Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
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 were designated as being in "vulnerable and disadvantaged groups" and living in Scotland in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004, broken down by local authority…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Financial Inclusion Action Plan refers to the Executive’s six closing the opportunity gap (CTOG) objectives, announced on 12 July 2004. One of these is: to increase the chances of sustained employment for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.</p><p>The CTO…
19 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the Social Justice Indicators of Progress for 2004.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our new Closing the Opportunity Gap approach has refocused our social justice strategy, and set out new objectives and targets, and action to deliver those targets. The targets were announced in the Scottish Parliament on 9 December 2004 and are referred to i…
19 Jan 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an announcement will be made in February 2005 on the funding of the Borders Railway.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will respond to the Waverley Railway’s outline business case in the next few weeks.</p>
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20130, S1W-25599 and S20-493 by Ms Wendy Alexander, Iain Gray and Mr Jim Wallace on 4 December 2001, 17 May 2002 and 25 September 2003 respectively and with reference to its news release of 8 September 2004 on the Scottish Adult Literacy and Numera…
Answer · Allan Wilson: We have allocated GAE provision of £12.32 million and £12.38 million for the years 2005-07.</p><p>This funding is not ring-fenced.</p>
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release of 8 September 2004 on the Scottish Adult Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, what the breakdown of the £51 million invested over a five-year period is by (a) local authority and (b) year.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Of the £51 million allocated, £41.7 million is being routed through local authorities to Community Learning and Development Partnerships. The attached table shows the allocation of funding to local authorities for 2001-06. The balance of funding was allocated…
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release of 8 September 2004 on the Scottish Adult Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and given its target of helping 150,000 people by March 2006, how many people will be helped in each local authority area in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The following table shows forecast figures for 2004-06 provided by the partnerships. There are currently no forecast figures available for the period after March 2006.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Local Authority</…
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it set in respect of raising levels of adult literacy and numeracy for (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004, broken down by local authority area and what the actual performance was.
Answer · Allan Wilson: A target of helping 80,000 new adult literacy and numeracy learners in Scotland for the period 2001-04 was recommended in the <i>Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland</i> report, published in July 2001. The target number was not broken down by local authori…
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20130, S1W-25599 and S2O-493 by Ms Wendy Alexander, Iain Gray and Mr Jim Wallace on 4 December 2001, 17 May 2002 and 25 September 2003 respectively, what the reasons were for it not meeting its national adult literacy and numeracy target of enablin…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The main reasons for not achieving the 80,000 new adult literacy and numeracy learners during the period 2001 to 2004 are as follows:</p><p>Community Learning and Development partnerships found it difficult to engage new learners.</p><p>Delay in establishing …
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources (a) were allocated to improve adult literacy and numeracy in 2004 and (b) have been allocated to improve adult literacy and numeracy in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive allocated GAE provision of £11.20 million, £12.32 million and £12.38 million for the three years 2004-07.</p>
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the population was in (a) 1999 and (b) 2004 and what the projected population figures are for 2010, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Sub-national population estimates and projections are not calculated for Scottish parliamentary constituencies. Information for local authority and health board areas is available on the General Register Office for Scotland website at <ahref="http://www.gro-s…
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12428 by Rhona Brankin on 24 December 2004 and given that the Scottish Borders accounts for 2% of the Scottish population, why 22% of all NHS dental patients deregistered in 2002-03 and 37% deregistered in 2003-04 were from the Scottish Borders; what…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Responsibility for the overall provision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Borders. NHS Borders has advised that the increase in the number of de-registrations in 2002-03 and 2003-04 was due to dental practices in Duns, Eyemouth, Peebles and H…
13 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12428 by Rhona Brankin on 24 December 2004, how many dental practices in the Scottish Borders provided NHS treatment in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04, expressed also as a percentage of all practices for each yea…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The number of dental practices in the Scottish Borders providing NHS treatment at 31 March in the relevant years is shown in the table.</p><p>It is not possible to express this number as a percentage of all practices in the Scottish<b> </b>Borders, as informa…
12 Jan 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to promote learning and education among the most deprived communities.
