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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-20743

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the role and remit of the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport with regard to VisitScotland and the British Tourist Authority.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport is responsible for setting strategic objectives for visitScotland. The Minister for Culture, Media and Sport within the UK Government has similar responsibility in respect of the British Tourist Authority. Westminster ministers are required to consult Scottish Executive ministers before taking decisions that will affect BTA activity in respect of Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-21101

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or plans to make, to the British Airports Authority and Scottish Airports Ltd regarding the economic impact of the level of landing charges at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports.

Question reference: S1W-21102

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it and VisitScotland have given to the effect on tourism and the economy of the level of landing charges on air links to and from Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-21103

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children left school in the City of Edinburgh area with no qualifications in each year since 1997.

The information requested is set out in the following table.

	Leavers from Publicly Funded Schools	Leavers from Independent Schools	All School Leavers
1997-98	132	12	144
1998-99	151	19	170

It should be noted that included within these figures are any pupils who leave school with only GCSE and/or A level qualifications. Statistics on the attainment in these examinations is not held by the Scottish Executive. Data relating to 1999-2000 are not yet available.

Question reference: S1W-21112

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government to seek an allocation for spending on transport initiatives in Scotland from the sale of registration plates and numbers and, if so, whether any allocations have been made and for what amounts.

Question reference: S1W-21104

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children left school in the City of Edinburgh area with literacy or numeracy problems in each year since 1997.

There is no standard definition of "literacy and numeracy problems". Information on those leaving publicly funded schools in the City of Edinburgh who had not attained Standard Grade Mathematics and Standard Grade English in academic sessions 1997-98 and 1998-99 is set out in the following table. Data relating to 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are not yet available.

Year	Total number of leavers	Percentage not attaining Standard Grade Mathematics	Percentage not attaining Standard Grade English
1997-98	3,388	10%	10%
1998-99	3,408	11%	10%

Note: These figures do not include pupils who left school with only GCSE and/or A level qualifications, as attainment data from these examinations are not held by the Scottish Executive.

Question reference: S1W-20926

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that businesses in Edinburgh do not experience recruitment difficulties due to high housing costs.

We are not aware of any evidence to suggest that higher than average housing costs are causing significant recruitment difficulties for businesses in Edinburgh. Living costs are only one factor which can cause recruitment difficulties. Skills shortages can also have a significant impact.Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian works in partnership with the business community to support the continued supply of skilled labour to meet company growth plans. This ranges from programmes of graduate recruitment and retention, to harnessing the potential of people currently outwith the labour market. Linking these people to known areas of demand from the private sector is a core task of programmes such as New Deal and Skillseekers.Communities Scotland offer a range of low cost home ownership schemes which provides affordable opportunities in owner occupation to meet local needs. In addition to this the City of Edinburgh Council have adopted an Affordable Housing Policy which proposes that a proportion of new homes within major development sites will be affordable.

Question reference: S1W-20250

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding a proposal by Consignia to end second post deliveries.

Question reference: S1W-20892

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for driving without insurance annually since 1997 (a) nationally and (b) broken down by each Sheriff Court district.

The available information is given in the following table. Offences of driving without insurance proved in court, 1997-2000

Sheriff Court	1997	1998	1999	2000
Aberdeen	963	994	970	778
Airdrie	452	346	472	422
Alloa	109	89	91	110
Arbroath	175	229	158	195
Ayr	497	448	373	472
Banff	89	90	157	89
Campbeltown	40	21	24	22
Cupar	151	155	144	152
Dingwall	52	74	68	42
Dornoch	30	19	23	10
Dumbarton	460	356	332	383
Dumfries	345	330	410	387
Dundee	712	687	640	666
Dunfermline	388	384	359	416
Dunoon	62	68	56	49
Duns	21	31	25	31
Edinburgh	1,917	1,917	1,647	1,779
Elgin	236	263	239	172
Falkirk	415	373	409	430
Forfar	153	135	121	128
Fort William	87	43	47	13
Glasgow	1,708	1,911	1,440	1,153
Greenock	318	248	242	254
Haddington	181	161	147	142
Hamilton	1,241	1,069	1,063	1,188
Inverness	216	195	209	116
Jedburgh	81	58	70	90
Kilmarnock	591	555	538	508
Kirkcaldy	515	555	495	559
Kirkcudbright	46	57	70	51
Kirkwall	25	27	42	9
Lanark	157	118	168	171
Lerwick	27	25	29	26
Linlithgow	528	439	464	520
Lochmaddy	15	13	10	6
Oban	51	39	58	43
Paisley	700	605	544	545
Peebles	26	26	14	10
Perth	373	357	309	327
Peterhead	216	186	117	126
Portree	35	15	12	3
Rothesay	8	2	5	22
Selkirk	63	72	71	41
Stirling	247	210	245	237
Stonehaven	205	155	159	93
Stornoway	37	40	44	19
Stranraer	141	130	107	103
Tain	63	84	60	18
Wick	56	46	38	33
Not Known¹	-	-	-	694
Sheriff Court Total	15,224	14,450	13,535	13,853
Glasgow Stipendiary Magistrates Court	2,035	909	817	727
Other Courts	102	53	109	65
Total	17,361	15,412	14,461	14,645

Note:1. Sheriff courts in Grampian and Northern police force area not separately identified.

Question reference: S1W-20931

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were convicted of assault on a police officer in Edinburgh in each year since 1997.

Year	Number
1997	258
1998	335
1999	265
2000	259