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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-14781

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the member development and member training programmes for councillors carried out in Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council can be implemented in Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-14783

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities it believes could benefit from implementing the investment in people policy developed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Question reference: S1W-14718

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the PFI and PPP projects entered into since 1996, detailing the capital cost and level of advisory fees involved in each project.

The information requested for Scottish Executive PFI contracts entered into since 1996 is detailed in the table. An up to date list of all currently active projects known to the Executive showing, among other things, the estimated capital value is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre. Information on advisory fees for non-Scottish Executive projects is a matter of commercial confidentiality between the parties to the contract.

Project Name

Procuring Agency

Financial Close

Capital Value

(£ million)

Advisory Fees

(£ million)

M6 DBFO

Development Department

April 1997

3.46

Kilmarnock Prison

Scottish Prison Service

November 1997

0.23

Question reference: S1W-14749

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) have taken to encourage departments of Her Majesty's Government to transmit records belonging to Her Majesty and relating exclusively or mainly to Scotland to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland under section 4 of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 and, in particular, whether any representations have been made regarding the transfer to NAS of the military and pension records of Scottish regiments.

I have asked Mr George MacKenzie, Keeper of the Records of Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) has received all the documents specified in section 4 of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937. These are Scottish records dating from 1189 to 1284.Under section 5(1) of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 and section 3(8) of the Public Records Act 1958, NAS has in the last 10 years received more than 1,000 shelf metres of records relating to Scotland from UK Government bodies, including the Cabinet Office, Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue, Property Services Agency and the Board of Trade.The main operational records of the Scottish regiments consist of official war diaries, sent to the War Office and now available for consultation in the Public Record Office in London. Records up to 1,920 of individual soldiers' service and pensions are also available in the Public Record Office. Later service records are still in the custody of the Ministry of Defence. The NAS sees no reason to interfere with these arrangements.

Question reference: S1W-14623

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to raise the profile of Scotland House in Brussels and its activities.

Question reference: S1W-14692

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding Scotland House in Brussels receives annually from (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) other Scottish public bodies.

Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a range of interests. Its principal components are the Scottish Executive EU Office (SEEUO) and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of its subscribers.

The SEEUO budget for 2000-01 was £500,000, which was funded entirely by the Scottish Executive.

Scottish Enterprise contributed £455,000 in 2000-01 towards the costs of Scotland Europa, Brussels. A number of other Scottish public bodies, including Highlands and Islands European Partnership and CoSLA provided indirect support by means of fees or subventions paid in relation to membership of Scotland Europa or residence in Scotland House. A full list of Scotland Europa members is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Question reference: S1W-14624

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it will have with Scotland House in Brussels on improving its physical and public profile.

Question reference: S1W-15314

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 23 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition of community ownership is.

The Housing Green Paper Investing In Modernisation published in February 1999 (Cm 4272) stated that community ownership would normally result from the transfer of existing public sector rented housing to alternative community landlords at a price which reflects the value of the stock and under arrangements which ensure that:

the housing is owned by a non-profit making body on which there is tenant, local authority and community representation;
there is effective tenant involvement in key decisions;
housing is available, and continues to be available, to be let at affordable rents to those in housing need, including the homeless and other vulnerable groups, and

there are guarantees for transferring tenants regarding rent increases, tenancy rights and repairs and improvements to housing stock.

Question reference: S1W-15304

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12264 how much Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Eilean Siar, Highland and West Lothian Councils spent in each year from 1996-97 to 2000-01 in utilising their discretionary powers to enable tenants to purchase a home on the open market.

Question reference: S1W-15111

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to initiate a national inquiry into the pay and conditions of nursery nurses with a view to producing a report and recommendations.

The Scottish Executive recognises the crucial role that well qualified, highly motivated staff play in delivering quality early education and childcare services. The Executive is working hard to support skills development in the sector and improve the overall image of childcare as an attractive career for both men and women. Nursery nurses are a key group in the childcare workforce; and we are working to expand their opportunities for professional development.Last year we published Working With Children - the first comprehensive guide to qualifications and careers in the childcare sector. We also launched our Action Plan for the Training and Development of Workers in Early Education, Childcare and Playwork; and are supporting this with close to £4 million of investment in skills. The Action Plan will support workforce expansion and contribute to our commitment in Programme for Government to train 5,000 new childcare workers by 2002.The establishment of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council will also ensure that quality remains at the heart of our agenda for all care services.Last year we also set up the Early Education and Childcare Forum, through which selected professionals from across the early years sector provide an integrated source of advice on childcare and pre-school education to ministers. The forum, which I chair, is an important vehicle for highlighting key early years issues and contributing to future policy development.

Together, the Social Services Council and the Early Education & Childcare Forum will be taking forward issues of consistency and tackling the complex issues developing at a local level as a result of recent expansion.The pay and conditions of nursery nurses, though, remain a matter for their employers - the local authorities and organisations in both the private and voluntary sectors. The Executive has no role in the negotiations and no plans to initiate a national inquiry.