- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23840 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 April 2002, how many training places there are for clinical psychologists.
Answer
As at 1 October 2003, therewere 65 trainee clinical psychologists in first year, 36 trainee clinical psychologistsin second year and 32 trainee clinical psychologists in third year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2500 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 September 2003, what the amount of exceptional additional funding for a joint police station and courthouse at Rosetta Road, Peebles, would have been.
Answer
The Scottish Borders Council requested additional capital consent of £710,600 for a co-located district court, police station and council offices at Rosetta Road, Peebles.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to alleviate the impact of congestion charges in Edinburgh, when introduced, on commuters from the Borders and Midlothian until the Borders railway is in operation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive sets out the framework within which a local authority that wishes toimplement a road user charging scheme must operate. It is for local authoritiesto decide whether or not they wish to implement such a scheme.
A local authority will haveto ensure that a range of public transport improvements are in place beforecharging is introduced, with further improvements to follow.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts will be made to include the option of twin tracks for the Borders rail route so that full advantage can be taken within the Borders and Midlothian of the new economic opportunities opened as a result of the route's reinstatement.
Answer
The specification of therailway is a matter for the Waverley Railway Partnership to propose in theirbusiness case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 14 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that all children in foster care are guaranteed information relating to a proposed foster placement and that no such placement will be made without a pre-placement visit.
Answer
Volume 2 of the Children (Scotland)Act 1995 Regulations and Guidance sets out the preparation that should beundertaken by local authorities with a child prior to any foster placement. Theguidance makes clear that the child’s views must be taken into account whenconsidering a foster care placement and that methods to prepare children forplacement should be suited to their age or development.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 14 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce guidance to ensure (a) that foster placements are not made in locations too remote from family members and (b) access between fostered children and their families and that such access is of sufficient frequency to allow family links to be maintained.
Answer
Volume 2 of the Children (Scotland)Act 1995 Regulations and Guidance already provides guidance on these matters. Itmakes clear that reasonable proximity to the child’s birth family, or at leastconvenient public transport services, are desirable in placement where contactwith the child’s family is part of the care plan. The foster carers should beable to accommodate contact at the frequency the child needs, make birth familymembers welcome and help them feel relaxed with their child. Where a fosterhome is not within easy travelling distance, the social worker may need toorganise transport so that contact is not reduced by factors outside the birthfamily’s control.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 14 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to encourage local authorities to provide forums in which young people in foster care can meet to discuss their problems and socialise.
Answer
The Fostering Network runs aYoung People’s Project which brings young people in foster care together toshare their experiences.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 14 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to improve the public image of children and young people in foster care to reduce any perceived stigma attached to them, encourage inclusiveness and highlight the value to the community of fostering.
Answer
The Fostering Network undertakesan annual Foster Care Fortnight campaign to raise awareness of the role of fostercare and its importance to vulnerable children and young people.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 14 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are in foster care, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The number of children looked after in foster care on 31 March 2002 is in the following table.
| Local Authority Area | Children Looked After in Foster Care |
| Aberdeen City | 130* |
| Aberdeenshire | 115 |
| Angus | 85 |
| Argyll and Bute | 30 |
| Clackmannanshire | 35 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 125 |
| Dundee City | 120 |
| East Ayrshire | 65 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 15 |
| East Lothian | 75 |
| East Renfrewshire | 10 |
| Edinburgh - City of | 320 |
| Eilean Siar | 5 |
| Falkirk | 85 |
| Fife | 185 |
| Glasgow City | 715 |
| Highland | 105 |
| Inverclyde | 25 |
| Midlothian | 45 |
| Moray | 55* |
| North Ayrshire | 55 |
| North Lanarkshire | 140 |
| Orkney Islands | 10 |
| Perth and Kinross | 65 |
| Renfrewshire | 85 |
| Scottish Borders | 80 |
| Shetland Islands | 15 |
| South Ayrshire | 50 |
| South Lanarkshire | 75 |
| Stirling | 55 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 70 |
| West Lothian | 120 |
| Scotland | 3,170 |
Note:
Cells marked with anasterisk are where estimates have been made, figures rounded to the nearest fiveto preserve confidentiality.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 9 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive which ScotRail routes would have passed the business case test to be applied to the proposed Waverley railway line.
Answer
In most cases investment in theScotRail routes was made many decades ago. It is not possible to determine how suchinvestments would perform under current appraisal techniques. All new proposalsfor rail investment in Scotland are appraised under the Scottish Transport AppraisalGuidance.
