Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Dec 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) 65 and over and (b) under 65 and in a high risk category have received the flu vaccine this year, broken down by NHS board area, expressed also as a percentage of eligible people in those two categories.
Answer · Andy Kerr: For those aged 65 and over the provisional vaccine uptake figure by the end of November 2005 NHS board is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>NHS Board </p></td> <td> <p>Uptake</p></td> <td…
29 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths from cancer there have been in the south of Scotland in each year since the Chernobyl incident occurred, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table.</p> <p>Deaths from Cancer<sup>1</sup> in South of Scotland<sup>2</sup> Between 26 April 1986 and 31 December 2004, by NHS Board Area</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=492> <thead>…
29 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which venues it uses to make available and publicise information on the Central Heating and Warm Deal programmes and how it monitors the effectiveness of its information strategy on the programmes.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>Organisations with a national identity, but local presence, have received letters explaining the grant procedures coupled with leaflets and p…
28 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25757 by Peter Peacock of 23 May 2002, the report prepared for Audit Scotland in November 2004, which investigated complaints surrounding Scottish Borders Council's stewardship of its Common Good Fund by Scottish Borders Council, and Petition PE875 b…
Answer · Tom McCabe: We have no plans to commission a national register of common good assets held by local authorities. It is the responsibility of local authorities as trustees to manage assets held for the common good according to sound asset management principles.</p> <p>All …
21 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that Lothian Buses student ridacards exclude thousands of mature students as they are only available to students aged between 16 and 25; what its policy position is in this respect; what representations it has received to extend the scheme to all students regardless of…
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is aware of the campaign currently being run by Edinburgh University Students Association and has received a number of related letters and pre-printed postcards. The Executive provides help with travel costs for mature students under fu…
21 Nov 2005 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that the release of street names in members’ travel claim forms, where the destination is a home visit to a constituent, breaches confidentiality between the constituent and the member and whether the provision of such information is in breach of th…
Answer · Duncan McNeil: The SPCB recognises the need for confidentiality and trust between an MSP and a constituent. Where a street number and name are known to be that of a constituent, the SPCB would redact the number but leave the street name. If the street contained only two hou…
15 Nov 2005 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will take steps to ensure that the distinctive Scottish-definitive stamps, the lion rampant (first class) and saltire (second class) are available to MSPs in book and self-adhesive format.
Answer · John Scott: Currently Royal Mail only produce non self-adhesive Scottish-definitive stamps in sheets of one hundred. They are sold in four different denominations; £0.21, £0.30, £0.42 and £0.68. MSPs have the option to request Scottish-definitive or self-adhesive British…
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was made available to each local authority to assist private residential homes to train staff to achieve Scottish Vocational Qualification standard certification in each year since 1999.
Answer · Robert Brown: The funding that local authorities make available to assist private residential homes to train staff to achieve Scottish Vocational Qualification standard is not held centrally.</p>
7 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12173 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 November 2004, what progress has been made with the research projects in relation to excess winter mortality and whether the findings will be made public.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific study has been undertaken in relation to winter mortality. However, the Scottish Executive is funding two major research projects evaluating the impact of the central heating programme.</p> <p>The first is a long-term project being undertaken by t…
7 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many excess winter deaths have been attributable to influenza in each year since 1999, broken down (a) by NHS board area and (b) into people aged (i) 60 to 74, (ii) 75 to 84 and (iii) 85 and over.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The numbers of deaths registered in the winter months (December to March) where influenza is recorded as the underlying cause of death are shown in the following table.</p> <p>Because of the small numbers involved NHS board and age breakdowns have not been pr…
7 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that fewer people die this winter from cold-related illnesses than in previous years, despite the forecast of a particularly harsh winter.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is taking action on a number of fronts.</p> <p>The Chief Medical Officer will issue guidance to older people to keep warm, use the winter fuel payment to ensure their homes are adequately heated and to wear sufficient warm clothing when…
3 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many admissions to hospital for cold-related/aggravated illnesses there have been in each year since 1999, broken down into (a) children, (b) adolescents, (c) adults and (d) elderly people in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is shown in the following table.</p> <p>Hospital discharges from acute hospitals with a diagnosis of cold related/aggravated illnesses - years ending 31 December 1999-2004 inclusive:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> …
3 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many admissions to hospital for self-harm there have been in each year since 1999, broken down into (a) adults, (b) adolescents and (c) children in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is shown in the following table.</p> <p>Hospital Discharges From Acute Hospitals with A Diagnosis of Deliberate Self-Harm - Years Ending 31 December 1999-2004 Inclusive</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <…
3 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a fast-track method of prioritising the central heating programme for those with certificated medical needs.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has been consulting key stakeholders on proposals for the new programme, including the option of a fast track for particularly pressing cases. We will announce our decisions in the light of that consultation process in due course.</p>
