Adam Ingram: Does the cabinet secretary agree?
Adam Ingram: I am pleased to participate in this debate, although other members have already covered much of what I might have wanted to say. That said, it is appropriate to bring to the Parliament the perspective of one of my constituents, Gerry Frew from Lendalfoot. Gerry wrote to me shortly after the election as follows: “Please let me advise you of my current problem with broadband connections. I...
Adam Ingram: 7. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to enhance the role of local people in agreeing sites for wind turbines when these are to be located close to their communities. (S4O-00058)
Adam Ingram: In the context of local engagement, would it not be helpful to clarify further the guidelines on where wind farms should be sited, how cumulative impact should be addressed and what contribution each area of the country is expected to make to a national target for onshore wind power?
Adam Ingram: 3. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on improvements to the A77 south of Ayr since 1999, how much it plans to spend in the future and what it considers the economic benefits of such expenditure to be. (S4O-00024)
Adam Ingram: I thank the minister for that detailed answer. Earlier this week, during his visit to Maybole, the First Minister expressed his support for a bypass for the town and suggested that acquiring additional borrowing powers from Westminister could provide a potential solution to a current funding problem. Will the minister agree to review the priority status of the bypass project, the need for...
Adam Ingram: I, too, welcome the minister to her new post. The minister will be aware that there is significant wind farm activity in the south Carrick area of my constituency. There has also been a surge in applications for single turbines—so much so that cumulative impact is coming to the fore as a live issue. Guidelines on cumulative impact are not hard and fast. Will the minister consider...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to develop a specific play and communication strategy but addresses the benefits of using play to develop language and learning outcomes for children through the Early Years Framework and Curriculum for Excellence.
Adam Ingram: Under the relevant legislation, the responsibility for the provision of free school meals and school clothing grants rests with the education authorities. The decision was taken to publish the short-life working group’s report on 24 January 2011 to allow them to take its recommendations into account when preparing their budgets for 2011-12. In making decisions about free school meals and...
Adam Ingram: As the legislative requirement to provide free school meals and school clothing grants rests with education authorities, it is for them to take decisions based on the report Review of identification and registration of those eligible for free school meals, and school clothing grant provision across Scotland taking account of individual local need and budget priorities. We have noted the...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government seeks to ensure access to high quality, affordable childcare services which match children's needs and parents working patterns. In Scotland, local authorities take the lead, in conjunction with their local partners, in planning and supporting childcare in their local areas.
Adam Ingram: Information on the number of available childcare places is not collected centrally. Information on the number of registrations in childcare centres is available from the Scottish Government’s Pre-School and Childcare Census 2010. Table 9 shows the number of registrations, by age, in all childcare centres for the years January 2008, 2009 and 2010, and is available at:...
Adam Ingram: There is no national strategy for equal access to counselling in schools as there is already a comprehensive framework in place to make sure learners with additional support needs including social, emotional or mental health needs, short or long-term, access appropriate support in partnership with relevant agencies, under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended....
Adam Ingram: It is for local authorities and NHS boards to determine and design services in response to local priorities and clinical need. Under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended, education authorities are required to identify, meet and keep under review additional support needs of all children for whose education they are responsible, including those with social,...
Adam Ingram: Under Curriculum for Excellence, every learner is entitled to support, from universal support which starts with ethos, climate and relationships within a learning environment which is inclusive and fair, to targeted support. Support and health and wellbeing are responsibilities for all staff. All learners should have frequent and regular opportunities to discuss learning with a key adult who...
Adam Ingram: Nurturing approaches in schools and pre-school establishments are a practical example of early intervention under the early years framework and curriculum for excellence, to enable children and young people who have not experienced consistent parenting and secure attachments to improve social and emotional development, attainment and communication skills so that they are ready to learn. The...
Adam Ingram: I have a long-standing commitment to the promotion of nurture groups. I first raised the subject in my previous life, as convener of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on mental health, back in 2003, and I spent a lot of the previous session of Parliament lobbying Peter Peacock on the benefits of nurture groups, so I am certainly interested in ensuring that children who require...
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Child Law Centre supports children and families in Scotland through the provision of free, expert legal advice. Children and young people can seek advice through the centre’s free-phone line, email and text services. In 2010-11, the Scottish Government provided funding totalling more than £95,000 through the Unified Voluntary Sector Fund to support the centre’s work. We are...
Adam Ingram: There is no single definition of what constitutes "good development at age five" and several possible measures may be used as indicators. This information is not therefore held centrally. Local delivery agencies may choose to collect a range of information to report on "good development" in their single outcome agreements.
Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government does not hold records of the number of Sure Start centres in Scotland and no longer promotes the Sure Start programme in Scotland as a self-standing programme.
