Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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: S3W-37529

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has evidence on the impact of a higher-level qualification in information technology or a related topic on school leavers’ career choices

Question reference: S3W-37532

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to public bodies on the use of information technology to enhance public access and accountability on the part of (a) boards of management and (b) executive officers

Question reference: S3W-37534

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in ensuring that public bodies provide best value

Since April 2002, there has been a duty of best value on accountable officers to ensure arrangements are in place to secure best value. Compliance with the duty of Best Value is an auditable requirement for public bodies under section 22(1)(c) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. The organisation''s auditors will typically audit performance alongside its finances. Audit Scotland set out its approach in the leaflet Auditing Best Value in central government bodies which is available on the Audit Scotland website at:

http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/corp/2009/bv_audit_best_value_central_gov.pdf

Guidance about best value in public bodies was issued in 2003 and revised in 2006. In May 2009, Officials wrote to all chief executives of agencies, non-departmental public bodies, non-ministerial departments and public corporations reminding them of the specific duty on accountable officers to ensure that arrangements are in place to secure best value. A small reference group, the Best Value Reference Group, was also formed.

The Best Value Reference Group is currently refreshing the guidance on the duty of best value for public bodies. The group also worked closely with Audit Scotland on the development of its 18 best value toolkits. These toolkits are used by Audit Scotland auditors during the annual financial audit of a public body. The toolkits were published in August 2010 and are available on the Audit Scotland website at:

http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/work/toolkits/.

Question reference: S3W-37541

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what activities undertaken by pupils outwith the school setting it classifies as contributing to the delivery of two hours of physical education per week

Question reference: S3W-37542

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports schools to enable pupils to move on from physical exercise to participation in sport

Question reference: S3W-37543

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures whether there have been changes in the number of pupils participating in sport at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools

Question reference: S3W-37539

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures whether there has been progress in increasing the number of schools offering two hours of physical education per week for each pupil

Question reference: S3W-37540

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in providing pupils with access to two hours of physical education per week

Question reference: S3W-36011

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when is the estimated date for completion of the final account for the construction of the Floak to Fenwick extension of the M77, including settlement of all associated compulsory purchases of land.

Question reference: S3W-36010

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many compulsory purchases of land to enable the construction of the Floak to Fenwick extension of the M77 were (a) required, (b) outstanding at the date of completion of the works and (c) still outstanding on 1 August 2010.

(a) The compulsory purchase order linked to the M77 Fenwick to Floak special roads scheme required various plots of land from 34 landowners in order to build the scheme.

(b) At the date of completion of the works, final settlement of land compensation payments was still to be reached with all 34 affected parties