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-18959

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take on its broadband rollout strategy following the recent visit to Finland by the First Minister and the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.

The visit to Finland met a number of purposes, including informing our approach to broadband. On the latter, Finnish ministers confirmed the importance they place on ensuring that teachers are equipped to make best use of information and communication technologies. This echoes our own policies which exist alongside those stimulating the supply of broadband. We also heard, through a presentation on the Helsinki Virtual Village, of the potential of broadband wireless technologies for facilitating interaction within a neighbourhood community.

Question reference: S1W-18966

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive in the event of either no bid being submitted for the European Football Championship in 2008 or a bid being submitted but not being successful, what funding or support will be made available for (a) schools football, (b) football development and (c) full-si'e indoor training facilities.

Regardless of whether a bid is made to host the European Football Championship in 2008, we will continue to support the development of football at all levels including the provision of facilities.Since 1995, over £34 million of Lottery Sports Fund and Exchequer monies has been invested in football in Scotland. Sportscotland has allocated £7.6 million per annum to the schools/community strand of the sports facilities programme. Other programmes operated by sportscotland, including the Youth Sport, TOP and School Sports Co-ordinator programmes, also assist the development of football. Football is also a core sport in the Scottish Institute of Sport.There are questions about the financial viability of developing full-size indoor training facilities. However, the Scottish Football Academy strand of the Lottery Sports Fund has been allocated £6 million over three years to provide 60m x 40m indoor structures as an integral part of the individual training facilities eligible for support. The maximum award level has recently been increased to £1 million per project.

Question reference: S1W-18968

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide financial support to the Scottish Football Association or any other organisation for the development of a sports campus at Hampden Park.

Question reference: S1W-18967

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it plans to give to Scottish Football Partnership Ltd.

Question reference: S1W-19321

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it currently uses Consignia plc for its mail collection and delivery service in Edinburgh and what plans it has to consider using an alternative provider for this service.

The Scottish Executive uses a number of mail service providers, including Consignia plc, for the collection and delivery of mail within Edinburgh. The preferred method used is based on the service requirements and the most cost-effective method for that service.The Scottish Executive continually monitors the market to ensure that the best value for money is achieved. There are no current plans to consider using an alternative provider for the services that Consignia plc currently supply.

Question reference: S1W-18939

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 5 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding pledged for the bid for the Ryder Cup golf championship which is unspent will be made available to VisitScotland or any other organisation for the marketing of golf tourism

Funds identified during the current year for the Ryder Cup bid have been fully allocated. The approach to future years will be discussed further with the Ryder Cup Committee and other parties in the light of the decision that the event will not come to Scotland until 2014. The marketing of Scotland as a golf destination will remain an important part of the overall tourism strategy throughout this period and will be funded accordingly.

Question reference: S1W-18754

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17215 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 August 2001, whether the figures on the total number of persons aged under 16 who were proceeded against on indictments are now available for 2000.

Question reference: S1W-18755

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the City of Edinburgh have been placed on the appropriate register of sex offenders in each month since the inception of the register.

Question reference: S1W-18756

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are employed to monitor those people on the register of sex offenders who are currently residing in the City of Edinburgh.

Question reference: S1W-18675

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for the possession of (a) cannabis or (b) cannabis resin in the City of Edinburgh have been brought in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000 and in how many cases the prosecution was dealt with by (1) admonition, (2) fine, (3) community service order or (4) custody.

Figures for the number of prosecutions for the possession of cannabis or cannabis resin cannot, from the information held centrally, be separately identified within the total number of prosecutions where the main offence was possession of drugs. The available information is given in the table. Data for the year 2000 are not yet available.Persons proceeded against where the main offence was possession of drugs, Edinburgh¹, 1999

Main Penalty	Year
Main Penalty	1997	1998	1999
Persons proceeded against	538	448	401
Persons with a charge proved	518	422	375
Of which given:
Custody	2	16	17
Community service order²	13	10	16
Fine	475	367	304
Admonition	24	22	28
Other sentences³	4	7	10

Notes:1. Prosecutions in Edinburgh Sheriff Court or City of Edinburgh District Court.2. Includes community service as a condition of a probation order.3. Includes probation (with no condition of community service), guardianship order and caution.