Parliamentary questions

Shirley-Anne Somerville

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

13 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to encourage global citizenship in schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There is a considerable amount of action being taken to encourage international education, including global citizenship, citizenship education and sustainable development education in all our schools. Building the Curriculum 3, published on 10 June, provides …

13 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to train teachers in sustainable development education.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14190 on 25 June 2008. 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/webapp…

13 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that sustainable development education is mainstreamed in schools.

13 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group and when its next meeting will take place.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14190 on 25 June 2008. 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/webapp/w…

6 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of the selling of alcohol to underage drinkers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Reducing the incidence of illegal sales to underage drinkers is a key priority for the Scottish Government as evidenced by our decision to roll-out alcohol test purchasing arrangements across Scotland. The benefits of this are now being seen as licensing boar…

6 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have had their licence to sell alcohol (a) suspended or (b) revoked in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Only four years of data is available for the number of liquor licences suspended. This is because this information was not collected before 2003. The number of off-sales liquor licences suspended in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 is given in the following table:</…

21 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the second annual progress report on tackling climate change in Scotland will be published.

Answer · John Swinney: The second annual progress report on Scotland''s Climate Change Programme is now available at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/20102350">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/20102350</a>.

21 Feb 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure parity in the bandings applied under the Agenda for Change pay system for jobs requiring comparable levels of knowledge and experience, both within each NHS board and across all boards

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Agenda for Change is designed to be consistent across all staff covered by the new system. It uses the same job evaluation process to assess each job and the same job profiles are used throughout the NHS. Outcomes are checked both at local and natio…

25 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will approach the relocation of public bodies and asset management.

Answer · John Swinney: I am pleased to announce todaythe publication of the Report on the Review of Property Asset Management and ourapproach to the relocation of public bodies.The main findings of the AssetManagement Review are:The Scottish Government occupies709 bui…

16 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in considering a response to the Crerar Review into regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling of public services in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has consideredthe Crerar Review and its recommendations carefully and has paid close attentionto the comments made in the parliamentary debate on 3 October 2007. Government andParliament have an opportunity here to make a real differen…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to develop and adopt a domestic violence employment policy.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5827 on 8 November 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…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support and guidance is available to its managers to increase awareness in the workplace of the signs of domestic violence and to develop effective responses.

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support and guidance is available to its employees affected by domestic violence.

Answer · John Swinney: Tackling domesticabuse is a priority for the Scottish Government and we have worked closely withour staff networks, trades unions and internal and external partners to raise awarenessof the issue and to create and implement an effective domestic violence poli…

30 Oct 2007 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what support and guidance is available to its managers to increase awareness in the workplace of the signs of domestic violence and to develop effective responses.

Answer · Mike Pringle: If an employee tells his/herline manager in confidence that he/she has been subjected to domestic violence,the SPCB has measures in place to provide effective support to the employeeconcerned and the line manger. Such measures include:…

30 Oct 2007 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what support and guidance is available to its employees affected by domestic violence.

Answer · Mike Pringle: In answering thisquestion, I take it that the reference to “affected by” domestic violence meanssubjected to domestic violence. Where an employee of the SPCB reported this,either to line management or a representative of the Personnel Office, the SPCBwould o…

24 Oct 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage the development of the renewable energy sector in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: Making the most ofScotland’s renewable energy potential will be vitalto achieving our ambitions for sustainable growth, security of supply and tacklingclimate change.The First Ministerhas held discussions with Ofgem over transmission charging and we ar…

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken following the consultation on licensing of taxi/private hire car booking offices.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The government hasengaged further with stakeholder representatives and liaised with local authoritiesand the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. It is currently considering how to proceed in the light of these discussions.

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms exist to allow regulation by licensing authorities of non-standard vehicles such as stretch limousines and decommissioned ambulances and fire engines that are available to the public for hire.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The CivicGovernment (Scotland) Act 1982 gives local authorities powersto license the operation of private hire cars in their area. The decision as tothe suitability of a specific vehicle for licensing as a private hire car is amatter for individual licensing …

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the recommendations of A Report by the Task Group Set Up to Review the Licensing Provisions Contained in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, published in November 2004, have been implemented in relation to taxis and private hire cars.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The task grouprecommendation to set up a focus group has been implemented. Liaison with thefocus group has assisted in the preparation of guidance to licensingauthorities. This will address a range of issues relating to the licensing oftaxis and private hire …

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the success of test purchasing schemes at reducing sales of alcohol to people under 18.

Answer · Shona Robison: The final report of the evaluation of the Fife test purchasing pilot for sales of alcoholto under 18s was published on the Scottish Government’s website today.<ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publicatio…

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend test purchasing of alcohol to people under 18 to other local authority areas following the results of the pilot study in Fife.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Society for ChiefOfficers for Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and the Association of ChiefPolice Officers (ACPOS) in association with the Crown Office Prosecution FiscalService (COPF) have worked together to produce an operational protocol drawing …

9 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce alcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour in Edinburgh.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Reducingalcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour is a key priority for this Government.We are funding local agencies in Edinburgh to providea range of services aimed at delivering this outcome.