Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs are currently eligible for retirement at 60 and, of these, how many could retire in each of the next three years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The table shows the number of GPs in post who are aged 60 and over at 21 February 2005, together with the additional GPs who will reach the age of 60 at 21 February in each of the following three years 2006-08. This information is shown for Scotland and by in…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to government bodies, agencies and other public bodies involved in royal visits was in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down into (i) direct expenditure and (ii) cost of time spent in administering and overseeing such visits.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information for agencies or other public bodies. A proportionof Scottish Executive staff time is spent in administering visits by membersof the Royal Family but we cannot provide yearly breakdowns as records of this ty…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on events and functions attended by members of the royal family in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) police force area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14476 on 15 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to police forces was of policing events attended by members of the royal family in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by police force.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: It is not the policy of the Scottish Executive to comment on, or otherwise disclose details of, the cost of policing eventsattended by members of the royal family as to do so could compromise their securityand play into the hands of those who might wish to in…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to local authorities was of administering and servicing the duties of lords lieutenant and their deputies in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The cost to local authorities of administering and servicing the duties of lords lieutenant and their deputies is not identified separately in the local authority expenditure returns made to the Scottish Executive.</p>
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to local authorities was of administering royal visits and royal holidays in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The cost to local authorities of administering royal visits and royal holidays is not identified separately in the local authority expenditure returns made to the Scottish Executive.</p>
16 Feb 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its advice from officials is not to fund the Borders Railway and whether the matter will require a ministerial direction.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continues to consider the Waverley Railway Partnership’s outline business case and an announcement will be made soon.</p>
3 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were built in the social rented sector in each local authority area in each year since 1979.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The tables show new build completions in the public sector from 1979 to 2003. Table 1 shows Scotland totals from 1979 to 2003 and table 2 contains a breakdown by local authority for 1996 to 2003. Reliable information at local authority level is not available …
3 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13367 by Cathy Jamieson on 19 January 2005, what the rate of recorded burglary was per thousand population, broken down by police force area in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table.</p><p>Crimes of Housebreaking per 1,000 population, 1999-2000 to 2003-2004</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Police Force</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>1999-2000</…
3 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13366 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2005, what percentage of people in Scotland lived in overcrowded housing, broken down by local authority area, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is in table 1. As the information is only available at local authority level for 1999 and 2000 and 2001 and 2002, additional information is contained in table 2.</p><p>Table 1: Percentage of People in Scotland who Live in Overcrowded…
3 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13365 by Peter Peacock on 21 January 2005, what percentage of young people left school at 16, broken down by local authority area, in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.
Answer · Peter Peacock: A document has been lodged with the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35208) containing the requested information. The data relates to all publicly funded secondary schools in Scotland, including pupils in special units.</p>
28 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13368 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2005, what percentage of children in Scotland lived in non-working families, broken down by local authority area, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is in table 1 below. As the information is only available at local authority level for 1999-2000 and 2001-02, additional information is contained in table 2.</p><p>Table 1: Percentage of Children in Scotland who live in Households wi…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be for residents in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian of the reported £5 million shortfall within Lothian and Borders Police.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13840, on 7 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the reported shortfall of almost £5 million will have on frontline police services and manpower throughout the Lothian and Borders police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The amount of Grant Aided Expenditure allocated to Lothian and Borders Police for 2005-06 is £179 million, an increase of £10 million on 2004-05. Lothian and Borders Joint Police Board has set the budget for Lothian and Borders Police for 2005-06 equal to thi…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of paraphernalia has been distributed in needle and syringe exchanges following amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and whether any financial restrictions have had an impact on the amount of additional paraphernalia that needle exchange programmes can distribute as a pre…
Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not currently available. The Executive is currently in the process of commissioning research, jointly with the National Treatment Agency in England, to undertake a national survey of needle exchange services in Scotland and England. The fi…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many needles and syringes were distributed to illicit drug injectors last year and how it will address any shortfall in the number of needles and syringes being provided.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Information provided by drug and alcohol action teams in the annual Corporate Action Plans indicates that 3,937,553 needles and syringes were distributed across Scotland in 2003-04.</p><p>The Lord Advocate’s guidance on needle exchange was changed in December…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made in respect of the numbers of sterile injecting equipment required for each episode of illicit drug injecting in each of the last five years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has published research which estimates that the numbers of injecting drug users in Scotland in 2000 and 2003 were 22,805 and 18,737 respectively. The frequency of injecting by any drug user will vary considerably. However, by assuming t…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the launch of its hepatitis C action plan will be accompanied by a financial commitment and, if so, whether this will be new funding and whether it will be ring-fenced.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13828, on 7 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/w…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its hepatitis C action plan will have (a) a public and (b) a medical professional component.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13828, on 7 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/w…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an outline of its hepatitis C action plan.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The hepatitis C action plan will serve as a broad framework for further implementation of the SNAP recommendations and the key messages in the Consensus Statement which emerged from the Conference in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in April 2004.…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding has been identified for further preventative innovations to combat the spread of hepatitis C.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In addition to their unified budgets, the Executive already gives over £8 million per year to NHS boards in earmarked resources for work to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C. NHS boards use these resources in a variety of ways taking account o…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that pharmacies, drug misuse and harm-reduction services are not punitive in their outlook when working with those involved in drug misuse.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Staff attitudes are central to effective engagement with drug users and it is recognised that punitive and/or judgemental attitudes are counterproductive. The Scottish Executive has published research which describes good practice in prescribing, and clearly …
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review of substitution treatment and the dosage supplied in order to develop its effectiveness in addressing injecting drug misuse and in reducing the transmission of hepatitis C.
Answer · Hugh Henry: These matters are covered in the <i>Drug Misuse and Dependence - Guidelines on Clinical Management</i>, published jointly in 1999 by the Department of Health and Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts. The Executive is currently in discussion with t…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider increasing substitution treatment as an alternative to needle exchange in respect of tackling hepatitis C in prisons.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service is steadily increasing its commitment to substitution treatment. While such treatment reduces the demand for in…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has put audit processes in place to assess the effectiveness of hepatitis C prevention and harm-reduction measures.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Current processes include:</p><p>- monitoring by Health Protection Scotland of the prevalence of hepatitis C among injecting drug users. This surveillance activity is designed to monitor trends so that the effectiveness of interventions can be evaluated. </p>…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are substantial support services available for people diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since 2002, the Executive has made available resources for the establishment and ongoing activities of the UK Hepatitis C Resource Centre in Scotland, which is based in Glasgow and offers advice on testing and treatment to those affected by hepatitis C.<b> </…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are sufficient resources available to ensure that people with hepatitis C are treated and counselled (a) inside and (b) outside hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13609, on 31 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/w…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any shortage of skilled nurses to manage the caseloads of patients with hepatitis C.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is committed to building nursing capacity within NHSScotland and is on track to achieve the Partnership Agreement target of attracting 12,000 nurses and midwives to NHS Scotland by 2007.</p><p>In addition, the <i>Facing the Future </i>i…
24 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the objectives in its Financial Inclusion Action Plan of January 2005, what target it has for people living in "vulnerable and disadvantaged groups" working in sustained employment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is information on the Executive’s closing the opportunity gap website, <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/social-inclusion/17415/opportunity">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/social-inclusion/17415/opportunity</a> about targets rel…
24 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the objectives in its Financial Inclusion Action Plan of January 2005, how many people living in "vulnerable and disadvantaged groups" were in sustained employment in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures for all people in Scotland in employment in the years concerned are as follows. It is not possible, however, to define how many of these are in vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, nor how many are in sustained employment.</p><table border=1 cellspaci…