- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school board members there are at present in Scotland.
Answer
This information is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many current school board members in Scotland have been appointed as opposed to elected and by which organisations.
Answer
No school board members are appointed by outside organisations. School boards are made up of elected parent and staff members and other members co-opted by the school board. In denominational schools, one of the co-opted members must be nominated by the relevant denominational body. Information on numbers of school board members is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the current level of meat inspection charges for Scottish abattoirs.
Answer
The current level of meat inspection charges has remained at the level fixed for the year 1998-99 while the burdens on the meat industry have been reviewed. As stated in today's written answer by the Minister for Health and Community Care, Ministers' response to the Red Tape Working Group's report has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what it would understand to be a safety risk under the terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 Section 51 as amended.
Answer
Section 51(2C) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, provides that in considering the provision of school transport, education authorities must have regard to the safety of pupils. The provision does not seek to define what constitutes safety in this context. What constitutes a safety risk depends on the circumstances of particular cases and it is for the authorities to consider which circumstances should be taken into account. Ultimately, it would be for the Courts to determine whether an authority had reasonable regard to safety in the circumstances of a case.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that sufficient supplies of products used to treat sheep ectoparasiticides are available in the short term given the plans to recall organophosphate dips by the end of January.
Answer
There are alternatives to OP sheep dip ectoparasiticides in the form of synthetic pyrethroid dips and non OP pour-ons and injectibles. Looking to the longer term, a major programme of research into alternative strategies to control ectoparasites is being funded.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional measures, within its own area of competence, it will put in place to ensure the continuance of the current substantial network of rural Post Offices.
Answer
The Post Office, post and regulation of postal services are reserved matters but the Scottish Executive will continue to ensure that the UK Government is aware of the particular needs of communities in Scotland.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service with regard to any low levels of morale amongst prison officers.
Answer
I have met with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service as necessary to discuss prisons issues.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish prisoners released from Scottish prisons in each of the last ten years have been returned to prison because of re-offending.
Answer
The information requested is not available. However, studies consistently show that a very high proportion of released prisoners are reconvicted within a short time. A 1997 study by Dr David Cooke showed 72% of a sample were reconvicted (though not necessarily re-imprisoned) within two years.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 16 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about the closure of rural post offices and the potential for further closures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government over a range of matters, including those relating to the Post Office. As Rural Affairs Minister, I am well aware of the importance of local post offices for many rural communities throughout Scotland. I have made it clear that I support the maintenance of an extensive rural post office network.
- Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 16 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about the closure of rural post offices and the potential for further closures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government over a range of matters, including those relating to the Post Office. As Rural Affairs Minister, I am well aware of the importance of local post offices for many rural communities throughout Scotland. I have made it clear that I support the maintenance of an extensive rural post office network.
