Mr Bruce McFee

3 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24169 by Peter Peacock on 14 March 2006, what (a) meetings, (b) discussions and (c) correspondence it has undertaken with Inverclyde Council concerning its options appraisal in respect of the secondary education proposals, and whether the concerns ex…

Answer · Peter Peacock: There have been no meetings,discussions or correspondence between the Scottish Executive and Inverclyde Councilspecifically concerning the option appraisal included within the revised outlinebusiness case submitted to the Executive in June 2005 in connection …

3 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24169 by Peter Peacock on 14 March 2006, whether the Minister considers that Inverclyde Council’s options appraisal in respect of the secondary education proposals demonstrates best value and sound decision-making.

Answer · Peter Peacock: All authorities have a duty tosecure, and indeed demonstrate, best value in the form of continuous improvementin the performance of their functions. It is not appropriate for ministers tocomment on the detail of council decisions concerning changes to the sch…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that sufficient resources will be available in Inverclyde to meet education needs for the next 20 years.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The local government financesettlement is currently confirmed until the year 2007-08. The spending reviewscheduled for 2007 will consider resources for the three years following that.</p>

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers overcrowding will have on the reported outstanding results of schools in Inverclyde.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24165 on 27&nbsp;March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with comments in The Herald on 20 January 2006 that Scottish schools should copy Inverclyde schools which consistently produce outstanding results for all sections of the community.

Answer · Peter Peacock: There is clearly much goodpractice within Scotland’s schools, including those of Inverclyde. Wecontinue to look for ways to help schools and authorities learn from existinggood practice and Her Majesty's Inspectorateof Education are currently takingforward wo…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce class sizes in Inverclyde, given reports that schools involved in the proposed reorganisation of secondary education may have insufficient resources to cope with any reduction in class sizes.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Managing class size reductions,in both existing and planned new schools, is a matter for Inverclyde Council. Inorder to assist with the costs of reducing class sizes and employing additionalteachers to meet our commitment of 53,000 teachers in 2007, the Execu…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm reports that some children in Inverclyde could have four school changes under Inverclyde Council's proposals for the reorganisation of its secondary education.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive isunaware of any such reports.</p>

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority will take into account the impact on education of any proposed temporary decants resulting from the Inverclyde Council’s proposals for reorganising its secondary accommodation.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The operation of theexamination system is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It isfor Inverclyde Council to plan and manage its secondary schools reorganisationin a way that enables it to fulfil its statutory duties for the provision ofschool…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether significant adjustment has been made to the school roll projections for individual schools involved in Inverclyde Council's proposed reorganisation of its secondary education and, if so, what level of adjustment has been made.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Education authorities keepschool roll projections under regular review and factor changes into theirplans for the future. How this is done and how frequently is a matter for theindividual authority.</p>

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Education and Young People has read the options appraisal produced by Inverclyde Council in respect of its proposed reorganisation of secondary education and, if so, what the minister’s response is to the appraisal.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive hasconsidered the option appraisal submitted by Inverclyde Council in the contextof the financial support the Executive has offered to the council for a schoolsPPP project. Such option appraisals are not formally responded to.</p>

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Inverclyde Council’s proposals for the reorganisation of its secondary education conform with the Executive's guidance on options appraisal.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executiveguidance <i>Option Appraisal, </i>in the<i> Building our Future: Scotland’sSchool Estate </i>series of publications, outlines the principal advantages of the option appraisal approach to decision making. It does not set out a rigidproces…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it is acceptable for schoolchildren to be educated in huts.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to answerto question S2W-24165 on 27&nbsp;March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that schoolchildren in Inverclyde could continue to be educated in huts if the new schools planned under Inverclyde Council's proposed reorganisation of its secondary education are unable to accommodate the schools' rolls.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24165 on 27 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether pupils will continue to be educated in huts once the new schools planned under the Inverclyde Council's proposed reorganisation of its secondary education have been completed and, if so, whether the huts will be wind and watertight.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The statutory responsibilityfor the provision of school accommodation in Inverclyde, including itsplanning, its nature – whether permanent or temporary - and its fitness forpurpose, rests entirely with Inverclyde Council.</p>

