- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it is involved in to increase immigration into Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is lookingat a number of initiatives to encourage people to move to Scotland. Thisincludes the Fresh Talent Initiative, which is a wide ranging initiative aimed atattracting bright, talented and hard-working individuals to come and live, workand study in Scotland.
We are also undertaking specificactivity to help address demands in our public services. Last year Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Minister for Health and CommunityCare announced that dentists from Poland were being recruited from Poland to workin the NHS in Scotland. The first such eleven dentists arrived in Scotland in Januaryand will provide treatment for around 20,000 patients in Argyll amd Clyde, Forth Valley and Fife. Furtherdentists from Poland are due to arrive in a further two phases later thisyear. In addition, the on-going teacher recruitment campaign continues to attractteachers and their families to our shores.There has been a significant increase in the number of highly qualified teachersfrom outwith Scotland who have registered with the General Teaching Councilfor Scotland. Figures indicate a rise of over 40% since 2004.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20247 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 November 2005, whether the dispute on the identification of certain fingerprints between the Aberdeen Fingerprint Bureau and the Scottish Criminal Records Office has been resolved; if not, who has responsibility for deciding how and when it is resolved; what criteria will be used for resolving it, and what action will be taken to ensure that future fingerprint identifications will be reliable and accurate.
Answer
The disagreement concerns identificationof a fingerprint in a criminal case which has been concluded.
The answer to question S2W-23158on 17 February 2006 set out the detailed programme of work that has beenput in place since the HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Inspection report in September2000 of the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau. I also announced on 22 February 2006 thatI had asked the Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Services Authority(SPSA), Deputy Chief Constable David Mulhern, to submit, by the end of March, anaction plan for the migration of the Scottish Fingerprint Service into the new ScottishForensic Science Service from 1 April 2007. Implementing that action plan will ensure we have aworld class fingerprint service, with independentoversight, scientific excellence and transparent adherence to standards.
All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take forward the recommendations contained in the report of the NEET Workstream submitted to the Executive in June 2005.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currentlydeveloping a strategy to reduce the proportion of young people not in education,employment or training (NEET) in Scotland. The strategy will be published shortly and will buildon the findings of the NEET workstream report which was published in August 2005.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 9 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is, per family, of childcare.
Answer
The average cost, per family,of child care is not known for Scotland in 2006. In 2003-04 a survey of parents in Scotland conductedfor the Executive revealed that 63 per cent of families with children do not payfor child care, relying on informal care and free provision. Of those families thatdid pay for child care, 38 per cent paid less than £20 per week, 18 per cent paidbetween £20 and £39 per week, 18 per cent paid between £40 and £70 per week, 10per cent paid between £71 and £100 per week, 8 per cent paid more than £100 perweek, 1 per cent make a one off payment and 7 per cent was not stated. These costsare per family for up to two children.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 9 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist parents with childcare costs.
Answer
The main direct forms of supportfor parents with child care costs are the tax credits system and child care vouchers.These are both the responsibility of HerMajesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and are reserved matters.
Childcare Strategy funding ofover £43 million has been passed to local authorities to meet the Executive’s aimof providing good quality, accessible and affordable childcare in all areas of Scotland. Thisfunding supports a wide range of child care projects and can include providing orsubsidising child care places where this is seen as a priority. Similarly, SureStartScotland funding is used by local authorities to provide services for vulnerablefamilies, which may include child care provision.
The Working for Families (WFF)initiative, being operated in selected parts of Scotland, supports parents in deprivedareas to progress towards or into employment. This can include help to tackle thefinancial barriers associated with child care, for example by providing the fullcost of a child care place for a short time-limited period whilst the parent makesthe transition into employment.
- 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 Patricia Ferguson on 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22531 by Patricia Ferguson on 3 February 2006, how this indicates whether it shares the view of the International Olympic Committee that being a “world city” is a prerequisite for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Answer
The Executive agrees that it is necessary for cities wishing to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games to meet certain requirements. It also agrees that this is for the International Olympic Committee to consider.
- 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 Patricia Ferguson on 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22531 by Patricia Ferguson on 3 February 2006, why it now does not rule out a bid for a Scottish city to host the Olympics in future when it has previously stated that no Scottish city was in a position to do so and that the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games “could feasibly only be staged in London” if they were to take place in the United Kingdom.
Answer
As I said in response to S2W-17566,answered on 18 July 2005, it was presently only feasible for a UK Olympic Games to be held in London. As Scotland’s sports facilities and infrastructure continue to improve that position will change.
As I said in response to S2W-22531 on 3 February 2006, the Scottish Executive currently has no plans to support a Glasgow Olympic bid but would not rule out such a bid in the future. At present efforts are focused on bringing the Commonwealth Games to Scotland in 2014.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- 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 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current Head of the Scottish Fingerprint Service will have his contract renewed or extended when it expires next month and, if not, what agreements are being put in place to replace him and what expertise, experience and qualifications in fingerprinting his successor will require to have.
Answer
This is a matter for the Head of the Scottish Criminal Record Office, the Head of the Scottish Fingerprint Service and his employers, Strathclyde Joint Police Board. It would not be appropriate for me to comment.
- 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 Patricia Ferguson on 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22531 by Patricia Ferguson on 3 February 2006, whether this answer indicates that it considers Glasgow and Edinburgh to be “world cities”.
Answer
As I stated in my previous answer, the Scottish Executive is aware that several of our major cities, of which Glasgow and Edinburgh are two, have world class facilities. As I stated in my response to S2W-22466 on 31 January 2006, the IOC have given no definition for the term “world city”. Therefore it is impossible to say whether Edinburgh or Glasgow are “world cities”. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 8 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the present fertility rate is and what the comparative rates were (a) 5, (b) 10, (c) 15, (d) 20 and (e) 25 years ago.
Answer
The information requested is given in the following table.
Total Fertility Rate, Scotland
| 1979 | 1984 | 1989 | 1994 | 1999 | 2004 |
| 1.84 | 1.68 | 1.61 | 1.58 | 1.51 | 1.60 |
