- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 2 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been contacted by BBC Scotland regarding the possibility of extending the provision of local news content for television and radio using digital or analogue media and what its position is on the matter.
Answer
We have regular high-level meetings with BBC Scotland to discuss potential improvements in terms of serving the Scottish public, including the provision of local news services and other public service broadcasting matters. We set out our views on regional and local news services in our response to Phase 3 of Ofcom’s Review of Public Service Broadcasting, which can be found on the consultation responses section on Ofcom’s website at
www.ofcom.org.uk.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to review the bail procedure.
Answer
I am very aware of public concern, which ministers share, about the frequency with which the terms of bail granted are breached. This is why we asked the Sentencing Commission to review the use of bail and remand as a priority.
We are currently considering very carefully the commission’s recently issued report on the subject. Where it is necessary to legislate to tighten up the arrangements, we will do so.
We have, however, recently made provision for electronic monitoring as a condition of bail. The court can impose an electronic monitoring condition in murder and rape cases. This is a significant tightening of the previous law where bail could be granted for those convicted of murder or rape without any additional safeguard.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided for the development of women's football in each year since 1999; to which organisations such funding has been paid, and through which funding bodies.
Answer
Since 1998-99,
sportscotland has invested in excess of £1 million of Exchequer and Lottery funding for the development of women’s and girls’ football. This is broken down in the following table. In addition, under its new funding arrangements to governing bodies of sport,
sportscotland has committed a further £400,000 towards supporting the Scottish Women’s Football Association’s (SWFA) current four-year development plan.
Women’s and girls’ football has also benefited from many facility awards and our substantial investment in initiatives such as Active Schools. Implementation of the Action Plan for Youth Football will also deliver a step change in the development of women’s and girls’ football.
| Year | Exchequer Funds | Lottery Sports Fund |
| Development Grant Aid1* | Sportsmatch2 | Junior Groups 1* | Talented Athlete Support3* | National Coach Support (Coach Performance from 2004)1 | Awards for All2 |
| 1998-99 | - | - | - | £45,000 | - | - |
| 1999-00 | £18,000 | £3,500 | - | £66,000 | - | £26,372 |
| 2000-01 | £18,000 | 0 | - | £126,005 | - | £10,689 |
| 2001-02 | £18,000 | £3,800 | - | £90,978 | - | £9,122 |
| 2002-03 | £18,000 | £5,957 | £34,350 | £54,000 | £115,320 | £5,667 |
| 2003-04 | £28,500 | £6,291 | £25,000 | £92,809 | - | £18,299 |
| 2004-05 | £1,800 | - | £25,000 | - | £9,302 |
| 2005 to date | - | - | - | 0 | £58,864 | £12,039 |
Notes:
1. Paid to SWFA via Scottish Football Association (SFA).
2. Paid to clubs (Note: There will also have been awards made to other projects from which girls and women’s football will have benefited).
3. Paid to individuals.
*This now forms part of new integrated annual grant to the SWFA.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it requires the provision of changing facilities for women when it provides funding through its agencies to clubs for stadia and other sporting facilities; what separate changing facilities have been provided in each year since 1997 and, if no such facilities exist, whether it will seek to provide them in future.
Answer
One of the criteria to be met when applying for funding from sportscotland is that the recipient operates an equal opportunities policy. Sportscotland funded projects, where practicable, provide separate changing facilities for both men and woman or facilities that are suitable for use by either sex. Statistics on the format of changing facilities developed since 1997 are not readily available. Details of provision for any specific club or stadia can be obtained from sportscotland.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance has been given to the Scottish Women's Football Association to meet the costs of compliance by clubs and individuals with the requirements of Disclosure Scotland and child protection measures and what further annual or regular assistance will be provided.
Answer
Criminal record checks issued by Disclosure Scotland are free for volunteers working with children. The Executive covers the cost of these checks and in addition core funds the Central Registered Body in Scotland which provides guidance and advice and processes applications for criminal record checks for the voluntary sector. The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, which recently came into force, introduced new child protection measures and the Executive funded a support package to help the voluntary sector as a whole comply with the new act.
Sportscotland, in partnership with CHILDREN 1st, are in the process of appointing a consultant to provide expert hands-on support in the area of child protection to a number of priority governing bodies of sport, ie those who are considered to be most in need of assistance in helping to draw up implementation plans on how to roll out their Child Protection policies. The consultant will review existing child protection policies and practices of those governing bodies and ensure compliance with legislation and best practice, and will generate a robust legacy for the governing bodies by increasing their capacity and intellectual resource to self manage and develop these areas of responsibility in the future. The consultant is due to be appointed by the end of June after which time the priority governing bodies will be identified.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 June 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assist in providing funding for a block insurance policy for womens football, including adequate insurance for players against injury and the cost of treatment.
Answer
Sportscotland provide funding for the Scottish women’s A team and Under-19s team who are covered under the athlete support medical scheme for five physiotherapy sessions per year and unlimited operations. This only applies to activities in the UK.
It is the responsibility of the sport’s governing body, in this case the Scottish Football Association, to provide all other types of insurance to cover its members.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8434 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2004, how public safety or public order might be endangered by the provision of the information requested.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
It was believed at the time, given the stage of the rollout of the contract, release of this information would give opportunities for disruption.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on where the UK Supreme Court should be located.
Answer
The UK Government's preferred option is to locate the Supreme Court for the United Kingdom in Middlesex Guildhall, Parliament Square, London for the reasons set out by Lord Falconer in his statement to both Houses on 14 December 2004. The permanent siting of the Court in London would not preclude it from sitting elsewhere in the United Kingdom from time to time.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-283 and S2W-15775 by Cathy Jamieson on 4 June 2003 and 4 May 2005, whether it intends to consult anyone to whom an order designating the operator of HM Prison Kilmarnock as a public authority under section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 would relate regarding the effect of such an order.
Answer
Ministers are considering a number of issues relating to section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15607 by Colin Boyd QC on 18 April 2005, whether the operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock will incur performance points under Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock in respect of the two admitted incidents of falsification of watch logs for failing to comply with agreed reporting procedures and, if so, in relation to which quarter of the prison's operation.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16479, answered on 25 May 2005.
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/wa.search.
