- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Enterprise in respect of the rundown and subsequent expansion of its Strategic Procurement Hub.
Answer
This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Enterprise and as such there have been no discussions with theExecutive.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee.
Answer
Professor Wilson Sibbett willstep down as chair of the committee at the end of December. The Executive then plansto run the committee with the existing membership until at least 30 June 2007, underthe chairmanship of Professor Anne Glover, the Executive’s new Chief ScientificAdviser. During this time, Professor Glover will review with the committee how bestto ensure that the Executive is able to build on the work of its committee and enhanceits access to high quality independent advice on science. The Executive will alsobe inviting responses on this issue as part of its forthcoming consultation on scienceand innovation strategy.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what restrictions were placed on the chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee in respect of meeting the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and why any such restrictions were imposed.
Answer
The chair of this committee isnot a Scottish Executive official and so cannot represent the Executive in Governmentcommittee meetings convened by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. The Executivehas not attempted to restrict his meetings with the UK Government’s Chief ScientificAdviser and indeed understands that several such meetings have taken place.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when it announced the appointment of a new Chief Scientific Adviser.
Answer
The Scottish Executive announcedthe appointment of Professor Anne Glover as its new Chief Scientific Adviser on25 May 2006.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Minister for Education and Young People has had with the chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee since May 2003.
Answer
I have not met Professor Sibbett,the chair of this committee, but my officials met him on 22 October 2004 to discusshis committee’s report on science education and to explain in more detail our futureplans for review of the curriculum.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its plans for the future of the PFI/PPP project at West Lothian College, including details of any additional public expenditure committed.
Answer
Options for the future of thePFI arrangements at West Lothian College remain under consideration by the Scottish ministers.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 29 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been on operational duty in each (a) police force area, (b) police force division area, (c) police station, (d) local authority area and (e) Scottish Parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally. Responsibility for the operational deployment of police officersrests with individual Chief Constables. The dynamic nature of policing is such thatthe demands placed on resources, including individual officers, can change considerablyfrom day-to-day.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 29 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have been pursued by the Crown Office in each of the last 10 years on the basis of a single fingerprint being the only evidence on which it has sought a conviction.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26208 on 8 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.The information requested isnot available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from any source for the introduction of regular rail services between Lanark and Edinburgh.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has receivedthree representations in support of the introduction of regular rail services betweenLanark and Edinburgh.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 28 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Lord Advocate’s oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006 (Official Report, c. 3688), whether any corroborative evidence, in addition to a fingerprint, was in the possession of the Crown Office at the time the Lord Advocate took the decision to prosecute Shirley McKie for perjury and, if so, what the evidence was.
Answer
As I made clear in my evidenceto the Justice 1 Committee on 12 September 2006, I do not intend to discuss in detailthe evidence involved in the Shirley McKie investigation and trial, as Shirley McKiewas acquitted of the charge brought against her.
There was a sufficiency of evidenceupon which to raise criminal proceedings, and there remained a sufficiency of evidenceat the close of the Crown case – as a result of which the case went to the Juryfor their consideration.
