Parliamentary questions

Bill Butler

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

19 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made to calls by the Educational Institute of Scotland to end the use of dawn raids in the forced extradition of unsuccessful asylum seekers.

Answer · Robert Brown: Asylum decisions and the handlingof individual cases are for the Home Office.Our priorities are for asylum seekersin Scotland to be treated humanely and with dignity and respect in their dealingswith the asylum system, and for the impact on friends and…

19 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made to pupils and teachers at Drumchapel High School who have called for improved rights for children from asylum seeking families, particularly while they are preparing for exams.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executives priority isfor the children and families involved to be treated with dignity and respect intheir dealings with the asylum system. A significant package of measures that willmake a real difference to the children of asylum seekers in Sc…

14 Mar 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of the implementation of its agreement on the treatment of asylum seeker families reached with the Home Office in March 2006.

Answer · Robert Brown: We have made significant progressimplementing the measures in the March 2006 Agreement.The Minister for Education andYoung People wrote to the Education and Communities Committees earlier this weekconfirming that we have reached agreement with Glasgow …

21 Feb 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for improving bus services across Scotland.

Answer · Tavish Scott: An Action Plan for Buses waslaunched in December 2006 as part of the National Transport Strategy. It sets outactions which will deliver the step change required in the quality of bus servicesand infrastructure and is the starting point for a major drive on bu…

19 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the appointment of the Appointed Person under section 290 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I am pleased that Andrew Smith QC has agreedto be re-appointed as the Appointed Person for a further four years with effectfrom 18 December.

8 Nov 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in encouraging young people to participate in the ¿It¿s Our Future¿ campaign.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Earlier this year we publishedScotland’s First Action Plan for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Developmentwhich outlines steps we are taking to ensure that young people have the necessaryknowledge, skills and understanding of the issues and how to …

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to disseminate information on best practice with regard to shared campus/twinning arrangements between denominational and non-denominational schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Shared campuses and twinningbetween denominational and non‑denominational schools are different things.Shared campus arrangements involving denominational and non‑denominationalschools on the same site are a matter for local authorities. School in…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what structures will be put in place to measure the ongoing effectiveness of shared campus/twinning arrangements between denominational and non-denominational schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Shared campuses and twinningbetween denominational and non-denominational schools are different things. Sharedcampus arrangements involving denominational and non‑denominational schoolson the same site are a matter for local authorities. School inspecti…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to evaluate the effectiveness of shared campus/twinning arrangements between denominational and non-denominational schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Shared campuses and twinningbetween denominational and non-denominational schools are two different things.Shared campus arrangements involving denominational and non‑denominationalschools on the same site, are a matter for local authorities. School ins…

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacant commercial and industrial properties there were at the end of financial year 2005-06, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.

10 May 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle air quality issues in Scotland¿s cities.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive is pursuing a widerange of policies to tackle air quality issues in Scotland’s cities,as set out in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.We are working closely with localauthorities, the Scottish Envi…

25 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be able to meet the commitment to deliver the Glasgow Airport Rail Link by 2008.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I am sure members will have welcomed the news that the Private Bill for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) was introduced into the Parliament on 31 January. We are committed to working in partnership with Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), the promoter …

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-8596 by Robert Brown on 22 December 2005 (Official Report, c. 22131), when a statement will be made to the Parliament regarding any agreement reached as the result of the meetings which have taken place between the Executive and the UK Government reg…

Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions with the Home Office are progressing well. We are seeking to agree improvements in a range of issues and will report developments to Parliament as soon as we are able to.

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-8596 by Robert Brown on 22 December 2005 (Official Report, c. 22131), whether the issue of the length of time spent in Scotland by the children of asylum seeker families will be discussed during any of the scheduled meetings between the Executive and…

Answer · Robert Brown: A number of issues have been discussed in the meetings which have taken place between the Executive and the UK Government. We are seeking to agree improvements in a range of issues. We will report developments to Parliament as soon as we are able to.

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-8596 by Robert Brown on 22 December 2005 (Official Report, c. 22131), when the next meeting between officials or ministers of the Executive and the UK Government will take place regarding policies relating to the removal of failed asylum seeker famil…

Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions are positive and on-going. We expect further meetings of officials to take place in the next two weeks.

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-8596 by Robert Brown on 22 December 2005 (Official Report, c. 22131), what further meetings have taken place between the Executive and the UK Government since the meeting between Executive and Home Office senior officials on 16 December 2005 regardin…

Answer · Robert Brown: The First Minister met the Home Secretary on 17 January 2006. A further meeting of officials took place on 16 January 2006.

21 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to organise and carry out the postal ballot to elect the five local representative members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The cost of administering the ballot for the election of five local representative members to the Cairngorms National Park Authority was £32,557. This total amount included costs for advertising, posting of ballots, staff time and delivery of the election mai…

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the First Minister has to meet the Home Secretary to ratify the protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland once negotiations are concluded.

Answer · Robert Brown: Arrangements for formalising an agreement with the Home Office are part of discussions about the agreement itself. Once agreement is reached, ministers will report back to the Parliament.

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the negotiation process with the Home Office on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland is expected to conclude.

Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions with the Home Office are progressing. Work will be completed as quickly as possible.

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions on the terms of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as they apply to the children of asylum seeker families has formed part of negotiations with the Home Office on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in…

Answer · Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20238 on 16 November 2005. 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/weba…

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the length of time families have been resident in Scotland, and the need for that to be taken into account as part of the Home Office decision-making process, has been raised in negotiations on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker fa…

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether recognition of Scotland's distinctive child protection mechanisms has formed part of the negotiation process in respect of the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the issue of a moratorium on “dawn raids” until a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland is established has been raised with Her Majesty’s Government at either official or ministerial level.

Answer · Robert Brown: Discussions with the Home Office on the detail of an agreement covering the removal of children are on-going and it would be wrong to comment on the content at this stage. Once agreement is reached, ministers will report back to the Parliament.

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have taken place at ministerial level with the Home Office in respect of the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland and which ministers have taken part.

Answer · Robert Brown: There have been two ministerial meetings on the development of an agreement with the Home Office. These meetings have involved Home Office Ministers and the First Minister.

1 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have been held between its officials and Home Office officials regarding the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

Answer · Robert Brown: Three.

26 Oct 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We are encouraged by Strathclyde Passenger Transport’s (SPT) recent announcement that they are in a position to submit the private Bill for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) once there is a suitable parliamentary opportunity.

7 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of suggestions that short and long-term prisoners should be considered for release only after serving five-sixths of their sentences, how many (a) extra prison places and (b) new prisons would be required; what the cost per annum would be; how long it would take to provide the e…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We await the advice of the Sentencing Commission on proposals for the reform of early release. We have indicated our intention to build on their recommendations in future legislation. In reaching decisions we will consider the impact on prison numbers and imp…

7 Sep 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the project to introduce a crossrail link for Glasgow.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I understand that the resultsof the Glasgow Crossrail feasibility study have now been reported to StrathclydePassenger Transport Executive.

5 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many uniformed police officers in the city of Glasgow were available to respond to calls from the public during the week ending on Sunday 24 April 2005.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. The number of uniformed officers deployed at any time in the city of Glasgow is a matter for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde.

5 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many uniformed police officers were available to respond to calls from the public during the week ending on Sunday 24 April 2005, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally.