- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in preparing the Route Action Plan for the A75 announced on 31 March 2000, it considered the status of the A75 in the European Union's Trans-European Road Network and in the Ireland-UK-Benelux Road Upgrading Project.
Answer
The A75 has been part of the Trans-European Road Network for a number of years and all decisions relating to the road take that into account.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding a recommended level of homework for primary and secondary school pupils.
Answer
The setting of homework for both primary and secondary school pupils is a matter for consideration by education authorities in consultation with their schools.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 22 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how the new monies allocated to schools announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's 2000-01 budget will be disbursed in Scotland.
Answer
Following discussion with CoSLA, my department has written to all authorities advising them of how these resources will be allocated. A copy of the letter has been placed in SPICe.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory powers are available to the police to deal with the problems arising from under-age drinking in public places.
Answer
Section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 provides the police with powers to confiscate alcoholic drink from underage drinkers in public places and from those over 18 who are suspected of supplying alcohol to underage drinkers. This is a practical measure which can reduce the impact and nuisance at local level that results from underage drinking, while also reducing the opportunities for the general scale of such drinking.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities to assist them in preventing the consumption of alcohol in public places by young people under the age of 18.
Answer
Guidance was issued to local authorities in July 1997 about the new police powers to confiscate alcohol from young people under 18 found drinking in public places introduced by the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997. Local authorities also received the promotional briefing pack covering the new powers.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to councils regarding determination of the due date for payment of council tax both by instalment and by lump sum.
Answer
None. It is for councils to determine the most appropriate date for the payment of council tax instalments also taking account of the regulations governing the payment of lump sums.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to retain the current status of very sheltered housing as housing provision, placing it outside the proposed framework for the regulation of care and social services.
Answer
We do not intend that sheltered housing should be regulated as residential care. But we do intend that the home care services provided to people living in very sheltered housing will be regulated. We consulted recently on how best this can be accomplished, and will publish our proposals soon.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the amounts calculated in the Grant Aided Expenditure for each local authority in 1999-2000 in respect of provision of discretionary bursaries.
Answer
Grant Aided Expenditure allocations for Further Education: travel and bursaries are listed in the 1999-2000 Grant Aided Expenditure Green Book, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). GAE allowances are not spending targets or limits but contribute towards the assessment of councils' total relative expenditure needs. It is for councils to determine their spending priorities, including on discretionary responsibilities such as Further Education travel and bursary awards, from the total resources available to them.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications are required of individuals appointed as part-time Reporters with the Inquiry Reporters Unit.
Answer
The majority of part-time Reporters appointed by SEIRU have qualifications in planning, architecture, surveying, or law and administration. Some are qualified in more than one discipline. Besides possession of such formal qualifications, part-time Reporters are required also to demonstrate expertise appropriate to the casework that the Unit undertakes, including the determination of the merits of planning and other appeals. In addition, there is a small number of part-time Reporters, currently two, whose expertise lies in specialist administrative areas, but who do not hold any formal qualification. These part-time Reporters handle cases of an administrative nature and do not become involved in mainstream planning issues.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding policy on the use of thick tiled roofs and how this guidance is made available.
Answer
The Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations, published by The Stationery Office, include roofing specifications that are deemed to satisfy the standards.
