Section E – Written questions lodged on 16 December 2011
Questions marked with a triangle (Δ) are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.
Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an "R".
S4W-04630 Tavish Scott: To ask the Scottish Executive what action the NHS takes to ensure that there is sufficient support to facilitate home births for all who want them.
S4W-04632 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that there is sufficient consumer choice available for those who have to pay a professional fee in order to obtain a qualification as a swimming teacher.
S4W-04633 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive what the qualification criteria are for applying for a swimming coaching licence and when the licensing scheme will be fully operational.
S4W-04634 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive whether UK coaching certificate qualifications will be the basis for swimming licences.
S4W-04635 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the maintenance and refit of the MV (a) Ali Cat and (b) Argyll Flyer since they were purchased and how these costs were met.
S4W-04636 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of timetabled sailings have been cancelled on the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service since July 2011 and how many of these were treated as relief events in terms of the public service obligation between Argyll Ferries Ltd and the Scottish Government.
S4W-04637 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been set aside by (a) it, (b) David MacBrayne Ltd and (c) Argyll Ferries Ltd to purchase or charter new vessels.
S4W-04638 Margaret Mitchell: To ask the Scottish Executive how it calculated the extra £493.5 million income from non-domestic rates over the spending review period.
S4W-04639 Margaret Mitchell: To ask the Scottish Executive how it has set the non-domestic rates targets in relation to the business rates incentivisation scheme, broken down by local authority.
S4W-04640Δ Humza Yousaf: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has come to a decision regarding the service change proposals submitted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for approval that older people’s inpatient rehabilitation beds be transferred from Lightburn Hospital to Stobhill Hospital, that day hospital and outpatient services be transferred to Glasgow Royal Infirmary and that Lightburn Hospital be closed.
S4W-04641 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00416 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2011, when it will publish the initial report that the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy has received.
S4W-04642 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00416 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2011, what further information was requested by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy following receipt of the initial report.
S4W-04644 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00484 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 December 2011 (Official Report, c. 3327), what its response is to the further report received by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy.
S4W-04645 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to resolve the dispute between the Educational Institute of Scotland and Carnegie College in light of any possible short-term impact that this might have on the prison education service.
S4W-04646 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposal by Carnegie College to replace qualified lecturing staff with non-qualified staff for the delivery of prison education.
S4W-04647 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the possibility that the prison education service provided in the west and east of the country might differ if Motherwell College continues to provide a service using fully qualified lecturing staff but Carnegie College does not.
S4W-04648 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on reports that the Scottish Prison Service did not allow Carnegie College to engage in discussion or consultation with the college’s staff during the bidding process for the provision of the prison education service and that, as a result of this, the staff were unaware of any possible threat to their positions until after the contract had been signed.
S4W-04656 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to distribute the £9 million fund aimed at tackling sectarianism that it announced on 23 November 2011.
S4W-04657 James Kelly: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of the Football Co-ordination Unit for Scotland will be met from the fund to tackle sectarianism that it announced on 23 November 2011.