Questions and answers

Question reference: S2W-25272

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many covert surveillance operations have been carried out by any relevant authority, current or historic, on MSPs since 1999.

Information relating to the useof covert surveillance by relevant authorities would, if held by the Scottish Executive,be exempt by virtue of sections 31 (National Security) and 35 (Law Enforcement)of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. We believe it would be contraryto the public interest, to confirm whether or not any such information exists oris held by the Scottish Executive. The terms of this refusal are provided for bysection 18 (1) of the 2002 act.

As stated in my answer to questionS2W-21758 on 18 January 2006, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner publishes detailsin his annual report of the number of authorisations given under the Police Act1997 for property interference, and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act2000 and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for directed and intrusivesurveillance.

The most recent report – Bib.number 37809, document number SE/2005/203 – was laid before the Scottish Parliamenton 3 November 2005.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-25271

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24499 by Cathy Jamieson on 13 April 2006, when it is appropriate to comment on operational matters relating to the Security and Intelligence Service.

Question reference: S2W-25452

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it has made available to charities and voluntary organisations since the transitional hardship fund expired on 31 March 2004.

Since the expiry of thetransitional hardship fund on 31 March 2004 the Scottish Executive hasprovided considerable financial support to the voluntary sector. In 2004-05 thevoluntary sector was provided with £404 million in grants, either directly orthrough non-departmental public bodies and other public agencies. The amount offinancial support increased significantly to £523 million in 2005-06.

Moreover, organisationsapplying for grant funding should include all associated overhead costs,including water charges, as part of their bid in keeping with the principles ofFull Cost Recovery to which the Scottish Executive is committed.

Question reference: S2W-24995

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 8 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary pupils there were with autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

The information requested isprovided in the following tables. It should be noted that prior to and including2001 the data was based on pupils with Records of Needs only. From 2002 onwardsthe data includes pupils with Records of Needs and/or Individualised EducationalProgrammes.

Numbers of Pupils in PubliclyFunded Primary Schools with Records of Needs and/or Individualised Educational ProgrammesHaving Autistic Spectrum Disorder as their Main Difficulty in Learning

Publicly Funded (Primary)	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999
Aberdeen City	65	60	48	43	24	18	9
Aberdeenshire	114	109	98	77	31	29	18
Angus	34	39	35	-	20	18	14
Argyll and Bute	26	25	23	14	15	12	7
Clackmannanshire	12	11	13	11	*	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	67	56	41	36	29	19	13
Dundee City	90	66	55	44	20	11	8
East Ayrshire	24	26	19	18	13	5	*
East Dunbartonshire	15	14	10	7	*	*	*
East Lothian	25	26	22	23	12	15	12
East Renfrewshire	44	38	38	23	14	6	11
Edinburgh, City of	100	90	76	75	12	19	31
Eilean Siar	17	14	11	10	*	*	*
Falkirk	28	19	18	19	9	9	7
Fife	155	150	133	118	52	41	35
Glasgow City	57	53	33	22	48	63	16
Highland	151	147	130	103	73	63	56
Inverclyde	27	28	23	22	16	19	10
Midlothian	31	20	17	18	-	-	*
Moray	51	53	44	36	37	28	23
North Ayrshire	40	31	22	20	9	3	*
North Lanarkshire	109	96	90	89	60	41	32
Orkney Islands	30	28	28	29	*	*	*
Perth and Kinross	68	54	51	39	32	20	21
Renfrewshire	56	63	53	44	31	27	20
Scottish Borders	38	35	36	40	5	17	16
Shetland Islands	33	30	19	6	*	-	*
South Ayrshire	23	23	23	18	5	7	*
South Lanarkshire	91	65	59	53	24	20	14
Stirling	33	27	29	24	17	14	10
West Dunbartonshire	17	17	15	8	10	-	-
West Lothian	65	47	70	53	23	19	11
All Local Authorities	1,736	1,560	1,382	1,142	653	551	415

Note: *Signifies a numberless than five

Numbers of Pupils in PubliclyFunded Secondary Schools with Records of Needs and/or Individualised EducationalProgrammes Having Autistic Spectrum Disorder as their Main Difficulty in Learning

