- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive where the highest and lowest rates of house price inflation are.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not collect data on house price inflation, however, the following table gives information from the Lloyds-TSB
Scottish House Price Monitor on the year-on-year percentage increase in house prices, adjusted for the mix of properties sold, at 2002 Q4.
| Area | 2002 Q4 Year-on-Year Inflation (%) |
| Aberdeen | 20.7 |
| Dundee | 12.4 |
| Edinburgh | 32.9 |
| Glasgow | 24.5 |
| Central, Fife, Perth and Tayside (outside Dundee) | 15.4 |
| North (outside Aberdeen) | 8.0 |
| South East (outside Edinburgh) | 12.2 |
| South West (outside Glasgow) | 6.9 |
| Scotland | 13.0 |
There are a number of sources of information on trends in house prices in Scotland, including estimates for Scotland as a whole, compiled by the Council of Mortgage Lenders on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Lloyds-TSB analysis of its own lending for house purchase is the only source of information which currently provides estimates of price change for areas within Scotland adjusted for any changes from quarter to quarter in the mix of properties sold.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available, in full, the responses to the consultation process on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill to replace the present Record of Needs legislation.
Answer
All written responses to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill will be held in the Scottish Executive library. Unless individual respondees have indicated otherwise, responses will be available for public scrutiny.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to assist overseas people interested in conducting genealogical and historical research of their ancestors in Scotland.
Answer
Guidance for people interested in conducting genealogical and historical research about their ancestors in Scotland is provided on the website ancestralscotland.com, which has a link from the main visitscotland.com website. The websites of the General Register Office for Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland provide access to the main genealogical sources (gro-scotland.gov.uk and nas.gov.uk). These two departments and the Court of the Lord Lyon are working to integrate their services and provide a single authoritative genealogical portal.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy for attracting people from overseas to come to Scotland and carry out ancestral research; whether such people played any role in the formulation of this strategy, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
Ease of access to information to allow people from overseas to research their Scottish ancestry is part of VisitScotland's marketing strategy. This information is available through the website ancestralscotland.com, which also has a link from the main visitscotland.com website. VisitScotland carry out visitor surveys and research in this area to maximise the benefit to Scotland of ancestral tourism, and to assess its impact in overseas tourism markets.The Scottish Family History Service project will provide web access to the most important genealogical sources currently available through scotlandspeople.gov.uk and scottishdocuments.com.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum standards of warden cover for sheltered housing complexes it expects local authorities to provide; what system exists for ensuring that such minimum standards are observed; what legislation covers this matter, and how many local authorities are failing to provide such a minimum standard.
Answer
There are currently no minimum standards of warden cover for local authority housing complexes.However, such services which fall within the definition of "housing support services" in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 will be regulated by the Care Commission from 1 April 2003. The Commission regulates services by inspecting them against the associated subordinate legislation and the relevant National Care Standards. From 1 April 2003, legislation will require that providers of housing support services ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent persons are working in the care service in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of the service users, having regard to the size and nature of the services, the statement of aims and objectives and the number and needs of service users. The relevant National Care Standards reinforce this by stating that it is for the Commission and the provider to agree staffing levels. Existing housing support services will be deemed to be registered with the Care Commission from 1 April and required to submit an application for registration by 1 October 2003.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors were employed in the North Ayrshire local authority area in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000, (e) 2000-01 and (f) 2001-02.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the time period required to photocopy certain archive material in genealogical and historical archive centres acts as a barrier to people from overseas researching their genealogical history.
Answer
I have asked Mr George MacKenzie, Keeper of the Records of Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:The National Archives of Scotland provides over 40,000 photocopy pages per year for genealogical and historical researchers from unique and often fragile documents. In order to minimise the risk of damage, careful handling procedures are followed and specialised equipment is used. We have no evidence that the time this takes acts as a barrier to overseas researchers.Digital images of the most popular documents, wills from 1500 to 1901, are available to view and to purchase on the ScottishDocuments website at
http://www.scottishdocuments.com.The Executive cannot respond in relation to local, private or other archives which are outwith its responsibility.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether post-1700 archive records pertaining to Jacobite trials, executions and imprisonment are held in any genealogical and historical archive centres and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
I have asked Mr George MacKenzie, Keeper of the Records of Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:Following the '15 and '45 risings, a deliberate decision was taken to try Jacobite prisoners outwith Scotland. Consequently, the bulk of trial documents are held at the Public Record Office in London.Comprehensive information on Jacobite sources in the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) are available in
A Jacobite Source List (ISBN 1 870874 20 X) which can be obtained via the NAS website
www.nas.gov.uk.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed local authority one-stop shops for ancestral research will provide the detailed local information needed for researchers to visit the actual historical sites of their ancestors.
Answer
The nature of the information resources and services to be offered by the local authority one-stop shops proposed as part of the Scottish Family History Service project will be a matter for individual local authorities to determine. Consultation is on-going with local authorities and other interested bodies as to the structure and contents of local centres.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy for attracting overseas visitors to come to Scotland to carry out genealogical and historical research of clan ancestry; whether clan ancestral research has a role to play in the tourism industry, and whether there is a need for more centres for genealogical and historical research in the Highlands.
Answer
Stimulating an interest in genealogy on the part of potential overseas visitors with ancestors among the Scottish clans is part of VisitScotland's marketing strategy, using the internet. Information on genealogical research can be found on the tourism website scotexchange.net, while those interested in their ancestry can use the ancestralscotland.com website to find out more. VisitScotland is considering whether the clans could be given more prominence on this website, and encourages other organisations with genealogy information to link with it. In addition, the Scottish Family History Service project will provide web access to the most important genealogical sources currently available through scotlandspeople.gov.uk and scottishdocuments.com.
