- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any figures or research showing the number of children who have access to broadband internet at (a) home and (b) school.
Answer
The “Impact of ICT Initiatives in Scottish Schools” survey in 2000-2001 found that:
(a) At school, 55% of S4 pupils used a computer three or more times a week, while most of the younger pupils used it once or twice a week or less
(b) At home, 80% at P7 and 83% at S4 indicated that they had access to a computer outside school and half used it on three or more days a week.
The study did not ask about the bandwidth of home connections, but on 2 March 2005 figures received from Scottish Enterprise showed over 93% of Scottish homes can potentially receive broadband access and we are delivering access to every Scottish community by the end of 2005.
Information collected from local authorities during planning for the Scottish School Digital Network in 2004 indicates that at least 78% of Secondary schools, 38% of primary schools and 50% of special schools have links of at least 2mbps.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it employs to evaluate the proportion of time children spend on the internet for educational activities.
Answer
Information was gathered on children’s use of computers and the internet which included:
Within school, 55% of S4 pupils used a computer three or more times a week, while most of the younger pupils used it once or twice a week or less.
There were a number of differences in the usage at home and school, with the most significant (educationally) being the lack of pressure of time at home .
Summary reports from the first two
The Impact of ICT Initiatives in Scottish Schools surveys can be found on the internet at
www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc16/ic63-00.asp and www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/ins2-00.asp and at the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35663 and 25548). The third and final phase of this research is due to be received by the Executive at the end of March 2005 and will be published in due course.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the Calman report on specialist medical training that Scotland should have graduate entry to medical school.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is carefully considering the implications of Sir Kenneth Calman’s Report and intends to publish its response shortly.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instigate a training programme for GPs with special interests as part of the service redesign recommended in the report by Sir John Temple, Securing Future Practice: Shaping the New Medical Workforce for Scotland.
Answer
Postgraduate medical training in the UK is under review as part of the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) training reforms. New frameworks for progressive specialty training, including those for general practice, are being developed across the UK administrations in partnership with the NHS, the BMA, the relevant statutory authorities and with our Medical Royal Colleges.
As MMC is taken forward and the new strategic framework for general practice training is developed, further work will be undertaken through the Scottish MMC Delivery Group to evaluate the detailed delivery arrangements required to ensure that our general practitioners are trained to meet the needs of NHSScotland and are able to acquire special interests appropriate to the particular health care needs of their patients.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 1 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review property law to take account of the needs of Sharia law.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no current plans to review property law to take account of Sharia law.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many visits outwith Scotland have been undertaken by MSPs in respect of their parliamentary duties since the start of Session 2.
Answer
Since the start of Session 2 MSPs have made 160 visits outwith Scotland in respect of their parliamentary duties. Of these visits, 72 were made under the Members Support Allowance within the UK or to Brussels/Strasbourg, 46 under the auspices of External Liaison Unit and 42 as committee visits.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 26 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that minimum area standards for the si'e of schools are being adhered to in all cases.
Answer
The School Premises (General Requirements and Standards)(Scotland) Regulations 1967 set out broad minimum standards in relation to certain aspects of school accommodation, including areas of school sites and overall minimum educational area according to the roll for which a school is designed. We have no reason to believe that authorities are not meeting their responsibilities in this regard.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 2 July 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer how many parliamentary staff will be accommodated outwith the new parliamentary complex at Holyrood.
Answer
Following migration, approximately25 staff (on fixed-term contracts, seconded from other organisations orpermanent staff filling fixed term posts) will be based at the Tun. Thisfigure will reduce as projects are completed. There are no current plans to accommodateparliamentary staff outwith the new Parliament building after November 2005.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 2 July 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer what arrangements are in place, or are planned, for the accommodation of parliamentary staff outwith the new Parliament building.
Answer
Following the migration tothe new Parliament building, there will be a temporary need to accommodate theremainder of the Holyrood Project Team, the Opening Ceremony Team and somefixed-term staff at the Tun. There are no current plans to accommodate parliamentarystaff outwith the new Parliament building after November 2005.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Independent
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are being held in prison awaiting finalisation of extradition proceedings; in which prisons such people are held; how long each person has been held, and whether any such person has sought interim freedom during initial hearings or appeals and, if so, what grounds were advanced by the Executive for retaining them in prison.
Answer
Four such individuals are beingheld in custody in Scotland pending the determination of requests for their extradition.It is not Scottish Prison Service policy to disclose the particular prison establishmentin which such individuals are being held.
Two individuals have each beenin custody for three years and three months, one for 3½ months and theremaining individual for two weeks. Three of the four have sought bail, one of thethree on numerous occasions.
The position taken by the prosecutorin relation to any application for bail is entirely a matter for the Crown Officewhich represents the requesting state in the courts. In every case when bail wasapplied for it was opposed mainly because of the risk of the individual absconding.
