Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

6 Jul 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the number of disabled applicants for jobs with (a) it and (b) employers for which it provides all funding and which use the double tick disability symbol.

Answer · John Swinney: The numbers of disabled applicants are monitored as part of any recruitment exercise undertaken by the Scottish Government. In instances where the recruitment exercise is managed by external suppliers on behalf of the Scottish Government, for example for th…

6 Jul 2011 · Written Question

Answer · John Swinney: Data on the percentage of Scottish Government Employees who are disabled is reported as part of the annual Civil Service Statistics publication. This is published by the Office for National Statistics. Data is available at this web location http://www.statis…

27 Jun 2011 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the legal profession regarding the attendance of solicitors during interviews following the Cadder ruling.

27 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds a list of people suspected of having their mobile phone calls illegally intercepted and, if so, what steps it has taken to notify them.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Allegations of illegal interception should be reported to the police. The Scottish Government holds no information on people suspected of having their mobile phone calls illegally intercepted.

13 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38294 by Kenny MacAskill on 11 January 2011, whether it intends to bring forward primary legislation and, if so, whether it will specify the reasons for so doing rather than amending the order by means of a new statutory instrument.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Primary legislation is needed for full flexibility to ensure that an appropriate legislative framework is put in place. The proposed legislation will facilitate, as far as possible, the release of a statement of reasons by the commission in circumstances wher…

13 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38294 by Kenny MacAskill on 11 January 2011, whether it can confirm that considerations in relation to data protection legislation are not relevant in this case given that section 194K(4) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 ensures that, wh…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: No, considerations in relation to data protection legislation are relevant in this case.

13 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38294 by Kenny MacAskill on 11 January 2011, whether the same convention rights of individuals and international obligations attaching to information provided by foreign authorities would have to be taken into account whether the order were amended b…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes, the same convention rights of individuals and international obligations would apply.

16 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the announcement will be made of the awards to LEADER local action groups under the Broadband Challenge Fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I am pleased to announce today that five LEADER Local Action groups will receive awards under the Broadband Challenge Fund announced on 1 July 2010. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34982 on 1 July 2010. All answers to written parliam…

10 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a further statutory instrument amending the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (Permitted Disclosure of Information) Order 2009 to delete Article 2(b).

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government intends to bring forward legislation to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to publish a statement of reasons in cases where an appeal is abandoned, subject of course to legal restrictions applying to the commission suc…

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of savings generated by the withdrawal of testing strips for type 2 diabetes is being reinvested in insulin pump therapy in each NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not centrally held. Questions relating to the prescribing practice of individual boards should be addressed to the chief executive of the board concerned.

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with type 2 diabetes have had their access to testing strips for type 2 diabetes on prescription withdrawn in the last 12 months.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not centrally held. An evidence note published by NHS QIS in January 2009, suggests that for some people with type 2 diabetes, self-monitoring may lack significant benefit, with little, or no effect on people''s glycaemic control…

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what savings each NHS board has made by withdrawing testing strips for type 2 diabetes.

27 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the reported comments of former FBI scientist Frederic Whitehurst implying that the FBI laboratory in Washington DC may constitute an additional crime scene with regard to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: There is no evidence of any criminal act having been carried out in relation to any of the forensic evidence in the Lockerbie investigation. A fragment of electronic timer recovered from the wreckage of flight Pan Am 103, known as PT35, was taken…

27 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of comments by the former Lord Advocate, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, who has stated publicly in a television interview for Dutch television in 2009 that he was not aware that the timer fragment known as PT35 was sent to the United States of America for examination by FBI…

Answer · Elish Angiolini: I am aware of comments reported to have been made by my predecessor, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie. The fragment of electronic timer recovered from the wreckage of flight Pan Am 103, known as PT35, was taken to the United States of America by Scottish…

27 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any information it holds related to payments reportedly made by US authorities to key witnesses either before or after the trial of Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, specifically payments to Tony Gauci, in relation to evidence he gave into the bombing of Pan Am …

