Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to News Release SE 1630/2000 of 6 June 2000, how much of the new resources allocated to textile initiatives is to be allocated to Scotland, to which projects, and when.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The package of support measures for the textile sector announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 6 June did not allocate resources to particular parts of the UK. Resources will be allocated as the industry and support agencies come forward…
27 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the names are of the members of the Scottish Textile Forum (STF), what the dates were of any meetings already held or will be of any meetings planned and whether the minutes of STF meetings will be made public.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The members of the Scottish Textile Forum, which met for the first time on 12 June 2000 are:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=555><TR><TD WIDTH="47%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Henry McLeish</TD><TD WIDTH="53%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Minister…
27 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what applications were made to the New Opportunities Fund under the initiative "Living with Cancer", which applications were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful and what the reasons were for decisions under both categories.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to question S1W-8899.
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #600,000 spent by Scottish Enterprise Borders on securing and adapting premises in Selkirk specifically as a call centre and the further #70,000 spent retraining redundant workers as call centre operators was an appropriate expenditure of public funds given the failure so far …
Answer · Henry McLeish: In its Final Report in March 1999 the Borders Working Party highlighted a shortage of readily available industrial premises as being a major impediment to the attraction of inward investment into the area.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Borders Working Party also high…
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following expenditure of #600,000 by Scottish Enterprise Borders (SEB) on securing premises in Selkirk for a call centre and #70,000 on retraining redundant workers specifically as call centre operators, what efforts are being made by it and SEB to ensure that call centre companies are l…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Selkirk call centre is being actively promoted by Scottish Enterprise Borders and the Rural Unit of Locate in Scotland.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Locate in Scotland has considerable experience in attracting call centre operators to Scotland and this expertise is …
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all deaths were in the age groups (a) 65-75 and (b) over 75 in the winter periods of 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99
Answer · Susan Deacon: The following table gives information on deaths registered in Scotland of persons aged between 65 and 75 years and persons aged over 75 years in each winter month over the period January 1995 to March 2000 as a percentage of all deaths registered in that mont…
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what percentage of all deaths were in the age groups (a) 65-75 and (b) over 75 in the winter period of 1999-2000, and what are the comparable percentages in other European countries, specifically, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Swit'erland and Irela…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The available information is given in the table in my reply today to Question S1W-8883. Comparable European data are not readily available.
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Borders small businesses applied for funding from Scottish Enterprise Borders in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and so far this year, how much each application was for and, of those that were successful, what amount was allocated to each.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Details of individual applications for grant from local enterprise companies are not published to protect the commercial confidentiality of businesses. A summary of awards to small businesses in the Borders is given in the tables below:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TAB…
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who authorised payment of #670,000 for a call centre in Selkirk.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Authority for the conversion of the Claridge Mill property in Selkirk was granted by the Boards of Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Enterprise (Projects Advisory Group).
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the mean wage is of young people in the Borders who found employment through the New Deal since its introduction.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This info…
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the young people in the Borders who have found employment through the New Deal since its introduction are still in employment and what the nature of that employment is.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This info…
26 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, of the young people in the Borders who found employment through the New Deal since its introduction, (a) how many are no longer employed, (b) how long did the average employment last and (c) what was the nature of employment.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This info…
25 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any proposals there are for further private prisons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:-<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">"The Scottish Prison Service is currently conducting a review of the Estate with a view to meeting operational requiremen…
25 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to combat any low morale in the prison service in particular in Peterhead because of any uncertainty over closure.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In a period of change, Scottish Prison Service Management remains committed to working with staff in the way that it has earned…
25 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service is intending to make changes to the terms and conditions of employment of serving prison officers and, if so, what are the changes and what is their purpose.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond, his response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Prison Service are introducing new employee related policies on:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Staff attendance patterns, t…
24 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the #60 billion earmarked for railways in the recent announcement about transport funding, it will request funding for the reinstatement of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Carlisle in the directions and guidance to be issued to the Strategic Rail Authority.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Borders Council has submitted an application to the third round of the Public Transport Fund for the cost of securing the necessary permissions for reinstating the railway between Edinburgh and the Central Borders. I will consider that carefully alon…
24 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be its practice to publish any directions and guidance which it will issue to the Strategic Rail Authority and place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Yes.
