Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14474 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 March 2005, what representations it has received regarding policing events attended by the royal family; from whom such representations were received, and what its response was.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Representations were received in September and October 2002 from a member of the public about parking restrictions imposed at a Hospital during a visit in September 2002 by a member of the Royal Family. The response given at that time noted that the restricti…
4 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14474 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 March 2005, whether local police forces were required to meet the costs of policing events attended by the royal family and, if so, what percentage of each force's budget was used for policing such events in (a) 1999, (b)…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: To the extent that police officers from a local force were on duty during an event attended by the Royal Family as part of their normal duties, there will be no additional cost incurred by the local force. Otherwise, as I indicated in my earlier answer to que…
2 Mar 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the viability of Heriot-Watt University maintaining its campus in Galashiels and on the consequences for Borders College should the shared campus proposals fall through.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Further EducationFunding Council recently approved the business case made by Borders College to re-locateon a shared campus with Heriot-Watt. The business case contained alternative optionsfor the college should the co-location proposal not take …
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what charges were made by local authorities for (a) basic burial and (b) cremation in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001, (iv) 2002, (v) 2003 and (vi) 2004, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.</p>
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned in the last three years into the debt burden for families as a result of funeral expenses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has commissioned no research into the debt burden for families as a result of funeral expenses, in the last three years.</p>
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of providing a basic funeral and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to increase the level of grant available from the Department for Work and Pensions for this purpose.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The payment of benefits, including those made for funeral expenses, is a reserved matter, on which the Executive has made no representations to the UK Government.</p><p>Information specific to Scotland is not held centrally.</p>
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was to environmental health departments of administering burials in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This Information is not held centrally.</p>
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many burials were carried out by environmental health departments in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines "soon" as used in its answers to parliamentary questions.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Interpretation of the term will depend upon the particular context in which it is employed. Where the term is used, it will be, as is always the case, that the Executive’s intention is to follow up the issue without any avoidable delay. Whenever possible, how…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a breakdown by category of the sources of freedom of information requests to each public authority within its responsibility and what percentage of the total number of requests to each authority each category represents.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Every request for informationwhich the Scottish Executive receives is handled in line with the Freedom of Information(Scotland) Act 2002. As all requests are handled in the same way regardless of thesource of the request we do not generally record aggregated …
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests have been received by each public authority within its responsibility.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Every request for informationwhich the Scottish Executive receives is handled in accordance with the Freedomof Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Most requests for information are handledroutinely and are not recorded or counted centrally. However, in line with…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average time has been taken to respond to freedom of information requests by each public authority within its responsibility.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive and eachpublic authority within its responsibility must handle all requests for informationin line with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and respond to them within 20 days. Requestsfor information are not all centrally mon…
23 Feb 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages for cottage and community hospitals in delivering an integrated health service.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and delivery of health care services – including those provided in community hospitals in many rural parts of Scotland – are the responsibility of NHS boards, working within national priorities set by the Scottish Executive.</p><p>We expect board…
23 Feb 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposal by Scottish Borders Council to delay the implementation of the proposal to close Newlands Primary School on condition that parents of children at the school raise £1 million for repairs constitutes a precedent that the Executive would wish to see followed elsewhere.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I understand that the council’s decision to allow this option to be explored reflects the particular circumstances of Newlands Primary School. I would not regard this as setting a precedent.</p>
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it authorises compulsory acquisition of abandoned properties; how long the process takes, and how a community or neighbours can instigate the process.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no special powers or procedures relating to compulsory purchase of properties that appear to be abandoned. Such properties could be included in compulsory purchase orders promoted for a range of purposes. </p><p>Powers to instigate compulsory purcha…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many compulsory acquisitions of abandoned properties it has authorised in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are various powers for compulsory purchase which can be used to deal with property which is in disrepair and may appear to be abandoned, allowing it to be repaired and re-occupied, or demolished and the site redeveloped. There is, however, no specific r…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9715 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 August 2004, how the figure of 29 days as a median waiting time for a first out-patient neurology appointment in Lothian as at 31 March 2004 is consistent with the information contained in a letter from NHS Lothian to a…
