- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the age and stage guidelines and regulations in place in the Scottish Qualifications Authority in the light of matches in syllabus content for Higher Still, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 examinations.
Answer
While the number of requests for exemptions from the age and stage regulations being received by the Scottish Qualifications Authority has increased this year, the overall number of requests is still fairly low. However, I will now consider whether a further review of these regulations is necessary.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to local authorities with regard to placing of local authority monies on the money markets.
Answer
The Scottish Executive currently issues no guidelines to local authorities on this issue. Local authorities are constrained by the Trustees Investment Act 1961 and are expected to have regard to the CIPFA Code of Treasury Management.The Scottish Executive intends to use the forthcoming Scottish Local Government Bill to introduce a regulatory framework, which will enable local authorities to make a wider range of investments without increasing their risk exposure.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 19 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many investigations ordered by procurators fiscal into the owners of listed buildings are currently under way with regard to insurance fraud, any breach of planning laws, malicious damage or actions contrary to the listed status of their building and whether any of these also involved any investigation into any malicious complaints to the police, attempts to exert improper influence over any police investigations and police officers or a waste of police time.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 19 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what properties presently on, or being considered for inclusion in, its Buildings at Risk register being compiled by the Scottish Civic Trust, have in the last five years been the subject of reports to a procurator fiscal or investigatory actions ordered by a procurator fiscal with regard to insurance fraud, any breach of planning laws, malicious damage, actions contrary to the listed status of the building or any other possible illegal actions by their owners in connection with the property.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 19 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many owners of listed buildings have been prosecuted in each of the last five years for insurance fraud, any breach of planning laws, malicious damage or actions contrary to the listed status of their building; what the outcome was of each prosecution and what properties were involved.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 15 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown will continue to rely on the expert testimony of the four Scottish Criminal Record Office fingerprint experts directly involved in the McKie and Asbury cases or whether any conditions have been placed upon the evaluation of such testimony.
Answer
The Crown's position in relation to this matter is still under consideration and the matter is being discussed with the Scottish Criminal Record Office.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated budget is for the Scottish Qualifications Authority for (a) the current financial year, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05.
Answer
The Scottish Qualifications Authority's (SQA) budgeted expenditure in the current financial year is estimated at £41.5 million. The SQA's budget for future years is currently under discussion.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Higher Still programme has cost the Scottish Qualifications Authority in each year since the programme began (a) in total, (b) per candidate, (c) per subject and (d) per candidate in each subject area.
Answer
This is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and the information requested is not held centrally. However, I have asked the Chair of the SQA to write to you.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what fee income the Scottish Qualifications Authority has received in respect of the Higher Still programme (a) in total, (b) in each local authority area and (c) on average (i) per subject and (ii) per candidate.
Answer
This is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority and information about fee income is not held centrally. However, I have asked the Chair to write to you.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how effective it is for an issue to be included within the national priorities in education, given the view expressed in paragraph 23 of its Policy Memorandum on the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Records) (Scotland) Bill that the inclusion of accessibility strategies in these priorities "would carry little weight".
Answer
The National Priorities in Education define the key outcomes we want from school education. The inclusion of any issue in the National Priorities requires ministers, local authorities and schools to address it in planning and delivering school education.The focus on outcomes in the Improvement Framework, under the National Priorities, is intended to give authorities and schools considerable flexibility to determine locally how these outcomes are secured. The Policy Memorandum to the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Records) (Scotland) Bill makes clear that to support the duties introduced in Part IV of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, requires specific legislative provisions, which could not be secured through the inclusion of a single indicator in the performance measurement framework, under the National Priorities. In addition, the provisions of the Bill require to apply to all schools in the public and private sectors. The Improvement Framework applies only to publicly-funded schools. The memorandum in no way questions the value of the priorities in setting the agenda for improvement in Scottish education.
