- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate and the Minister for Justice agreed the content of each other’s ministerial statement on 22 February 2006 on the Scottish Fingerprint Service.
Answer
These statements were preparedseparately but were subsequently shared to ensure that there was no duplicationnor omission.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22402 by Nicol Stephen on 10 February 2006, whether this answer indicates that it, Scottish Enterprise or any other Executive agency or non-departmental public body is not presently undertaking a review of local economic forums nor has plans to do so in the future.
Answer
The Scottish Executive can confirmthat neither it, Scottish Enterprise nor any other Executive agency or non-departmentalpublic body is, so far as the Executive is aware, presently undertaking a reviewof Local Economic Forums nor has plans to do so.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of unbiased information about education and career opportunities in science have been developed or established since 2001.
Answer
Careers Scotland supportsthe career planning needs of individuals across Scotland. Professional Careers Advisersoffer impartial guidance and support to young people and are trained to recognisethe diversity of opportunities and to challenge stereotyping.
Careers Scotland’s “CareerBox” careers education tool was launched in 2004 and provides access to materialswhich develop research skills whereby young people can use ICT careers informationrelating to science opportunities. This information is detailed enough to give directguidance to young people in science and engineering. The resource is flexible, interactiveand supported by video clips and case studies which highlight role models who havechosen a STEM related career pathway. In addition, the Careers Scotland websitehas a section containing useful information on STEM related industries.
Education and careers opportunitiesin science have been promoted through a range of public science initiatives, furtherdetails of which are in published in A Science Strategy for Scotland, 2001: Progress Report, availableat:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.The report highlights the “SmallGrants for Science” scheme launched by the Scottish Executive in 2003 to supportthe transition from primary to secondary school science, and the Careers ScotlandScience and Technology Matters initiative, announced in November 2005. “ScienceMatters” supports hands on STEM activity for pupils to engage with science, withthe twin aims of encouraging more young people into these subject areas, and improvingrates of progression into science careers. There are also a number of national projectsdelivered in partnership with industry including the Careers Scotland Space School for S4–S5 pupils, launched in 2002.
The Scottish Science CentresNetwork Strategy, published in December 2005, commits the science centres to strengtheningtheir existing links with key organisations to demonstrate more fully the linksbetween science and employment, complementing the work of Careers Scotland and othersin this field.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the criminal investigation into the murder of Marion Ross in Kilmarnock in 1997.
Answer
The murder of Marion Ross inKilmarnock in 1997 has been investigated by Strathclyde Police. However, they willexamine any further information that becomes available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the fingerprint evidence found at the scene of the Marion Ross murder case in Kilmarnock in 1997 was not compared with the fingerprints of every suspect at the time of the initial investigation.
Answer
It is not appropriate todiscuss details of procedures followed in a criminal investigation, foroperational reasons. However, I can confirm that the fingerprint evidence foundat the scene of Marion Ross’ murder was compared with the fingerprints ofparticular individuals where this proved to be appropriate.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the current Lord Advocate’s (a) membership of any political party, (b) financial contributions to any political party and (c) attendance at meetings of any political party since May 1997.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive who set up the inquiry in 1965, popularly known as the Thurso Boy Inquiry, and what its terms of reference were.
Answer
The tribunal was appointed bythe Secretary of State for Scotland on 18 February 1959 under the Tribunals of Inquiry(Evidence) Act 1921. Its remit was to inquire into the allegation of assault onJohn Waters by members of Caithness police on 7 December 1957.The report of the tribunal, chaired by Lord Sorn, was presented to the WestminsterParliament in April 1959 under Cmnd 718.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it commissioned Future Skills Scotland to analyse the supply and demand for people with different levels of science qualifications and when and where the full results of the analysis were published.
Answer
My officials asked FutureskillsScotland to investigate the supply and demand for scientists, engineers and mathematiciansin Scotland as part of its 2005-07 workplan. A project steering groupincluding representatives from the Scottish Executive, FutureSkills Scotland andthe Scottish Funding Council, is now directing the work. FSS expect to have theresults ready to pass to us by summer 2006. Further information is published in
A Science Strategy for Scotland 2001:Progress Report, published February 2006, a copy of which is availableon the web at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Cabinet meetings have taken place since May 1999; how many of these the current Lord Advocate has attended (a) for the duration of the meeting or (b) for part of the meeting either in his capacity as Solicitor General or Lord Advocate, and how many times he has spoken at Cabinet on (i) specifically legal matters and (ii) political matters.
Answer
The dates when the Scottish Cabinethas met since 1999 are available under the Cabinet-related information providedon the Scottish Executive website.
The Lord Advocate is not a memberof the Scottish Cabinet but usually attends Cabinet each week to provide legal advicewhere it is sought.
Information relating to the proceedingsof the Scottish Cabinet is considered exempt from disclosure under sections 29 (a)and (b) and 30(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the current Solicitor General’s (a) membership of any political party, (b) financial contributions to any political party and (c) attendance at meetings of any political party since May 1997.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
