- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is giving to a feasibility study into the restoration of a station at Reston.
Answer
No funding has been sought from the Scottish Executive for such a study. The opening or re-opening of railway stations is generally considered a local transport issue and as such we would expect the relevant local authority to take a project forward. It is a matter for Scottish Borders Council to determine whether the restoration of a station at Reston is one of its transport priorities and to identify appropriate funding for a feasibility study. Any proposal to re-open a station at Reston would also require the Scottish Borders Council to consult the Strategic Rail Authority.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether children who have attended a nursery attached to a primary school should be transferred to that school or another school on reaching primary school age.
Answer
This is a matter for local education authorities. Subject to the terms of sections 28A and 28B of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, it is for the local education authority to set out and make available guidelines indicating how they will place children in schools under their management.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority education appeals committees are compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and, in particular, with Article 6.
Answer
Education authority committees are not concerned with the determination of "civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge" and therefore ECHR, and in particular Article 6, is not applicable. We consider that the system for dealing with cases considered by the committees, which includes the availability of a further appeal to the sheriff court, is nonetheless compatible with the requirements of the convention.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what national guidelines there are for local authorities on priority admissions to primary schools.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-176 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy guidelines it issues to local authorities regarding criteria for primary school placing requests by parents.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not issue such policy guidelines. Education authorities are under a statutory duty (set out in section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980) to ensure that they make adequate and efficient provision of school education for their area. Setting criteria for the allocation of places in schools under their management and for determining priority admissions are matters to be determined by education authorities in meeting their duties under this section. Authorities can only turn down a placing request on one of the grounds set out in law.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what publicity is given to procedures for placement requests.
Answer
Section 28 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 requires each education authority to publish or otherwise make available their arrangements for the placing of children in schools under their management.In addition, each year the Scottish Executive publishes a guide for parents entitled
Choosing a School, which includes within it information on the placing request system. This booklet is available at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/casg-00.asp.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make legal aid available in respect of local authority education appeal committee proceedings.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to make legal aid available in respect of local authority education appeal committee proceedings. Legal aid is available for appeals from the committees to the sheriff court.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has identified in respect of the Scottish Borders' economy.
Answer
The Executive's objective for all of Scotland is sustainable improvement in economic performance. A Smart, Successful Scotland sets out strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and focuses on three key challenges for raising productivity: growing businesses, global connections and learning and skills.In following this direction, Scottish Enterprise Borders takes account of local needs and opportunities. Provision of information on programmes and projects is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Borders Local Economic Forum, of which Scottish Enterprise Borders is a member, provides a mechanism for co-ordinated delivery of local economic development activities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 14 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations were undertaken by The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care in regard to the establishment of the complaints procedure under section 6(3) of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
The Regulation of Care Project Team in the Scottish Executive prepared draft Care Commission complaints procedures under sections 6 and 64 of the act on the commission's behalf. They consulted widely on them between 4 September and 20 November 2001. All responses were passed to the commission with a report on the consultation. The Care Commission then considered the outcome of the consultation and submitted revised proposals for ministers' approval. The approved complaints procedures were implemented from 1 April 2002, when the Care Commission became operational.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 14 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations there were before establishing the procedure on complaints or representations about the functions or actions of The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care under section 64(2) of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34311 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.