- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10929 by Mr Jack McConnell on 16 March 2001, how many claims have been submitted to date, and for how much, for additional costs incurred as a result of the 2000 examinations diet, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) further education institution and (c) higher education institution; how much money has been allocated in the current financial year to meet the cost of any such claims, again broken down by (a), (b) and (c), and how much money has been allocated in 2001-02 to cover such claims.
Answer
As announced in response to question S1W-10929, the Scottish Executive agreed to consider any claims submitted by local authorities concerning additional costs arising from the 2000 examinations diet. In order to minimise the administrative burden on local authorities and in consideration that all authorities were affected by the difficulties with the summer 2000 exam results, I have decided to make an 'ex gratia' payment to each local authority. All payments have been made during financial year 2000-01 and therefore no additional payments will be made during financial year 2001-02. The table sets out the payments made, which are based on the number of schools and pupils in each authority:
| Local Authority | Payment |
| Aberdeen City | £26,781 |
Aberdeenshire | £35,166 |
| Angus | £17,120 |
| Argyll & Bute | £17,034 |
| Clackmannanshire | £6,775 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | £28,128 |
| Dundee City | £21,189 |
| East Ayrshire | £20,035 |
| East Dunbartonshire | £19,871 |
| East Lothian | £12,340 |
| East Renfrewshire | £15,855 |
| Edinburgh City | £47,856 |
| Eilean Siar | £15,411 |
| Falkirk | £18,693 |
| Fife | £47,776 |
| Glasgow City | £67,756 |
| Highland | £46,480 |
| Inverclyde | £16,194 |
| Midlothian | £12,801 |
| Moray | £15,091 |
| North Ayrshire | £21,385 |
| North Lanarkshire | £54,564 |
| Orkney Islands | £7,759 |
| Perth & Kinross | £19,620 |
| Renfrewshire | £28,840 |
| Scottish Borders | £17,326 |
| Shetland Islands | £11,038 |
| South Ayrshire | £18,800 |
| South Lanarkshire | £46,598 |
| Stirling | £14,110 |
| West Dunbartonshire | £13,581 |
| West Lothian | £23,764 |
| TOTAL | £785,736 |
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 29 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation exercises the ministers with responsibility for culture and sport have initiated since 1 July 1999.
Answer
Consultation on the National Cultural Strategy was launched in August 1999. A consultation on The Development Of A Policy On Architecture For Scotland was launched in September 1999. There has been no other consultation in these areas.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 29 March 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Holyrood Building Project will be completed on schedule in 2002, when it is expected that MSPs will begin using the debating chamber at Holyrood and whether comments attributed to Benedetta Tagliabue, as reported in The Scotsman on 27 March 2001, are accurate.
Answer
The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed to me that the Holyrood building remains on schedule for completion of construction in December 2002 and should be ready for normal parliamentary business in early 2003. A statement issued last week by the architects, EMBT-RMJM Ltd, stated that the comments attributed to Ms Tagliabue were inaccurate and she herself confirmed this in a letter to the Secretary of the Holyrood Progress Group on 27 March.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 29 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why Scotland did not participate in the 1999 Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat as a follow-up to the participation by The Scottish Office in the original 1995 study.
Answer
Revised national advice on the teaching of mathematics and science was issued in 1997 and 1999 respectively, and in 1999 it was agreed that the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat was too early for the national advice to have taken effect.Scotland is participating in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment which is assessing the reading, mathematics and science performance of 15-year-olds in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Participation in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study which will assess the attainment of nine- and 13-year-olds in mathematics and science in 2003 is under consideration, and I will report to Parliament the outcome of that consideration.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take to improve road safety on the Strathblane to Aberfoyle stretch of the A81.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for road safety on local roads in their areas. The A81 is classified as a local road and decisions on measures to improve road safety on the Strathblane to Aberfoyle stretch of that road are for Stirling Council.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take to improve road safety on the A82 between Crianlarich and Tyndrum.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14188.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take in the next financial year to improve road safety on the Stirling to Lochearnhead stretch of the A84.
Answer
New Operating Companies will be responsible for the trunk road network from 1 April 2001. The Scottish Executive will liaise with the companies regarding schemes to improve road safety on the trunk road network for the forthcoming financial year (2001-02).
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take in the next financial year to improve road safety on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14188.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 23 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been relocated to (a) Stirling, (b) Perth and Kinross, (c) Angus, (d) Fife and (e) Clackmannanshire local authority areas since July 1999 and how many are expected to be moved to each area in the next 12 months.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and its agencies currently have around 1,490 posts in these local authority areas. One Scottish Executive post has been transferred to these areas since July 1999.Last December I announced to Parliament that detailed reviews of the Edinburgh operations of six public bodies would be undertaken to individual timetables based on lease breaks and other operational factors. In accordance with this timetable we aim to be in a position to make decisions on the location of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency by the end of March and the Health Education Board for Scotland in mid-2001.I also announced at that time that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council would not be located in Edinburgh. Mr Chisholm announced on 6 March that the national offices of these two new bodies will - if the Parliament passes the necessary legislation to enable them to be established - be located in Dundee. Decisions on regional offices for the Commission will be announced shortly.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the health service in the Forth Valley Health Board area.
Answer
Susan Deacon met with the Chairmen and Chief Executives of Forth Valley Health Board and Forth Valley Acute Hospitals Trust on 5 September 2000. Scottish Executive officials maintain regular contact with the board and the Trust.
