- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 23 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of entrants to the teaching profession in each of the last three years were mature entrants, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.
Answer
There is no standard definition of a mature entrant to the teaching profession. The following table shows the percentage distribution by age and gender of teachers on the probationer induction scheme over the past three years.
| Percentage | 2005 (total = 2,447) | 2006 (total = 3,223) | 2007 (total = 3,717) |
| Age | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male |
| up to 25 | 45 | 11 | 44 | 10 | 48 | 11 |
| 26 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 27 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 28 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 29 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| over 30 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 7 |
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing estimates of the exports from Scotland to the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answer
The Scottish Government attempts to estimate exports from Scotland to rest of UK using its annual global connections survey. The latest available estimates are for 2002 to 2005 and are available using the attached link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/Exports/RUKExports.
The Scottish Government will publish figures for 2006 in due course. There are no plans to change the current methodology used.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 21 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified teachers were granted accelerated progress on the salary scale in accordance with section 14 of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers’ Circular SNCT/35 in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.
Answer
This information is not collated centrally. It is a matter for local authority employers to determine relevant salary levels on an individual basis in line with the guidance provided by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. This is now contained in the handbook of conditions of service part 2, section 1.8 to 1.23.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Serco has suffered any penalty as a consequence of the murder of Michael Cameron on 16 June 2006 and, if so, what that penalty was, when it was imposed and in respect of what breach of its obligations it was imposed.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
In line with Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd the following performance points were recorded as pending until the court case was concluded. These were applied to the second quarter of performance year 2006-07 in February 2008.
Prisoner on Prisoner Serious Assault x 2: 100 points
Prisoner on Staff non injury assault: 5 points.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been introduced to the service specifications in the contract in respect of HM Prison Kilmarnock following the murder of Michael Cameron in the prison on 16 June 2006.
Answer
The Scottish Prison Service do not consider that any changes to the Service Specification are required as a result of the murder of Mr Cameron.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report by the Scottish Prison Service into the murder of Michael Cameron in HM Prison Kilmarnock on 16 June 2006.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS has no plans to publish the investigation into the murder of Michael Cameron.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what target response time is set by the Scottish Prison Service for sufficient officers to attend a violent incident involving prisoners to enable officers to intervene in (a) its own estate and (b) HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS operating procedures set out how staff should respond to emergency incidents. They do not include specific target response times. The actual response time will vary depending on where staff are located in relation to the incident.
Procedures in Kilmarnock are set out in the appropriate Directors Rule. These are similar to the SPS procedures and the SPS are satisfied that Kilmarnock followed their standard operating procedures.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 5 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers with relevant professional recognition are required to meet the needs of pupils with each of the five identified areas of additional support needs outlined in the Framework for Professional Recognition for teachers.
Answer
Local authorities are required to employ a sufficient number of teachers with appropriate training and experience to meet the educational needs of all children in their area. Application for acceptance within the Framework for Professional Recognition is voluntary and a matter for the individual teacher.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 5 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what core competences are required of teachers applying for professional recognition as teachers of pupils with (a) autism or (b) dyslexia.
Answer
Officials from the Scottish Government are working currently with key stakeholders in the preparation of advisory competencies for teachers applying for professional recognition as teachers of children with (a) autism or (b) dyslexia.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 4 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that young people and potential athletes in Kilmarnock and Loudoun have the opportunity to compete for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Answer
The Governments' National Strategy for Sport, Reaching Higher clearly identifies the importance of the creation of Pathways to enable young people to fulfil their potential in sport. Sportscotland the national agency for sport lead on this area working in partnership with key stakeholders such as the governing bodies of sport and local authorities.
Individual governing bodies of sport have the responsibility to identify and develop their talented athletes. However, additional support is available through the Institute network, which in this case would be the West of Scotland Area Institute of Sport, where aspiring athletes can be further developed through additional tailored support programmes.
The government has set out clear aspirations for the performance of the Scottish Team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and will be working closely with key stakeholders to ensure they are achieved.
