Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients who were not undernourished when admitted to hospital were undernourished when they left hospital in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) NHS board area and (b) age group.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. However, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published Clinical Standards on Food, Fluid and Nutritional Care in Hospitals in September 2003. These were developed in response to research which showed that patients in hospi…

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many undernourished patients admitted to hospital continued to lose weight whilst in hospital in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were classified as undernourished in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area and expressed both in real terms and as a percentage of the child population.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally for all years or for all local authority areas. The Scottish Parliament Information Centre holds tables (Bib. number 38938) which show, those local authority areas available:Tables 1a, 1b &a…

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has funded into malnutrition in the general population in each year since 1999 and how much funding was allocated in each case.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. Since 1999, the CSO has funded one research project in 2002 on …

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the prevalence of malnutrition in people aged (a) under 15, (b) 16 to 35, (c) 36 to 50, (d) 51 to 75 and (e) 76 and over in each year since 1999, broken down by (i) NHS board area and (ii) parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Centrally held information can provide details for patients where malnutrition is identified on their hospital records. These figures may represent an undercount of the true number of cases because malnutrition could be an underlying reason for admissi…

6 Feb 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the operating cost of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has been in each year since the office’s inception.

Answer · John Scott: The operating costs of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman since the office’s inception on 23 October 2002 are as follows: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td>  </td> <td> <p align=c…

6 Feb 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what monitoring is in place with regard to the operation of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Answer · John Scott: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman was established under The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002. Paragraph 2(2) of schedule 1 of this act provides that the ombudsman, in the exercise of her functions is not subject to the direction or control of …

1 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many experienced allied health practitioners have applied for travel scholarships of up to £5,000, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of Allied Health Professionals who have applied for the first round of the travel scholarship scheme is shown in the table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> NHS Board</td> <td> Applicat…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can review the underwriting of a £38 million residual loan debt in respect of former Scottish Borders Council houses in the event that Scottish Borders Housing Association attempts to recover the deficit resulting from its stock transfer agreement in March 2003.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Treasury has undertaken to provide funding to redeem residual housing debt remaining with a council on the transfer of its housing to community ownership. In the case of Scottish Borders Council, Treasury met this commitment in March 2003 when the council rec…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor Scottish Borders Housing Association’s performance in meeting its proposed £70 million programme of investment in its 6,728 properties over the next 10 years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows: Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA)’s performance in investing in its stock is being monitored on ministers’ behalf by Communities S…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual conditions are in place with regard to writing off the housing debt of housing associations.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no contractual arrangements in place with regard to writing off the housing debt of housing associations.

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the average price of £3,061 per house paid by Scottish Borders Housing Association to Scottish Borders Council as part of the stock transfer programme in 2003 represented value for money.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The valuation prepared by the independent valuer sought to achieve a price which delivered fair value to the public purse and which would enable the purchaser to prepare a fundable business plan. On this basis, the Executive was satisfied that the purchase pr…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what average price per house has been paid by housing associations for local authority properties in each year since the inception of the Scottish Borders Housing Association.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There have been only two whole stock transfers in Scotland since the transfer of Scottish Borders Council’s stock to Scottish Borders Housing Association. The price paid for Dumfries and Galloway Council’s housing stock was an average of £2,767 per unit and t…

31 Jan 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S2W-12593 by George Reid on 19 January 2005, what information it has on how many Sewel motions have been passed by the Parliament in each parliamentary year since 1999.

Answer · George Reid: Figures are given in the following table: Numbers of Sewel/Legislative Consent Motions Passed <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> Session 1</td> </tr> <tr> <td> 12 May 1999 – 11 May 2000</td> <td> …

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that any attempt by Scottish Borders Housing Association to recover the deficit resulting from its stock transfer agreement in March 2003 with Scottish Borders Council will undermine public confidence in housing stock transfers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As previously stated, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the detail of the claim currently being pursued by Scottish Borders Housing Association. However, I do not believe that it will undermine public confidence in the stock transfer process. It …

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the Scottish Borders Housing Association’s statement that it is seeking £4 million from Scottish Borders Council to address the association’s financial deficit and the impact of such action on Scottish Borders Council’s reserves and its council tax payer…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Claims under the indemnities contained in the sale and purchase agreement are primarily a matter between Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Borders Housing Association. It would be inappropriate for the Executive to comment on any action currently being ta…