21 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release SE0028/2000 of 10 January 2000, why the criteria for diagnosing influen'a in Scotland differ from the criteria in England and Wales, given that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is UK-wide and that flu vaccines are purchased by the Dep…
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to my answer provided to Question S1W-8815.
21 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release SE0028/2000 of 10 January 2000, what the criteria are for diagnosing influen'a in Scotland and how these differ from the criteria for diagnosing influen'a in England and Wales.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The press release was referring to differences between Scotland and England in methods of surveillance of the incidence of patients consulting general practitioners about "flu-like symptoms".<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">When a patient consults a general pract…
21 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide funding for the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital at Gartnavel so that complementary treatment for cancer sufferers can continue and cancer sufferers do not have to travel to Bristol, where the hospital's Senior Registrar has taken up a new post, in order to continue th…
Answer · Susan Deacon: I am assured by the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, of which the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital is a part, that complementary treatment for cancer sufferers will not be affected as a result of the move of the Senior Registrar to take up a new post…
21 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, at the time of decisions regarding the allocation of the Health Department's 1999-2000 end of year balance of #135 million, it considered allocating #200,000 to Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital to secure continuance of complementary treatments for cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand that a weekly clinic continues to be provided at the hospital for complementary treatment for cancer sufferers and that this is funded out of existing resources.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The end-year balance of £135 million, out of a total health budget…
20 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its assessment of the likely estimated level of cardiomyopathy in the light of the letter to the Minister for Health and Community Care of 26 May 2000 from W J McKenna, Professor of Cardiac Medicine at St George's Hospital Medical School in London given the differen…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The comments in Professor McKenna's letter have been drawn to the attention of the Chairman of the Child Health Sub-Group of the National Screening Committee. The Sub-Group is keeping this issue under regular review, as it does with any other topic where the …
20 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive with reference to the Scott Wilson Scottish Borders railway feasibility study (page 8) and to the answer to question S1O-2029 by Mr John Home Robertson on 22 June (Official Report col. 711), whether it will now commission a supplementary report into the potential export of timber using th…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not intend to commission a study into the potential export of timber via the southern section of the Borders railway. The Borders railway feasibility study concluded that under current market conditions a south Borders railway woul…
20 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scott Wilson Scottish Borders railway feasibility study (summary report), whether it will commission a supplementary report to address the potential impact on the tourist industry in the Borders if the entire line from Edinburgh to Carlisle were to be re-instated.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not intend to commission a supplementary report on the potential impact on tourism of reopening the Borders railway. This issue was addressed in the full Borders railway feasibility study which concluded that full reinstatement of …
19 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8271 by Iain Gray on 10 July 2000, what specific work is in progress to implement the various strands of the Scottish Advisory on Alcohol Misuse Action Plan.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer Ms Grahame to the answer I gave to her question S1W-8762.
19 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8272 by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2000, how the effectiveness of the #2.5 million will be appraised and monitored, over what period(s) and whether any such appraisal will be placed in the public domain.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer Ms Grahame to the answer I gave to her question S1W-8762.
19 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8272 by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2000, how national strategic developments to control alcohol misuse are identified, how the allocation of the #2.5 million to specified national developments will be made, whether any of the allocation has yet been det…
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Advisory Committee on Alcohol Misuse (SACAM) was specifically set up to advice the Scottish Executive on the development and implementation of a coherent national strategy, and the most appropriate targeting of available resources.<P ALIGN="JUSTI…
18 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2130 by Sarah Boyack on 6 July 2000, whether the financing of the Borders railway line was discussed at the meeting with the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority on 26 June 2000 following the motion agreed by the Parliament on 1 June 2000 and whether any …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Yes. I reported to the Chief Executive of the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority my understanding that the Borders railway line is currently the subject of an application to the Public Transport Fund being prepared by Scottish Borders Council.
18 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8354 by Susan Deacon on 13 July 2000, how the target of 60% for immunisation of the over 65 age group this year against influen'a compares with targets in comparable nations such as Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Swit'erland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.
18 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive during what period in this year the flu vaccine will be available to the over 65 age group.
Answer · Susan Deacon: It is expected that, as is normal procedure, influenza immunisation will be concentrated in the period between 1 September 2000 to 31 January 2001.