Parliamentary questions

Liz Smith

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

14 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school playing fields have been sold in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority

Answer · Michael Russell: The information requested is not held centrally.

10 Feb 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the availability of tourist information following the closure of tourist information offices across Perthshire and Kinross-shire.

Answer · Jim Mather: Since the closure of Kinross Visitor Information Centre in 2008, the last such closure in the region, VisitScotland, and Perth and Kinross Council, have continued to review the provision of visitor information services across the region. Both are in agreement…

8 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much support it has made available to outdoor education centres in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: Delivery of education is devolved to local authorities and funding for this is included in the local government settlement. It is for education authorities to consider the provision of outdoor education in their areas and make arrangements with providers as n…

8 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many outdoor education centre (a) instructors and (b) team leaders there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

8 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many outdoor education centre places have been available to schoolchildren in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Information from inspection activities suggest that most primary schools provide children with an opportunity to experience a residential outdoor education experience at some point during p…

2 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes were made to the methodology used to determine the natural heritage indicator for the area of Scotland unaffected by built development; for what reason, and how comparable the 2009 results are with the results between 2002 and 2008 as a consequence of these changes.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I understand that results from this Scottish Natural Heritage indicator for 2009 and 2008 are not directly comparable with those from 2002 because it was not possible in that analysis to take account of topography, i.e. Scotland was treated as a flat surface.…

1 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was to see a hearing specialist in each of the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on audiology services is collected on an aggregated form. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the information requested. However, information on the median wait for first appointment with a specialist is provided in the following table.</p…

20 Jan 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provided to farmers during the recent severe weather.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Government officials have been in daily contact with farmers and key stakeholders to understand industry priorities during the severe winter weather. The Scottish Government secured the case for an emergency relaxation of the EU drivers…

18 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics are available regarding the contribution made to the economy by the natural heritage sector.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There are no annual statistics produced specifically for the natural heritage sector. However, some analysis has been undertaken in reports commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Government, although each report looks at different as…

18 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the principles set out by European Parliament resolution INI/2008/2210, Wilderness in Europe, which was approved by 538 votes to 19 on 3 February 2009.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government welcomes the discussion and debate in the European Parliament about the contribution that Europe''s wild areas make to safeguarding biodiversity. In contrast to Scotland''s wilder landscapes, some of which show the imprint of past gene…

18 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the findings of the final report, commissioned by it, Review of Status and Conservation of Wild Land, by the University of Leeds’ Wildland Research Institute.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Leeds University, Wildland Research Institute report Review of the Status and Conservation of Wild Land in Europe is a useful contribution to the debate on wild land following on from the European Parliament resolution of February 2009 calling for…

18 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the information on the visual influence of built development and land use change recorded in the August 2008 edition of Scottish Natural Heritage’s Natural Heritage Indicator, which stated that, between 2002 and 2008, “the extent of Scotland unaffected by any form o…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I understand that Scottish Natural Heritage plans to publish an update on its Natural Heritage Indicator, Visual influence of built development and land use change by the end of January 2011. This will confirm that the area of Scotland from which no b…

14 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns expressed in the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Advice Paper (11-01): The Teaching of History in Scottish Schools that there is an insufficient balance of subject knowledge taught in some schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government rejects that conclusion. Curriculum for Excellence aims to raise standards for all young people through a more flexible, coherent and enriched curriculum. It is for schools and local authorities to ensure they get the right balance of …

14 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decrease in the number of principal teachers of history in state-funded secondary schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The organisation of schools is a matter for local authorities and head teachers. As more schools organise on a faculty basis, there has been a decrease in the number of principal teachers of history. This is not unique to history and advice from HM Inspectora…

14 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the views expressed in the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Advice Paper (11-01): The Teaching of History in Scottish Schools that there should be a review of the teaching and learning resources for history in schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government rejects that view. Learners in Scotland have benefitted from a wide range of high-quality resources to support the learning and teaching of history which have been developed and approved in consultation with the history profession. The…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to merge the strategic and support functions of Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency

Answer · Angela Constance: As we made clear in 2007, the Scottish Government is determined to simplify and streamline the public bodies'' landscape in Scotland, reducing costs and bureaucracy, while improving service delivery. We continue to consider all of our public bodies in this co…

14 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) reported to the procurator fiscal and (b) fined by local authorities for illegal dumping in each year since 2007, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges reported to Procurators Fiscal under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 33(1). The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) database does not contain information to identify pa…

14 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vandalism charges have been dealt with out of court in each year since 2007, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, Section 52(1) which were reported to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last three financial years, and which were dealt with by…

14 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what applications have been made for funding from its Post Office Diversification Fund.

Answer · Jim Mather: Two hundred and fifteen applications were received by the closing date of 30 September 2010. Details of the 49 successful applicants have been published on the Scottish Government website at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Indus…

14 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what payments have been made from its Post Office Diversification Fund.

Answer · Jim Mather: £116,340.46 has been paid out from the Post Office Diversification Fund for Scotland so far.

25 Nov 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has to give more control of schools to head teachers.

Answer · Michael Russell: Devolving a greater degree of control to head teachers is something that I am keen to support. I will soon be making an announcement for plans on this matter.

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to NHS boards with regard to emergency services for hearing aid repair.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation Service was published in April 2009. It makes clear that NHS boards should provide effective ongoing life time maintenance of hearing aids. In particular it states that all hearing aid repairs should be c…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is to see an emergency hearing aid repair specialist, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally.

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to establish how many parents of nursery-age children are content with the nursery placements that their children have received since 2007.

Answer · Adam Ingram: All nurseries which offer both funded pre-school education and care are subject to integrated inspections by HMIE and Care Commission under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. These inspections include seeking the views of parents on the quality and l…

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations have taken place between it and local authorities regarding the allocation of grant aided expenditure to the provision of places in partnership nurseries.

Answer · Adam Ingram: No specific consultations have taken place between the Scottish Government and local authorities regarding the allocation of grant aided expenditure to the provision of places in partnership nurseries. Funding decisions on the provision of local nursery servi…

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that local authorities adhere to the guidelines set out on the Scottish Executive’s website regarding the operation of nursery partnerships.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government guidance on commissioning pre-school education partners is advisory and we do not monitor local implementation. It is for local authorities to decide how best to meet local needs and circumstances, including commissioning servi…

30 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in offering the Scottish Baccalaureate in arts and social sciences.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Qualifications Authority is currently conducting a scoping exercise which is considering both the potential to broaden the current Scottish Baccalaureates in sciences and languages to incorporate other related subjects and whether Baccalaureates …

30 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many university places for 2010-11 were made conditional to success in the Scottish Baccalaureate in the May 2010 SQA diet of examinations.

Answer · Michael Russell: Four applicants received offers of university entry in 2010 conditional on achieving a Scottish Baccalaureate qualification in 2009-10. A number of universities are now including Scottish Baccalaureates as an entry route in their prospectuses, f…

30 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place between it and UCAS over the status of the Scottish Baccalaureate compared with other qualifications when it comes to university entrance.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has regular discussions with UCAS about national qualifications including the Scottish Baccalaureates. In addition, the Scottish Government is represented on the UCAS Scottish Qualifications Progression Group which provides a forum for…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many music teachers have been in post in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: The following table shows the number of teachers who recorded their main subject taught as music, broken by local authority for years 2003-09. The information on the subject taught is not available until 2003. The figures are the total for primary, s…