- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first became aware of the existence of the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
The pandemic strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O, which has been named PanAsia, was first identified in northern India in 1990. It spread westwards into Saudi Arabia in 1994 and then throughout the Near East and into Europe (Turkish Thrace, Bulgaria and Greece) in 1996. This information would have been passed to all member states of the European Union by the OIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when was it informed that sportscotland wished to restructure its senior management, what response it made to such information and when it will make an announcement to the Parliament about the restructuring.
Answer
The final report of sportscotland's Organisational Review recommended a revised management structure. sportscotland sought the Scottish Executive's views in October 2001 and the latter accepted the case for the changes proposed. It is for sportscotland to decide on whether to make an announcement on the restructuring and the form any such announcement should take.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion it has had with sportscotland regarding the recent departure of three senior members of staff.
Answer
The cessation of these three posts formed part of the proposed new management structure of sportscotland as recommended in last year's Organisational Review of sportscotland. This was approved by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposed alterations to a draft school inspection report suggested by a local education authority that are detrimental to the school are investigated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education before being accepted.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-21706 and S1W-21708. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are followed when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is considering whether to alter a draft inspection report following comments made by a local authority.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21706. During inspections, Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) take account of evidence drawn from a number of sources, including comments by the education authority, headteacher and school board chair, data from a representative sample of parents, and first-hand experience of the learning and teaching in the school. These procedures are outlined in inspection guidance, which is publicly available. Based on all the evidence gathered in the course of the inspection, the published report records HMI's professional evaluation of the standard of the school.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years in order to render them more critical of a school following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21706. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence and not solely on comments from any source, including an education authority. Final responsibility for changes - as with every aspect of the published inspection report - clearly lies with HMIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer
It is standard practice for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to show all draft reports to the relevant education authority, headteacher and school board chair before publication. Any additional evidence provided at this stage is taken into account by HMIE as they finalise the report. The source of the evidence is not of itself significant in that process. Based on all the evidence gathered in the course of the inspection, the published report records HMIE's professional evaluation of the standard of the school. Minor changes are common, but the final decision on every such change rests with HMIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the outcome of discussions on funding theatre in Scotland, including the discussions with the Scottish Arts Council which were reported to the Parliament by the then Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in the debate on the National Cultural Strategy on 25 October 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21574.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18835 by Allan Wilson on 11 November 2001, what progress it has made regarding the establishment of a National Theatre for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Arts Council's submission on Scottish theatre seeks significant additional funding. It also raises a number of detailed issues relating to the theatre sector which we are examining with care. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Federation of Scottish Theatre and others about additional funding for theatre in Scotland and when it will announce its conclusions about such funding.
Answer
The Executive has taken opinion from the sector in its consideration of the Scottish Arts Council's submission on funding for Scottish theatre. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
