- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to NHS boards on the lead commissioner of children's services role identified in For Scotland's Children under “Planning and Priorities Guidance 1999/2000”, and whether such guidance will be reviewed in light of the report into the death of Caleb Ness.
Answer
Guidance on the role of the Child Health Commissioner was issued to NHS boards in A Template for ChildHealth Services within Unified NHS Board areas, published in June 2001. We willconsider the need to revise this guidance in the context of our work with NHS boardsto take forward a range of actions in the light of the report into the death ofCaleb Ness.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when each lead commissioner of children's services was appointed in each NHS board, as referred to in For Scotland's Children.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 4 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools will need to have new classrooms built to meet its target to reduce class si'es in English and maths in S1 and S2 to a maximum of 20.
Answer
Any needfor additional classrooms in particular schools, consequent on our commitmentto increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007, will be influenced by issuessuch as local school occupancy levels, future pupil numbers and effectivenessof timetabling. It is for education authorities to consider these issues in thefirst instance.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to continue to make resources available to local authorities through the schools fund beyond 2005-06.
Answer
Local authorities’ shares of the schools fund are confirmed up to 2005-06. However, we recognise thatimproving and maintaining school buildings is a long-term issue and haveindicated that we intend that substantial resources will continue to beavailable over the long term for work on the school estate.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be open to local authorities to direct resources from their schools fund allocations towards supporting prudential borrowing, where such borrowing relates to the school estate.
Answer
It is not open to localauthorities to use schools fund resources to support the cost of direct councilborrowing for capital investment.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering introducing legislation in respect of party representation on council committees as part of its consultation on the draft Local Governance (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports COSLA guidance issued to local authorities in respect of party representation on council committees.
Answer
The issue of party representationon council committees is an internal matter for councils. It is for individual councilsto decide whether to adopt the guidance issued by COSLA.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce regulation of membership of council committees on a similar basis to England and Wales where proportionality is a requirement.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement in the general report of the Bologna follow-up seminar in Athens that “it is clear that tuition fees can form severe access thresholds” and whether it will review its graduate endowment scheme accordingly.
Answer
Tuitionfees can be perceived as an impediment to accessing full-time higher educationcourses. That is precisely why we abolished tuition fees for all eligibleScottish domiciled and EU students undertaking a full-time higher educationcourse in Scotland since autumn 2000.
The Graduate Endowment isnot, however, a deferred tuition fee. Many of those who are eligible to receivefree tuition will not have to pay the endowment. There are therefore no plansto review these arrangements.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning received any guarantees at the Berlin Conference of European Ministers in charge of higher education on 18 and 19 September 2003 on the importance of recognising national frameworks.
Answer
The European ministerialconference was held to review the progress being made towards the implementingthe principles of the Bologna Declaration. Forty countries are now committed tothis process, which recognises the need for diversity and flexibility. This isreflected in the text of the Berlin Communiqué agreed at the conference.
