Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-00637

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff hold qualifications in British Sign Language.

Question reference: S4W-00623

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to local authorities to encourage residents to use public transport.

Local authorities receive capital funding through the local government settlement to spend according to their priorities. The Scottish Government encourages the use of public transport through initiatives such as Smarter Choices Smarter Places, through publishing guidance to encourage a partnership approach to develop and address improvements in bus services and through the concessionary travel scheme.

Question reference: S4W-00626

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it gives to local authorities to support park and ride facilities at train and bus stations.

The development of local park and ride facilities is a matter for local government to determine according to their priorities. However, the Scottish Government does provide some additional funding, as for the new or expanded sites developed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport over the last year at Croy, Monkton, Harthill, Coatbridge and Kilbowie. Most recently the Scottish Government announced that £10 million is to be made available to Fife Council to deliver a 1,000 space park and ride facility at Halbeath.

Question reference: S4W-00624

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to local transport authorities to encourage the use of public transport.

Local authorities receive capital funding through the local government settlement to spend according to their priorities. The Scottish Government encourages the use of public transport through initiatives such as Smarter Choices Smarter Places, through publishing guidance to encourage a partnership approach to develop and address improvements in bus services and through the concessionary travel scheme.

Question reference: S4W-00636

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are able to communicate in British Sign Language.

Question reference: S4W-00635

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are British Sign Language users.

As with other languages, the information relating to staff language or other qualifications, is not held centrally, nor do we hold centrally the information relating to any languages understood or spoken by staff.

Where a member of the public or job applicant required access to British Sign Language interpreter, as a reasonable adjustment to access a service, we would arrange for that to be provided in the same manner as we would for any other reasonable adjustment or interpretation requirement.

Question reference: S4W-00619

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 17 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to redraw local authority boundaries in Motherwell and Wishaw in the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Motherwell and Wishaw. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

Question reference: S4W-00630

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what documents and publications it makes available in British Sign Language.

Question reference: S4W-00621

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 17 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to redraw local authority boundaries in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

Question reference: S4W-00615

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 17 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to redraw local authority boundaries in Falkirk East in the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Falkirk East. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

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