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-18793

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 13 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met chairpersons of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) minister and (b) NDPB.

Question reference: S2W-18801

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its officials have travelled abroad on official business in each year since 1999 and how many times did these officials travel.

Question reference: S2W-18349

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since the introduction of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to ensure that the activities of private security firms in Scotland are open to public scrutiny.

The Private Security Industry Act 2001 will be amended to extend the remit of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to Scotland. Work is under way to prepare for the introduction of licensing in Scotland and it is expected that the first licences will be issued in early 2007.

The intent of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 is to protect and reassure the public by preventing unsuitable people obtaining positions of trust in the private security industry and to raise the standards of the industry itself. The SIA will exercise this oversight over the industry. Companies will be able to apply for Approved Contractor Status which will demonstrate to the public that the company as a whole has met standards laid down by the SIA for the running of the company.

Question reference: S2W-18351

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since the introduction of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to implement the regulation of private security firms in Scotland.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 contains provisions which, when commenced, will amend the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to extend the remit of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to include Scotland. It is our intention to commence these provisions in early 2006 with a view to switching on licensable sectors within the Private Security Industry in Scotland in early 2007. All orders and regulations will be laid by Scottish ministers before the Scottish Parliament.

Considerable work is already underway in the Scottish Executive and at the SIA to put in place arrangements to introduce licensing. This includes setting up training courses for each sector, liaison with stakeholders and the preparation of regulatory impact assessments for each sector.

Question reference: S2W-18350

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since the introduction of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to ensure that private security firms in Scotland cannot be used as a cover for criminal activity.

Once licensing under thePrivate Security Industry Act 2001 is introduced, all persons working withinthe private security industry, whether in the frontline delivery of securityservices, or in the management of companies delivering these services, willrequire to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). This willinclude a check on the applicant’s identity, criminal record and competence. Alicence will not be granted if the SIA’s criteria are not met.

It will be a criminaloffence to operate without a licence or to employ someone who does not hold thecorrect SIA licence.

Question reference: S2W-18300

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the crime figures were in each police force area in each month since July 2004 (a) in total and (b) broken down into (i) crimes of violence, (ii) crimes involving the use of a knife, (iii) drunk and disorderly behaviour, (iv) breach of the peace, (v) racially-motivated crimes and (vi) crimes of religious/sectarian violence.

Question reference: S2W-18299

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of police hours worked in each police force area in each month since July 2004.

Question reference: S2W-17750

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings its officials have had with the Inter-American Development Bank.

Question reference: S2W-17751

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose was of any meetings its officials have had with the Inter-American Development Bank.

Question reference: S2W-17726

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to promote the issue of pregnancy discrimination among employers, with a view to ending such discrimination.

At an Equal OpportunitiesCommission (EOC) Scotland event on 22 June 2005,the Minister for Communities welcomed the EOC’s research into pregnancydiscrimination in the workplace and the recommendations contained within theirreport, specifically a three-step action plan for the Scottish Executive.

We are liaising with ourcolleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry about their response to theEOC’s report at a UK level and with EOC Scotland and others about eradicatingthis discrimination and how to best engage with the business community in thistask.