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-20165

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for the sale of spray paint to people under 16 in each month since the offence was introduced, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S2W-20161

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances of anti-social behaviour by people aged from 12 to 15 have been reported to police in each month since January 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S2W-20196

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended number of firefighters required is to deal with a (a) house fire and (b) fire in a multi-storey block.

It is for individual fire andrescue services to determine the weight and speed of operational response to incidentsin their areas, in the context of their Integrated Risk Management Plan. In doingso, fire and rescue services take cognisance of relevant national guidance and otherregulatory requirements such as health and safety regulations in order to provideeffective protection to their communities and safe systems of work for their employeesand those who may be affected by their operations.

Question reference: S2W-20189

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made in respect of proposals to amalgamate emergency fire control rooms.

Question reference: S2W-20197

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are in the retained duty system in each fire and rescue authority.

Question reference: S2W-20201

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional equipment has been given to fire and rescue services to deal with terrorist incidents.

Since 2004, details of equipmentprovided to fire and rescue services have been included in the Annual Reportsof Her Majesty’s Fire Services Inspectorate. A copy of the reports for the reportingyears 2002-03 and 2003-04 are available in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. numbers 30472 and 34686 respectively). Updated details will be includedin HM Chief Inspector’s Annual Report for 2004-05, which will be published shortly.

Question reference: S2W-20182

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) uniformed and (b) non-uniformed female personnel are employed in the fire and rescue services in (i) retained posts, (ii) wholetime posts, (iii) emergency fire control rooms and (iv) volunteer and auxiliary posts.

The information requested isgiven in the table of the Diversity Profile of Scottish Fire Brigades by Sectoron page 29 of the Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of FireServices for Scotland published in December 2004, a copy of which isavailable in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number34686). Updatedfigures will be included in HM Chief Inspector’s Annual Report for 2004-05,which will be published shortly.

Question reference: S2W-20198

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what work is being carried out to improve the recruitment and retention of staff in the retained duty system in each fire and rescue authority and what support this work receives from central government.

Recruitment and retention ofstaff is primarily a matter for individual fire and rescue authorities and jointfire and rescue board. The Scottish Executive provides central funding, supportand guidance. This has included two independent research programmes on issues affectingstaff on the retained duty system, including recruitment and retention. The resultingreports were publicised in 2002 Retained Auxiliary and Volunteer Firefightersin the Scottish Fire Service by the Central research Unit, and in 2003 Part-timeFirefighters by Scottish Executive Social Research, and can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Fire/15130/1027.

We have indicated in the Fireand Rescue Framework for Scotland 2005 that we will work with Fire and Rescue Authoritiesto implement the report’s recommendations.

The framework also states thatwe expect part-time staff to be given the same opportunities as their whole timecounterparts to participate in the Integrated Personal Development System and undertakedevelopment programmes commensurate with the requirements of individual fire andrescue authorities.

HM Fire Services Inspectoratefor Scotland is currently reviewing progress and identifying areas of best practicein the wider use of part time staff in all eight Scottish Fire and Rescue Servicesas part of their performance inspections arrangements.

Question reference: S2W-20205

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the police have spent investigating road accidents in each month since 1999, broken down by constabulary.

Question reference: S2W-20185

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets the fire and rescue authorities have set for recruitment of (a) uniformed and (b) non-uniformed (i) female, (ii) black and ethnic minority and (iii) lesbian, gay and transsexual staff and when these targets must be met.