Publicly Funded (Secondary)	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999
Aberdeen City	31	18	17	14	11	10	12
Aberdeenshire	58	49	42	34	12	8	7
Angus	17	15	13	9	6	*	7
Argyll and Bute	19	16	8	8	8	5	*
Clackmannanshire	10	5	*	5	5	*	-
Dumfries and Galloway	24	20	20	19	12	9	*
Dundee City	27	27	21	14	13	8	*
East Ayrshire	16	18	19	13	*	*	5
East Dunbartonshire	13	7	6	8	*	*	*
East Lothian	13	8	7	*	7	*	*
East Renfrewshire	23	20	16	7	9	7	*
Edinburgh, City of	38	30	29	27	7	6	*
Eilean Siar	5	5	*	*	*	*	-
Falkirk	7	5	*	*	-	-	-
Fife	72	55	37	27	16	15	12
Glasgow City	51	41	16	12	*	*	11
Highland	95	80	68	51	*	9	2
Inverclyde	15	14	14	5	5	*	*
Midlothian	13	9	8	*	-	*	*
Moray	34	25	18	16	14	14	11
North Ayrshire	4	3	6	8	12	7	7
North Lanarkshire	44	40	36	32	23	18	*
Orkney Islands	8	10	7	6	-	-	-
Perth and Kinross	33	27	18	13	6	6	*
Renfrewshire	25	26	19	6	8	6	*
Scottish Borders	30	23	22	10	-	*	-
Shetland Islands	19	11	8	*	*	*	-
South Ayrshire	19	18	13	13	8	7	*
South Lanarkshire	25	20	19	15	10	5	*
Stirling	14	11	*	*	-	-	-
West Dunbartonshire	8	7	*	*	*	*	*
West Lothian	15	13	14	20	14	9	6
All local authorities	825	676	542	415	224	174	114

Note: *Signifiesa number less than five.

Question reference: S2W-25045

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been entitled to local authority “companion cards” allowing a companion to travel free with them in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S2W-25044

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive who is entitled to a “companion card” allowing a companion to travel free with them under the national concessionary fare scheme.

Under the Scotland-wide FreeBus Scheme for Older and Disabled People, people who are eligible for the Schemeand who require assistance to travel are entitled to a companion travelling free.The criteria which apply are as follows.

People are entitled to a companiontravelling free if they:

(i) receive the higher or middlerate of the care component of disability living allowance;

(ii) receive attendance allowance;

(iii) live in a residential homeor hospital and are eligible for (i) or (ii), or

(iv) have been certified as blindand in consequence are registered as blind.

Question reference: S2W-25050

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12708 by Nicol Stephen on 20 December 2004, what funding has been allocated to each community transport scheme in the current year, broken down by source; which of these scheme can be utilised by pass holders of the national concessionary fare scheme, and when will the funding will run out for each.

Information is not held centrallyon which community transport schemes can be utilised by pass holders of the NationalConcessionary Travel Scheme.

For those services funded directlyby the Executive through the Rural Community Transport Initiative, the followingtable sets out funding details and when the current agreement ends.

