Chamber and committees

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: S2W-02623

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the proposals contained in the United States of America's communication to the Council for Trade in Services would have on Scottish tertiary education services should the proposals in regard to market areas and no limitations be applied to all General Agreement on Trade in Services signatory nations that permit private education.

The Department for Trade andIndustry (DTI) has lead responsibility for all matters related to the General Agreementon Trade in Services on behalf of the UK, as the regulation of international trade is a reservedarea. The DTI have confirmed that as the UK has already taken full commitments in relation to privatelyfunded education services during the Uruguay round, the negotiating proposals contained in the United States of America’s communication to the Council for Trade in Servicesshould have no impact on tertiary education services in Scotland. TheEC has not and does not intend to make any offer in the area of public sector educationservices.

Question reference: S2W-02936

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2266 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 September 2003, what its position is on the statement by the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture, as expressed in Trends and Learning Structures in European Higher Education III that “Higher education was already included in the 1994 round of GATS negotiations but has assumed a much more prominent and highly disputed position in the current round”, in light of the Executive's statement that “the EC has not and does not intend to make any offer in the area of public sector education services”.

The Department for Trade andIndustry (DTI) has lead responsibility for all matters related to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) on behalfof the UK, as the regulation of international trade is a reserved area. The DTI arein regular contact with colleagues within the devolved administrations on mattersrelated to education as policy responsibility in that area is fully devolved. TheUKhas already taken GATS commitments in relation to private sector education servicesduring the Uruguay round of negotiations. Those commitments do not applyto publicly funded education. The EC has not and does not intend to make any offerin the area of public sector education services. That position has been confirmedin a news release of 5 February 2003. A copy of the news release is available for referenceat:http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/186|0|AGED&lg=EN&display=.

Question reference: S2W-02938

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the possible impacts of the General Agreement on Trade in Services on education systems from a legal and practical perspective, in light of the conclusions of the Bologna follow-up seminar “Exploring the Social Dimensions of the European Higher Education Area” that such impacts should be assessed in each country.

Question reference: S2W-02669

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.

Question reference: S2W-02665

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to make representations to Her Majesty's Government to ensure that the recommendations contained in the reports by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Education are implemented, as referred to in the resolution of the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Question reference: S2W-02667

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, and is taking, to ensure the delivery of appropriate and quality-assured legal and advisory services to asylum seekers at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to in Scottish Refugee Integration Forum: Action Plan: Supporting Document.

The provision of legal and advisoryservices was not identified by the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum as a key action,and is therefore not one of the over 50 actions contained in the ScottishRefugee Integration Forum: action plan, which are currently being implemented.

Detainees in Dungavel are freeto contact either private solicitors, Legal Aid solicitors or the Immigration AdvisoryService (IAS). The IAS also provides a weekly surgery at Dungavel. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner provides quality control for legal practitionersproviding immigration advice.

Question reference: S2W-02666

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the delivery of services for which it has responsibility to those detained at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre.

Question reference: S2W-02664

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to make representations to Her Majesty's Government towards ending a system of detention of children at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to in the resolution of the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Question reference: S2W-02671

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conveyed to Her Majesty's Government the concerns of the Parliament about the detention of children at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to in the resolution of the Parliament on 11 September 2003.

Question reference: S2W-02531

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-358 by Ms Margaret Curran on 4 September 2003, whether it is satisfied with the treatment of children of asylum seekers in areas within its responsibility.