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: S2W-21503

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 22 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases Scottish police forces have investigated this year based on intelligence rather than evidence that a criminal act has occurred.

Question reference: S2W-21498

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it plans to commission to examine why the trends in income poverty among disabled people appear to be rising.

At present we have no plans tocommission research on the specific topic identified in the question. We do of courseclosely monitor research on poverty and disability undertaken in the wider researchcommunity, and the statistical trends relating to low income households in relevantgovernment surveys such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Family ResourcesSurvey (FRS) (formerly the Family Expenditure Survey).

Question reference: S2W-21504

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 22 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20911 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 December 2005 and in light of reports alleging the use of Scottish airports for CIA rendition flights, whether local police forces only require reasonable suspicion, rather than hard evidence, to investigate whether a criminal act has occurred.

Question reference: S2W-21196

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Labour MPs in respect of future funding for Positive Action in Housing.

Question reference: S2W-21497

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to eradicate income poverty amongst working age disabled adults.

We are committed to tackling poverty and disadvantage among all groups and communities within Scotland.

Through our Closing the Opportunity Gap approach we aim to: prevent individuals and families from falling into poverty; provide routes out of poverty for individuals and families, and to sustain individuals and families in a lifestyle free from poverty.

Central to our approach is a belief that work is the best route out of poverty for those who are able. The answer to the member’s question S2W-21496 on 20 December 2005, provides further details of how we aim to increase the numbers of disadvantaged people in sustained work, including disabled people, through our forthcoming employability framework.

We are also working closely with the UK Government to ensure that we continue to tackle poverty amongst those who are unable to work.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-21495

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to end discrimination against disabled people in Scotland who experience income poverty.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which is reserved to Westminster, protects disabled people from discrimination in employment, access to goods, facilities and services, the buying, renting or selling of land or property and education.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) was established by the Westminster Government to work to eliminate discrimination against disabled people, to promote equal opportunities for disabled people, to encourage good practice in the treatment of disabled people and to advise the Government on the working of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The DRC in Scotland is working with employers and service providers to raise awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act and promote disabled people’s rights.

Under the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2005, which came into force on 5 December 2005, the Scottish Executive and key public sector organisations are required to be proactive in eliminating unlawful discrimination against disabled people. Under the regulations, listed authorities must state how they will assess the impact of their policies and practices, or the likely impact of proposed policies and practices, on equality for disabled people. They must take steps to gather information on the effect of their policies and practices on disabled people including on the recruitment, development and retention of disabled employees. Listed educational bodies must gather information on the educational opportunities available to, and on the achievements of, disabled pupils and students. Authorities are then required to say how they will use the information they have gathered in order to further promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.

As a result of these regulations we expect to see year on year improvement in the position of disabled people in Scottish society, including improvements in educational attainment and participation in the labour market.

The answers to the member’s questions S2W-21496 and S2W-21497 on 21 December 2005, provide further details of how the Scottish Executive aims to tackle income poverty. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-21496

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 21 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the findings of Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2005 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, it is satisfied with the numbers of working age people, including disabled or lone parents and not officially registered as unemployed, who are unable to secure work in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive works with the UK Government to help more economically inactive people to take up job opportunities. Under Closing the Opportunity Gap we are setting a target to reduce the number of workless people, including the economically inactive, in seven key local authority areas. We will publish early next year an Employability Framework for Scotland to support people who want to work into sustained employment.

Question reference: S2W-21499

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve dental health care among children aged around five years, in light of the findings of Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2005 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which stated that Glasgow had the worst dental decay among five-year-olds in the country.

In 2004, surveys recorded the best ever oral health for five-year-olds in Scotland. Glasgow also recorded the best oral health ever for five-year-olds in 2004. Oral health is improving; the report from the Joseph Rowntree organisation, however, confirms the need for us to continue with and to expand our present initiatives.

The Scottish Executive in addition to on-going initiatives has pledged £4 million, £10 million and £15 million over the next three years for oral health improvement and comprehensive dental care of children. The combined programmes of health boards, nationally funded initiatives and new payments for prevention for local dental practitioners will make a significant impact on oral health between now and the end of the decade, with continued improvement expected over the next five years.

Question reference: S2W-21501

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the legal advice it has obtained in respect of the use of Scottish airports for CIA rendition flights.

Question reference: S2W-21502

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 December 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20911 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 December 2005, how Scottish ministers distinguish between passengers and prisoners.