Christine Grahame

13 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the criteria for determining whether a 999 call made for an ambulance is an emergency call to demonstrate that the criteria are standardised and are not subject to any “fiddling”, as alleged in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.

13 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the criteria for measuring response times for 999 calls for ambulances across Scotland to demonstrate that the criteria are standardised, in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.

6 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to power companies and Virgin Media regarding additional charges applied to customers who do not, or cannot, use direct debits and the impact that this has on those who are most financially vulnerable.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Our financial inclusionstrategy acknowledges that people who have no access to a bank account sufferundue hardship. The UK government has agreed with banks to work towards thegoal of halving the number of adults in households without a bank account, andto mak…

27 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Social Work Inspection Agency to inspect Scottish Borders Council’s Social Work Department, particularly in respect of changes to its assessment criteria for care packages which initially led to the hours of care provided to some vulnerable adults being reduced …

Answer · Robert Brown: No. The Social Work InspectionAgency will carry out a full performance inspection of social work services at ScottishBorders Council in 2008.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commission, roll out and support e-learning lesson modules covering the (a) manufacturing, (b) construction and (c) services sector to ensure genuine choice for pupils in the context of the announcement by the Ministry of Defence of the “Defence Dynamics” e-learning l…

Answer · Hugh Henry: It is for schools andeducation authorities to decide the management and delivery of the curriculumin Scottish schools.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has allocated any funding in support of the proposed e-learning lesson modules and “Defence Dynamics” website operated by the Ministry of Defence and aimed at 14 to 16-year-old school pupils.

Answer · Hugh Henry: No.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to pupils and schools in contact with Ministry of Defence recruitment and military career teams to ensure that they are aware of children's rights under UN protocols and UK-signed treaties with regard to the rights of the child, to ensure that no Scottish pupils un…

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive doesnot offer such guidance to pupils and schools in contact with Ministry ofDefence recruitment and military career teams. Recruitment of those under theage of 18 by the British armed forces is voluntary with the informed consent of th…

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding any specific elements of the current Scottish curriculum that led to Ministry of Defence tri-service teams carrying out 153 visits to Scottish schools in 2005-06, approximately one third of their total number of visits tha…

Answer · Hugh Henry: None. Such visits would be amatter for schools and local authorities to arrange.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on increased levels of recruitment in Scottish schools targeting under 16-year-olds as a means to fill any shortfall in trained personnel in the UK armed forces.

Answer · Hugh Henry: It is for local authoritiesand schools to consider how and by whom advice on career opportunities shouldbe offered to pupils.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any subject areas will be discontinued by education authorities in order to make way for the new e-learning lesson modules operated by the Ministry of Defence, entitled “Defence Dynamics” and, if so, which ones.

Answer · Hugh Henry: It is for schools and localauthorities to decide on management and delivery of the curriculum in Scottishschools.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it is offering education departments across Scotland in respect of the use of the new e-learning lesson modules operated by the Ministry of Defence entitled “Defence Dynamics”.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31860 on 2 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proportion of school pupils were recruited into the UK armed forces from Scottish schools following a visit by a tri-service recruitment team.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive does nothold information on school leaver destinations or on armed forces recruiting activitywhich could provide the analysis requested.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proportion of the 15 soldiers under the age of 18 sent to frontline operational duties in Iraq since 2003 had first contact with the military through tri-service teams operated by the Ministry of Defence in schools in Scotland.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive does nothold information on school leaver destinations or on armed forces recruiting activitywhich could provide the analysis requested.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Ministry of Defence with regard to recruitment by the armed forces in schools.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has madeno representations to the Ministry of Defence on recruitment by the armed forcesin schools.</p>

19 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding the introduction of e-learning lesson modules, entitled “Defence Dynamics”, targeted at 14 to 16-year-old school pupils.

