departments of taking account of the views and interests of children in developing policy that may affect them.The Executive commissioned Save t…

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 35 were appointed to the boards of public bodies in 2002.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Of the 209 people appointed during 2002 to the boards of those Scottish public bodies that fall within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, a total of nine were under 35 years of age.

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to increase access to community services for economically disadvantaged people in rural and semi-rural areas.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is committed to promoting improvements to service delivery in our rural areas. Through our mainstream policies and programmes, for example in transport, health and modernising government, we are working to improve the access of rural communities…

24 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that children and young people with special needs benefit from the investment in school sport announced as part of the Scottish budget for 2003-06.

Answer · Mike Watson: From additional resources identified in 2002-03, the Scottish Executive has allocated £600,000 to sportscotland to establish a dowry for Scottish Disability Sport. This fund will allow Scottish Disability Sport to provide specialist support to ensure t…

19 Feb 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Historic Scotland is taking to increase access to its visitor attractions during the European Year of Disabled People.

Answer · Mike Watson: Historic Scotland has had a long-term commitment to improving access - both physical and intellectual - to the built heritage, including in particular those properties in its own direct care. During 2003 Historic Scotland will be: spending £200,000 on i…

18 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the arrangements for private fostering.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The legal framework for private fostering will be considered as part of phase II of the Adoption Policy Review, which will report next year. In addition we have surveyed all local authorities to establish the extent of private fostering.

18 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to recommendations of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry that are not addressed by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The recommendations in the Victoria Climbié Inquiry cover a wide range of child protection issues. We are carefully considering these recommendations to ensure that the lessons learned are taken into account in developing our child protection reform pr…