- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish universities had a financial deficit in 1999-2000; how many are currently in deficit, and how many are expected to have a deficit in 2001-02.
Answer
In 1999-2000, nine higher education institutions recorded an operating deficit, six of which recorded a historical cost deficit. Finalised accounts are not available for 2000-01 and 2001-02.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was, for each of the last three years, of dealing with criminal record checks for those who work in the voluntary sector.
Answer
Under arrangements first introduced in 1989, criminal record checks for employment-related purposes are available mainly to employers in the statutory sector who are appointing people to positions which would give them substantial access to children in health, social work and education. Statutory sector employers may check volunteers under these arrangements but such checks are not separately identified.
A limited scheme was introduced in 1998 allowing criminal record checks to be carried out by the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) on behalf of approved voluntary child care organisations. The cost to SCRO of these checks in each of the last three years is estimated approximately as follows:
| 1 July 1998 to 31 December 1998 | £2,250 |
| 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999 | £7,000 |
| 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000 | £9,750 |
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will establish a central body to help the voluntary sector make the best use of criminal record checks on volunteers.
Answer
Part V of the Police Act 1997 makes provision for criminal record checks to be carried out at the request of individuals. The first stage of implementation of Part V is planned for the summer. We are, therefore, aiming to have the central body established before then so that it is ready to assist the voluntary sector when Part V is implemented.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHSiS Trusts will be given the same repayment terms should the Executive seek to recover overspends.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10717 on 12 January 2001.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 12 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9978 by Susan Deacon on 26 October 2000, whether it will seek to recover in full overspends by each NHSiS Trust.
Answer
All NHS Trusts that have incurred an operational financial overspend have been asked to produce a financial plan which restores the Trust to recurring financial balance whilst protecting patient services.Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, published on 14 December, states that the Executive plans to review the current financial regime for the NHS in Scotland and will publish details in the spring.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what charges will be applied by police forces for conducting checks on voluntary organisation personnel under Part V of the Police Act 1997.
Answer
The Voluntary Issues Review Group which Jackie Baillie chaired, has recommended that enhanced criminal record certificates should be available free of charge to volunteers working with children. In recognition of the valuable work carried out by the many thousands of people in Scotland who volunteer to work with children, the Executive is pleased to accept that recommendation.
The Executive will make available £1 million to fund the cost of these checks, with a further £250,000 to establish a central body to help the voluntary sector make the best possible use of criminal record checks.
Copies of the review group's report will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre shortly.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 4 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy to support the continuation of rural telephone exchanges which may be commercially unsustainable and how many such telephone exchanges there are in each local authority area.
Answer
BT operates under a Universal Service Obligation (USO) and if a telephone exchange is closed the service has to be maintained in some other way. The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the regulation imposed by OFTEL on telecommunications companies.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards the proposed western peripheral route round Aberdeen as a trunk route development and what the reason is for its position on this matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-9222.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a windfarm development is considered to be an industrial application in planning terms.
Answer
It is for the planning authority in the first instance and ultimately for the courts to interpret planning legislation.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its guidance for planning departments on whether a wind farm is considered to be an industrial application.
Answer
We have no plans to issue such guidance. However, we expect to publish a revised National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy shortly.
