Parliamentary questions

Jeremy Purvis

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

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to measure and monitor verbal and physical assaults by pupils on teachers.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The means by whichthe Scottish Government intends to measure and monitor verbal and physical assaultsby pupils on teachers is currently under review.

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish annual statistics on verbal and physical assaults by pupils on teachers and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The decision on whetherto publish annual statistics on verbal and physical assaults by pupils on teachersis currently under review. The reason for this position is that definitions andreporting systems were variable and inconsistent, making the collation unre…

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations the Minister for Children and Early Years has met since taking office.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I have had formalmeetings with the following organisations:Scottish Pre-School Play Association [SPPA]Scottish Network for Parental Involvement in Children’sLearning [SNPICL]Glasgow City CouncilRepresentatives from Associati…

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations the Minister for Schools and Skills has met since taking office.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I have met withthe following organisations;Scottish Borders CouncilFifeCouncilScottish Council for Development and Industry Moray CouncilAberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire CouncilChildren in Scotland</p…

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has met since taking office.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I have had formalmeetings with the following organisations;Scottish Funding CouncilUniversity and College Union General Teaching Council for ScotlandScottish EnterpriseUniversity of EdinburghScottish Business i…

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Ministerial Taskforce on School Discipline have take place since May 2007 and when it is due to next meet.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Discipline StakeholderGroup has not met since May 2007. The next meeting will take place this autumn.

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many physical attacks have been made by pupils on teachers in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-4152 on 25 September 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/w…

10 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many verbal attacks have been made by pupils on teachers in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on thenumber of reported incidents of violence or antisocial behaviour was collected centrallybetween 1998-99 and 2002-03 only. The following table shows the data for 1998-99to 2000-01. Data for the remaining two years were given in answers to que…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has budgeted to spend on (a) publicity, (b) special advisers, (c) promotion of cabinet secretaries and ministers and (d) commissioning external consultants’ advice in the next financial year.

Answer · John Swinney: In respect ofpoint (a), the term “publicity” has been interpreted to mean the ScottishGovernment’s central marketing communications work. The precise budget for2008-09 will depend on the outcomes of the Strategic Spending Review.The estimated advertisi…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by it on (a) publicity, (b) special advisers, (c) promotion of cabinet secretaries and ministers and (d) commissioning external consultants’ advice since 17 May 2007, broken down by department and Executive agency.

Answer · John Swinney: The term “publicity” has been interpreted hereto mean the Scottish Government’s central marketing communications work. The ScottishGovernment has spent £659,319 on advertising campaigns between 17 May 2007 and 17September 2007 (in comparison to a total of £2,…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology it will use to assess the health benefits of the pilot scheme for free school meals for primary 1 to 3 pupils in deprived areas.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The evaluation willinvestigate the range of potential health and other benefits of the free schoolmeals trial, including any changes in attitudes and behaviours in relation to schoolmeals and healthy eating by pupils and parents that are evident within the pe…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for the analysis of the success of the pilot scheme for free school meals for primary 1 to 3 pupils in deprived areas.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The cost of the evaluationof the free school meals trial is approximately £60,000 including VAT.

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who has been appointed to conduct research to determine the success of the pilot scheme for free school meals for primary 1 to 3 pupils in deprived areas.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Following a two stagecompetitive tendering exercise conducted in line with the Scottish Government’sProcedures for Commissioning and Managing Social Research, IPSOS Mori has been appointedto conduct the independent evaluation of the free school meal trial for…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the methodology is for determining the success of the pilot scheme for free school meals for primary 1 to 3 pupils in deprived areas.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The evaluation of the free school meals trial will address the following research objectives: investigateprocess and practical issues for local authorities and schools in implementing freeschool meals; measure the change in uptake of school meals by primary 1…

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the result of its consultation process on the review of the enterprise networks.

Answer · Jim Mather: An announcement onthe reform proposals for the enterprise networks is expected in the autumn.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism has spoken to the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise Borders concerning the review of the enterprise networks.

Answer · Jim Mather: The nominated Chairof Scottish Enterprise Borders was one of a number of LEC Chairs who met with theCabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and I on Monday 3 Septemberto discuss the reform of the enterprise networks.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what written communication there has been from it to the board of Scottish Enterprise Borders on the review of the enterprise networks.

Answer · Jim Mather: All localenterprise companies (LEC) chairs were invited to the consultation event heldon 17 August 2007 to discuss sustainable economicdevelopment and the role of the enterprise networks. The nominated chair ofScottish Enterprise Borders was also one of a num…

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what formal consultation has taken place between it and the board of Scottish Enterprise Borders on the review of the enterprise networks.

Answer · Jim Mather: The nominatedChair of Scottish Enterprise Borders was one of a number of local enterprisecompanies chairs who met with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and SustainableGrowth and I on Monday 3 September to discuss the reform of the enterprisenetworks.

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-2086 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 July 2007, what average length of time is taken to analyse a DNA profile to identify an individual.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked DavidMulhern, Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Services Authority, to respond.His response is as follows:The process of identifyingwhether or not a newly developed DNA profile matches a profile that is already onthe database is almos…

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to support and provide mental health specific grants.

Answer · Shona Robison: The MentalHealth Specific Grant scheme will be considered along with all health spend duringSpending Review 2007.

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide 70% of the costs of mental health specific grants.

Answer · Shona Robison: The MentalHealth Specific Grant scheme will be considered along with all health spend duringSpending Review 2007.

16 Aug 2007 · Written Question

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on thenumber of individuals who benefit from the grant is not available centrally. However,every local authority area in Scotland has benefited from the £20 million used tosupport around 400 projects and initiatives in each year over the period. T…

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the relocation of public sector departments and agencies to areas of economic deprivation.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2952 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what weighting it gives to areas of economic deprivation when deciding where public sector departments and agencies are to be located.

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will adopt a “rural bias” when deciding where public sector departments and agencies are to be located.

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what weighting it gives to rural locations when deciding where public sector departments and agencies are to be located.

Answer · John Swinney: We are currently consideringfuture policy on the location of public sector posts within Executive departments,agencies and non-departmental public bodies and will make an announcement aboutthis in due course.

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gave to the priority areas included in its relocation policy location opportunities list during its decision on the location of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Answer · John Swinney: As part of the reviewprocess for the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, consideration was given topriority locations within each of the local authority areas identified from theoutcome of the stage 1 location review, published in January 2007.

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communication it had with Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Borders Council in advance of its decision on the location of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2949 on 14 August 2007. All local authorities were advised, through a regularrelocation update, of the outcome of the Stage 1 location review for the ScottishLegal Complaints Commission, published in January 200…

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to Walkerburn, Innerleithen and Selkirk as the location of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Answer · John Swinney: The Stage 1 locationreview for the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, published in January 2007,ranked the Scottish Borders 26 out of 32 local authorities as a potential locationfor the Commission. Scottish Borders locations were not, therefore, included w…

3 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why Edinburgh was considered the best location for the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Answer · John Swinney: Following an optionsappraisal of the locations identified from the Stage 1 location review, Edinburghwas determined as the most suitable location for the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission,with reference to the retention of existing staff transferring from …