Ms Rosemary Byrne: As colleagues have done, I pay tribute to the hard work of members who are retiring. I ask members to forgive me for making special mention of Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, who made me very welcome and was extremely supportive when I joined the Education Committee. I thank him for his courtesy and for giving me the information that I needed to get me started so that I could survive and thrive...
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive how many postgraduate teacher training places are available for 2007-08 at each faculty of education.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate teacher training places are available for 2007-08 at each faculty of education.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to produce Know the Score: Anti-Heroin 2006-7 Campaign Evaluation.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of its anti-cocaine campaign.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the Know the Score anti-heroin campaign has been in 2006-7.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to harm reduction programmes in each year since 2003.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: Solidarity welcomes the encouragement of healthy eating and the introduction of the bill. However, like other members, we are disappointed at the bill's limitations. The extension of free school meals to all those who are in receipt of tax credits was denied for six years until Jack McConnell's announcement last Friday. That is, to say the least, blatant electioneering. We now hear that...
Ms Rosemary Byrne: Amendment 8 would ensure equality for all children and young people in our schools. Many schools in the most middle-class areas have breakfast clubs, but many schools in deprived areas do not. The bill will allow local authorities to decide where to have breakfast clubs, but I want all children to have access to a good, healthy breakfast at school if that is a requirement for their...
Ms Rosemary Byrne: The minister talked about improvements in Scottish education, but where is the equality of provision? In some schools, children are given breakfast and start their school day with an exercise programme; in other schools that does not happen. All the research proves that a good breakfast is one of the best ways of ensuring that children can concentrate in school and are open to learning....
Ms Rosemary Byrne: Does that mean that if there is a requirement from parents for a breakfast club providing free breakfasts at a school in any local authority area, they will get it?
Ms Rosemary Byrne: I am disappointed by the minister's response. I used the word "requirement" because a child who requires a healthy breakfast in school should be able to get one. Amendment 8 would ensure that no child goes without. Parents have a large say in whether a school has a breakfast club. I have visited breakfast clubs and am well aware that most were started as a result of requests from parents. The...
Ms Rosemary Byrne: My amendment 6 proposes universal provision of free, nutritious school meals. We support universal provision because, if we are to give children the chance to have nutritious school meals, we should ensure that all children get the chance to eat those meals. I begin by thanking the free school meals campaign. In particular, I acknowledge the work of the Child Poverty Action Group, One Plus,...
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reorganise Careers Scotland offices.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relocate Careers Scotland local offices.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to centralise Careers Scotland services.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce Careers Scotland outreach services.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what training is funded under the PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) initiative.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what training is available under the PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) initiative.
Ms Rosemary Byrne: To ask the Scottish Executive what time limits are placed on training offered under the PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) initiative.