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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1244 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S1W-21157

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications or experience classroom assistants require before entering the classroom environment.

The guidance issued by The Scottish Office to Directors of Education in April 1999 about the implementation of the Classroom Assistants initiative, sets out the following minimum entry standards which prospective Classroom Assistants are required to demonstrate prior to appointment:

literacy and communication skills

numeracy

potential to develop and learn within the role

ability to work with children

ability to work co-operatively and under the direction of a teacher

Before starting work in school, the guidance, which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 13145), suggests that all Classroom Assistants should receive basic induction training at authority, school and classroom level.

A comprehensive list of topics for induction training is set out in Annex E of the guidance.

Question reference: S1W-20918

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation has been carried out in order to determine whether Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPT) has been meeting its statutory duties and what effect the current funding arrangements have had on SPT's ability to do so.

Question reference: S1W-20917

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place with officials of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority in the last year and what was discussed at any such meetings.

Question reference: S1W-20168

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics regarding the numbers of people diagnosed with a mental illness it uses when formulating policy and apportioning budgets in respect of mental illness.

The allocation of resources between NHS boards in Scotland takes into account the age and sex structure of the population and the influence of deprivation on the need for healthcare. This information is based on statistical evidence about the use made of services by different population groups. Statistics on admissions to hospital by people diagnosed with a mental illness show, for example, that people living in deprived areas make significantly greater use of mental illness services that people living in more affluent areas. The methods of analysis and the data used are explained in the reports on Fair Shares for All that were produced by the Arbuthnott Committee on resource allocation. It is then for NHS boards and local authorities to determine how best to use the resources made available to them to best meet the needs of local populations, including the needs of people with mental illness.

Question reference: S1W-20169

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when the National Discharge Protocol for Mentally Disordered Offenders will be published.

Question reference: S1W-19671

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified psychiatric nurses are currently employed on the NHS 24 helpline.

Question reference: S1W-20450

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18698 and S1W-19839 by Sarah Boyack on 30 October and 23 November 2001, what objections were received to the draft orders for the construction of the A1 Expressway between Haddington and Dunbar.

Question reference: S1W-20449

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18697 by Sarah Boyack on 30 October 2001, whether the bid for the work on the A1 Haddington to Dunbar Expressway has been accepted and whether the final contracts have been agreed.

Question reference: S1W-20444

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures or legislation are currently in place, or are planned, to facilitate and expedite the obtaining of statutory powers to build light rail schemes.

At present, any proposals for new railways in Scotland require parliamentary approval at Westminster using either a "light railways Order" under the Light Railways Acts 1896 and 1912 or the powers of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936. As part of the package of measures for railways devolution, it was agreed that the Scottish Parliament should have legislative competence over the approval of the promotion and construction of new railways in Scotland. To achieve this, the Scottish ministers and the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions have instructed the preparation of a draft Order under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998. This will involve creating an exception to the reservation of rail transport in the Scotland Act.Once the Scottish Parliament has legislative competence over the promotion and construction of new railways in Scotland, parliamentary permissions will be granted using the Parliament's Private Bill procedure. Guidance for promoters wishing to bring a Private Bill before the Scottish Parliament has been issued and can be viewed at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/private-01/gprb-c.htm.Arrangements for cross-border projects are already provided for under section 24 of the Transport and Works Act 1992. In these circumstances, railway projects which cross the border are likely to be subject to Private Bill procedure before Westminster.

Question reference: S1W-20448

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the specifications will be for the construction of access roads for emergency vehicles to the proposed A1 Haddington to Dunbar Expressway.