- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits have been gained from information and communications technologies related social inclusion projects as set out in point 58 of its response to the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force, Digital Scotland: The Way Forward.
Answer
Digital inclusion projects have helped increase individual skills; increase individual opportunities; increase social interaction; improve confidence, and improve community working. The Executive is developing proposals to improve sharing of information and good practice between practitioners.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 14 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19774 by Ms Margaret Curran on 21 November 2001, whether the present coverage of the Social Inclusion Partnership programme meets the needs of any groups or individuals suffering from social exclusion in rural areas like Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer
A network of 48 Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) has been established in both urban and rural areas across Scotland. The network includes both area-based partnerships, and partnerships which are tackling exclusion in particular groups.SIPs are broadly-based partnerships between the local authority and other public agencies such as the LEC; local health boards, the voluntary and private sectors, and have the local community at their heart. They are expected to target existing spending programmes more effectively on tackling social exclusion at a local level. In addition, we are making a total of £176 million core funding from the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund available to support their activities over the three years to March 2004.Some of the SIPs cover areas that can be described as a mix of rural and urban. Others are addressing the problems of exclusion in rural areas. For example:Argyll and Bute SIP East Ayrshire Coalfields Area SIP Highland Well-being Alliance SIP Moray Youthstart SIP Scottish Borders SIP.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 7 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S10-3907 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2001, whether (a) the deadline for local authorities' bids in respect of Public/Private Partnerships for improving school buildings and (b) the expected date for deciding and announcing funding allocations have changed and what the reasons are for any such change.
Answer
There has been no change in these dates.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19775 by Nicol Stephen on 21 November 2001, why, in light of its involvement in the Personal ICT project on classrooms of the future announced on 23 November 2001, it would not be appropriate for it to comment on aspects of Dumfries and Galloway Council's "school of the future" concept.
Answer
The Executive is committed in Working Together for Scotland to support and evaluate "Future School" projects, which encourage local authorities and schools to explore new ways of delivering learning and teaching to meet the needs of their pupils. We are also committed to dialogue with local authorities to develop school estate strategies that will take a forward-looking view of future infrastructure needs.We have not been approached by Dumfries and Galloway Council on specific learning and teaching or infrastructure proposals for the future. We are willing to discuss with the council any such proposals they wish to submit to the Executive.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 20 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of staff working on Opportunities and Choices in order to increase the level of work carried out by that project.
Answer
As of October 2000 the Scottish Executive has been fully staffed for the work on Opportunities and Choices. The project involves other agencies, notably Scottish Enterprise who have recently allocated additional resources to increase the level of work involved.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 20 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues on the maximum distance primary schoolchildren should travel from home to school each day.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has issued no guidance on maximum distances for home to school travel. Under provisions in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities provide free school transport for pupils attending their designated school where that school is beyond a certain distance from home.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 20 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has carried out of the educational standards in, and classroom environment of, primary schools with (a) one teacher and (b) two teachers.
Answer
We have not carried out such an evaluation. A sample of one and two teacher schools are included each year in the annual inspection programme carried out by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). HMIE publishes a report on every school inspection, which includes an evaluation of the standard of attainment and accommodation in the school.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 20 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring learndirect scotland undertakes of the number of people with disabilities who use its services.
Answer
Learndirect scotland monitors the number of people with disabilities who have declared this when they have contacted the freephone helpline. To date this totals approximately 800 callers (0.46% of all callers) in 2001.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to use the Marriage (Scotland) Bill to the advantage of the tourism industry in Scotland.
Answer
VisitScotland already markets Scotland as a romantic setting for a wedding. Romance is one of the themes of the current winter campaign. In their future campaigns, VisitScotland will take account of the arrangements introduced by The Marriage (Scotland) Bill, which will be of benefit to our tourism industry.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1O-4155 by Rhona Brankin on 22 November 2001, whether it has any plans to review its policy on new nuclear power stations.
Answer
The Scottish Executive position, which was made clear both in response to that question and in our September submission to the UK Energy Policy Review, remains unchanged. We take the view that no decisions on policy about the future of nuclear energy, and its necessary regulatory framework, can be taken before the results of the UK consultation on future radioactive waste management policy are available.
