- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24478 by Cathy Jamieson on 13 April 2006, what the nature has been of “other enquiries”, rather than parliamentary questions, in respect of “extraordinary rendition”.
Answer
Such other enquiries as we havereceived have mainly taken the form of official or ministerial correspondence orenquiries from the media, whose handling has naturally involved some internal discussion.There have also been two enquiries under freedom of information legislation askingabout internal communications and correspondence relating to the topic of extraordinaryrendition.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24768 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 April 2006 and given that the way in which statements by politicians are reported is a matter for the media, whether it considers that the Sunday Mail coverage on 26 February 2006 of the Minister for Justice’s statement to the Labour Party’s Scottish conference regarding “extraordinary rendition” was misleading.
Answer
I have nothing to add to my answerto question S2W-24768 on 20 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24679 by Cathy Jamieson on 24 April 2006, why it has not stated whether or not it believes it to be in the public interest that a definitive view should be established in respect of the legality of the process of “extraordinary rendition” in both Scots law and international law.
Answer
There is nothing I can usefullyadd to my answer to question S2W-24679 on 24 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 9 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the planning application by Eden Waste Recycling Ltd for a landfill site in the Greengairs area.
Answer
A formal decision has not yetbeen issued. A completed Section 75 legal agreement was submitted to Scottish ministersfor consideration, but as there were a number of issues of concern regarding thedocument’s content and enforceability it has been returned to North LanarkshireCouncil for further consideration.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 9 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of a change of ownership of the site in the Greengairs area which is the subject of a planning application by Eden Waste Recycling Ltd for a landfill site.
Answer
The Executive is aware of reportsthat Eden Waste Recycling Ltd has sold its recycling business and associated assetsto Shanks, and is currently seeking further information from the parent Company,Murray International Holdings Ltd, about the status of the Dalmacoulter site.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the First Minister's commitment to establish an environmental justice fund for Greengairs.
Answer
In Choosing Our Future,the Scottish Sustainable Development Strategy published in December 2005, the Executivenoted that complex funding streams caused problems for those seeking to promotelocal environmental regeneration projects. The Executive is reviewing the rangeof funding available with a view to simplifying the range and scope as far aspossible. The aim is to ensure that funding is directed at projects in a waythat secures the most significant outcomes for Scotland’s most deprivedcommunities. The Environmental Justice Fund is one of those covered by thisreview.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to it and its agencies was of any ministers or officials attending the lecture given by Bill Clinton on 10 May 2006 at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.
Answer
The lecture on 10 May 2006 at theThistle Hotel in Glasgow was attended by ministers, officials and MSPs ofvarious political parties including the Convener of the European and ExternalRelations Committee.
The total cost to the ScottishExecutive was £38,258.80. This included:
£20,000 sponsorship from the Scottish Executive
£12,318.80 for the audio visualequipment and technical operators at the event and production of high qualityDVD for future use to promote Scotland.
£940 for international medialiaison.
£5,000 for a table of 10which comprised two officials, two business partners, and the headteacher and fiveyoung people from Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton.
The sponsorship securedclear identification, in all UK and international media, of Scotland as thelocation for this event, and promotion of the Scotland brand.
The purchase of the tablesuccessfully promoted the Determined to Succeed strategy to key audiences, bothon the day and subsequently through media coverage. The young people met withBill Clinton after his speech.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the sector skills councils operating in Scotland, also indicating those with headquarters in Scotland.
Answer
All Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)operate in Scotland as they have a UK wide remit to help reduce skills gaps and shortages,improve productivity and performance, increase opportunities in the workforceand improve learning supply. A full list of all 25 Sector Skills Councilscomplete with the addresses of their headquarters can be accessed through thefollowing web link:
http://www.ssda.org.uk/ssda/default.aspx?page=16.With one exception, no SSCis headquartered outside England. The exception is Skills for Care and Development which is organised differently.In Scotland, it operates as the Scottish SocialServices Council (SSSC) which was established under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and carries out a number of statutoryfunctions as well as being the SSC for that sector. It is based in Dundee.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23970 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, why it is not possible to establish the costs of these inquiries.
Answer
HMIC’s activity on theseinquiries was not separately identified within its total administrationcosts. The total costs for each of the other individual inquiries are not heldby the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Skills for Business review being undertaken by the Executive and the Sector Skills Development Agency.
Answer
We wrote to all ScottishStakeholders, the Chief Executives of the Sector Skills Councils and theirScottish Representatives in October 2005 to inform them of our intention tocarry out an Evaluation of the Skills for Business Network jointly with theSector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). In that letter we outlined the remitof the evaluation as being to identify:
Howwe can ensure that the Skills for Business network reaches its full potentialin Scotland? What obstacles, if any, currently prevent this fromoccurring? Could the different organisational structures and remits of Scottishpartners and/or the way in which the network has been established and operatesin Scotland hinder effective engagement? Is this having an effect on theability of the network to achieve its key objectives?
Whatshould the SSDA in Scotland and the Scottish Executive do in practice to bettersupport the network and ensure it contributes to ministers’ top priority ofgrowing the Scottish economy.
Howdifferent models of SSC structure work in Scotland and the pros and cons of these.
Practice on the ground –what works well and what doesn’t work well. More importantly, how can wedisseminate and encourage good practice across the network, how do we build onearly success and how do we ensure the network performs consistently well,across all SSCs.
