- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the target timescale is for completion of an appeal regarding a Record of Needs.
Answer
There is no target timescale in legislation for completion of Record of Needs appeals referred to Scottish ministers. The time taken to complete individual cases can vary depending on a variety of factors.
The Record of Needs process, including the appeal system, is currently under review and it is expected that outline proposals for change will be published by the end of the year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals have been received regarding Records of Needs in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000 to date.
Answer
The Scottish Executive received 24 appeals in 1998-99, 32 appeals in 1999-2000, 31 appeals in 2000-01 and has received 22 to date in 2001-02.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken to finalise appeals regarding Records of Needs has been for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000 to date.
Answer
The average times are 66 weeks in 1998-99, 74 weeks in 1999-2000 and 39 weeks in 2000-01 for the 13 completed so far. No appeals received in 2001-02 have yet reached decision. The number of appeals received in each year is 24, 32, 31 and 22 to date, respectively.
The process is time consuming and the length of individual cases can be influenced by a variety of factors. Appeals go through the following stages:
checking validity of appeal and gathering relevant documentation from all parties concerned, including, in certain cases, parents' reasons for appealing, and often allowing time for the submission of independent assessments;
assigning appeal to an adviser to the Scottish ministers;
scheduling investigations, usually involving observation of the child in school and meetings with the parents and relevant professionals;
production of a detailed report on the case;
circulation of the report and a period of consultation on it for both parties;
collation of all comments on the report, and
a decision made on the basis of all information available including the report and comments made on it.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17668 and S1W-17536 on 28 August 2001 by Mr Jim Wallace, why these questions on HM Prison Kilmarnock were referred for answer by Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, when the Scottish Prison Service does not hold information on this prison; whether the Executive holds such information and, if it does not, whether it will obtain such information from Premier Prison Services in order that it is in the public domain.
Answer
Paragraph 4.40 of the Framework Document governing the relationship between ministers and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), provides for parliamentary questions related to matters delegated to the SPS to be referred to the Chief Executive for a response.
The SPS, as the customer of the services provided by the contractor, Premier Prison Services, seeks such information as is appropriate for monitoring the output performance of the contract. This does not include the sort of input information sought which is solely a matter for the contractor.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many questions to the Minister for Justice have been passed to Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), for answer.
Answer
This information is provided in the SPS Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 7929). It is also available on the SPS website.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has put in place any new environmental strategies designed to help local authorities in relation to the recycling of waste paper and cardboard, given the current situation in the waste paper and cardboard recycling market.
Answer
The Scottish Executive supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme which is a major programme (with over £40 million public funding) for England, Wales and Scotland aimed at creating and developing stable and efficient markets for recycled materials. One of its seven work programmes, launched in June 2001, is focused on developing the market for paper. This work aims to benefit local authority paper recycling schemes across the UK.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in response to the letter of 10 August 2001 from the Director of Transport and Environmental Standards of Scottish Borders Council asking it to make representations to Her Majesty's Treasury regarding an exemption from the landfill tax for the council in respect of waste paper and cardboard, given the potential implications of the tax for the council's budget in the context of the current situation in the waste paper and cardboard recycling markets.
Answer
I replied to the letter from Scottish Borders Council on 5 September 2001 advising that the Scottish Executive would not be prepared to make representations to Her Majesty's Treasury on its behalf as requested.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Borders residents formerly employed at Viasystems' Scottish Borders plants will be made redundant in the event of Viasystems' North Tyneside plant closing.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not have access to individual firms' employee residence data. However, I understand that Scottish Enterprise Borders estimates that around 12 such individuals may be made redundant.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1096 by Henry McLeish on 11 October 1999 and in the light of the recent announcement of redundancies at Viasystems' Tyneside plants and reports that it intends to close its UK operations, whether it plans to discuss issues relating to the award of regional selective assistance (RSA) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in particular the award of RSA to Viasystems' North Tyneside plant and any impact this had on Viasystems jobs in the Scottish Borders, and, if so, what concerns it will be conveying to the DTI.
Answer
The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry with regard to the administration of Regional Selective Assistance and where necessary, discusses individual cases which may impact on employment in different regions of the UK.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether cement kilns when combusting waste known as "recycled liquid fuel" emit up to ten times more dioxins than purpose-built incinerators.
Answer
There is no evidence to indicate that higher levels of dioxins are emitted when recycled liquid fuel is used to provide energy in cement kilns compared with emissions from purpose-built incinerators. The use of this type of fuel in cement kilns is treated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as a process of co-incineration falling within the scope of the EC Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. That directive requires a dioxin limit of 0.1 nanogrammes per cubic metre for hazardous waste incinerators. This is the same limit that SEPA applies to purpose-built incinerators.The recycling of waste products into fuels that are useable in processes such as cement production reduces the demand for raw materials and helps to conserve fossil fuel resources.