8 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategies are in place to protect passengers and drivers from attack on (a) buses and (b) trains.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive continuesto work in partnership with local authorities, transport operators and others ona range of deterrent and enforcement measures to make public transport safer forboth passengers and staff.</p><p>Initiatives include the issuingof …

8 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many attacks on (a) bus passengers, (b) bus drivers, (c) rail passengers and (d) train staff have taken place each month in the last three years in (i) total, (ii) each local authority area and (iii) each police force area; how many (1) arrests, (2) charges and (3) convictions there w…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot available from the statistics collected centrally on recorded crime,prosecutions and convictions. The information available from First ScotRail onthe number of assaults on rail staff and passengers is given in the following tab…

1 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22653 by Allan Wilson on 3 February 2006, whether a decision has yet been reached in respect of the proposed wind farm at Corlic Hill and, if so, what the decision is and when the report will be published.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This proposal is still being considered and I remain confident that a decision can be issued shortly.</p>

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the (a) dates and (b) locations of any meetings it has had with the Student Loans Company Ltd since 1999 in respect of (i) interest payable on loans and (ii) issues relating to students prevented from taking up employment due to disability, illness or medical condi…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has not met withthe Student Loans Company Ltd (SLC) on these specific issues. We contacted SLC inNovember 2005 and also sought legal advice from the Scottish Executive solicitorson these matters. The advice was that the Government Regulations do…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Reporter has reached a decision following the public inquiry into the proposed wind farm at Corlic Hill, if so, what the decision is and when the report will be published.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Consideration is still being given to this proposal, but I expect that a decision will be announced shortly.</p>

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to introducing a mechanism for freezing the interest on student loans for those who are not able to repay them due to disability, illness or a medical condition which prevents the recipient from taking up paid employment, and what plans it has to introduce …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to introduce such a mechanism.</p>

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communications and discussions it has had, and plans to have, with the Student Loans Company Ltd in respect of freezing the interest on student loans for those who are not able to repay them due to disability, illness or a medical condition which prevents the recipient from taking up…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Student Loans Company on a range of issues including issues relating to students prevented from taking up employment due to disability, illness or medical condition.</p>

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communications and discussions it has had, and plans to have, with the Student Loans Company Ltd in respect of the interest payable on student loans.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Student Loans Company on a range of issues, including the interest payable on student loans.</p>

20 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which education authorities have signed contracts stipulating that coach, bus and minibuses must have seatbelts fitted for the provision of school transport services and when these contracts were signed.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

20 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that education authorities stipulate the maximum age of coaches, buses and minibuses, hired under contract to provide school transport services.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21910 on 12 January 2006. 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…

20 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that coaches, buses and minibuses, hired under contract by education authorities to provide school transport services, are appropriate for that service.

Answer · Peter Peacock: It is for education authorities themselves to set and agree the terms and conditions of school transport contracts, and to put in place arrangements for monitoring performance. Scottish Executive guidance includes advice that the contractor’s staff and vehicl…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) installations of boilers, (b) installations of full central heating systems and (c) other items of central heating work have been carried out by Eaga Partnership Ltd in each year since the inception of the central heating programme, broken down by (i) parliamentary region and…

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The information requested is not held by parliamentary region or local authority area, but by main postcode. Therefore, it is not possible t…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20554 by Lewis Macdonald on 21 November 2005, how many audiology staff have been employed in each NHS board area in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) discipline and (b) location.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The answer to question S2W-20554, given on 21 November, states that data on “audiology staff” can only be provided for certain groups. These are medical staff, audiological scientists and medical technical officers. Information by location is not held central…

10 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are in audiology departments in the NHS Argyll and Clyde area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In 2001 the Scottish Executive published <i>NHS Audiology Services in Scotland</i> which provides a brief summary of the various professions and specialisms in the NHS who are involved in the care of people with hearing impairment, tinnitus or balance disorde…

10 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many audiology staff are currently employed in NHS the Argyll and Clyde area, broken down by location.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In 2001, the Scottish Executive published <i>NHS Audiology Services in Scotland</i> which provides a brief summary of the various professions and specialisms in the NHS who are involved in the care of people with hearing impairment, tinnitus or balance disord…

10 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for a hearing assessment appointment in each NHS board area and how many people were on the waiting list in each year since 1999.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on NHS waiting times and lists is collected centrally only for first out-patient appointments at consultant-led clinics, following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner, at speci…