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 3059 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S1W-07594

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing funding for the voluntary sector organisations which it supports and for its Executive agencies on a three-yearly rather than annual basis.

The Scottish Executive has a commitment to creating a more stable funding environment for the voluntary sector, including providing three-year funding packages where appropriate. The Scottish Compact sets out the principles underpinning the relationship between Government and the voluntary sector in Scotland. As part of its implementation, good practice guidance on funding has been consulted on and was published this week. The Scottish Executive and Executive agencies have a responsibility to ensure that they have plans to implement the Compact.

Question reference: S1W-07392

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of funding it has provided in each of the last three years and the current financial year to the National Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

The information requested is given in the tables below.

Grant Aid Payments to Royal Blind School and Donaldsons College (£)

Revenue

	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01
Royal Blind	1,383,376	1,525,660	1,500,000	1,470,000
Donaldsons	886,566	918,530	1,056,208	1,189,136

Note: figures represent the actual grant offer.

Capital

	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01
Royal Blind	nil	9,000	29,896	n/k
Donaldsons	26,305	158,956	1,067,008	n/k

Final decision on capital awards for 00/01 pending response to Ministerial submission in respect of grant-aid.

Note: figures represent the actual amounts paid.

Question reference: S1W-07555

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of monies spent by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the past two years.

Question reference: S1W-07556

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the monies spent by the Scottish Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the last two years.

Question reference: S1W-06614

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4192 by Donald Dewar on 13 April 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown for the First Minister's office of its performance in relation to targets for replying to correspondence from MPs or MSPs for the period 1 November 1999 to 31 January 2000.

Between 1 November 1999 and 31 January 2000, the First Minister's Office replied to 64% of correspondence (36 letters) within the target of 17 days.

The volume and rate at which Ministers receive correspondence continues to increase. In the first nine months since devolution, the number of letters for ministerial reply increased by over 50% compared with the same pre-devolution period. Comparing the last quarter measured, January to end-March 2000 with the same period in 1999 shows an 82% increase.

Question reference: S1W-07385

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of information communications technology training by it and its agencies for each of the past two years and the current year, broken down by local enterprise company area.

Question reference: S1W-07398

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail by health board area the incidence of burkholdaria cepacia in each of the last five years including details of the number of fatalities and the age groups of those affected.

Between 1995-99 29 cases of this infection were reported to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health. The centre received no reports of fatalities as a result of this infection. The age profiles of those affected shown by health boards are detailed in the table below:

Year	Health Board	Age Group	Total
1995	Ayrshire & Arran	35-39, 40-44, 65+	3
	Grampian	65+	1
	Lanarkshire	15-19	1
	Lothian	55-59	1 (6)
1996	Ayrshire & Arran	55-59	1
	Argyll & Clyde	0-4	1
	Greater Glasgow	65+	1
	Lanarkshire	40-44	1
	Lothian	65+	1 (5)
1997	Ayrshire & Arran	65+	1
	Greater Glasgow	55-59	1
	Highland	0-4	1
	Lanarkshire	65+, 65+	2
	Lothian	60-64	1 (6)
1998	Ayrshire & Arran	60-64	1
	Forth Valley	age unknown	2
	Greater Glasgow	50-54, 65+	2
	Lanarkshire	65+	1 (6)
1999	Greater Glasgow	0-4, 0-4, 60-64, 65+	4
	Lothian	0-4, 65+	2 6
			Total (29)

Question reference: S1W-07388

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of financial assistance for new businesses starting up by it and its agencies for each of the past two years and the current year, broken down by local enterprise company area.

The Scottish Executive provides direct financial assistance to businesses under its SMART scheme and through Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). A total of £1.1 million was awarded in grants under SMART in the financial year 1998-99, £1.6 million in 1999-2000 and £0.3 million in the period 1 April 2000 to 31 May 2000. These grants were made, in the main, to new start up and very early stage businesses.A further £1 million was provided to new businesses under the Scottish Executive's SPUR Programme in 1998-99, £1.5 million in 1999-2000 and £0.2 million in the first two months of the current financial year.

Financial assistance under the RSA scheme is available to both new start and established businesses. Data on assistance offered under RSA, however, is not collated on the basis of the date of formation of the companies applying for grant.

Financial assistance for new start up businesses from local enterprise companies and their agents is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the chairmen of both organisations to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.

Question reference: S1W-07399

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 14 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the outcome of its consultations on the draft volunteering and community action plan.

Question reference: S1W-07383

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what process will be used in preparing its response to the UK Raptor Working Party report; what timetable is envisaged; which organisations will be consulted, and whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre all the submissions it receives on the matter.