3 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18492 by Allan Wilson on 7 September 2005, whether it has set a date for publication of its draft energy efficiency strategy.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive expects to publishthe draft strategy in the spring of 2006.</p>
28 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to broaden the eligibility criteria to increase participation in the Warm Deal as an alternative to reducing the existing budget.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is currently consultingkey stakeholders on the future of the Warm Deal and central heating programmes,including the possibility of widening eligibility. We will make an announcementon our proposals in due course.</p>
28 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to raise the threshold on replacing central heating systems when a system is considered to be irreparably broken from £200 and whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in parallel with any rise in this threshold to ensure that the winter fuel …
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is currently consultingkey stakeholders on the future of the central heating and Warm Deal programmes,including the issue of the threshold. We will make an announcement on our proposalsin due course. We are also in touch with the UK Government o…
28 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the number of replacement heating systems installed under the central heating programme to fall from the current average of 1,200 a year.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The level of replacements dependsboth on the assessment of the condition of the existing system and the terms of the scheme. In 2004-05, 5,873 replacement systems were installed, out of a totalof 13,027 systems installed under the programme. The Executive is …
28 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to spend the £8 million savings it will make by cutting the resources for future heating programmes for vulnerable groups from £105 million for 2004-06 to £97 million for 2006-08.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The resources allocated for thecentral heating and Warm Deal programmes for 2006-08 in last year’s spendingreview were based first and foremost on an assessment of progress to date in dealingwith the stock of properties without functioning heating systems, an…
28 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figures are on levels of fuel poverty in households.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most up-to-date information is available from the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey(SCHS) which showed an estimated 286,000 households (13%) to be in fuel poverty.Since 2002, the House Condition Survey methodology moved towards a continuous reportingme…
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural second and holiday homes there were in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total housing and broken down by ward.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested can be found in the Communities Scotland Research Report No.58 <i>The Impact of Second and Holiday Homes in Rural Scotland </i>which is available publicly.</p>
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bankruptcies there have been in each year since the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001 came into force, broken down by sheriff court district.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Abolition of Poindings andWarrant Sales Act 2001 never came into force as it was repealed by the Debt Arrangementand Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002, which came into force on 30 December 2002.</p><p>The Accountant in Bankruptcy(AiB) maintains the Register …
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many debt arrangement schemes there have been in each year since the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001 came into force, broken down by sheriff court district.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The statutory Debt ArrangementScheme came into force on 30 November 2004. There have been 74 debt payment programmes approved,all in 2005. The scheme does not require a court application, and numbers are nottherefore available by sheriff court district.</p>
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many money advisers there have been in each year since the implementation of the Debt Arrangement Scheme, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Debt Arrangement Scheme cameinto force on 30 November 2004. Two money advisers were approved in 2004 for the purposesof the scheme and a further 35 this year so far. Details of approved money advisersbroken down by parliamentary constituency are not avail…
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make basic financial education, such as on the savings ethic, mandatory within the primary school curriculum.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-20067 on 7 November 2005, which applies to the primary curriculum also. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at:</p><…
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make it mandatory to incorporate financial education within the secondary curriculum.
Answer · Peter Peacock: There are no plans to make financialeducation compulsory within the curriculum.</p><p>The secondary school curriculumin Scotland is not prescribed by statute and delivery is a matterfor education authorities and schools. The Scottish Executive’s policy is to …
26 Oct 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Borders regarding the proposed closures of Jedburgh and Coldstream cottage hospitals.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No decision has been taken about the future of these two hospitals. As you know, NHS Borders has been reviewing in-patient facilities in the Borders area with a view to deciding how services should be delivered in future. The board’s overall strategy was disc…
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding putting in place provision for vulnerable groups in Scotland who cannot afford to purchase the equipment needed to change from analogue to digital TV and what action it can take itself in this respect.
Answer · Hugh Henry: It is thought that 150 approved advisers will provide the necessary support for expected demand for the Debt Arrangement Scheme. To date, 36 money advisers have been approved. This is disappointing, and I am not satisfied that there are enough advisers to sup…
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vulnerable people it estimates will be affected by the switch over from analogue to digital TV in 2008.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Yes. Consultants have been commissioned to carry out research into the operation of the scheme and have already carried out a preliminary evaluation of its operation. Phase 2 of the evaluation will begin in October 2005 and last for about six months. An inter…
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Ofcom with regard to the impact on vulnerable groups in Scotland when the switch over from analogue to digital TV takes place.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-19232 on 27 September 2005. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…