Annabel Goldie

27 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings the Minister for Justice had with Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd, the Scottish Courts Service, chief constables and the Scottish Prison Service to discuss the contract for escorting prisoners, prior to it coming into effect, detailed when the meetings took place and wh…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Minister for Justice didnot meet Reliance to discuss the prisoner escort and court custody contract, withor without other criminal just…

27 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners or suspects have escaped from police custody while being transported to and from court in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>

27 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners or suspects have escaped from Scottish Prison Service custody while being transported to and from court in each of the last five years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>One prisoner escaped in 2000-01and one in 2001-02.</p>

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an action plan to reduce the length of time elderly patients who are ready for discharge have to wait for a care home placement in the West of Scotland parliamentary region and, if so, what that action plan is.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Delayed Discharge ActionPlan, which applies to all of Scotland, was published in March 2002. It sets out a range ofmeasures to ensure timely, appropriate and safe transfer from hospital to the nextstage of care.</p>

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of stay is for elderly patients in continuing care beds in the West of Scotland parliamentary region.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The mean length of stay for elderlypatients discharged from long stay units for care of the elderly in the West ofScotland parliamentary region during the year ending 31 March 2003 was 221 days. Halfof these patients (i.e the median) were discharged in less t…

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the number of NHS continuing care beds for elderly people in the West of Scotland parliamentary region to increase or decrease in the next five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The relevant health boards advisethat they expect the number of NHS continuing care beds for the elderly to decreaseas the provision of alternatives increases.</p>

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the West of Scotland parliamentary region are aged (a) 60 to 69 and (b) 70 and over.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Results from the 2001 Census, published by the Registrar General on 25 March last year, show that for the West of Scotland parliamentary region the resident population for the specified age groups was:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> …

31 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected population is in the West of Scotland parliamentary region over the next five years of those aged (a) 60 to 69 and (b) 70 and over.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Sub-national population projectionsare only available for local authority and health board areas. The latest, 2002-based,population projections up to the year 2018 are available from the General RegisterOffice for Scotland’s website at:</p><p><ahref="http://w…

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the Sentencing Commission has met and what the agendas have been of its meetings.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Following its inauguralmeeting on 26 November 2003, the Commission has met on 5 January, 15 to 16February and 15 March 2004 and has been concentrating on the priority issueshighlighted by the Executive including the use of bail and remand and earlyrelease of …

12 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in ensuring the delivery of mental health reports to children's hearings following the publication of Children's Hearings Representative Group - Report on Children's Hearings Time Intervals 2002-03.

Answer · Euan Robson: We look to NHS boards toimprove and deliver on current performance. NHS boards are represented on theChildren’s Hearings Review Group, which meets regularly to review progress and identifyimprovements. The Executive will be working with child and adolescent m…

12 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to change the financial threshold for small claims and summary courts.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive supports an increase in the jurisdiction limits for small claims andsummary cause actions. We note the cross party support for the motion tabled byJohn Home Robertson. We are considering how best to progress this matter.</p>

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the pupil capacity is of each secondary school in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The assessment of thecapacity of each school in its area is a matter for Renfrewshire Council.</p>

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the pupil capacity is of each primary school in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The assessment of thecapacity of each school in its area is a matter for Renfrewshire Council.</p>

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the school roll is of each secondary school in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on the roll ofeach secondary school is available on the Scottish Executive website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/pupilnumbersbyschoolandstage.xls">www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/pupilnumbersbyschoolandstage.xls</a>.</p>

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the school roll is of each primary school in the Renfrewshire Council area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on the roll ofeach primary school is available on the Scottish Executive website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/pupilnumbersbyschoolandstage.xls">www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/pupilnumbersbyschoolandstage.xls</a>.</p>

8 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision in respect of NHS Argyll and Clyde's recommended option for the modernisation of older peoples' services for Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I am aware that Argyll andClyde NHS Board considered the modernisation of older peoples’ services inRenfrewshire and East Renfrewshire at its meeting in February.</p><p>I have recently received thereport of the public consultation on the proposed modernisatio…

13 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware of any possible danger of noise as a result of the rotation of the blades at the proposed wind farm at Whitelee Forest near Eaglesham.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Energy TechnologySupport Unit produced the Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms reportin September 1996 on behalf of the DTI. The guidance in this report has beenwidely adopted by the wind farm industry when assessing noise impact.</p><p>Scottis…

13 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a decision with regard to the proposed wind farm at Whitelee Forest near Eaglesham.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The issues raised in thecourse of the consultation are still under consideration. A number offundamental planning issues remain to be resolved and no decision will be madeuntil they are resolved or alternatively it becomes clear that they cannot beresolved in…

13 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the proposed wind farm at Whiteless Forest near Eaglesham.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We consulted widely incompliance with statutory requirements. Representations were received from thefollowing:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>BAA plc </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>British Telecom Diversionary Works Planning<…

23 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many returns were reviewed by the Common Services Agency in respect of prescription of (a) naltrexone hydrochloride and (b) naloxone hydrochloride in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Naltrexone hydrochloride is used in the treatment of formerly opioid-dependent patients. Naloxone hydrochloride is used in overdosage with opioids.</p><p>The table shows the number of items prescribed for naltrexone hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride fo…

19 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent unemployment figures for Scotland are.

Answer · Jim Wallace: For the quarter September toNovember 2003, 147,000 people were unemployed in Scotland, this is a rate of 5.8percent. These are the most recent figures available and are based on theInternational Labour Organisation definition of unemployment.</p>

19 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent unemployment figures are for the west of Scotland, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The residence based claimantcount unemployment level and rate for local authorities which are situated inthe west of Scotland are shown in the following table for December 2003.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=328> <thead> <tr> <td> …

16 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many investigations into alleged cases of cruelty to, and neglect of, animals have been carried out in each year since 1999 by (a) the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, (b) the police, (c) its Environment and Rural Affairs Department and (d) local authorities.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Information pertaining toinvestigations carried out by the Scottish Society for the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals, the police and local authorities is not held centrally. TheState Veterinary Service, on behalf of the Environment and Rural AffairsDepartment,…

14 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received in relation to its invitation for comments on the report by the Office of Fair Trading The regulation of licensed taxi and private services in the UK.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has received comments from a number of interested parties includinglocal authorities, taxi trade representative bodies and individual taxi ownersand drivers, disability groups, the Scottish Consumer Council, the TrafficCommissioner for …

14 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has responded to the report by the Office of Fair Trading The regulation of licensed taxi and services in the UK and, if not, when it will respond.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish ministers have notyet responded to the Office of Fair Trading’s Report “The Regulation ofLicensed Taxi and Private Hire Car Services in the UK” and,although not statutorily required to do so, have agreed to submit theirresponse by 10 March 2004.</p>

12 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new health centres have been built in the West of Scotland region in the last five years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter forrelevant NHS boards and primary care trusts. The information requested is notheld centrally.</p>

12 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average age is of health centres in the West of Scotland region, broken down by constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter forrelevant NHS boards and primary care trusts. The information requested is notheld centrally.</p>

12 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many health centres in the West of Scotland region have had to close their lists in the last five years, broken down by constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot available.</p><p>The terms of service for generalpractitioners are set out in regulations. These require that a general practitionerdoes not have a patient list which exceeds 3,500. If that number is reached thegeneral practiti…

12 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to build any new, or relocate any, health centres in the West of Scotland region over the next three years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for relevantNHS boards and primary care trusts. The information requested is not heldcentrally.</p>

12 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many health centres there are in the West of Scotland region, broken down by constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter forrelevant NHS boards and primary care trusts. The information required is notheld centrally.</p>