Rural Community TransportInitiative Projects Funded in 2006-07

Transport Scheme	Project Type	2006-07	Current Funding Agreement Ends March
Annandale Transport Initiative	Community Minibus/Car Sharing Scheme	£49,120	2009
Applecross Community Mini-Bus	Community Mini-Bus Transport Service	£2,565	2008
Arainn Shuaineirt	Community Minibus Hire/Car Sharing Scheme	£31,874	2008
Ardersier, Petty, Croy and Culloden Moor Transport Association	Community Minibus Project	£47,462	2009
Ayrshire Cancer Support	Community Car Scheme	£19,288	2007
BABS Dial-A-Bus/Focus Foundation	Community Dial-a-Bus Services	£104,813	2009
Badenoch and Strathspey Transport Company	Community Car Scheme	£119,497	2009
Ballater (RD) Ltd	Community Group Minibus Hire	£16,900	2007
Banffshire Partnership Ltd	Community Dial-a-Bus and Social Car Scheme	£74,536	2009
British Red Cross (Argyll)	Community Car Sharing Scheme	£66,045	2007
British Red Cross (West Central and South West Scotland)	Community Transport Voluntary Car Scheme	£42,347	2008
Buchan Dial-A-Community Bus	Community Dial-a-Bus and Car Scheme	£86,302	2008
Cairn Valley Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service and car Scheme	£7,242	2009
Caithness Voluntary Group	Community Dial-a-Ride and Community Car Scheme	£59,562	2009
Carrick Community Transport Group	Community Minibus Transport Service	£49,950	2007
Clarebrand Scottish Women’s Rural Institute	Local Operator Coach Hire	£475	2007
Coalfield Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£87,869	2008
Creich Croick and Kincardine	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£20,473	2009
Disability Lewis	Community Minibus Transport Service	£21,395	2007
Dounby Centre Committee	Community Minibus Transport Service	£20,438	2007
Dumfries and Galloway Accessible Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£41,888	2009
Dumfries and Galloway Accessible Transport Forum	Driver Training Project	£14,647	2007
Dunvegan Community Minibus Assoc	Community Group Minibus Hire	£2,849	2007
Eriskay Community Council	Community Group Minibus Hire	£6,580	2007
Gairloch Community Car Scheme	Community Car Scheme	£21,958	2009
Glenkens Community and Arts Trust	Community Group Minibus Hire	£3,495	2007
Graemsay, Hoy and Walls Community Council	Community Minibus Transport Service	£1,476	2009
Gretna Day Centre	Community Minibus Transport Service	£13,447	2009
Handicabs (Lothian)	Community Dial-a-Ride and Dial-a-Bus Services	£77,756	2009
Inverness and Nairn Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£20,374	2009
Irvine Valley Joint Community Council Transport Group	Community Group Minibus Hire	£21,062	2007
Islay Disabled Endeavours and Action	Community Dial-a-Bus	£77,914	2007
Kinross Volunteer Group and Rural Outreach	Community Car Scheme	£3,890	2009
Lochaber Community Care Forum	Community Car Scheme	£24,830	2009
Lochaber Transport Forum	Transport Co-ordination Project	£23,426	2009
Lochgoil Community Trust	Community Minibus Project	£31,901	2009
Lochleven Community Minibus Association	Community Group Minibus Hire	£6,023	2007
Lothian Community Transport Services	Community Minibus Transport Service	£28,953	2007
Mallaig and District Community Transport Association	Community Minibus Project	£63,860	2009
Mearns Area Project	Community Minibus Project	£58,882	2009
Mid Deeside Ltd	Community Minibus Transport Service	£96,253	2009
Nairn Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£16,015	2008
North Lochs Community Association	Community Minibus Group Hire and Dial-a-Ride	£5,036	2008
North West Community Bus Association	Community Minibus Transport Service	£16,168	2009
Orkney Disability Forum	Community Dial-a-Bus Services	£55,434	2009
Papay Development Trust	Community Ferry Service	£3,120	2007
Perth and Kinross Community Transport Group	Development Co-ordinator/Training and IT Initiatives	£23,000	2007
Point Community Transport Group	Community Group Minibus Hire	£1,649	2007
Roxburgh Assoc. of Voluntary Service	Community Minibus / Car Sharing Scheme	£15,216	2008
Scottish Borders Rural Partnership	Transport Development project	£13,220	2008
Shawbost Community Council	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£18,363	2009
Silver Circle for the Elderly	Community Minibus Transport and Car Scheme	£12,760	2009
Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations	Community Minibus Transport Service	£11,657	2008
Sound of Mull Transport Group	Community Ferry Service	£43,634	2009
South Machars Community Transport	Community Minibus Transport Service	£18,283	2009
South West Ross Community Car Scheme	Community Car Scheme	£15,348	2009
Stepping Stones for Families	Access to Work and Training Taxi Hire Service	£47,025	2007
Strathearn Community Care Association (Strathcare)	Community Minibus Transport Service	£3,392	2009
Strathnairn Community Transport Association	Community Car Scheme	£11,940	2007
Tagsa Uibhist	Community Dial-a-Ride Services and	£118,806	2009
Tagsa Uibhist	Community Car Scheme	£11,971	2007
Tweeddale Association of Voluntary Organisations	Community Minibus Transport Service	£2,939	2008
Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay	Community Minibus Transport Service	£46,500	2009
Voluntary Action Lewis	Community Car Scheme	£3,052	2007
Voluntary Action Lewis	Community Mini-Bus Transport Service	£14,931	2008
Western Isles Disability Sport	Community Dial-a-Bus/Group Hire	£17,655	2007
Westray Development Trust	Local Operator Minibus Hire	£2,827	2008
Wick and East Caithness	Group Minibus Hire	£3,402	2008
Wigtownshire Transport Co-ordination Project	Community Car Scheme	£26,726	2009
WRVS (Borders)	Community Car Scheme	£28,301	2009
WRVS (Clydesdale)	Community Car Scheme	£49,842	2007
WRVS (East Lothian)	Community Car Scheme	£23,422	2007
WRVS (East Neuk of Fife)	Community Car Scheme	45,501	2009
WRVS (Ellon)	Community Car Scheme	£59,254	2007
WRVS (Shetland)	Community Car Scheme	£16,085	2007
WRVS (Stewartry)	Community Car Scheme	£27,181	2008
WRVS (Stirling)	Community Car Scheme	£28,989	2007

Question reference: S2W-25048

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23411 by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006, whether it will now hold discussions with NHS boards regarding extending the nationwide concessionary fare scheme to community transport schemes utilised by hospitals.

The Scotland-wide Free Bus Schemefor Older and Disabled People fully meets our commitment to extend concessionarytravel for people in the groups concerned. It is a major achievement under which over a million older anddisabled people can travel free on buses throughout Scotland at anytime of day. The first two years of operation will be critical in building up theevidence base for future analysis of the scheme. We will be happy to use this evidenceto look at where issues emerge and review the scheme in light of our experience.Meantime, we have no current plans to extend the scheme and therefore no plans to hold discussions with NHS boards.

Question reference: S2W-25006

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scottish Enterprise’s reported overspend of £30 million in 2005-06, what economic development projects in the Scottish Borders the Executive would wish to see continued.

Question reference: S2W-24797

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it offers to the British armed forces in respect of recruitment in Scotland.

Chamber and committees