- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 19 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had or will have with the Scotland committee of the National Lottery Charities Board to ensure that innovative and successful projects in Scotland funded by the Board continue on a long-term basis in the absence of alternative funding.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has regular meetings with the National Lottery Charities Board Scotland. In reaching decisions on funding of projects the board takes into account factors such as sustainability of projects and the need to plan ahead for when NLCB funding comes to an end.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 19 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much housing association grant was allocated to housing associations in Glasgow in each year from 1995-96 to 1999-2000 inclusive in real terms.
Answer
The information requested is set out in the table below.
| Expenditure (£ million) |
1995-96 | 87.433 |
1996-97 | 69.809 |
1997-98 | 50.892 |
1998-99 | 43.079 |
1999-2000 | 43.597 |
Note: figures expressed in 1995-96 constant prices.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the report Education at a Glance 2000, what steps it will take to ensure that a greater proportion of school curricula for pupils aged 12-14 is dedicated to maths and science.
Answer
In Scotland the curriculum is not prescribed, but national guidance is given.
Although there are no plans to increase the time in the national guidance beyond the minimum allocation for Maths (10%) and for Environmental studies (30%), which includes Science, the guidance already includes a 20% flexibility factor, which remains after all minimum allocations have been made, which schools are encouraged to use to meet their own needs and circumstances.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to resolve any difficulties relating to the implementation of the new Higher Still English course.
Answer
Many centres have already implemented new National Qualification courses in English and Communication - over 100 at Higher level, around 120 at Intermediate 2 level, and over 70 at Intermediate 1 level.
However, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is tackling concerns which have been raised about the new courses, and has set up a short-life group to look into any possible revisions to English and Communication courses within the existing framework.
In addition, the Scottish Executive's review of the first year of Higher Still implementation aims to identify both the programme's strengths, and areas where improvement is required.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what the implications for local authorities are of the recent decision by the European Court of Justice that employers must backdate employees' membership of company pension schemes to 1976.
Answer
The decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 16 May 2000 relates to certain questions referred to the ECJ by the House of Lords in connection with test cases concerning part-time workers' rights of access to occupational pension schemes.
As the cases raised issues concerning the compatibility of domestic law and European law, the House of Lords considered it appropriate to refer certain questions to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling. The questions related to the time limit for making claims for membership of a scheme and the extent of the limitation on the backdating of the claims. The UK Courts had originally ruled that any claims must be brought during, or within six months of leaving, employment and that backdated access is limited to two years from the date of application.
The ECJ has ruled that while the six months time limit is compatible with European law, the two-year period of retrospection is not. It will now be for the House of Lords to decide whether the six month limit should stand and what the period of retrospection should be. Until then it will not be possible to assess the implications for local authorities generally, and the Local Government Pension Scheme in particular.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to (a) tackle and (b) minimise disruptive classroom behaviour.
Answer
The Executive is taking several measures to minimise disruptive behaviour and improve discipline in schools. Improving discipline is one of the key elements of the Executive's National Ethos Programme which also includes anti-bullying and attendance.
Discipline does not only involve controlling the behaviour of pupils, but also instilling in them the desire to learn. Central to achieving this objective are several of the initiatives funded for the three-year period, 1999-2000-2001-02 under the Excellence Fund for Schools. The Core Programme includes three initiatives of particular relevance to the question of discipline, Alternatives to Exclusion (£23 million), Study Support (£27 million) and Supporting Parents (£15 million). The Special Programme involves Education Action Plans (£15 million) and New Community Schools (£26 million).
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it is undertaking to reduce the incidence of vandalism in schools.
Answer
The education authorities are responsible for the management of school premises, and they have knowledge of the range of measures which they can consider to reduce vandalism in schools. However, the most appropriate measures will depend on the local circumstances of individual schools.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 14 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing legislation on community safety.
Answer
There is currently no plan to do so. Since the launch of the joint community safety strategy with CoSLA and ACPOS in 1998, all Scottish local authorities and police forces have participated in multi-agency activity designed to improve safety in their communities without the need to legislate.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many New Deal placements were made available by each local authority for the last year for which figures are available.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, working together with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 14 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review its funding of community safety initiatives in order to assess whether they can be adapted to provide incentives for longer term resource planning and support partnership strategic priorities.
Answer
Whilst we have no plans to do so at this particular time, the Executive is aware of the recommendations made in the Account Commission's study of community safety partnerships in Scotland Safe and Sound, published last month by Audit Scotland, particularly those regarding resource planning. We will take account of these recommendations in considering the future funding for community safety projects.
