- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers or officials have had with the UK Border Agency regarding identity cards.
Answer
Neither ministers nor officials have discussed identity cards with the UK Border Agency.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the potential use of identity cards to prevent impersonation in voting at elections.
Answer
No consideration has been given to the potential use of identity cards to prevent impersonation in voting at elections.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place since May 2007 between ministers and representatives of individual private schools and bodies representing private schools and what subjects were discussed at those meetings.
Answer
The following table sets out the requested details of such meetings.
| Minister | Date | School/Organisation | Purpose/Subject |
| First Minister | 5 March 2008 | New Struan School, Alloa | To meet staff and see the facilities for those with an autistic spectrum disorder. |
| Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning | 1 May 2008 | Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) | Role of SCIS, Curriculum for Excellence, qualifications review, GLOW, residential schools and inspection regime. |
| Minister for Schools and Skills | 3 October 2007 | Scottish Association of Steiner Waldorf Education | Steiner education |
| | 21 April 2008 | Glenalmond College, Perth | General visit plus discussion with 6th Form pupils. |
| | 29 April 2008 | Spark of Genius, Paisley | General Visit. |
| Minister for Children and Early Years | 8 August 2007 | Kibble Education and Care Centre, Paisley | General visit and to announce capital funding for residential schools and fostering services across Scotland. |
| | 21 September 2007 | Daldorch House School, Catrine, East Ayrshire | To attend the opening of the senior campus. |
| | 7 November 2007 | Scottish Launch of the Celtic Nations Autism Partnership at the Parliament | Meeting with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Society for Autism which run the New Struan School. |
| | 21 January 2008 | Daldorch House School, Catrine, East Ayrshire | A more detailed visit to the school following the opening of the senior campus (21 September 2007). |
| | 2 April 2008 | World Autism Awareness Day | Further meeting with Chief Executive of the Scottish Society for Autism. |
| Minister for Community Safety | 20 November 2007 | Ballikinrain School, Balfron, Stirlingshire | General Visit. |
| Minister for Public Health | 23 October 2007 | New Struan School, Alloa | General Visit. |
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the number of school meals provided in each school in each of the last three years.
Answer
The information regarding number of school meals provided per school is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found via the following link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/SchoolMealsDatasets.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the use of identity cards as proof-of-age cards for purchasing cigarettes or alcohol.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the use of the voluntary Young Scot National Entitlement Card as a proof-of-age card. This card bears the PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) hologram. The PASS scheme is approved by the Home Office. The Young Scot card is available to those aged 11 to 26 “ free of charge and is currently held by over 213,000 young people in Scotland. There is no requirement for young people in Scotland to pay for an identity card to prove their age.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many concessionary bus passes were issued by each local authority in each year since 2005.
Answer
The issuing of national entitlement cards is the responsibility of each local authority. Any available information relating to card issue statistics by year may be held by them.
Transport Scotland does not hold this level of information but I can advise you that based on information supplied the following number of valid national entitlement cards were in circulation giving access to Scotland-wide free bus travel for older and disabled people as of 23 October 2008.
| Local Authority | Eligibility Type |
| 60 Years and Over | Disabled | Disabled Plus Companion | Visually Impaired | Visually Impaired Plus Companion | Totals |
| Aberdeen City | 51,808 | 6,929 | 4,042 | 33 | 1,409 | 64,221 |
| Aberdeenshire | 39,670 | 2,083 | 1,466 | 79 | 400 | 43,698 |
| Angus | 23,409 | 781 | 604 | 240 | 117 | 25,151 |
| Argyll and Bute | 20,340 | 828 | 1,244 | 114 | 195 | 22,721 |
| City of Edinburgh | 79,775 | 3,969 | 8,998 | 597 | 1,180 | 94,519 |
| Clackmannanshire | 8,913 | 596 | 520 | 45 | 64 | 10,138 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 6,327 | 199 | 141 | 22 | 19 | 6,708 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 30,415 | 1,649 | 1,123 | 102 | 423 | 33,712 |
| Dundee City | 29,630 | 1,265 | 2,302 | 287 | 407 | 33,891 |
| East Ayrshire | 22,697 | 1,573 | 2,416 | 107 | 219 | 27,012 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 21,510 | 611 | 1,078 | 71 | 133 | 23,403 |
| East Lothian | 18,931 | 853 | 1,654 | 69 | 232 | 21,739 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,624 | 560 | 913 | 71 | 101 | 18,269 |
| Falkirk | 27,452 | 2,008 | 1,290 | 125 | 284 | 31,159 |
| Fife | 67,184 | 2,911 | 12,987 | 60 | 944 | 84,086 |
| Glasgow | 89,317 | 8,616 | 17,415 | 681 | 1,411 | 117,440 |
| Highland | 41,539 | 2,588 | 1,803 | 260 | 540 | 46,730 |
| Inverclyde | 15,944 | 1,168 | 2,203 | 117 | 200 | 19,632 |
| Midlothian | 15,404 | 826 | 1,607 | 24 | 232 | 18,093 |
| Moray | 15,348 | 986 | 690 | 62 | 201 | 17,287 |
| North Ayrshire | 28,254 | 1,716 | 2,877 | 192 | 344 | 33,383 |
| North Lanarkshire | 51,152 | 4,250 | 6,552 | 277 | 506 | 62,737 |
| Orkney Islands | 4,368 | 188 | 191 | 12 | 20 | 4,779 |
| Perth and Kinross | 29,039 | 914 | 898 | 201 | 240 | 31,292 |
| Renfrewshire | 32,237 | 2,051 | 3,519 | 215 | 355 | 38,377 |
| Scottish Borders | 23,443 | 1,260 | 819 | 209 | 219 | 25,950 |
| Shetland Islands | 4,271 | 147 | 217 | 20 | 17 | 4,672 |
| South Ayrshire | 25,256 | 1,421 | 1,989 | 150 | 253 | 29,069 |
| South Lanarkshire | 54,329 | 3,334 | 5,675 | 260 | 577 | 64,175 |
| Stirling | 15,509 | 984 | 563 | 116 | 132 | 17,304 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 16,083 | 1,073 | 2,252 | 94 | 234 | 19,736 |
| West Lothian | 25,999 | 1,269 | 2,948 | 55 | 335 | 30,606 |
| Totals | 952,177 | 59,606 | 92,996 | 4,967 | 11,943 | 1,121,689 |
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received on the subject of identity cards since May 2007.
Answer
The Scottish Government has received several letters from citizens on the subject of identity cards since May 2007. The majority of these letters have sought clarification on the Scottish Government''s position on the UK Government''s proposals.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes arising from the parliamentary debate on identity cards on 19 November 2008.
Answer
The purpose of the debate was for members to discuss the UK Government''s plans for identity cards and to make clear the Scottish Government''s opposition to the scheme. There is no plan for any action arising directly as a result of the debate.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the report of the Organ Donation Taskforce, chaired by Elizabeth Buggins, in relation to changing the presumption on organ donation.
Answer
The UK Organ Donation Taskforce published its second report, looking at the impact on organ donation in the UK of a switch to a system of opting out, on Monday 17 November 2008. The Scottish Government''s response was set out in a news release issued in my name the same day, and in the First Minister''s reply to S3F-1197 on Thursday 20 November 2008.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-08/sor1120-02.htm#Col12616.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to report to the Parliament on the outcome of the National Conversation.
Answer
The National Conversation is intended to give the people of Scotland the opportunity to debate, reflect and then decide on Scotland''s future in a referendum to be held in 2010. Parliament will be responsible for debating and agreeing the necessary legislation in advance of the referendum.
