- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or will make, to Her Majesty's Government in relation to improving Scottish rail freight services and to the timetable for the implementation of its commitment to the establishment of Eurostar services from Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has concurrent responsibility with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for rail freight grants in Scotland. The UK Minister for Transport and I announced on 13 September a £9.7 million Freight Facilities Grant award to TDG Nexus for works at Grangemouth.Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority has served a petition on the British Rail Board in respect of its plan of 1989 for regional Eurostar services.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to inform the Parliament's Committees about Executive announcements.
Answer
Committee members may be informed of forthcoming announcements, such as news events or consultation documents, at briefings to Committees by Ministers or Scottish Executive Officials. Committee Clerks may also be informed of announcements through their Committee Liaison contacts in the Scottish Executive.
Executive announcements in the form of consultation documents are made available to the Parliament's Document Supply Centre. All papers laid before Parliament, whether or not they will be subject to any Parliamentary proceedings, are listed in the Business Bulletin under Section H, and are also available through Document Supply.
Scottish Executive announcements in the form of press releases are available on the Scottish Executive web-site. The Parliamentary Information Centre (SPICe) currently takes press releases off the web-site and these are available from the reference centre in Parliamentary Headquarters.It has recently been agreed that SPICe will be included on the electronic press mailing list thereby speeding the transmission of announcements between the Scottish Executive, Parliament and Committees. It is our intention to continue to make improvements in informing Members as systems develop and in light of experience.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to re-introduce free school milk to Scottish primary schools for pupils whose parents are in receipt of either income support or the working families tax credit and disabled persons credit.
Answer
Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended, local authorities must provide free school milk, meals or other refreshments to all school children whose parents receive income support or the income based job seekers allowance.Local authorities are not obliged to provide free school milk etc to pupils whose parents receive financial assistance under the new Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit schemes as both schemes already contain an element to cover the cost of school milk and meals.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it will provide to ensure that businesses are year 2000 compliant, given that the award of training grants to deal with this problem has now been terminated.
Answer
The primary responsibility for taking action to prepare for the millennium bug rests with the business community. However, the Government have taken action to help businesses respond quickly and effectively. £2.6 million of Government money was made available to provide companies in Scotland with suitable training to tackle the millennium bug. We are on course to train 3,000 people before the end of the year.
The availability of free courses was always limited, and the demand has been such that the allocation has now been used up in some areas. However, assistance and advice are still available from a number of sources, including Action 2000, Local Enterprise Companies and Local Support Centres.Although many Scottish companies are on course in their preparations, others have done little or nothing to prepare yet. They should urgently make use of the available resources to ensure their operations are Year 2000 compliant.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the completion of the M77 and M74, the envisaged timescale, and how these plans will be funded.
Answer
The M77 (Fenwick to Malletsheugh) and the M74 Northern Extension are 2 of the 17 schemes under consideration in the Strategic Roads Review. I plan to report to Parliament on the Review shortly.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 15 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to encourage a greater number of tourist visits to Glasgow.
Answer
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board has recently announced that hotels in the City enjoyed a 10% increase in occupancy in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 1998. The new strategy which we are preparing will contain actions designed to boost the performance of the industry across Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government requesting that internet websites which encourage suicide be prohibited, given the increased incidence of suicide among young people in Scotland in recent years.
Answer
We have no plans to do so. A wide range of social, cultural, psychological, economic and other factors contribute to suicide rates, including accessibility to the means of suicide. The regulation of internet services is a reserved matter.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will give to former World War Two prisoners of war residing in Scotland and claiming compensation from Her Majesty's Government for suffering endured whilst captives of the Japanese.
Answer
These are matters reserved to the UK Government. They are included in the Scottish Government's continuing liaison with the UK Government on all relevant matters.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to maximise the take-up of free school meals.
Answer
Maximising the take up of free school meals by entitled children is for each local authority to pursue in the light of local needs and circumstances.There may be a variety of reasons why entitled children do not take up the free meal offered. Each local authority or the schools themselves are best placed to investigate and rectify problems within their area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop nutritional education in schools.
Answer
Responsibility for the delivery and management of the curriculum rests with education authorities and school managers. Advice is provided by the Scottish Executive which seeks to ensure that health education, including nutritional education, has a secure place within the curriculum and is included in all schools.HMI monitor school and pre-school provision and their published reports cover health education as well as various aspects of health promotion within the school. The report Drug and Nutrition Education A Study of Provision in Schools and Community Education published in January 1999 identifies good practice and areas where action is needed.
