Parliamentary questions
Cathie Craigie
239 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement in a press release of 23 March 2009 of £25.5 million in investment in new vehicles for the Scottish Ambulance Service, how may new patient transport vehicles will be allocated to the NHS (a) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) Lanarkshire areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22264, on 17 April 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at </p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliame…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement in a press release of 23 March 2009 of £25.5 million in investment in new vehicles for the Scottish Ambulance Service, when it anticipates that new patient transport vehicles funded by the investment will be in operation.
Answer · Shona Robison : Roll-out of this latest investment in new ambulance service vehicles will proceed over the next three years. Detail of the timing of each vehicle coming in to operation, and the operating divisions into which they will be deployed, is not held centrally. Howe…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patient transport vehicles are in operation in the NHS (a) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) Lanarkshire areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not held by NHS Board Area. However, the Scottish Ambulance Service has advised that there are currently 155 patient transport service vehicles operating in their West Central Operating Division.</p>
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses have been sold in each local authority area under the modernised right to buy since the coming into force of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer · Alex Neil: The numbers of sales to local authority and housing association sitting tenants under the modernised right to buy scheme since the introduction of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 are shown in the following table:</p> <p >Table 1: Modernised Terms Sales to S…
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made to buy a house under the modernised right to buy in each local authority area since the coming into force of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer · Alex Neil: The numbers of applications by local authority and housing association sitting tenants to buy a house under the modernised right to buy scheme since the introduction of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 are shown in the following table:</p> <p >Table 1: Moder…
5 Feb 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a national salary structure for lecturing staff in further education colleges.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0205-01.htm">http://www.scot…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase grant funding for housing associations with a funding shortfall.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We are currently looking at slippage within the Affordable Housing Investment Programme with a view to reallocating funding to meet demand for funding for home adaptations.</p>
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding shortfall it is aware of for home adaptations by housing associations in (a) Scotland and (b) the North Lanarkshire Council area.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The level of funding shortfall for home adaptations by housing associations is currently estimated at:</p> <p >(a) just over £2 million for Scotland</p> <p >(b) around £0.45 million for North Lanarkshire.</p> <p >We are currently looking at slippage elsewh…
8 Jan 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to update the Scotland’s Culture website.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: <i >This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…
27 Nov 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the cultural pathfinder programme to the North Lanarkshire Council area.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Pathfinder programme was launched by the previous administration in late 2006. It lasted for the period originally intended, embracing the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08. It is now drawing to a close.</p> <p >As planned at the outset, an external e…
6 Nov 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new measures it will introduce to protect homeowners against repossession.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We are building on the existing Mortgage to Rent scheme to develop a new Home Owners'' Support Fund, with a budget of £25 million over two years. Mortgage to Rent helps people with little or no equity to stay in their homes. A new Mortgage to Shared Equity sc…
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following introduction of universal newborn hearing screening in 2005, what measures have been taken to ensure that education professionals working with deaf babies and their families in the home environment have the training necessary to deliver this support effectively.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Within the context of the concordat and the National Performance Framework, the design of local services, including the employment and training of education professionals working with deaf babies and their families in the home environment, is a matter for loc…
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing minimum professional standards for the delivery of early interventions and support to deaf children and their families following diagnosis of hearing loss.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Ensuring those working with deaf pre-school children have the appropriate experience and skills set is a matter for local authority employers. The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce minimum professional standards for the delivery of early intervent…
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it acknowledges that there is an attainment gap between deaf pupils and their hearing peers.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government notes the national survey, <i >The Achievements of Deaf Pupils in Scotland</i>, which tracked the progress of deaf pupils from 2000 to 2004 and found that the attainment of deaf pupils was lower than that of their hearing peers.</p> <…
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which multi-agency professionals it believes should deliver interventions in the early years of a deaf child’s life to ensure the acquisition of age-appropriate language and communication skills.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (ASL Act) emphasises the importance of effective multi-agency working. Appropriate agencies are required to respond to an education authority''s request for help in the exercise of any of the authority''s functions…
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that deaf children require specialist support from the moment of diagnosis of hearing loss to facilitate access to language and communication.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Research shows that the earlier a child''s needs are identified and met, the more successful results will be. This has particular implications for the support required by young children with language and communication difficulties. The Early Years Framework, …
21 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on ensuring the best outcomes for deaf babies following diagnosis of hearing loss as a result of newborn hearing screening tests.
