Parliamentary questions
Ms Rosemary Byrne
600 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in carrying out autism-specific inspections of schools and other education units.
Answer · Peter Peacock: HMIE has, for a number of years, applied the criteria described in published quality indicators when evaluating the quality of service provided by schools and education authorities in the area of services for children with autistic spectrum disorders. Schools…
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many autism-specific inspections of (a) schools and (b) other education units have been carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education in each of the last five years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Details of autism-specific inspections of early education centres, schools and units over the last five years are as follows.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Year</p></td> <td> <p align=cen…
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing changes based on the findings of the 1996 review of educational provision for children with autistic spectrum disorder.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department commissioned the University of Birmingham to carry out research, between 1995 and 1996, to scope the educational opportunities for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Scotland.</p> <p>Interchan…
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking a course in education have had practical teaching experience (a) reduced or (b) cancelled due to a shortage of placements.
Answer · Peter Peacock: While a very small proportion of student teachers have been inconvenienced by having their planned school placement revised and/or rescheduled, no student has had a placement cancelled.</p> <p>Comprehensive details of the numbers involved are not held central…
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any shortage of initial teacher training placements in nursery classes has had on the quality of teacher training.
Answer · Peter Peacock: While a very small proportion of placements in nursery classes have been shared and/or rescheduled as a consequence of the significant increase we are making to the teacher workforce in Scotland, all such changes have been approved by the General Teaching Cou…
27 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any shortage of initial teacher training placements in schools has had on the quality of teacher training.
Answer · Peter Peacock: While a very small proportion of student teachers have been inconvenienced by revised and/or rescheduled school placements, the Faculties of Education have confirmed that rescheduling of dates will not adversely affect any teaching qualification gained at the…
25 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to develop harm-reduction and needle exchange facilities for drug misusers in communities without such services.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Funds of over £8.4 million for the prevention of blood borne virus infections are currently allocated to NHS boards, by means of a formula based on population and HIV and hepatitis C prevalence and incidence. £23.7 million was allocated to NHS boards in 2005-…
25 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision there is in each NHS board for needle exchange facilities for drug misusers.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Information provided by drug action teams through Corporate Action Plans for 2005-06 shows that there are 219 needle exchange facilities across Scotland. The number of facilities in each NHS board area is shown in the table below.</p> <table border=1 cellspa…
25 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whose responsibility it is to ensure that additional funding to support the education of the children of asylum seekers is provided.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive pay an annual block grant to local authorities, who in turn then decide how much of the grant will be allocated to each of their service areas, including education. Local authorities’ education requirements are mainly met from this gran…
25 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be provided in the school year 2006-07 to support the education of the children of asylum seekers in (a) Glasgow and (b) the rest of Scotland.
Answer · Peter Peacock: For 2006-07, Glasgow City Council is due to receive a total Education Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) of £448.3 million. For all local authorities in Scotland, the Education Grant Aided Expenditure for 2006-07 will be £4091.1 million. There is no specific GAE l…
25 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19877 by Tavish Scott on 10 November 2005, when the front page of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route website will be updated.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The website was updated on 7 November 2005 to clarify that the route corridor as shown was indicative only and did not represent the preferred route. Following the announcement of the preferred route on 1 December, a comprehensive upgrade to the website is un…
25 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is provided to cancer patients from areas without direct transport links to hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Support for patients, including cancer patients, with travel to and from hospitals can be provided in a number of different ways. Where a patient has a clinical need for transport in order to access care or treatment their GP or hospital clinician can call on…
25 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is provided to cover travel costs for cancer patients travelling to and from hospital for essential treatment.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21081 on 7 December 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/webap…
25 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by which process the criteria regarding participation in the Home Computer Initiative were decided.
Answer · George Lyon: Under the terms of the Department for Trade and Industry’s Home Computer Initiative (HCI) policy, employers of all sizes across the public, private and voluntary sectors can implement a HCI scheme for their employees. The Scottish Executive procured a HCI Fra…
25 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current criteria are regarding participation in the Home Computer Initiative.
