Patrick Harvie

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many abuse recovery services exist for children who have been abused.

Answer · Robert Brown: This information is not held centrally.</p>

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all children who have been abused have access to abuse recovery services.

Answer · Robert Brown: The aim of the three yearchild protection reform programme, now in its final year, is that children andyoung people get the help they need when they need it. It is for local agenciesto identify the specific services required to meet the needs of children inth…

26 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its full report on the 21st Century Social Work Review and its response to the review.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The review’s report <i>Changing Lives- Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review</i> (Bib. number 38763), <i>Changing Lives- Summary Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review’</i> (Bib. number 38764) and <i>Changing Lives- Scottish Executive Response …

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities would exist under the terms of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill for individuals to object to specific proposals contained in a future national planning framework.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: National Developments set out in the National Planning Framework will be subject to public consultation at four stages. First, there will be extensive consultation around the drafting of the National Planning Framework, involving seminars across Scotland and …

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which category of the hierarchy of developments set out in the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill would be used to deal with applications for a (a) nuclear power station and (b) nuclear waste disposal facility.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership Agreement makes the position on the development of new nuclear power stations clear – it states that we will not support the further development of nuclear power stations while waste management issues remain unresolved. Any application by a po…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the terms of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill, proposals for nuclear waste disposal facilities could be included in a future national planning framework.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill does not prescribe the type of development which may be included in a future national planning framework. Any application for a new radioactive waste disposal facility would be determined under the provisions of the Town and …

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the terms of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill, proposals for nuclear power stations could be included in a future national planning framework.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill does not prescribe the type of development which may be included in a future national planning framework. Any application by a power generation company for a nuclear power station would be determined by ministers under the te…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it shares the Prime Minister's goal of eradicating racial inequalities from the labour market by 2013 and, if so, how it will contribute to achieving this goal.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive shares this goal. To develop our response to it we have set up the Strategic Group on Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market, as detailed in my replies to the associated question S2W-22608 about the group on 1 February 2006. All answers to writ…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the strategic group on ethnic minority employment will set specific targets to address racial inequalities in the labour market and, if so, who will be responsible for monitoring these targets.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: These are matters which members of the strategic group will wish to consider in developing its action plan.</p>

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the strategic group on ethnic minority employment will be led by the Minister or Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The group is to be chaired by Dr Charan Gill MBE. The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and I will also sit on the group.</p>

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the formal remit is of the strategic group on ethnic minority employment and whether the group will be action and outcome oriented.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in response to the answer to question S2W-19177 on 3 October 2005, the group’s formal remit will be agreed at its first meeting on 20 February 2006. The short-term outcome of the strategic group will be to produce an action plan to address the curre…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out a race impact assessment of the action referred to in Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The potential impacts on race equality of the actions referred to in <i>Choosing Our Future</i> will be assessed as the strategy implementation plan is developed and put into effect. An annual summary assessment will be included in public reports on progress …

11 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce its decision on Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive¿s response to the findings of the feasibility study into the Glasgow Crossrail link.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We expect tobe able to respond to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive on the Glasgow Crossrailstudy during the spring.</p>

10 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many closure orders have been granted by Sheriff Courts under section 29 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, broken down by local authority area; what the reasons were for each order being granted, and what the conclusions were in each case.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The available data on closure orders granted by sheriff courts are presented in the following table and cover the period from October 2004 to September 2005. This is also available in the <i>Standing up to Antisocial Behaviour First Anniversary Report</i>:</p…

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the committee set up to monitor and assess the medical implications of Taser guns is still in existence and where its minutes can be accessed.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Defence Scientific Advisory Council’s (DSAC) Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of less lethal technologies is a non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Defence and is responsible for monitoring the medical implication of taser. The secreta…

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which models of Taser guns are in use in Scottish police forces.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Taser X26 is the device used in Scotland.</p>

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any independent research on the safety of the police use of Taser guns.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Taser technology has been subject to rigorous assessment by the police Scientific Development Branch and the Defence Scientific Advisory Council’s Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Technologies (DOMILL).</p> <p>DOMILL continues to recei…

