Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all current cross-border public authorities and what contact it has had with each of these bodies in the last 3 years.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999 (S.I.1999/1319) sets out the cross-border public authorities as specified under section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998. A copy of this order can be found in the Scottish Parliamen…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the cross-border public authorities included in Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 1319 The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999 have since been removed from the list of such authorities.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The order referred to in the question sets out the cross-border public authorities as specified under section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998. A copy of this order can be found in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 23320). Only one s…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis (a) Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, (b) Scottish Committee of the Council of Tribunals, (c) Scottish Consumer Council and (d) Traffic Commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area were defined as cross-border public authorities and included in Statutory Instrum…

Answer · Bruce Crawford: All of the bodies mentioned operate in both reserved and devolved areas. Cross-border public authorities are designated as such by virtue of their remit falling partly within the legislative competence of the Parliament. Such bodies can include those dealing …

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the individual membership of those cross-border public authorities listed in Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 1319 The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The information requested is already in the public domain and can be found on the websites of the relevant bodies.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with Her Majesty’s Government about the extension of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to apply to cross-border public authorities.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: There have been no discussions with Her Majesty’s Government about the extension of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to apply to cross-border public authorities.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18457 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 August 2005, whether it monitors cross-border flows in respect of the uptake of free personal care.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not monitor cross-border flows in respect of the uptake of free personal care.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many instances nuclear waste has been transported by (a) road, (b) rail, (c) air and (d) sea through or across Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The transportation of nuclear waste through or across Scotland is reserved to the UK Government.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many facilities in Scotland, including oil installations and related sites, have stored nuclear waste and how much waste has been stored at each of these facilities in each year since 1999.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The detailed inventory of radioactive wastes is published by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which can be found online at: <a href="http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/The-2007-UK-Radioactive-Waste-Inventory-Main-Report-Final.pdf">http://ww…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients who have sustained injury as a result of fighting overseas with HM forces have been treated by the NHS in each year since 2002, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: For patients admitted into secondary care, Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of National Services Scotland record the cause of injury. It is therefore possible to indicate the number of hospital admissions by NHS board as a result of “operations of wa…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions have been carried out in each year since 2001, broken down by age group and NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Data on abortions carried out in Scotland can be found on the Scottish Health Statistics website. The number of abortions carried out in Scotland since 2001, broken down by age group and NHS board is available in a table on the Information Services …

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated the cost to local businesses and individuals of any disruption caused by royal visits and events, and the cost of associated security arrangements, in each year since 1999.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15037 on 22 July 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/webapp/w…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what auditing mechanisms are in place to oversee financial accountability of policing operations related to royal visits and engagements in Scotland to ensure that police forces maintain best value principles.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the question S3W-15037 on 22 July 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/webapp/wa.search">…

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many official royal engagements and events there have been in Scotland requiring a dedicated police presence, not including that provided by the Royal Protection Unit, in each year since 1999.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many UK ministers have carried out official visits to Scotland requiring police attendance and support in each year since 1997.

16 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits to Scotland by the Prime Minister requiring police attendance and resources there have there been in each year since 1997.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many trading standards officers there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · John Swinney: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) asks local authorities to make returns relating to trading standards and the information it collects is published. The latest such…

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-244 by Hugh Henry on 4 June 2003, how many (a) births, (b) births outside marriage, (c) births to teenagers, (d) marriages, (e) civil marriages, (f) divorces and (g) deaths broken down by gender there were in each year since 2000 and what the average…

Answer · John Swinney: Almost all the information requested can be found on the website of the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). The numbers of (a) births, (b) births outside marriage, (d) marriages, (f) divorces and (g) deaths broken down by gender, for each year from 2…

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the rising cost of fertiliser on the farming industry and food production.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Agricultural College has recently produced a report for the Scottish Government assessing the impact of rising input costs (including fertiliser costs) on the farming industry. It found that although the rise in fertiliser prices has increased th…

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote positive perceptions of children and young people in our communities.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government works closely with voluntary sector organisations such as Young Scot, the Scottish Youth Parliament and YouthLink to promote positive perceptions of young people and to engage them in decision making at a local and national level. We p…

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the increase in cases of diabetes.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are determined to tackle the continuing rise in the number of people in Scotland with diabetes. The two main modifiable risk factors in relation to type 2 diabetes are smoking and unhealthy bodyweight. We want to build on the success of the ban on…

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to complete the national evaluation of the role of the “campus cop” scheme.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government will shortly start the commissioning process for the evaluation of campus police officers in schools. We expect research contractors to be appointed in the autumn and to publish a report of the evaluation in summer 2009.

17 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7851 by Shona Robison on 14 January 2008, what measures would be required to transfer responsibility for test purchasing and monitoring underage alcohol sales from the police to trading standards officers and whether it will consider introducing such…

Answer · Shona Robison: Primary legislation to amend the provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 would be required to give trading standards officers such a responsibility. As emphasised during the Scottish Parliament debate on alcohol on 25 June 2008, the Scottish Governmen…

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5390 by John Swinney on 17 October 2007, how the review of asset management across the public sector will apply to common good funds; when such a review is to (a) commence and (b) report, and whether that report will be made public.

Answer · John Swinney: The review of asset management across the public sector encompasses several distinct pieces of work: The Scottish Government asset management review, which looked at the Scottish Government own built estate, was carried out last year, reported to me …

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local government as to its duties anent the stewardship of common good funds.

Answer · John Swinney: A letter to all directors of finance of Scotland’s local authorities was issued by Scottish Government officials on 12 March 2007, reminding them of their statutory, and non-statutory duties and existing supporting guidance. This included the supporting guida…

9 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total additional cost to NHS services as a result of increased fuel and energy costs has been in each year since 2005, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards do not specifically monitor the additional costs they face as a result of increased fuel and energy costs; however their total fuel and energy costs since 2005-06 are shown in the following table. Fuel and Energy Costs <table border=…

9 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated the costs to low income families as a result of increased fuel and energy costs.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Low income households are defined as those households whose income lies in the lowest 20 percentile, i.e. in the bottom 2 deciles. The Scottish house condition survey collects data on domestic energy expenditure and income and, using that data, the S…

9 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated the costs to pensioner households across Scotland as a result of significantly increased fuel and energy costs over the last 12 months.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish house condition survey collects data on domestic energy expenditure and, from this, the Scottish house condition survey team has carried out the calculation. The last year for which survey data is available is 2005-06. Using that data a…

9 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over the age of 65 heat their homes using primarily (a) oil, (b) gas, (c) solid fuel or (d) electricity.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The 2005-06 Scottish house condition survey estimates of the count of primary heating fuel used by people aged over 65 is shown in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > Primary Fuel Used …

9 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated costs to the following public services as a result of recent significant increases in the cost of fuel and energy and, if so, what the additional cost burden will be on the (a) fire service, broken down by local authority area, (b) police, broken down by force ar…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: All parts of the Scottish public sector will be affected by escalating fuel costs, the effects of which are complex and depend in part on future movements in fuel prices over the remainder of the financial year, relative fuel dependency and the way that diffe…

5 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision for financing the Waverley line was in place prior to 18 May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following table details the promoter’s provision for financing the Waverley line prior to 18 May 2007. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=603 > <thead> <tr > <td width=243 > Source </td> <td width…