Answer · Shona Robison: Any child, following diagnosis of hearing loss, identified as a result of newborn hearing screening tests, will be referred to the paediatric department for a paediatric audiology diagnosis. Following the release of the <i >Quality Standards for Adult Hearing…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of staff employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is awaiting salary changes due under Agenda for Change reforms.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As at September 2008 the number of substantive NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff awaiting assimilation was 381, which represents 0.8 % of the substantive staff workforce covered by Agenda for Change. This particular group of staff are those people who have …
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when nursing staff employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde can expect their Agenda for Change review process to be completed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Reviews are being conducted in partnership locally. I understand that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde plan to conduct reviews grouped by job family, starting with the larger job families first. As such, nurses and midwives will be the second tranche to be consi…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when physiotherapy staff employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde can expect their Agenda for Change review process to be completed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Reviews are being conducted in partnership locally. I understand that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde plan to conduct reviews grouped by job family and will start with the largest job families first. As such, Allied Health Professions, the heading that covers p…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many ongoing appeals on decisions made under Agenda for Change are being considered by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Figures at September 2008 show that 8,823 members of staff covering 3,404 posts have requested reviews of their banding outcomes in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.</p>
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated completion date is for the Agenda for Change matching and review process for allied health professionals.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All boards are working to a timetable of having matching and assimilation completed for all substantive staff by the end of the year. At the same time, boards are conducting reviews for those staff who have requested a review of their banding outcome. The tim…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards had fully implemented Agenda for Change by May 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No NHS board in Scotland had fully implemented Agenda for Change by May 2007. Implementation of Agenda for Change is an on-going process which comprises a number of elements, all of which are being taken forward in partnership with the trade unions. All board…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards had fully implemented Agenda for Change by October 2005.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No NHS board in Scotland had fully implemented Agenda for Change by October 2005. Implementation of Agenda for Change is an on-going process which comprises a number of elements, all of which are being taken forward in partnership with the trade unions. All b…
15 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have fully implemented Agenda for Change.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Implementation of Agenda for Change is on-going in Scotland and no NHS board has fully implemented all aspects of the new system. However, all boards are working to a timetable of having all substantive staff assimilated to the new pay system by the end of th…
9 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage betting shops and other organisations whose staff face the risk of assault to put in place adequate equipment, software and training to facilitate the speedy and efficient sharing with the police of CCTV footage of evidential quality.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We believe that public space CCTV systems can play an important role in the prevention, detection and prosecution of crime. Local authority operated CCTV systems are nearly all linked to local police force operations, and in some areas there are information s…
9 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there are standards in place to facilitate the speedy and efficient sharing of CCTV footage between police and public and private bodies that operate CCTV.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16987 on 29 October 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
9 Oct 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that adequate equipment, software and training are in place to facilitate the speedy and efficient sharing of CCTV footage between police and courts without loss of picture quality.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We believe that public space CCTV systems can play an important role in the prevention, detection and prosecution of crime. Local authority operated CCTV systems are nearly all linked to local police force operations, and in some areas there are information s…
16 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote British Sign Language among children and young people outwith the deaf community.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Voluntary organisations such as National Deaf Children’s Society are represented on the Scottish Government’s British Sign Language (BSL) linguistic access working group. These organisations offer BSL taster classes to children and young people outwith the de…
16 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools offer classes in foreign languages but not British Sign Language to pupils.
Answer · Maureen Watt: This information is not held centrally.</p>