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: S2W-08142

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7480 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 May 2004, when it received the final report referred to in the answer; whether the final report will be published before the summer recess, and whether it intends to publish the preliminary report and what the reason is for its position on the matter.

The Temple Report – SecuringFuture Practice – was commissioned by the Executive and submitted on 17 December 2003.

Following this, preliminary clarificationof the detail within the report was sought and provided.

Medical education can be consideredin terms of a continuum from entry to medical school until the end of the medicalcareer. To enable the fullest consideration of all the issues raised, it is beneficial for publication of the Temple Report to takeplace around the same time as the release of the related report, on Basic MedicalEducation, from the review group chaired by Professor Sir Ken Calman.

Officials are in the final stagesof securing a date for publication of Securing Future Practice. The reportwill be published before recess.

Question reference: S2W-07734

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 20 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 21 April 2004 by the Minister for Justice on the prisoner escort and court custody services contract, whether the contract between the Scottish Prison Service and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd was approved by the minister before it became final and binding and what the reasons are for the position on the matter; whether the contract contains any provision which entitles Reliance to withhold any part of the contract for commercial reasons and, if so, what such a provision is; whether there are any provisions in the contract that cannot be disclosed for reasons of law enforcement or prisoner security, and whether it is customary to include such provisions in a commercial contract of this nature.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Ministers did not approve thecontract. It was approved by the Scottish Prison Service which is responsible foroperational and commercial matters involving the agency. The contract has been publishedtoday in line with all the Freedom of Information principles including those inrelation to protecting public safety and third party commercialconfidentiality.

Question reference: S2W-07735

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 20 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 21 April by the Minister for Justice on the prisoner escort and court custody services contract, whether Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd will assume responsibility for the transfer of prisoners with a psychiatric mental health condition to, and from, prisons and hospitals and, if so, what training Reliance staff will receive before taking up their duties, how long such training will last, and what provision there is in the contract for this.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The contract with Reliance includesescorting those detained under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act1984. Risk assessments are undertaken in advance for every prisoner movement andappropriate arrangements put in place. Reliance has primary responsibility for thesecure custody of these patients whilst medical/nursing personnel retain responsibilityfor their medical care.

Prisoner Custody Officers (PCOs)undergo a six week training programme. The structure and topics of the trainingare detailed in the contract and the content of the training programme is validatedby the SPS. The training modules are based upon the relevant National training organisationstandards. All PCOs are required to pass this training in order to be certifiedas PCOs.

Question reference: S2W-08058

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 19 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive who has been awarded the contract to publish the report of the Holyrood Inquiry.

Question reference: S2W-08057

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive which external officials are preparing a report for ministers on the conduct of recent culls in Glenfeshie and, in particular, the role of the Deer Commission for Scotland. The member has provided the following Gaelic translation: A dh' fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba cr iad na h-oifigearan `s an taobh a-muigh a tha ag ullachadh aithisg do mhinistearan mun spadadh-fhidh a ghabh `ite ann an Gleann Fhisidh bho chionn goirid agus, gu h-`raid, dh am p`irt a bhios aig Coimisean Fhidh na h-Alba ann an sin.

Thereport is being prepared by Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department officials,with input from the Food Standards Agency, the State Veterinary Service and ForestryCommission Scotland.

The minister has provided the following Gaelic translation:

Tha oifigich SEERAD ag ullachadhna h-aithisge, le cur-a-steach bhon Bhuidheann Inbhean Bidhe, Seirbheis Lighichean-sprèidhena Stàite agus Ùghdarras nan Coilltean Alba.

Question reference: S2W-07926

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2062 by Allan Wilson on 11 September 2003, whether it will provide a breakdown of the 7,355,440 total contributed, showing the actual sum to be contributed by (a) it, (b) Scottish Natural Heritage, (c) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (d) the Forestry Commission and (e) the European Union.

As detailed in my previous answer to parliamentary question S2W-2062, the Scottish Executive has made available direct match funding totalling 138,571 euros and the European Commission 50% support equates to €3,677,720.

The Forestry Commission Scotland contribution amounts to €1,130,720

Queries about the funding provided by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds should be made directly to these organisations.

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.

Question reference: S2W-06877

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 14 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the announcement of funding for autism initiatives by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care on 3 March 2004, it will consider funding a one-stop shop for adults with autistic spectrum disorder and their family members in the Inverness area, given the incidence of autism in the Highland Council area as detailed in the September 2002 school census.

Question reference: S2W-07954

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 7.15 of the Scottish Ministerial Code regarding adequate notice to MSPs of ministerial visits to their constituencies, what period constitutes such notice; if there is no minimum notice, whether it will now introduce one, and whether it considers (a) 24 and (b) 48 hours notice to be sufficient in terms of adequate notice.

Ministers attach a great dealof importance to ensuring that constituency and list MSPs and MPs receive earlynotification of ministerial visits. There is no minimum period of notice, sinceministerial plans may change at short notice. Ministers appreciate the value thatthe involvement of local members can bring to ministerial visits and staff haverecently been reminded of the need to provide as early notice as possible.

Question reference: S2W-07927

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 13 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2064 by Allan Wilson on 11 September 2003, who the consultants appointed by the European Commission to audit LIFE projects are.

Question reference: S2W-07912

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS), or those acting under their authority, is legally entitled to use any type of rifle other than bolt action rifles in the culling of deer and, if so, what types of rifle it is entitled to use.