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: S1W-18697

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to modify the proposed A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar to incorporate slip roads to East Linton.

Question reference: S1W-18702

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alleviate any problems to the local community that may be caused by the proposed A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar.

Question reference: S1W-18988

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations the Scottish Road Safety Campaign has made to it on the issue of slow moving vehicles on primary roads and what subsequent representations it has made or plans to make to the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions on any necessary changes to existing legislation.

Question reference: S1W-18695

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when work will commence on the proposed A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar, and how the timescale now compares with the timescale given in Strategic Roads Review - Scheme Decisions, the supplementary report to Travel Choices for Scotland: Strategic Roads Review.

I announced in November 1999 that five schemes, including the A1, will proceed to construction over the next three years. I had envisaged that, subject to satisfactory progress on the completion of the necessary statutory procedures, construction could begin in 2001. However, that process has taken slightly longer than envisaged in 1999, due to a combination of objections which required to be considered fully and the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, which delayed ground construction work and topographical surveys.

The necessary procedures were completed in August 2001 and tenders were promptly invited for the construction work. I hope to see that work start in summer 2002.

Question reference: S1W-18700

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to the proposed A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar were considered.

Question reference: S1W-18698

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive why no public local inquiry was held on the proposal to construct the A1 Haddington to Dunbar expressway option as recommended in Travel Choices for Scotland: Strategic Roads Review.

Question reference: S1W-18900

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Transport and Planning or any other minister has at any time indicated that a public enquiry into the proposed A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar would result in the expressway not being built.

Question reference: S1W-17796

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the criteria established in 1996 for defining a trunk road or network.

Question reference: S1W-18710

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources were made available for the care of people with learning disabilities in each year since 1995.

Information about the expenditure on community care services for adults with learning disabilities and on children generally is contained in Tables 7.1 to 7.3 of Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 published by the Scottish Executive in July 2001. A copy of this document is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 15335).

Information about expenditure on services specifically for children with learning disabilities is not held centrally.

Question reference: S1W-18712

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is currently available for teachers with regard to dealing with children with special educational needs.

There is a wide variety of training available for qualified teachers, ranging from university courses such as the Post-graduate diploma in special educational needs (SEN) and the Post-graduate certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) to courses/conferences/seminars run by local authorities, colleges and voluntary agencies in language and communication, moving and handling and Individualised Educational Programmes.

Before qualifying, components within the core of courses of initial teacher education (ITE) consist, where appropriate, of inter-related units in special educational needs. Guidelines for initial teacher education in Scotland require teacher education institutions (TEIs) to prepare prospective teachers to be responsive to the needs of all pupils in respect of SEN. In line with the guidelines, teaching pupils with SEN is also an option for specialist study within Bachelor of Education primary courses.

The Report of the First Stage of the Review of ITE made two recommendations on special educational needs, these being;

Students should be provided by their overall ITE programmes with clear models of best practice in collaborative approaches which can benefit children with SEN, and which can support classroom teachers in a better understanding of their own role, and

TEIs should offer visits to schools specifically to enrich the ITE experience of SEN (given the variability of placement experience) subject to appropriate safeguards for the dignity of the children involved.

The consultation on the report recently ended and responses are currently being analysed. An Action Plan to implement the work on this report will follow shortly and a copy of this will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.