- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how often information requested in parliamentary questions has been withheld at the request of Her Majesty's Government under paragraph 11 (a) of the Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the United Kingdom Government, Scottish ministers, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee in each of the last seven months.
Answer
In answering parliamentary questions the Scottish Executive always respects the status of information held in confidence, and does not distinguish between that and whether or not such information has been subject to a formal request under these arrangements. So far as I am aware no formal request of this kind has been made.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, how many staff there are in the unit dedicated to dealing with asylum seekers and with refugee integration issues.
Answer
The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Integration team currently comprises three permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff. This team works closely with a number of officials throughout the Executive on all devolved aspects of asylum and refugee integration.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.
Answer
The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum was established in January 2002 and has met three times. Six satellite groups were established to take forward specific areas of work. The satellites have completed their evidence gathering sessions and are now considering their priority actions. These draft action plans will be considered at a full meeting of the group towards the end of September.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, which minister is responsible for all devolved aspects of asylum issues and has the relevant power to take action on such matters.
Answer
The Minister for Social Justice is responsible for co-ordinating the devolved aspects of asylum issues, working in partnership with other cabinet ministers.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17642 and S1W-17643 by Angus MacKay on 18 September 2001, whether it has now considered the consultants' final report; if so, what conclusions it has drawn in the light of the report, and whether it will now make public its plans relating to the information requested in those questions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive considered the consultant's report and a range of potential options for the delivery of Facilities Management services. The Executive concluded that a Business Improvement Plan (BIP), using mainly in-house provision, would provide the best overall value for the Executive. The BIP involves the reorganisation of in house teams and for their role to expand as some current contracts will not be replaced as they end.The BIP aims to both improve facilities management services and reduce costs by £2.1 million per annum by 2004-05. Over the period 2002-03 to 2004-05 a number of changes will be made to the organisation of services delivery, to the number and extent of the contracts which support this work, and the way in which staff gain access to services. Every effort will be made to ensure that staff surpluses do not arise and redundancies are avoided through establishing staff preferences, reskilling, retraining and redeployment.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27066 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, why it does not hold centrally information on the average number of hours worked by junior doctors in the NHS.
Answer
The Scottish Executive requires trusts to report on compliance with the contractual requirements of the New Deal for junior doctors and available data covers whether junior doctors meet the limit of 56 hours per week. Considerable efforts have been focussed on ensuring that accurate information is recorded and gathered from trusts on this key objective.It is the responsibility of trusts to ensure compliance with New Deal. Trusts are currently further updating their information systems to ensure that working patterns of junior doctors, including the average hours worked, are recorded for junior doctors.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14111 by Jackie Baillie on 26 March 2001, whether the pilot debtline in Fife has become operational and, if so, when; how it plans to analyse the efficacy of the pilot debtline, and whether any research on this matter has already been undertaken.
Answer
As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24465 15 April 2002, the Fife pilot of the National Debtline project was launched by Iain Gray, then Social Justice Minister, on 22 March 2002. The Department of Trade and Industry plan to undertake an evaluation of all three pilots of the National Debtline in autumn 2002.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Simpson on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when the working group considering fire brigade pensions will report and whether the report will be published at the same time.
Answer
The work of the group is continuing. It is not possible at this stage to be definitive about when the report will be submitted to ministers or published.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services did not intend to state to the Parliament that money was "flowing north of the border from south of the border" (Official Report, 23 January 2002, c. 5646-47) and, if so, whether he will clarify the position in the chamber of the Parliament.
Answer
I do not think that any clarification is necessary, taking into account the Deputy Minister's comments as a whole, and not just the words selected for quotation in question S1W-25676.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
Answer
I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