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland or police forces regarding the use of electro-shock weapons such as Taser guns.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) approached the Executive in September 2004 seeking Scottish ministers’ views on extending the operational trial of Taser as a less lethal option for Scottish forces in dealing with firearms incident…

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-4038 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 November 2004, whether it will provide a list of the strict conditions it imposes on the use of Taser guns.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The deployment of Taser guns is an operational matter for chief constables. Ministers support the use of these devices in accordance with the policy and operational guidance which has been prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. Copi…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed Planning Bill will ensure the protection of the historic environment.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Planning Bill will lay the foundations for a planning system that will serve Scotland’s aspirations for prosperity, a better environment and greater participation. Its primary purpose is not to address the protection of the historic environment but it wil…

21 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of grant funding has been awarded under section 16B of the National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978 and to which organisations in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Comprehensive information on all grants made by the Executive to voluntary organisations is available publicly on the Executive’s website. Information for 2004-2005 is to be found at:</p> <p><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Voluntary-Issues/1…

3 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways SEA Gateway is supporting, advising and offering guidance on the strategic environmental assessment of National Planning Policy Guideline 6 on Renewable Energy or any other Executive plans, programmes or strategies currently being developed.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The SEA Gateway team are in regular contact with the team in the Executive reviewing the National Planning Policy Guidance 6 (NPPG 6) on Renewable Energy Developments. The SEA Gateway has given support by providing general policy advice on SEA; highlighting t…

19 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with the UK Government whether teachers, childcare workers and convicted criminals will be required to hold an identity card in Scotland before it becomes compulsory for all other Scottish citizens.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No such specific discussions have taken place.</p> <p>We shall remain in close communication with the Government about any implications that the identity card scheme may have for people living in Scotland, including in the event that the Government pursues pl…

19 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require individuals to hold an identity card in order to have a criminal record check and, if so, when this requirement will be introduced.

Answer · Tom McCabe: If Scottish ministers wanted to make it compulsory for those using the services of Disclosure Scotland to hold an identity card or submit to an identity check through the National Identity Register, then this, according to Section 44 of the Identity Cards bil…

18 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether citizen's accounts will exist only for those individuals who have chosen to apply for an entitlement card or for all citizens in Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Citizen’s accounts containing basic, non-transactional information will be created for all citizens in Scotland. However, each account will only be enabled and used with the informed consent of the citizen. This is the point at which transactional data will b…

18 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still its position, as set out in the answer to question S2W-16501 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 May 2005, that no-one will be denied access to the services that they are entitled to because they do not have an entitlement card and whether the same position would apply to any citiz…

Answer · Tom McCabe: I can confirm that it is still the case, as stated in my answer to S2W-16501, that no-one will be denied access to the services that they are entitled to because they do not have a citizen’s account card (national entitlement card).</p>

18 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a citizen's account number could be stored on the UK National Identity Register under clause 4(1)(b) of Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill.

Answer · Tom McCabe: As Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill stands at present, this would not be possible. Clause 4(1)(b) of Schedule 1 refers to “the number of any ID card issued to him”, and “ID card” is defined at Section 43 of the bill as meaning a card issued under the ide…

18 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still its position, as set out in the answer to question S2W-16503 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 May 2005, that the entitlement card will not be linked to any national identity register or similar database.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I can confirm that it is still the case, as stated in my answer to S2W-16503, that the Executive has no plans to link the entitlement card to any national identity register or similar database.</p>

18 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the concept of the Scottish Citizens Account Smartcard differs from that of an entitlement card.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Citizens Account Smartcard is more commonly referred to as the national entitlement card; they are the same thing.</p>

27 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is bound by the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Answer · Robert Brown: The United Kingdom is bound, as a matter of international law, by the terms of the Convention. The Convention has not been incorporated into Scots or English law so it does not have direct effect in domestic law. However, the Executive seeks to reflect the ai…