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The only forum in which the Scottish Government or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) can make public any information connected to witnesses involved in the investigation and prosecution of the Lockerbie bombing is in judicial proceedings …

27 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision by United States senators in 2008, to support the amendment to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act that prevented the relatives of victims of Pan Am 103 suing US companies who had established trade relations with Libya from securing compensation for the loss of their…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Legal advice on the impact of foreign legislation is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

23 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what cost implications there are for the NHS as a consequence of the increase in VAT to 20%.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the question S3W-33760 answered on 21 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…

20 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to take account of situations where dispensing GP practices in rural areas have no representation on their Area Pharmaceutical Committee and no account might be taken by it of the impa…

Answer · Shona Robison: The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 state that, when an application is made to a Health Board to open a community pharmacy in its area, its Area Pharmaceutical Committee and its Area Medical Committee must be noti…

7 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the proposed withdrawal of cheques in 2018 might present security issues for older and housebound people.

Answer · Jim Mather: The issue of withdrawal of cheques has not been raised with the Scottish Government in terms of potential impact on older or housebound people. However, we wait with interest to see the Payment Council''s alternative accessible method of payment which should …

7 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the proposed withdrawal of cheques in 2018 might have a detrimental impact on small businesses, in particular sole traders.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Government has not been made aware of any concerns by small businesses or sole traders on this issue.

7 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to it, and by what organisations, regarding the proposed withdrawal of cheques in 2018.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Government has not been made aware of any concerns on this issue by any organisations, consumers or businesses.

17 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24239 by Richard Lochhead on 5 June 2009 and in light of the UK Government’s consultation on the welfare of racing greyhounds, whether the Scottish Government will reconsider its decision on issuing regulations on the welfare of greyhounds and consul…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is aware of the UK Government''s consultation on the welfare of racing greyhounds but has no plans to introduce regulations which specifically deal with racing greyhounds in Scotland since no evidence has been presented indicating that…

17 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24922 by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2009, whether the code of practice on the welfare of dogs has been issued and, if so, what the uptake has been.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs has just been published and printed copies have only been available since 18 March 2010, so it is too early to assess the degree of uptake. However, substantial numbers of copies have been requested by and distribu…

16 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors payments from the International Development Fund.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Payments are monitored as part of the grant management process and are only released on satisfactory completion of required reports. Details of these reports can be found at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Internationa…

16 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17190 by Linda Fabiani on 20 November 2008, what the total expenditure from the International Development Fund has been since 21 November 2008.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The total expenditure from the International Development Fund from 20 November 2008 to date is £10,339,410.77. The breakdown is as follows: International Development Fund Expenditure - 20 November 2008 to Date <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cell…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will report progress on its framework to tackle poverty and income inequality, Achieving our Potential.

Answer · Alex Neil: A senior-level Tackling Poverty Board has been established by the Scottish Government and COSLA to review policy and practice to reduce poverty in Scotland in the light of the additional challenges and opportunities created by the economic downturn and the de…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to increase the capacity of the Strathardle telephone exchange to improve broadband connectivity.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government announced on 9 December 2009 that it has agreed with BT a programme of upgrades to 71 Scottish rural telephone exchanges which are currently operating at, or approaching, full capacity. The first upgrades will be complete from March 20…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of those convicted of wildlife crimes in the Strathclyde Police area were resident in Scotland, also expressed as a percentage of those convicted, in each year from April 1999.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime in the Strathclyde Police area, in each year from April 1999.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The data requested is not held centrally. The data held centrally is based on an aggregate return, so it is not possible to distinguish the circumstances of the crime, or the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime.

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding Strathclyde Police has allocated to the investigation and detection of wildlife crime, also expressed as a percentage of its overall budget, in each year from April 1999.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. Operational deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constables of Scottish Police Forces.