- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how effective the Thistle Travel Card scheme has been and whether there are plans to increase awareness of it.
Answer
An evaluation of the Thistle Travel Card Scheme in 2006 showed that, in large part, the scheme failed due to poor publicity and marketing. In September 2007 the government offered grant funding of £4,550 to ENABLE to allow them to re-launch the scheme. This offer was declined.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to encourage home delivery and grocery services for elderly people in communities across Scotland, similar to the Food Train initiative currently being delivered in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer
Support for community-led health projects, including provision of home delivery and grocery services for older people along the lines of the food train is a matter for NHS boards and local authorities to decide based on the needs they have identified.
Additional business support for local third sector community food initiatives is available through Community Food and Health (Scotland), which is funded by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been against retailers for selling knives to underage customers in each of the last five years broken down by (a) police board and (b) local authority area.
Answer
The available information is given in the following tables.
Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Selling Knives to Underage Persons1 by Police Force Area, 2002-03 to 2006-07
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Strathclyde | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Tayside | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Scotland | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - |
Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 141A.
Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Selling Knives to Underage Persons1 by Approximate Local Authority Area, 2002-03 to 2006-07
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Angus | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Dumfries and Galloway | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| East Ayrshire | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Renfrewshire | - | 1 | - | - | - |
Notes:
1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 141A.
2. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been of retailers for selling knives to underage customers in each of the last five years broken down by (a) police board and (b) local authority area.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish courts for Selling Knives to Underage Persons1 by Police Force Area, 2002-03 to 2006-07.
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Strathclyde | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Tayside | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Scotland | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - |
Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 141A.
Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Selling Knives to Underage Persons1 by Approximate Local Authority Area , 2002-03 to 2006-07
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Angus | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Dumfries and Galloway | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| East Ayrshire | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Renfrewshire | - | 1 | - | - | - |
Notes:
1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 141A.
2. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for underage tobacco sales there have been in each of the last five years and, of these, how many convictions resulted, broken down by police force area.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Persons Proceeded Against for Selling Tobacco to Persons Under 161, by Police Force Area 2002-03 to 2006-07
| Police Force | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Charge proved | - | - | - | - | - |
| Grampian | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Charge proved | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Lothian and Borders | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | 2 | - | 2 | 1 |
| Charge proved | - | 2 | - | 2 | 1 |
| Northern | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Charge proved | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Strathclyde | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Charge proved | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Scotland | | | | | |
| Proceeded against | - | 3 | - | 2 | 7 |
| Charge proved | - | 3 | - | 2 | 5 |
Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 section 18.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of selling knives to underage customers.
Answer
The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 has given ministers the power to introduce a licensing scheme for knife dealers. As part of the licensing scheme, dealers will be required to keep records of how proof of age was established.
Discussions have taken place with the police about backing up the licensing scheme with a tougher enforcement regime which may include test purchasing where appropriate.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to investigate the reasons for the sudden decline in bee population in Scotland.
Answer
Where higher than normal losses of bees are found after the winter, beekeepers can seek advice from the Scottish Agriculture College apiculture specialist as to the possible causes. In the majority of cases reported to the college, it has been possible to link these to poor management or to Varroa infestation and the secondary viruses associated with the Varroa mite which weakens the colony leaving it more prone to virus attack.
Beekeepers can also send samples to Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture for diagnostic examination.
Both of these services are funded by the Scottish Government and are free to beekeepers.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group and when its next meeting will take place.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14190 on 25 June 2008. 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.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that sustainable development education is mainstreamed in schools.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14190 on 25 June 2008. 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.
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pupils left secondary school with a Higher level qualification in a second language in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Per Cent of School Leavers with a Qualification in a Second Language at SCQF Level 6 (Higher) or Better
| | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Aberdeen City | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Aberdeenshire | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Angus | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| Argyll and Bute | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Dundee City | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| East Ayrshire | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| East Lothian | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| East Renfrewshire | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Edinburgh City of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Eilean Siar | 14 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| Falkirk | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Fife | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Glasgow City | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Highland | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Inverclyde | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Midlothian | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
| Moray | 5 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| North Ayrshire | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| North Lanarkshire | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Orkney Islands | 8 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 7 |
| Perth and Kinross | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Renfrewshire | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Scottish Borders | 8 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Shetland Islands | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| South Ayrshire | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| South Lanarkshire | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Stirling | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| West Lothian | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
Note: includes modern foreign languages and Gaelic (Learners), excludes Latin and Greek.