Answer · Hugh Henry: No detailed discussions havetaken place. We have asked MOD to engage with Learning and Teaching Scotland so thatwe can better determine how this resource might complement the school curriculumin Scotland. However, ultimately, it is for schools and local autho…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of “dusk to dawn cover” was operated by each operational division of the Scottish Ambulance Service at 13 February in each year from 2000 to 2007, broken down by day of the week, shift time and number of vehicles.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested couldonly be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Ambulance Service calculates average response times across Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Response times are calculatedfrom the time the main patient complaint is established to the time the first ambulanceresource arrives at the scene. Average response times are calculated by dividingthe total number of incidents by the total of the response time…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of “dawn to dusk cover” was operated by each operational division of the Scottish Ambulance Service at 13 February in each year from 2000 to 2007, broken down by day of the week, shift time and number of vehicles.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested couldonly be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many families with children under five are without central heating and what the cost would be of extending free central heating to those families.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish House ConditionSurvey estimates that in the year from October 2003 to September 2004 there werearound 7,000 families with children under the age of five without central heating.Individual installation costs vary but it is estimated that it would …

13 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions members of the armed forces have been deployed in Scotland in support of policing operations in each year since 1999, broken down by police force.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally. Scottish police forces may call on support from the armed forces underthe terms of Military Aid to the Civil Authorities. It is for individual Chief Constablesto decide whether they require assistance from the armed forc…

13 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from emergency planning officers or emergency planning representatives’ groups in each year since 2002 about any lack of equipment to deal with a civil emergency incident involving a “dirty bomb”, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is notaware of any representation since 2002, from either emergency planning officersor representative groups, about a lack of equipment to deal with a “dirty bomb”.However, the Executive engages constantly with all the key representati…

13 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated average numbers of people have been that could be processed through decontamination tents in the event of a civil emergency incident involving a “dirty bomb” in each year since 2002, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: <b>&nbsp;</b></p><p>Scottish Ambulance Service</p><p>The Scottish Ambulance Servicehas eight Special Operations Response Teams strategically located across Scotland to providea swift response to major incidents including terrorist incidents involving theuse o…

13 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive after how many 999 calls to emergency call controllers requesting the assistance of police officers took three hours or more to respond in each year since 2000, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of 999 calls requesting police assistance and broken down by police force are…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally. Chief constables of the individual Scottish police forces are responsiblefor the operation of this service.</p>

13 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive after how many 999 calls to emergency call controllers requesting the assistance of police officers took an hour or more to respond in each year since 2000, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of 999 calls requesting police assistance and broken down by police force area an…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally. Chief constables of the individual Scottish police forces are responsiblefor the operation of this service.</p>

7 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30721 by Nicol Stephen on 21 December 2006, what steps it has taken to allow providers other than BT, such as Tiscali, to provide broadband services to areas such as Galashiels.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: All Scottish telephone exchangeareas can be served by retail providers, other than BT.</p><p>The smaller 148 Exchange Activateexchanges upgraded for broadband under the Executive’s supply-side interventionin 2005 also allow other providers, in addition to BT,…

5 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates will be lost in the next 12 months as a direct result of changes it has made to the administration of European structural funds for projects supported and operated by the voluntary sector.

Answer · Allan Wilson: It is not possible to estimatefully the impacts arising from changes to EU funding as the programmes have notbeen approved by the European Commission. However, changes to the administrationto the funds would not directly lead to job losses in any sector. Any …

5 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will save as a result of changes it has made to the way in which it administers European structural funds for projects operated and supported by the voluntary sector.

Answer · Allan Wilson: <a name="se_IndexHeading"></a>Enterprise, Transport and LifelongLearning Department</p><p><b> Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): </b>To ask the Scottish Executive <a name=QuestionText>howmuch it will save as a result of changes it has made to the wa…

5 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with the voluntary sector in the last 12 months in respect of changes that ministers have made in the way that European structural funds are administered for projects operated by charities and other organisations in the voluntary sector.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Extensive consultation has takenplace with the voluntary sector (as well as with other Scottish partners) on thedevelopment of the new Structural Funds programmes. In addition to representationon the European Structural Funds Forum which has met to discuss fu…

5 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) directly benefited from projects run by the voluntary sector with European structural funds administered by ministers in each year since 2000 and (b) are expected to benefit from such projects in each year from 2007 to 2010.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Information is not held centrally on the number of people who benefited from projects run byorganisations in specific sectors.</p><p>The last published figures inthe Annual Implementation Reports for the three ESF Programmes show that thetotal number of benef…

31 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified ambulance personnel there were in each year since 2000, broken down by Scottish Ambulance Service division.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The whole-time equivalent numberof paramedics and technicians employed in each Scottish Ambulance Service divisionfrom 2000 is listed in this table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=99 valign=top> <p align=center>Di…