Liz Smith

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school nurses there have been in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: Information on the number of School Nurses there have been in each year since 2007 at local authority level is not held centrally. School Nurses form part of the Public Health Nurse (PHN) team which comprises School Nurses, Health Visitors and those who carr…

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been treated for alcohol addiction in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01128 on 11 July 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has been spent on consultancy services in each year since 2007.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02171 on 14 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community organisations have won bids for public sector contracts in each year since 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not centrally collected.

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with the business sector since 2007 on how regulations are applied.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has and continues to work closely with the independent Regulatory Review Group (RRG) whose members include the main business organisations in Scotland. This provides an effective mechanism for identifying and considering regulatory iss…

7 Mar 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with police forces regarding the development and upgrade of emergency service communication equipment.

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much income universities will receive from undergraduate fees from the rest of the UK in the current academic year.

Answer · Michael Russell: The data for the current academic year is not yet available. Data relating to students in higher education in Scotland in academic year 2010-11 will be published by the Scottish Funding Council on 29 March 2012.

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on books for public libraries by each local authority in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The information requested in S4W-06009, and related questions S4W-06007 and S4W-06008, is not held centrally. The data requested, or similar data, is available from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA). I have asked the Scottish Li…

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many mobile libraries have been provided by each local authority in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The information requested in S4W-06008, and related questions S4W-06007 and S4W-06009, is not held centrally. The data requested, or similar data, is available from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA). I have asked the Scottish Li…

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many public libraries have been closed by each local authority in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The information requested in S4W-06007, and subsequent questions S4W-06008 and S4W-06009, is not held centrally. The data requested, or similar data, is available from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA). I have asked the Scottish…

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communities it has identified as being at risk from flooding.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scotland’s first National Flood Risk Assessment was published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 22 December 2011. This National Flood Risk Assessment identified locations called Potentially Vulnerable Areas where potentially significant flood …

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is to see a hearing specialist in the last year, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The way audiology services are provided has continued to change over the last year with many more boards now offering a one stop clinic service. This means that some patients receive their consultation and where appropriate are fitted with a hearing aid or st…

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been living in temporary accommodation for (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) four years and (e) longer than five years, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are in temporary accommodation, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the number of children in temporary accommodation is collected at the end of each quarter. The most recent information available is for 31 December 2011. At 31 December 2011, there were a total of 5,259 dependent children in temporary accommod…

18 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities on introducing council counters in Post Office branches.

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent on (a) security and (b) rent for properties not in use in each year since 1999.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. An approach should be made to the relevant local authority.

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority properties have not been in use in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. An approach should be made to the relevant local authority.

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent in each year since 1999 on (a) security and (b) rent for properties not in use.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Ministers have no property not in use from 1999 to 2004. Jeanfield House, Perth was vacated by the Scottish Ministers in 2004. There have been no rental payments made on Jeanfield House. Security costs are as follows: Year Cost 2004 4,537.50 …

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its properties have not been in use in each year since 1999.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Ministers have no properties not in use from 1999 to 2004. For the period 2004 to present date the Scottish Ministers have one property: Jeanfield House, 4 Jeanfield Road, Perth which was vacated in February 2004.

11 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had about the future of modern language teaching in primary and secondary schools.

7 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its discussions with COSLA, it has been made aware of any moves to reclassify rural schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is aware that COSLA believe that the review of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 by the Commission for the Delivery of Rural Education should include reviewing the definition and criteria for a rural school. However, ther…

16 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with the European Parliament regarding additional funding for broadband.

7 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many music teachers each local authority has employed in each year since 1999.

Answer · Michael Russell: Information for 2003-09 is published on the government website in the latter chapters of each year’s Teachers in Scotland, and for 2010 in the Teacher Census supplementary data. These can be accessed using the following links: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Top…

7 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been learning to play a musical instrument in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not collected centrally.

2 Nov 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Transport Scotland regarding motorway gantry signage.

28 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the provision of music tuition in primary and secondary schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: Education Scotland now have responsibility for leading and supporting implementation of Curriculum for Excellence and the Scottish Government works closely with them on issues around education and the curriculum. We believe that music plays an important role…

28 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing in Scotland an equivalent of the Teach First Programme in England and whether it has had discussions with the UK Government regarding the programme.

Answer · Michael Russell: Teaching Scotland’s Future, the report of the Donaldson Review of Teacher Education, included at Recommendation 4: “The suitability for Scottish Education of a Teach First/Teach Now model of placing students predominantly in a school for their initial teache…

28 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the UK Government regarding the Teach First Programme and possible applications in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Government officials have corresponded with their counterparts in the Department for Education about aspects of the Teach First Programme which was introduced to address, among other things, the extreme difficulty in England associated with recruitin…

19 Oct 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of flood defences in the Perth and Kinross Council area.

26 Sep 2011 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister who has responsibility for decisions regarding university mergers.