- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 30 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the re-opening of railway stations on existing lines and what criteria it sets before giving support.
Answer
Proposals to re-open a particular station are a local transport matter and as such are the responsibility of the relevant local transport authority or transport partnership to take forward. The Scottish Executive is always keen to engage with local authorities and others who wish to develop major rail infrastructure projects. Funding is in principle available from the Executive's Integrated Transport Fund for such projects if a robust business case can be made. We would in particular wish to see that such proposals are founded in well-prepared and widely accepted local or regional transport strategies that clearly contribute to the Executive's vision of a modern, safe, reliable and integrated transport system and lever in private investment.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 15 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether police officers were involved in visiting the sites of reported fire incidents to assess the severity of such incidents during the strikes by firefighters and, if so, what the costs have been of any overtime payments in respect of such visits and from what budgets any such payments have been made.
Answer
Where there was any doubt about the accuracy of a call reporting a fire, police officers were asked to visit the reported site of the incident to confirm the existence, or otherwise, of a fire. The Executive has given a commitment to police forces to meet the additional costs incurred by forces during the strikes by firefighters. Certified statements are due to be submitted by forces during January 2003 in relation to these additional costs. In due course, payments will be made from police grant.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against advanced higher level awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in the last year and what percentage was successful.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32453. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeal system more transparent and accountable.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has given broad endorsement to a range of initiatives being undertaken by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) to promote openness and understanding of assessment and awarding procedures. Implementing these initiatives is an operational matter for SQA.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how the length of examinations in higher level (a) modern studies, (b) history and (c) English has changed in each of the last five years and what marking system was used in each year, giving the number of marks out of which each examination was assessed.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances a school that has appealed against a pupil's grade may have sight of the pupil's examination script.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against standard grade awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in each of the last three years and what percentage was successful.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Statistics on qualifications offered or accredited by the SQA are available in the SQA's Annual Statistical Report. The 2001 report, containing the information requested for 1997-2001, was published by SQA in June 2002. A copy has been lodged with the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25598). The information contained in this document is also available online at: www.sqa.org.uk. The 2002 report is due to be published by SQA in May 2003.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of appeals received by the Scottish Qualifications Authority led to examination scripts being re-marked at (a) (i) standard grade and (ii) higher level in each of the last three years and (b) advanced higher level in the last year.
Answer
The appeals procedure is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against higher level awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in each of the last three years and what percentage was successful.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32453. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 20 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the final contracts for the new Parliament building at Holyrood have been let and, if so, when they were let and whether there was any cost variance to the Holyrood project's budget as a result.
Answer
One Trade Contract, for the supply and installation of signage in the new Parliament building, remains to be let. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that tenders for that package will be received and evaluated in January.
