Chamber and committees

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: S3W-09437

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of funding exist that enable teachers to undertake work exchange programmes abroad.

Both the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) and the British Council provide opportunities for teachers to undertake work exchange programmes in Commonwealth countries and in the USA respectively.

In addition, there are a wide of range of opportunities for teachers in Scotland to learn from practice in other counties funded by the Scottish Government. This includes the Scottish Continuing International Professional Development (SCIPD) programme administered by Learning and Teaching Scotland which provides opportunities for individual and group study visits for teachers to share experience and learn from practice in other countries. In addition, over the years 2005-06 to 2007-08, the British Council has supported head teacher visits to China; LECT and LINK Community Development have supported teacher visits to Malawi, and several other schemes administered by the British Council and the Developing Effective International Education Practice (DEIEP) consortium have provided further opportunities for teachers'' international study visits.

We are working in partnership with key stakeholders to increase the awareness of and to simplify the plethora of opportunities available to teachers and pupils to learn from an international experience. The main aim is to ensure young people grow up with a Scottish world view, and that they have a range of knowledge and skills with which to engage in today''s increasingly multicultural and globalised society, where young people travel widely for jobs and speak a variety of languages.

Question reference: S3W-09435

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the benefits are of the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers programme.

Grant funding totalling £215,000 has been made available over the two years of 2006-07 and 2007-08 to The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) to provide continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities for primary and secondary school teachers, through various exchange programmes and study visits. In addition, Learning and Teaching Scotland grant funded LECT £70,000 in 2006-07 to support educational activity in Malawi.

A Curriculum for Excellence provides the opportunity for an engaging, exciting and relevant education for every child and young person which helps to develop them as successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals. Teacher exchanges and study visits have a positive impact on learning and teaching in schools and provides an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their practice. This will also contribute to the National Outcome in the concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, that all young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

Question reference: S3W-09436

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding support it provided for the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers programme in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08.

Question reference: S3W-09634

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Communities and Sport last met Scottish Power and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S3W-09067

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conversation between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Minister for Environment regarding the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest was arranged by the minister’s private secretary.

Question reference: S3W-09043

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have met or had conversations with Mr Donald Macdonald since May 2007 and on what dates and at what locations.

The First Minister met Mr Donald Macdonald in Aviemore on 26 October 2007. Mr Macdonald welcomed Mr Salmond to the SNP Conference at the entrance to the conference. The meeting lasted a few seconds, was fully within public view and was filmed for television.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing met Mr Macdonald in St Andrew''s House in Edinburgh on 7 August 2007 to discuss Health Service related issues.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth had a brief informal conversation with Mr Macdonald during the SNP National Conference in Aviemore on 26 October 2007 during which Mr Macdonald mentioned that he had been involved in a meeting, earlier that day, with the local MSP and others in relation to the development proposals for the Aviemore resort.

The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism met Mr Macdonald in Edinburgh on 30 August 2007 to discuss the Government''s economic strategy and the tourism goal for 2015, and along, with the constituency MSP, at the SNP National Conference in Aviemore on 26 October 2007 to get an update on the Aviemore development from Macdonald Hotels, the local Chamber of Commerce, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture met Mr Macdonald, in his capacity as Chair of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh on 26 July 2007; in central Edinburgh on 2 September 2007, and at the City Halls, Glasgow on 5 October 2007.

The Minister for Community Safety, acting in his capacity as constituency MSP, met or had conversations with Mr Macdonald on a number of occasions since May 2007.

Question reference: S3W-09060

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have powers of direction over the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and, if so, whether these powers have ever been used and, in particular, in any planning matters.

Question reference: S3W-09062

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would be appropriate or normal for a minister to seek to instruct an independent non-departmental public body or other agency on the basis of a telephone call where the minister had neither sought nor received formal advice prior to making that call.

Question reference: S3W-09032

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Planner considered calling in the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest.

Question reference: S3W-09042

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executivewhether, during any discussions the First Minister has had with Mr Donald Macdonald, Mr Macdonald raised any concerns about the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with regard to the planning application in Aviemore in which he had an interest.