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Lothian has confirmed that the waiting time for a first “routine” surgical neurology/neurosurgical outpatient appointment at the Western General Hospital is approximately 68 weeks. The NHS board is taking action to tackle these unacceptably long waits, an…
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the percentage of (a) the UK rail network and (b) UK train stations located in Scotland and what Scotland's share of UK rail network funding would be were its allocation to be based on such percentages.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Approximately 13% of the GB railway track and 14% of GB railway stations are located in Scotland.</p><p>UK and Scottish ministers announced on 18 January 2005 a financial settlement of approximately £325 million to support the devolution of new powers in rela…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13959 by Susan Deacon on 21 March 2001, what percentage of the NHS drugs budget was spent on (a) obesity and (b) diabetes in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02, (iii) 2002-03, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2004 to date.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The table gives the percentage of the total prescribing expenditure for drugs used in treatment of obesity (as defined in Section 4.5 of the British National Formulary) and drugs used in diabetes (as defined in Section 6.1 of the British National Formulary) f…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29829 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 October 2002, how many people with morbid obesity have received surgery in order to aid weight reduction in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004 to date.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of patients in Scotland with obesity and those specifically with morbid obesity who have had surgery to aid weight reduction is presented in the table.</p> <p>Number of Patients<sup>1</sup> Diagnosed in Scotland with Obesity and Morbid Obesity who …
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32276 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 December 2002, how many people have been diagnosed as suffering from clinical obesity in each year since 2002, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Estimated Number Patients Seen in general practices in Scotland Newly Diagnosed with “Obesity” or as Being “Overweight” is shown in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p> </p></td> <td> <p>Overweight<…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-584 by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2003, how many people have been admitted to hospital as a result of (a) alcohol misuse, (b) tobacco consumption, (c) obesity and (d) misuse of illegal drugs in each year since 2002, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on all admissions to general acute and psychiatric hospitals, showing episodes of in-patient or day case care with an explicit diagnosis of alcohol-related conditions, drug misuse and obesity during 2001-02 is shown in table 1.</p><p>Complete data…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4697 by Mr Frank McAveety on 15 December 2003, how the £24 million to deliver physical activity for children in school was distributed and what monitoring of outcomes took place.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The £24 million committed to Active Schools over the three years 2003-04 to 2005-06 will be distributed as set out in the table. Integral monitoring and evaluation arrangements will focus on the number of teachers, coaches and leaders involved in delivery and…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5400 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 January 2004, what information it has on levels of obesity amongst (a) pre-school and (b) school children, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information for all NHS boards in Scotland is not currently available. For those NHS areas where data is available, the following tables show the levels of obesity amongst pre-school children (aged 3 to 3.5 years) and school children (at primary 1, primary 7 …
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9715 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 August 2004, how the £2.95 million neurology initiative to reduce out-patient waiting times has been allocated.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is making revenue funding of £112,000 available to each of the four regional neurology centres in Scotland. Following bidding we are currently finalising details with the centres for the distribution of capital funding of £2.5 million.</p><p>Dra…
18 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9715 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 August 2004, what the most recent average waiting times are for a first out-patient appointment with a neurology consultant following referral by a GP, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of first out-patientneurology appointments and the median waiting time for a first out-patient appointmentwith a consultant in the specialty of neurology, following referral by a generalmedical practitioner, by NHS board of residence, in the year e…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has made of (a) any savings to the civil legal aid budget and (b) other costs such as shrieval time as a result of the provision of mediation services.
Answer · Hugh Henry: No formal or systematic evaluationhas been made of any savings to the civil legal aid or other justice budgets asa result of the provision of mediation services. Previous attempts to do so in familycases have been unsuccessful due to the difficulties in ensur…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many clients were assisted through mediation services in each year since 1999, broken down by local mediation service.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Figures are given in the Annual Reports published by Family Mediation Scotland (FMS). In general, these relate to the number of people who contact local services for information or advice of any kind, not of the final numbers who proceed to mediation (though …
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will allocate for a national helpline for mediation services.
Answer · Hugh Henry: We have outlined various non-legislative proposals to complement the Family Law Bill, including a possible telephone helpline or information service on family relationship issues. Before allocating any funding for a helpline project we will discuss key questi…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3961 by Mr Sam Galbraith of 13 July 2000, what level of funding has been allocated for family mediation services in the south of Scotland in each year since 2001.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The following table shows core funding under the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund received by four services which cover the south of Scotland.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>…