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-00621

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the Scottish police forces which use the "trawling" procedure of inviting former residents in care homes to put forward complaints of child abuse against former care staff, and approximately how many hours of police time have been taken up in these "trawls" in the last period for which figures are available, and the previous three years.

Question reference: S1W-00675

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions about allowing local authorities in Scotland to sell memorials directly to the public at local authority run cemeteries.

Question reference: S1W-00631

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive which Minister has responsibility for human rights issues and what its responsibilities are under the European Convention on Human Rights and other international agreements relating to human rights.

I have Ministerial responsibility for human rights issues. Under the Scotland Act 1998, members of the Scottish Executive have no power to exercise any of their powers in a way which is incompatible with any of the Convention Rights as defined in the Human Rights Act 1998. Scottish Ministers are also responsible for observing and implementing the United Kingdom's international obligations in Scotland insofar as they relate to devolved matters.

Question reference: S1W-00630

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics are available about the numbers and percentage of junior doctors whose hours of work are beyond the New Deal limits and what plans it has to ensure that accurate statistics are available in future.

The latest statistical returns, as at 31 March 1999, indicate that the hours worked in 90% (over 3600) of junior doctor posts in Scotland meet the New Deal target.We have announced joint plans with the British Medical Association (BMA) to support NHS Trusts' Implementation of New Deal standards through the establishment of a Scottish Implementation Support Group. Part of this Group's remit will be to review existing hours monitoring arrangements and to work with Trusts to ensure continued progress is made towards full compliance.

Question reference: S1W-00677

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the funds which have been allocated to the Warm Deal for the period 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000 and for the years 2000-2001 and 2001-2002.

Question reference: S1W-00678

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive in the light of Her Majesty's Government Select Committee on Health's recommendations made during the week ending 23 July 1999, what proposals does it have to tighten up regulation of the private health sector.

Question reference: S1W-00602

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Andrew Hardie on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of alleged child abuse by former care staff in residential care homes have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal; how many prosecutions have come to court, and how many staff have been convicted in the last period for which figures are available and in each of the previous three years.

The statistical information necessary to answer this question is not available. The term "child abuse" is too wide and would cover a huge spectrum of crimes - both common law and statutory. Information is not collated by reference to type of crime, occupation of accused, (either at the time of the offence or at present) or locus of crime. It is not anticipated that this type of statistical information will be recorded. Present statistical information refers to the number of cases prosecuted in the Summary and Solemn Courts.

Question reference: S1W-00601

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to require local authority pension funds to have formal statements of investment principles setting out policies of socially responsible investment.

My officials will be consulting interested parties shortly on proposals to require administering authorities responsible for local authority pension funds to publish statements of the principles governing their decisions about investments. Such statements will be required to include the extent to which social, as well as environmental and ethical, considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention and realisation of investments.

Question reference: S1W-00674

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 2 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the Scottish share of the #300 million UK domestic energy efficiency funding over the next two years.

Question reference: S1W-00542

Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 30 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the resources which local authorities will need in order to provide the necessary support for individual school pupils with disabilities whose families have a wish, based on appropriate assessment, for them to attend mainstream schools, and what priority has been given to providing these resources.