Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-02547

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 29 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make increased funding available to the Scottish Refugee Council to provide one-stop shops and continuing care for asylum seekers.

Question reference: S1W-01100

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the amount of expenditure on tuition fees for students on full time higher education courses in Scotland in each of the last ten years (a) in cash terms and (b) adjusted for inflation.

The table below sets out the amount paid towards tuition fees by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland on behalf of Scottish domiciled students in each of the given financial years:

TABLE OF TUITION FEES PAYMENTS FOR SAAS FUNDED STUDENTS

	Actual Expenditure	Adjusted Expenditure (1998-99 prices)
	£ million	£ million
1989-90	42.8	58.7
1990-91 ¹	110.9	141.0
1991-92	159.3	193.4
1992-93	196.2	230.9
1993-94	201.8	233.6
1994-95 ¹	149.3	168.2
1995-96 ¹	121.4	132.4
1996-97	133.2	141.9
1997-98	140.2	144.6
1998-99	143	143

^{1 The tuition fees paid by the Agency to institutions on behalf of students represent about one quarter of the cost of tuition, the remaining three-quarters or so is paid by the Government to institutions through the Scottish Higher Education Council. The significant changes in expenditure in these three years reflect changes in the percentage of the total cost of tuition which was represented by the tuition fee, commensurate changes were made to amount of central grant.Expenditure amounts have been adjusted by the Treasury GDP Deflators to 1998-99 figures.}

Question reference: S1W-02654

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 26 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide the best available information on the numbers of foster parents who have given up fostering in each of the last three years and the reasons for their decisions.

Information concerning the number of foster carers who have ceased fostering over the last three years and the reasons for their decision is not held centrally.

However, findings from a two-stage study on foster care in Scotland funded by Government over 1996 and 1997 noted that 155 carers (7% of all carers) ceased fostering in the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997. Almost 60% of those who left did so because of dissatisfaction with some aspect of the fostering services. For those who were dissatisfied, the decision was a combination of four main interacting factors: past history of unresponsiveness and unavailability of social work support; the child being more difficult than expected; unresponsiveness of social workers to requests for help and support during a recent crisis; and impact of fostering on own family. The rest left for other reasons including retirement, illness or moving house.

New carers recruited during the same period exceeded losses by 6%.Copies of the research report 'Fostering Good Relations: A study of Foster Care and Foster Carers in Scotland' are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Question reference: S1W-02595

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 25 November 1999

To ask the Presiding Officer whether he is satisfied that the proposed arrangements for accommodation in the Holyrood buildings of MSPs' staff and party staff will be sufficiently flexible to enable MSPs to work efficiently.

Question reference: S1W-02485

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the proposals for community ownership of professional football clubs set out in the pamphlet New Mutualism - A Golden Goal by the Co-operative Party and, if so, what measures it will take to promote community ownership.

Professional football clubs are private commercial organisations and decisions about their business operations are a matter for them. That said, I am interested in the new models of club ownership described in the pamphlet. I intend to explore with the SFA and the other football authorities what role, if any, the Scottish Parliament and Executive might play in encouraging increased supporter participation in the running of football clubs.

Question reference: S1W-00058

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 1999
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 8 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussion with the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Home Secretary in regard to the implications for refugees in Scotland and for Local Authorities of the Asylum Bill.

Question reference: S1W-00803

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify, in the latest year for which figures are available and in each of the previous three years the number of (a) road accidents in Scotland which have caused the death of one or more people; (b) prosecutions for (i) causing death by dangerous driving; (ii) causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs; (iii) reckless driving; and (iv) careless driving, arising from such accidents, and (c) prosecutions in each of the foregoing categories in which the accused either pled or was found guilty and (i) a custodial sentence was imposed and (ii) the charge was reduced to a lesser one; and what was the range of non custodial sentences imposed in each of the categories referred to in (b) above.

The number of road accidents in Scotland which resulted in one or more fatalities totalled 361 in 1995, 316 in 1996, 340 in 1997, and 339 in 1998.The figures given in the table below relate to prosecutions where the main offence was either causing death by dangerous driving, or causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. Information is not available centrally on other prosecutions arising e.g. careless driving arising from fatal road accidents, or on cases where the charge involved was changed at any stage of the proceedings. Persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for selected driving offences, by outcome, 1994-1997

Year of acquittal / sentence by outcome	Causing death by dangerous driving	Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs

1994
Charge not proved	5	-
Custody	8	-
Community service order	4	-
Probation	1	-
Fine	3	-
Other	-	-
TOTAL	21	-

1995
Charge not proved	9	-
Custody	12	2
Community service order	4	-
Probation	2	-
Fine	2	-
Other	-	-
TOTAL	29	2

1996
Charge not proved	4	-
Custody	13	-
Community service order	4	-
Probation	1	-
Fine	1	-
Other	-	-
TOTAL	23	-

1997
Charge not proved	1	-
Custody	14	3
Community service order	-	1
Probation	-	-
Fine	1	-
Other	1	-
TOTAL	17	4

Question reference: S1W-02247

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 28 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the increase in money for education that will be available in 2000-01 to North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and East Ayrshire councils as a consequence of the #80 million extra spending for education announced by the Finance Minister on 6 October.

Question reference: S1O-00463

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 28 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the increase in money for education that will be available in 2000/2001 to North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and East Ayrshire councils as a consequence of the #80 million extra spending for education announced by the Finance Minister on 6 October.

Question reference: S1W-01969

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 25 October 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish figures for 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 from the Student Loan Company and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, showing (a) how much was paid in grants and loans to students resident in Scotland, (b) how many students in each category of institution benefited, and (c) how many in each category paid (i) the whole tuition fee, (ii) part of the fee and (iii) none of the fee.

The information requested is set out in the tables below.

(a) The amount paid by SAAS in respect of grants,fees and student loans:

Academic Year	1997-98	1998-99
Maintenance Grant	£146,303,302	£136,262,873
Fees	£138,652,294	£102,905,644
Student Loans	£94,139,101	£108,854,429

Notes

1. The figures are not directly comparable because of changes in student support arrangements between the two years.

2. The figure for student loans reflects the proportion of the total UK-wide expenditure of the Student Loans Company Ltd which was met from the Scottish Vote.

(b) The number of Scottish domiciled award holding students, by category of institution:

Academic Year	1997-98	1998-99
Type of Institution
Higher Education Institutions	81,859	79,817
Further Education Institutions	25,138	25459

Total	106,997	105,276

(c) Award holding Scottish domiciled students assessed as being liable to pay the full, part, or no fee::

Academic Year 1998-99	(i) Students paying the whole tuition fee	(ii) Students paying part of the fee	(iii) Students paying no fee
Type of Institution
Higher Education Institutions	5,810	4,351	68,669
Further Education Institutions	2,213	3,086	20,160

Total	8,023	7,437	89,816

Notes

1. In academic year 1997/98, tuition fees were paid in full in respect of all eligible students2. Students paying no fees in academic year 1998/99 includes continuing students who retain the right to have their full fees paid in full by SAAS and some other categories who are not liable to make a contribution. The proportion of these students will decline over time as continuing students complete their courses.