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-07640

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by John Scott on 28 April 2004

To ask the Presiding Officer how it disposes of computer equipment that becomes surplus to requirements.

It is SPCB policy that allequipment be re-used wherever possible within the Parliamentary estate orexternally for sale or gift.

Equipment that cannot bere-used by the SPCB is checked for faults and has all its data and softwarepackages fully removed by our disposals contractor, the Disposal ServicesAgency. The contractor works with the Scottish Parliament to ensure that ITequipment is being made available to pre-approved target markets such asScottish based schools, charitable and voluntary organisations. The SPCBreceives a share of any sale of the items; this is paid into the Scottish Parliament income account. If Parliament staff, MSPs and their staff wish topurchase such items an order form can be found on the Facilities Managementpages of SPEIR. It should be noted that individuals are highlyunlikely to be able to obtain equipment they have been using in their workingenvironment as no equipment will be identifiable.

The contractor will exhaustall possibilities for re-use, upgrade and sale before considering recycling. Allequipment beyond repair is disposed of in a manner that minimises the impact onthe environment, with as many components as possible being recycled.

Question reference: S2W-07668

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will launch its review of the children's hearings system.

The review of the children’shearings system is being launched today with the publication of the review consultationpack, Getting it right for every child.

Thisfulfils a commitment made in the Partnership Agreement to “review the children’shearings system to develop and improve the current service.”

Ministersrecognise the strengths of the current system, with its child-centred approach,its involvement of local people and its focus on the care and welfare of young people,and want to hold on to those fundamental principles. However, it is now time tolook constructively and critically at how the system is operating to make sure thatit is relevant and effective in the years ahead.

Thereview will have two phases. Phase 1, which will run until 21 July, will considerthe principles and objectives of the hearings system and what the hearings systemshould be achieving for vulnerable children. It will invite suggestions for changesand improvements.

Phase2, commencing autumn 2004, will be concerned with the more detailed measures neededto implement the changes identified and agreed from phase 1.

Copies of the consultation packhave been placed in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. number 32458).

Question reference: S2O-03014

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 22 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the recent feasibility study report into the Edinburgh South Suburban Railway.

Question reference: S2W-07276

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6356 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004, how many students graduated from each of the Scottish universities with Russian as part of their degree in each year since 1999.

The data requested is contained in the following table:

Graduates and Diplomates in Russian from Higher Education Institutions in Scotland by Institution, 1999-2000 to 2001-02

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Total	43	36	30
The University of Edinburgh	*	*	*
The University of Glasgow	29	23	20
The University of Strathclyde	*	7	*
The University of St Andrews	*	*	0

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Note:

*This data is collected under the terms of the Data Protection Act. In order to protect the confidentiality of individuals, figures of five or less cannot be disclosed

Question reference: S2W-07275

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6356 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004, how many students studied Russian as part of a university course at each Scottish university in each year since 1999.

The data requested is contained in the following table:

Students Studying Russian at Higher Education Institutions in Scotland by Institution, 1999-2000 to 2001-02

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Total	97	94	92
The University of Edinburgh	*	10	10
The University of Glasgow	56	48	50
The University of Strathclyde	26	21	20
The University of St Andrews	*	15	12

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Note:

*This data is collected under the terms of the Data Protection Act. In order to protect the confidentiality of individuals figures of five or less cannot be disclosed

Question reference: S2W-07207

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 March 2004
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive how much income has been generated through car parking charges at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Question reference: S2W-06357

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has in place to encourage the teaching of Russian in schools and universities.

Since 2001, the Scottish Executive has provided education authorities with £10.5 million to support modernlanguages learning and teaching and to take forward the recommendations of the ministerialaction group on Languages’ report Citizens of a Multilingual World. Oneof these recommendations was that “At the national level, a variety of languagesother than French alone, including heritage or community languages such asScottish Gaelic and Urdu, should be taught as a first modern language”. Localauthorities are generally responsible for ensuring a diversified provision offirst modern language within their area if not within each school.

As autonomous bodies, highereducation institutions rightly make their own decisions with regard tocurriculum provisions within particular subject areas. Scottish ministers areprevented by legislation from directing funds towards particular courses orinstitutions as this is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education FundingCouncil.

Question reference: S2W-06355

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 18 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children currently learn Russian in secondary schools.

This information is not heldcentrally. However information on examination presentations for 1998-2002 isprovided in the Scottish Qualifications Authority Annual Statistical Report2002. Their report incorporating the data for 2003 will be published inJune/July this year but I can inform you that the following numbers of pupilswere presented for Russian in 2003:

7at Standard Grade

7at Access 3

1at Intermediate 1

2at Intermediate 2

23at Higher, and;

4 at Advanced Higher.

Question reference: S2O-01560

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the issue of litter.

In July 2003 we doubled the fixed penalty fine forlittering.

We also fundKeep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) for work such as the new local environmental auditmanagement system to audit councils’ litter clearance, and revise the code of practiceon litter and refuse. KSB also does educational work such as the recentcampaign against litter from cars.

In the AntiSocial Behaviour (Scotland) Bill we are giving powers to issuefixed penalty fines for littering to police officers, and to direct relevantbodies on carrying out their duty to clear litter.

Question reference: S2O-01559

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 18 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to assist the continued opening of post offices serving communities in urban areas.