- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 July 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to develop volunteering in the public sector in light of the report by Community Service Volunteers, The State of the Volunteering Nation.
Answer
Volunteering in the public sector is being driven forward by the Active Communities Initiative, which is designed to bring about more positive attitudes towards volunteering, locate volunteering at the heart of policy and to broaden the range and numbers of people involved. The Community Service Volunteers report State of the Volunteering Nation will help inform the initiative. In addition, many of the projects assisted through the Active Communities Initiative, for example Community Service Volunteers' Retired and Senior Volunteering Programme, include volunteering opportunities in the public sector.Other steps taken to promote volunteering in the public sector include:Supporting the Active Communities Development Unit at Volunteer Development Scotland. The unit offers assistance in shaping policy and practice in the public sector and local authorities, and is working on new guidance, which should be published later this year;Publication of new guidance on volunteering in health; andSupporting Volunteer Development Scotland who, with COSLA, issued joint guidance to local authorities on how to prepare and implement volunteering policy statements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 2 July 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what further action it is taking to address the mismatch effect as identified by Professor Arthur Midwinter in his report Grant Distribution and the Mismatch Effect: An Assessment of its Impact on Councils since Reorganisation.
Answer
I am due to meet with COSLA again next month to talk about the Spending Review and the distribution of resources for all local authorities. This will be the forum to discuss such matters. Any other meetings will be considered after my discussions with COSLA.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 July 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has agreed performance measures for 2002 for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer
I have today written to the Acting Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee informing her that performance measures have been agreed for this year and enclosed these for the committee's interest. I have placed copies of my letter, and its enclosure, in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 27 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Expert Working Group on Nutritional Standards will be published.
Answer
Subject to approval by the Scottish Cabinet, the Scottish Executive's Expert Panel on school meals will publish recommendations for consultation over the summer months.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to amend legislation in order to provide a simpler mechanism to allow enforcement of correct use of parking bays for disabled people.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is participating in the review of the Blue Badge Scheme being conducted on behalf of all four UK administrations by the Department for Transport.This review covers all aspects of the scheme including enforcement.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any duty on local authorities to enforce correct use of parking bays for disabled people.
Answer
Under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, roads authorities have a general duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. This general duty is met by the local authority making Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) which can be introduced for a variety of reasons including the provision of parking bays for disabled people.It is a matter for individual authorities to decide how they enforce the correct use of parking bays for disabled people.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a report from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council on contract research staff and, if so, what the key findings of the report are; what follow-up action is planned, and whether the report will be published.
Answer
In the ministerial guidance to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) in December 2001, which applies to the year 2002-03, the council was asked to supply an annual report on the position with regard to information on contract research staff within higher education institutions in Scotland. The timing of that report is a matter to be agreed with SHEFC in the light of its advice on the best means of collecting this information.SHEFC is currently developing options for collecting this information and for monitoring progress which it intends to discuss with Universities Scotland. In doing so, it will draw on the report by the Institute for Employment Research on the career destinations of contract research staff in Scotland. This report was commissioned jointly with the ESRC, the Wellcome Trust, the Carnegie Trust and the Scottish Executive and was published in December 2001.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5003/2001 of 10 December 2002, what difference the guidance to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council on contract research staff and the #500,000 funding for human resource management have made.
Answer
The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) has allocated the £500,000 funding to assist with the implementation of the new condition of grant on human resource policies and management. This condition of grant covers the management of all staff, including contact research staff, and came into effect on 1 April 2002. The majority of the additional resources have been allocated to institutions to assist in their preparations for the introduction of the condition. Institutions can use these resources in any way to assist, develop and implement strategies and policies to bring about improvements in relation to the management of all staff, including contract research staff. The remaining funds are being used by the council to assist its own preparation for the introduction of the condition. In responding to the guidance received from the minister on 10 December 2002, SHEFC will work with Universities Scotland to report annually on the distribution of contract research staff in Scottish higher education institutions.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities enforce penalties on improper use of parking bays for disabled people.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether housing association tenants will still be liable for any rent arrears incurred during existing tenancy agreements when the new Scottish Secure Tenancy is implemented.
Answer
The interpretation of statute is a legal matter which is ultimately for the courts. However, it is the Executive's view that the implementation of the Scottish secure tenancy (converting existing tenancies to Scottish secure tenancies) will not of itself affect any existing rent arrears.