Answer · Peter Peacock: All children should achieve totheir full potential at school and we have a wide ranging programme in <i>Ambitious,Excellent, Schools</i> to help them do so.</p>
11 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which divisions within Lothian and Borders Police have implemented an overtime ban in the last 12 months and what plans there are for extending, or implementing, a ban on overtime for the next 12 months.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Arrangements for working hours are a matter for the Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police.</p>
11 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many special initiatives will be undertaken by Lothian and Borders Police in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04; how many are being undertaken in 2004-05, and how many are planned for 2005-06, broken down by divisional area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally and is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police.</p>
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent data are that it has on the incidence of accidents in the home, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) local authority ward.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS treatment for unintentional injuries may be provided in a number of health settings including general practice, accident and emergency departments and as an inpatient in a hospital. Data available nationally at a level of detail that would allow the place…
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what data is has on the incidence of accidents in the home, broken down by age group, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03, (e) 2003-04 and (f) 2004-05, expressed also as a percentage of all accidental injury admissions to accident and emergency departments in each year.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS treatment for unintentional injuries may be provided in a number of health settings, including general practice, accident and emergency departments and as an in-patient in a hospital. Data available nationally, at a level of detail that would allow the pl…
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether providing capital funding for works undertaken by the Care and Repair Scheme, which may include aids and adaptations and a handyman service, through the private sector housing grant disadvantages those in the socially-rented sector from accessing such services.
Answer · Johann Lamont: We are committed to meetingthe housing needs of people in all tenures across Scotlandincluding owner occupiers. Care and Repair projects help older owner-occupiersand private sector tenants to arrange repairs and adaptations to their homes,and may also provid…
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has that local authorities may have moved funding from handyman services and aids and adaptations for tenants in the socially-rented sector in order to provide the required contributions to funding the Care and Repair Scheme.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Aids and adaptations andhandyman services for tenants in the social rented sector are funded from rentsand specific grants from Communities Scotland. This funding would not beeligible to be used to support Care and Repair services, which work to improvehousin…
6 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a policy of continuously monitoring morale among members of children's panels to ensure that retention levels do not fall below current levels.
Answer · Euan Robson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-12922, answered on 22 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.pa…
6 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12922 by Euan Robson on 22 December 2004, which measures within the retention strategy for recruitment for children"s panels have been implemented following advice by the Publicity Working Group.
Answer · Euan Robson: The retention strategy was designed to address the principal reasons for resignation, i.e. failure of local authorities to implement supervision requirements; overstretch caused by too many hearings per session and poor facilities at hearings centres; late re…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has to link deprivation in communities with crime and family breakdown.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is a substantial body of evidence linking deprivation with crime and family breakdown available to the Executive. The evidence comes primarily from regular statistical surveys such as the British Crime Survey (BCS) and its Scottish equivalent, the Scott…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish figures on progress made in respect of its targets on child poverty for (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04, broken down by quarter and local authority area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presents the number and proportion of children living in low income households in Scotland from 1996-97 to 2002-03. Figures are produced annually and estimates for 2003-04 are not yet available. Estimates are available at Scotland level on…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was allocated to addressing child poverty in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04 and what funding will be allocated for this purpose in each of the next two financial years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive, alongwith the UK Government is committed to eradicating child poverty within a generation.The Executive’s Closing the Opportunity Gap approach to tackling poverty works bothdirectly and indirectly across all its departments, and within…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated what share of economic growth would require to be redistributed to raise families currently living in deprived circumstances above the official poverty threshold.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. This is a complex issue andwe do not think the calculation would be meaningful. </p><p>Estimates on the full range ofincome thresholds and explanation of how these estimates are calculated are publishedin <i>Households Below Average Income, 1994-95 – 2002…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent assessment has been carried out on the likely impact of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 on children's activities from 10 January 2005 onwards.
Answer · Euan Robson: A regulatory impact assessment on bodies likely to be affected by the legislation was carried out prior to the introduction of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill in September 2002. The results of that assessment were published in the Financial Memoran…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it has received from Disclosure Scotland that it will be able to meet the targets set by the Executive in respect of processing application forms for (a) basic, (b) standard and (c) enhanced disclosures.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Disclosure Scotland deals with applications in date order as they are received with no distinction as to the level of check requested.</p><p>Following the delays of last year, Disclosure Scotland has revised its process and introduced new technology to ensure…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed by Disclosure Scotland in each year since its establishment, broken down into (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) temporary staff.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The numbers of staff employed since Disclosure Scotland was established in April 2002 are set out in the table. The numbers include staff employed by British Telecommunications plc and the Scottish Criminal Record Office who operate the service in partnership…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to Disclosure Scotland in each year since its establishment and what targets Disclosure Scotland has in respect of staff recruitment in 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Disclosure Scotland is financed by the share of income Scottish ministers receive from the sale of certificates and through additional support from ministers as necessary. Disclosure Scotland began operations in April 2002, and the income from the sale of cer…
15 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many will be retained as volunteers following implementation of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, in light of possible delays in processing Disclosure Scotland forms.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Over the past five months, all correctly completed applications have been issued in under 14 working days from the time of receipt at Disclosure Scotland. </p><p>At 11 January 2005, the Central Registered Body Scotland (CRBS) (which handles applications from …