- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 16 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the guidelines on the use of biometric systems in schools, currently being developed by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, will apply in Scotland.
Answer
I understand that this guidance is being developed on behalf of the Department for Education and Science and will, therefore, only apply to schools in England.
The following is a corrected answer (published on 28 March 2007); see below.I understand that this guidance is being developed on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills and will, therefore, only apply to schools in England.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance to police on the meaning of the term “reasonable grounds” in section 48(1) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer
No. It is the responsibilityof individual police forces to develop guidelines regarding stop and search.Police officers have to act according to the law and be able to demonstrate to theCourts that they have done so.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published, or intends to publish, a review of the issues covered in the annual statements of education improvement objectives that are required to be published by education authorities under section 5 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.
Answer
We published a performance reporton the National Priorities in Education in 2003. More recently, ImprovingScottish Education and Improving Scottish Education: Effectivenessof Education Authorities review the performance of the education system, includinghow priorities for education are distinctively shaped by authorities to meet theneeds of their local area. In light of these publications, we have no plans to publishan update to our original report. Copies of all three reports are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 30161, 38934 and 41128 respectively).
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published, or intends to publish, a review of the ways in which education authorities encourage equal opportunities, and in particular the observance of equal opportunities requirements, as specified in section 5(2)(b) of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.
Answer
The Executive has no currentplans to review how education authorities encourage equal opportunities and complywith their various statutory obligations in the Standards in Scotland’s Schoolsetc. Act 2000 and other subsequent legislation, some of which will only come into force later thisyear. Where appropriate, the legislation already requires authorities to set out their plansand monitor progress.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 7 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its interpretation is of the meaning of the term “reasonable grounds” in section 48(1) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer
The act itself provides no definitionof the term “reasonable grounds”. The Executive has not issued any guidance on theterm. Ultimately it is for the courts to determine what grounds are reasonable.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 17 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28275 by Peter Peacock on 26 September 2006, whether the phrase “essential pre-requisite” refers to a legal requirement, a requirement of Executive policy, or a matter of good practice.
Answer
It refers to amatter of good practice.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 17 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to issue guidance to schools on the use of biometric systems such as fingerprinting
Answer
We have no plans to issueguidance to schools on the use of biometric systems.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 11 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that ministers determining applications under the planning or electricity legislation do not act under an actual or perceived conflict of interest when its departments or agencies have grant-aided work to develop, assess or justify the development proposals under consideration.
Answer
Decisions on planning applicationscoming before the Scottish ministers are taken by the planning minister, or a nominee,on an individual basis, rather than by Scottish ministers collectively. In takinga decision the planning minister will have regard to the provisions of the developmentplan and the determination will be made in accordance with the plan unless materialconsiderations indicate otherwise. It is open to the planning minister to considerall matters that are drawn to his attention, provided they are of relevance, inland use planning terms, to the determination of the application.
Other ministers or Executivedepartments or agencies with a particular interest in a proposal, for example throughgrant aided work, should not attempt to influence the decision making process.Ministers may, however, draw the planning minister’s attention to the views of theirelectorate. Paragraphs 6.7 to 6.12 of the Scottish Ministerial Code are ofrelevance as is the guidance contained in paragraph 1.3 of the Guide to CollectiveDecision making.
Scottish ministers have a statutoryduty under the Electricity Act 1989 to consult the relevant planning authoritiesand also Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agencyin relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. The Deputy Minister for Enterprise adoptsa similar role to that of the planning minister in determining applications madeunder the Electricity Act, having full regardto all the facts relating to the application including any advice offered by bothstatutory and non-statutory consultees.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 11 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the funding scheme to promote household composting will operate in urban areas without gardens.
Answer
Home composting schemes are primarilydesigned for houses with gardens but the home composting scheme run by the Wasteand Resources Action Programme also includes wormeries and food digesters whichcan be used in the home.
We are also planning food wastecollection trials from households, with the food waste being composted centrally.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 21 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what top six subjects were raised by individual members of the public with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Justice, as measured by volume of written correspondence, in the last 12 months.
Answer
The top six subjects raised weresentencing; family law; the Scottish Fingerprint Service; complaints against thepolice; antisocial behaviour, and the review of the law on knives.
