- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on whether there is a link between the quality and content of an education and development plan for an autistic child and the child's anxiety and stress levels.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-9797 on 16 August 2004. 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: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Duncan McNeil on 23 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many applications it has received from companies expressing an interest in providing guided tour services of the new Parliament building and, of these, how many are from organisations outwith Scotland.
Answer
As the SPCB is currently tenderingfor the provision of tour guide services, disclosure of information regarding thenumber of applications received at this time is sensitive and could prejudice thecommercial interests of the SPCB. However, this information will be made availableafter the contract is awarded.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 17 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) reported to the Procurator Fiscal, (b) taken to court and (c) convicted of the offence of acting as an agent for a person under 18 to purchase alcohol in the last year for which figures are available.
Answer
During the financial year 2003-04 there were 235 accused reported to the procurator fiscal for a total of 268 charges under section 68(3) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976. Of those 268 charges, 99 charges have been prosecuted in court resulting in 63 convictions to date. In addition, 99 charges have been disposed of by the use of alternatives to prosecution.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many autistic children have been identified as having additional support needs and what provision is available to support such children outwith school.
Answer
The school census, held in September 2003, indicates that there are 2,663 children with autistic spectrum disorder in primary, secondary and special schools who have a Record of Needs or an Individualised Educational Programme. Further details can be obtained from the
Pupils in Scotland Statistical Bulletin, published by the Scottish Executive in June 2004, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33356).
Outwith school, local authorities are required to provide services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area. It is for local authorities to determine the services they provide in their area and these may include provision from voluntary organisations.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a maximum number of days per annum in which an education authority can provide the support necessary to meet a child's additional support needs.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9792 on 16 August 2004. 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: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the figures are for public libraries in respect of (a) net expenditure, (b) expenditure per head of population, (c) professional, non-professional and manual staff numbers, (d) expenditure on staff, (e) the number of books and other items issued, (f) the average number of issues per head of population of books and other items, (g) book funds, (h) funds for audio and other non-book items, (i) the number of branch and mobile libraries and (j) the number of branches open for 45 or more hours per week in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1999-2000 and (iii) the latest year for which figures are available.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive. However, the following, from figures published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting, the Library and Information Statistics Unit and the Scottish Library and Information Council’s (SLIC) Public Library Expenditure Statistics, has been put together by SLIC:
| | Category | 1995-96 | 1999-2000 | 2001-02 |
| a | Net expenditure | £88,540,000 | £84,130,565 | £88,820,942 |
| b | Expenditure per head of population | £17.24 | £16.85 | £17.53 |
| c | Professional staff | 682 | 641 | 629 |
| | Non-professional staff | 2200 | 2193 | 2308 |
| | Manual staff | 225 | 211 | n/a |
| d | Expenditure on staff | £47,823,366 | £50,529,300 | £54,120,315 |
| e | The number of books and other items issued | 50,371,673 | 41,915,979 | 36,538,039 |
| f | Average issues per head of population | 9.8 | 8.62 | 7.1 |
| g | Book funds | £13,330,000 | £10,612,490 | £10,032,972 |
| h | Funds for audio and other non-book items | £1,290,000 | £1,643,032 | £2,334,780 |
| i | Number of branch libraries | 576 | 568 | 557 |
| | Number of mobile libraries | 102 | 93 | 93 |
| j | Number of branches open for 45 hours or more per week | 195 | 178 | 180 |
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an education authority can refuse to meet a child's agreed year-round additional support needs.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9792 on 16 August 2004. 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: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 place a duty on local authorities to provide support services for children for the whole year and whether these provisions specifically exclude education.
Answer
Section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 requires local authorities to provide and publicise a range and level of services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area. Section 27(3) requires local authorities to provide appropriate care outside school hours and during holidays for children in need within their area who are in attendance at a school. There is no stipulation in either section 22 or section 27 as to the timing for such services, nor to specifically exclude educational services. It is for local authorities to determine how to manage their services to ensure that theymeet their statutory requirements.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a minimum number of days per annum in which an education authority must provide the support necessary to meet a child's additional support needs.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9792 on 16 August 2004. 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: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on whether there is a link between the lack of an education and development plan for an autistic child and the child's anxiety and stress levels.
Answer
Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities have a duty to open a Record of Needs for children with pronounced, specific or complex special educational needs which require continuing review. Part IV of the record contains a statement of the child’s special educational needs and should set out the broad developmental and educational aims for the child. Part V specifies the educational approach to be taken by the authority and the measures proposed to meet the special educational needs of the child. Most children with a Record of Needs are expected to have also an Individualised Educational Programme.
Individualised Educational Programmes provide the planning framework for the teaching and learning of children with special educational needs who require specific, planned intervention. Individualised Educational Programmes outline the steps to be taken to enable children with special educational needs to achieve specific learning outcomes.
Advice from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) indicates that where Individualised Educational Programmes are well designed and implemented effectively, they can play an important role in ensuring that the needs of an autistic child, or any other child with additional support needs, are well met. They consequently can be influential in ensuring that the child has a positive educational experience, minimising anxiety and stress. The extent of this influence in any one case naturally depends on the individual child and their circumstances.
The quality and effectiveness of plans for children with special educational needs, including those with autism, are considered by HMIE as part of their inspections of schools. Furthermore, I have commissioned HMIE to inspect, next year, the provision of educational services for children with autistic spectrum disorder.
