- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20624 by Cathy Jamieson on 28 December 2001, what recourse an unaccompanied asylum seeking child has to ensure that he/she is given their full rights under a local authority's duty of care under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 where there is an absence of official documentation to prove the child's identity.
Answer
The duty on local authorities to provide assistance to a child, does not depend on the identity of the child. We do not expect the absence of official documentation to prove a child's identity, to affect the child's access to local authority assistance.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 19 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to ensure transparency of criteria used for assessing applications for funding from the New Futures Fund, the New Opportunities Fund, other National Lottery funds and the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer
Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) administers the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) support for learning centre development on behalf of the Executive. SUfI has made known the criteria used for assessing CMF in a variety of ways, including through promotional literature for the scheme, their website, speeches at public events, direct contact with applicants and in response to written/telephone enquiries.The assessment of bids for funding from the New Futures Fund, New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Funds are operational matters for the bodies concerned.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 19 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any targets are set in order to ensure that a diversity of organisations are awarded funding from (a) the New Futures Fund, (b) the New Opportunities Fund, (c) other National Lottery funds and (d) the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer
Scottish University for Industry administers the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) support for learning centre development on behalf of the Executive. There are no specific targets aimed at ensuring a diversity of organisations receive CMF. Individual applications are judged on their own merits in relation to the overall objectives of the scheme; these include geographic coverage, provision in socially excluded areas and addressing sectoral or other gaps. The scheme is promoted widely to a variety of organisations, including intermediaries, and all promotional literature makes it clear that any organisation is eligible to apply.The criteria for the selection of projects to be funded by the New Futures Fund are a matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise within the broad guidelines set out by the Scottish Executive. With regard to projects funded through the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery these are matters for the organisations concerned.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 19 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what liaison there is between the New Futures Fund, the New Opportunities Fund, other National Lottery funds and the Scottish University for Industry in order to ensure that any projects in receipt of funding from one of these bodies but which are dependent on successful bids for funding from any of the other bodies are able to follow this process through successfully.
Answer
Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) administers the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) support for learning centre development on behalf of the Executive. SUfI and New Opportunities Fund (who offer funding to meet revenue costs) share information on applicants who have been offered/are being considered for funding. In addition, CMF applicants are asked to provide details of all other project funding that has been applied for or approved, enabling SUfI to build an overall picture of the funding position for every project.I have asked the organisations responsible for approving funding for the New Futures Fund and The National Lottery to write to you directly.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support through personnel, training and other means will be given to police forces to implement the guidelines issued on 26 February 2002 to chief constables on racist crime and, in particular, on the need to assess the language needs of victims and bereaved relatives and to deal appropriately with cultural sensitivities and the religious and cultural needs of bereaved relatives in cases where a death has occurred and to comply with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
Answer
It is for chief constables to determine how best to adhere to the Lord Advocate's guidance. Whilst the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland continues to provide forces with comprehensive guidance on all national policing issues concerning racial diversity. The Commission for Racial Equality in Scotland are also aiming to publish, for consultation, their draft Statutory Code of Practice and associated guidance for devolved public bodies in Scotland, including police forces, in early May. The code will provide practical guidance to bodies on how to fulfil both their general and specific duties and will be supported by examples of best practice.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been admitted to hospitals in (a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow as a result of firearm related incidents in each year since 1999.
Answer
The number of patients admitted to hospital in each of the last three years with a diagnosis related to a firearms
1 incident are shown in the table
| | Year ending 31 Dec: |
| Treated in: | 1999 | 2000 | 2001P |
| NHS Glasgow | 30 | 36 | 42 |
| NHS Scotland | 140 | 138 | 136 |
P Provisional.Notes:1. includes incidents involving handguns, rifles, air guns and unspecified.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many licensed firearms were recorded in (a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow in each year since 1999.
Answer
The following table gives the number of firearms covered by certificates in Scotland and in Strathclyde on issue at 31 December 1999 and 31 December 2000. Figures for 2001 will not be published until autumn 2002. The information held is not broken down below force level.
| Firearms on certificate | | 1999 | 2000 |
| Scotland | Possessed | 62,421 | 58,862 |
| Authorised to be purchased/acquired | 11,272 | 9,934 |
| Total | 73,693 | 68,796 |
| Strathclyde | Possessed | 11,314 | 10,857 |
| Authorised to be purchased/acquired | 1,937 | 1,513 |
| Total | 13,251 | 12,370 |
Note: The recorded totals in the table, may include an element of double counting in that two or more individuals may each hold a certificate that allows them to possess the same firearm.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial resources have been, or will be, allocated to implement the new guidelines on racist crime issued to all chief constables on 26 February 2002.
Answer
Funding for the police, which is currently at record levels, is allocated in total to each force. It is for police authorities, in consultation with chief constables, to set budgets for individual forces. Once a budget has been agreed, the use of that budget to meet the operational needs of each force is a matter for individual chief constables.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications were referred to Scottish ministers in each month since May 1999.
Answer
The number of planning applications referred to the Scottish ministers since 1 May 1999 totals 830. A breakdown by monthly receipt is given in the following table:Cases Notified to the Scottish Ministers since May 1999:
| | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| January | - | 15 | 19 | 12 |
| February | - | 34 | 28 | 25 |
| March | - | 25 | 27 | - |
| April | - | 31 | 32 | - |
| May | 8 | 34 | 25 | - |
| June | 22 | 35 | 25 | - |
| July | 26 | 40 | 18 | - |
| August | 25 | 22 | 19 | - |
| September | 25 | 24 | 17 | - |
| October | 29 | 22 | 23 | - |
| November | 16 | 20 | 19 | - |
| December | 25 | 31 | 32 | - |
| Total | 176 | 333 | 284 | 37 |
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 18 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources (a) were allocated in 2001-02 and (b) will be allocated in 2002-03 to the Caries Prevention Scheme for oral health for children aged six to 10.
Answer
The caries prevention scheme is open to all registered six- and seven-year-olds in Scotland. In the period April 2001 to January 2002 payments under the scheme amounted to £1.15 million; and it estimated that a further £250,000 will be paid in the remainder of the financial year. In the financial year 2002-03, the scheme is expected to cost around £1.5 million. The financial resources for the scheme are allocated through the General Dental Services budget.
