- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its proposals following the recommendations in the report of the MacLean Committee on Serious Violent and Sexual Offenders.
Answer
Scottish Ministers welcomed the MacLean Report when it was published in June 2000. I said then that we would consult on the recommendations and, in the light of the responses received, bring forward proposals for the sentencing, management and treatment of this small but difficult group of serious offenders. Those proposals are set out in a White Paper which will be published today. We intend to legislate on the proposals as soon as practicable.Copies of the White Paper will be made available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 24 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the powers of local authorities.
Answer
Yes. We are committed to introducing a power of community initiative for local authorities - a measure designed to facilitate community leadership, partnership working and innovation in Scottish local authorities.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 8 May 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer what steps the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body has taken to ensure that the Parliament's website and all its computer based communication is fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Answer
An accessibility audit of the website was commissioned from the Digital Media Access Group at the University of Dundee in January of this year. The audit applied the international standards as formulated by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative. One of the aims of these standards is to improve access for people with disabilities.The results of this audit are informing website developments. The new design is being developed in consultation with the SPCB and will be launched when it is finalised and approved.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that its and other public bodies' official websites and computer-based communication are fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Answer
Through its Information Age Government in Scotland draft common framework, the Executive promotes the delivery of services through multiple methods which are appropriate to the customers of those services, and which meet the needs of excluded groups.In addition, the Scottish Executive seeks to ensure that its website is accessible to all by subscribing to the general principles of best practice contained within the Guidelines for UK Government Websites published by the Office of the e-Envoy and to the Web Accessibility Initiative standards published by the World Wide Web Consortium. The "Web Accessibility Initiative" is endorsed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind and other major bodies representing people with disabilities.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that deafblind people have access to the services they require throughout Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15107.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to set national targets for the Scottish Police Service.
Answer
A range of targets, arrived at following detailed consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and with the Conveners of police authorities, are being set for the Scottish police to achieve by the year 2003-04.The targets are intended to build on local plans and existing strategies and to provide a national dimension by highlighting areas of national concern. They also encompass existing national targets for road policing and drug enforcement. The targets are as follows:
Road policing/safety: A reduction in number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 18 per cent. A reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured by 25 per centA reduction in the slight casualty rate by 4 per cent.
Drugs
An increase in the number of drug seizures of 25 per cent An increase in the detection of offences for supply or intent to supply drugs by 25 per cent.
Housebreaking
A 10 per cent reduction in domestic housebreaking.
Racist incidents
An increase in the detection rate for racist incidents of 10 percentage points.Further targets are being developed for violence and public safety.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that the specific needs of children with acquired brain injury are met across the education, health and social work sectors.
Answer
The specific care and support needs of children with acquired brain injury will be met from a range of primary, secondary and specialist services, including health professionals, rehabilitation specialists and learning disability specialists.Education authorities have a duty to ensure that the special educational needs of all children are met. In order to meet this duty, education authorities should liaise with a range of appropriate professionals from the health and social work sectors.Scottish Executive guidance is currently being produced for distribution to all local authorities on the special arrangements for children who are unable to attend school due to prolonged ill-health and the subsequent arrangements required on return to school.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 22 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the production of the new sex education materials recommended by the Working Group on Sex Education.
Answer
Prior to parliamentary approval of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000, Ministers undertook, before commencing the repeal of S.2A of the Local Government Act 1986, to publish the new materials on sex education. I am pleased to be able to announce that the following materials have been published today:A Guide for Parents and Carers;Guidance for Schools and Local Authorities on Effective Consultation with Parents and Carers; A Summary of National Advice on Sex Education, andA Circular to Directors of Education: Standard's in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 - Conduct of Sex Education in Scottish Schools.I am grateful to LTScotland for taking forward this process on our behalf. They have consulted widely about these documents. In the light of the consultation responses, the documents have been improved and amended and the Guide for Parents and Carers has been rewritten.The process has been overseen by a Reference Group chaired by Mike McCabe who chaired the original Working Group on Sex Education. Some other members of the working group were also represented on the Reference Group. The Reference Group has endorsed all of the materials published today. I am sure that they will be a welcome additional resource to teachers and schools as they develop their policies in these important areas.The publication of these materials fulfils the commitments that Scottish Executive Ministers gave last year. Copies of the documents are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The Commencement Order to commence the relevant provisions in the Ethical Standards in Public Life Etc (Scotland) Act 2000 takes effect on 29 March.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve and extend the provision of advice, information and advocacy services.
Answer
I have set up a working group, involving a wide range of interested organisations, to develop proposals for a community legal service to provide a user-friendly network of high-quality legal information, advice and assistance on legal problems right across Scotland. That group will report to me in October.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage women drug users to access counselling and rehabilitation services.
Answer
Last week I announced a £100 million package on drugs. Within this total, substantial sums will be spent on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and community education. Services for children and parents in drug misusing families will be one of the priority areas for support from the resources channelled through the Children's Change Fund.Action at local level to encourage women drug users to access counselling and rehabilitation services is for Drug Action Teams.
