- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received on the need for an orthoptic school.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasnot received any recent representations about the need for anorthoptic school.
The last representations made to the Scottish Executive about orthoptic services in Scotland were received in December2002.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what stage it has reached in planning new prisons.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
SPS has identified preferredsites for two new prisons at Low Moss and Addiewell and has submitted planningapplications for the proposed developments.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the debate on 29 January 2003, what communication it has had with Her Majesty's Government on its plans for a Supreme Court in the United Kingdom.
Answer
The Executive has beenadvised that today Lord Falconer, Secretary of State for ConstitutionalAffairs, will make an oral statement to the House of Lords and that ChrisLeslie MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State will make a similar oral statementin the House of Commons setting out the Government’s proposals in regard to theSupreme Court for the United Kingdom. The Scottish Executive welcomes this opportunity toagain endorse support in principle for the proposed reforms which were debatedin this house on 29 January 2004.
Copies of the statement areavailable in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 30973).
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues in respect of the operation of court custody officers.
Answer
Officials in the JusticeDepartment are currently working with the police to produce operationalguidance on police custody and security officers. The Sheriffs Association andthe Scottish Courts Service will also be invited to comment on the terms of theguidance before it is issued.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received with regard to Greater Glasgow NHS Board's maternity services review.
Answer
The HealthDepartment has received a number of letters about NHS Greater Glasgow’s reviewof maternity services. These have been forwarded to the NHS board so that theviews expressed can be formally recorded and considered under the on-goingpublic consultation process.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how the changes in telephone directory enquiry services have affected Scottish businesses.
Answer
Telecomsregulation is reserved. It is currently undertaken by Oftel and, from laterthis month, by OFCOM. Oftel introduced the changes to directory enquiryservices and a preliminary report on their effect is available on theregulator’s website. It is too early to assess the impact of these changes onScottish businesses.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to assist Glasgow City Council to improve Scottish Qualifications Agency exam performance amongst its pupils.
Answer
The National Priorities inEducation and the school improvement framework are the vehicles through whichwe work with education authorities and schools to help secure improvement. the Executive supports education authorities and schools to reflect upon howimprovement can be achieved through encouraging self-evaluation and providingexamples of successful practice. As part of the drive for improvement, allpublicly funded secondary schools have set targets for exam performance for2005.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any added liability placed on a seller in the pilot sellers' survey schemes.
Answer
There are no plans to amendthe current common law principle of caveat emptor or “buyer beware”.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to any concerns by surveyors that the pilot sellers' surveys may operate in the interest of the seller.
Answer
For buyers and their lendersto have confidence in a survey that is commissioned by a seller, it will haveto provide objective, reliable and reasonably comprehensive information on thecondition of the house. Surveyors are disinterested professionals and we expectthat they will produce a single survey that meets the needs of both sellers andbuyers and will be accepted by all parties.
We do, however, anticipate abenefit to the seller in terms of improved marketing of their property andincreased confidence in the condition of the house.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3052 by Nicol Stephen on 21 October 2003, what representations it has received on re-regulating the bus industry.
Answer
Since August 2002 the Executive has received representations from Stirling Council and MidlothianCouncil regarding additional regulation of the bus industry. The issue is alsoraised from time to time in parliamentary debates and correspondence from thegeneral public, and is the subject of 2 parliamentary petitions currently withthe Local Government and Transport Committee (PE420 & PE569).
