Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10945 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 October 2004, what progress has been made towards recognising the bravery and historic importance of the Scottish women of the suffrage movement.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: After considering the options,ministers decided to commission a sculpture which would mark not only the contributionof Scottish women of suffrage but of all Scottish women - past, present and future- in getting the vote for women and advancing democracy.</p><…
26 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has contributed to (a) memorials and (b) commemorations in each year since 1999, also broken down by memorial or commemoration.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our records show that, since1999, the Scottish Executive has made the following payments towards war memorialsand commemorations.</p><p>In 2004-05, the Hearts GreatWar Memorial received £5,000 for the memorial cairn at Contalmaison in France commemoratingthe …
26 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for contributions to (a) memorials and (b) commemorations it has rejected in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of total applications received.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27575 on 1 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
26 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications it has received for contributions to (a) memorials and (b) commemorations in each year since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Between 1999-2000 and 2001-02,our records show that we received no formal applications for funding for eitherwar memorials or commemorations.</p><p>In 2002-03, the Executive receivedan application for funding for a war memorial from the Normandy Veteran’s Ass…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence to the Communities Committee by Johann Lamont at Stage 2 of the Housing Bill on 28 September 2005 (Official Report, Communities Committee, c. 2468-72) and the Stage 3 proceedings of the Bill on 24 November 2005 (Official Report, c. 21058-21118), when draft regulat…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Since the Housing (Scotland) Act2006 received Royal Assent we have been working with stakeholders including mortgagelenders on the design of the mandatory Single Survey scheme. I expect that draftregulations will be available next year. We intend, as far as p…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to each local authority has been of administering housing benefit in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested iscontained in the following table:</p><p>Housing BenefitAdministration - Net Expenditure<sup>1</sup></p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=672> <thead> <tr> <td width=196 nowrap valign=bottom> <p>Local Authorit…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of any connection between homelessness and offending or reoffending.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Research suggeststhat there is a complex interaction between homelessness and offending: experienceof homelessness is a risk factor for involvement in offending, and spending timein prison is a risk factor for homelessness: previously having been in prison is…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people were not in education, employment or training in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Annual estimates of thenumbers of young people not in education, employment or training nationally aretaken from the Annual Population Survey. For most local authorities, the samplesize of the survey for people aged 16 to 19 is too small to provide reliablees…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people not in education, employment or training were homeless in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring is carried out in respect of the number of discharged prisoners who are homeless and the period of time that they remain homeless.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>At the beginning of a prisoner’ssentence accommodation needs including homelessness are identified. Prior to releaseprisoners with identifi…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have protocols in place with housing associations in their areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland collectsinformation on protocols between local authorities and registered social landlords(RSLs) in relation to the referr…
18 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when figures for 2005-06 on the number of referrals to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration under section 52(2)(j) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 will be published.
Answer · Robert Brown: This is a matter for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration.</p>
18 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27082 by Robert Brown on 14 July 2006, whether it will provide “receipt based” statistics on the number of referrals to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration under section 52(2)(j) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 in each year from 1999-…
Answer · Robert Brown: The basis for recording referralsto the Children’s Reporter prior to 2003-04 was disposal-based and therefore receipt-basedstatistics for referrals prior to this are not available. For 2003-04 the receipt-basedcount of grounds for children referred to the Chi…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Northern Constabulary to release all the relevant papers which it holds surrounding the death of Mr Willie Macrae in April 1985.
Answer · Hugh Henry: None. The release of materialby Northern Constabulary is a matter for the Chief Constable of that police force.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to a full public inquiry into the death of Mr Willie Macrae in April 1985, following claims by a retired police officer that he was paid, in his then role as a private detective, to carry out surveillance of Mr Macrae shortly before his death.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The circumstancessurrounding the death of William MacRae have been fully considered on a numberof occasions and there is no basis upon which to instruct any type of public inquiry.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the extent of its own investigations into allegations that the Central Intelligence Agency or its proxies were involved in the transportation of individuals via airports in Scotland to destinations where it is alleged that they were subsequently tortured.
Answer · Hugh Henry: It is not for the Scottish Executiveto investigate these allegations. The initiation of a criminal investigation isa matter for the police. So far, the police have taken the view that there is insufficientcredible and reliable information to support such an i…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many public appointments made by Scottish ministers were of individuals with known or declared membership of the Labour or Liberal Democrat parties in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of public appointments.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to thequestion S2W-13115 answered on 2 February 2005 which provided thisinformation for the period from 1 April 2001 until 31 March 2004 and explainedwhy the annual data for the preceding period was not available. All answers to written par…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were placed for adoption in each year since 1999.
Answer · Robert Brown: This information is notcollected centrally in precisely this form. The number of children who wereadopted by non-relations in the years 1999–2005 is set out in the following table(but this does not include children who were placed for adoption but where anado…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of illegal drugs it estimates are brought into Scotland annually (a) via Scottish ports, (b) via Scottish airports and (c) across the border by car or train.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive doesnot hold this information.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many drivers were involved in road traffic accidents in each year since 1999, broken down by age group
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number ofcar drivers involved in road traffic accidents resulting in an injury which werereported to the police from 1994 to 2004, broken down by age group, is given intable 18 of <i>Road Accidents </i><i>Scotland</i><i>, 2004</i>, publishe…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many motorists convicted of a speeding offence were (a) female and (b) male in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table.</p><p>Persons with a Charge Provedin Scottish Courts for Speeding Offences<sup>1,2</sup>, by Sex, 1999-2000 to 2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=506> <tr> <td width=66 nowra…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of ministerial expenses, not including staff expenses, was in each year since 1999, broken down by minister.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The detailed informationrequested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon asthe information is available.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of media training has been for Scottish ministers in each year since 1999 showing which ministers have undertaken media training and which have not.
Answer · Tom McCabe: From 1999 until August 2006the Scottish Executive spent £17,870 on Ministerial media training. <strong>The following Ministers and LawOfficers attended the course.</strong></p><p>Wendy Alexander MSP, ElishAngiolini QC, Jackie Baillie MSP, Sarah Boyack MSP, Rh…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff left its employment in each year since 1999, broken down into staff who (a) resigned, (b) were made redundant and (c) were dismissed as a result of disciplinary action.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The following table shows thenumber of staff in Scottish Executive core departments that resigned, were maderedundant, or were dismissed as a result of disciplinary action in each year since1999.</p><p>Reason for Leaving</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cell…
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the five most common subjects of complaints to local authorities were in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many official complaints it has made to broadcasters and print media outwith Scotland regarding coverage of Executive policy in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not available.The Scottish Executive does not maintain a comprehensive record of all exchangeswith media organisations.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many official complaints it has made to Scottish daily and weekend newspapers or Scottish edition newspapers in each year since 1999, broken down by publication.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not available.The Scottish Executive does not maintain a comprehensive record of all exchangeswith media organisations.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many official complaints it has made to broadcasters in Scotland, other than the BBC, regarding broadcast output in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not available.The Scottish Executive does not maintain a comprehensive record of all exchangeswith media organisations.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many official complaints it has made to the BBC in each year since 1999 regarding its broadcast output in Scotland and to which programmes these complaints related.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not available.The Scottish Executive does not maintain a comprehensive record of all exchangeswith media organisations.</p>
17 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were treated by the NHS for drug dependency in each year since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The number of people dischargedfrom general acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals in Scotland withan explicit diagnosis of drug dependency from 1999-2000 onwards is detailed in thefollowing table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=425>…