Answer · George Lyon: The Scottish Executive’s Home Computer Initiative Framework Contract is open to all Scottish public bodies. A public body is one which receives 50% or more of its funding from the public sector and/or a Scottish public authority in terms of the Scotland Act 1…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Vulnerable Adults Bill.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The definition of a vulnerable adult in the proposed bill would be sufficiently broad to encompass those with a communication impairment who may need protection from harm.</p> <p>It is also intended that the Vulnerable Adults Bill will contain key guiding pri…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Planning (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Johann Lamont: It is the fundamental right of everyone in Scotland that they have the opportunity to influence decisions that affect them, irrespective of their sex, marital status, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or other personal…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive is committed to equality for disabled people. The proposed Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights would have a general duty to promote awareness of, and respect for, human rights. The commissioner would be able to provide information, a…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Legal Assistance and Legal Profession (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Hugh Henry: We are committed to equal access to justice for all, including those with a communication impairment. Through the proposed Legal Assistance and Legal Profession (Scotland) Bill we hope to bring forward improvements in the system of handling complaints made ag…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Summary Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: While the proposed Summary Justice Reform Bill will not specifically impact on the provision of services to people with a communication impairment, justice services will continue to be provided in a way which is designed to meet their needs. Under the Disabil…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Local Government (Electoral Administration and Registration Services) Bill.
Answer · George Lyon: The proposed bill has the overall objective of modernising the administration of elections and registration services. Key elements of this modernisation are to make the process of voting more accessible and the registration of vital events more convenient. Th…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Education authorities, who would be responsible under the bill proposals for preparing strategies to promote greater parental involvement in their own children’s education and in the life of their school, will also need to have regard to the new requirements …
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Children’s Hearings and Integrated Services Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The proposed Children’s Hearings and Integrated Services Bill will put in place the legislation to implement the proposals contained in <i>Getting it Right for Every Child</i>. These have been developed to ensure that every child’s needs are identified throug…
17 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with a communication impairment benefit equally from the provisions of the proposed Adoption Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is committed to equality for disabled people. The consultation paper <i>Safe and Secure Homes for Our Most Vulnerable Children</i> set out the Scottish Executive’s proposals to modernise and strengthen the adoption system in Scotland, t…
14 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its action plan on responding to the needs of children of drug misusing parents will now be published.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive intends to publish its action plan on responding to the needs of substance misusing parents in spring 2006.</p>
14 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the publication of its action plan on responding to the needs of children of drug misusing parents has been delayed and, if so, what the reasons are for the delay.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive had planned to publish its action plan this autumn, as a follow-up to a series of Scotland-wide consultation seminars. We have, however, decided to postpone publication until spring 2006 so that the document can informed by other key initiatives…
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be put in place to safeguard jobs in poultry farm units and the poultry processing sector, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Avian Influenza Contingency Plan sets out the measures we will take into any confirmed outbreak of Avian Influenza in Scotland. The response will eradicate the disease as quickly as possible, minimising its impact and through this supporting the …
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza and subsequent landfilling of carcases, where the landfilling will take place and what protection will be afforded to members of the public.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Licensed landfill will only be used where incineration and rendering capacity is unavailable. Which sites are used would depend on the size and location of any outbreak of avian influenza.</p> <p>Whilst on rare occasions avian influenza can pass to humans it …
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza and subsequent landfilling of the carcases, who will carry out the landfilling and what training and protection they will receive.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Licensed landfill is a possible disposal route for infected carcasses but would only be used where commercial incineration and rendering was not available. Where landfill needed to be used the operation would be undertaken under the supervision of the State V…
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza and the subsequent incineration of carcases, who will carry out the incineration and what training and protection they will be given.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Incineration is the preferred disposal route for infected carcasses. A number of contracts are in place with the State Veterinary Service to provide this resource across Great Britain. The decision as to which incineration plants would be used would depend on…