Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

22 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sheltered housing complexes were built by local authorities in each year since 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The table gives the total numberof houses built by local authorities since 1999 for different categories of specialneeds housing.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=right>1999</p> …

22 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many very sheltered housing dwellings there were in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04 and how many it estimates that there will be by the end of 2004-05, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The table gives the number of very sheltered local authority, Scottish Homes and housing association dwellings at 31 March each year from 1999 to 2003, the latest date for which full information is available, and on the number of local authority very sheltere…

20 Oct 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policy measures it has implemented to prevent young people and families from migrating from Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Through the Partnership Agreement the Scottish Executive is delivering a Scotland where people and families will want to stay – an open, welcoming and inclusive Scotland where opportunity exists for all; a Scotland where last month’s spending review provided …

20 Oct 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rural development policies it has implemented in the last year to encourage young people and families to live in the Scottish Borders.

Answer · Ross Finnie: We are committed to maintaining strong, prosperous and growing communities in the Scottish Borders. We have implemented a wide range of policies over the past year to support rural economic development, improve access to services and work to ensure that the s…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7277 by Peter Peacock on 5 May 2004, when the new guidance regarding school closures will be published.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The new guidance was published on 30 September 2004, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34126). Electronic copies are available on the Scottish Executive’s School Estate and Parentzone websites at <a href="http://w…

6 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many excess winter deaths of people (a) of all ages, (b) aged 60 to 74, (c) aged 75 to 84 and (d) aged 85 or over there were in each year since 1994-95 in (i) Scotland, (ii) each parliamentary constituency and (iii) each NHS board area.

Answer · Tavish Scott: There is no universally accepteddefinition of “excess winter deaths”. A number of options were discussed in an OccasionalPaper entitled <i>The Raised Incidence of Winter Deaths</i> published in 2002 bythe General Register Office for Scotland and available at:…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of electricity used by buildings in each of its departments and agencies has come from renewable sources in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Figures for individual buildings are not available, however since 1999 supplies of electricity have been governed by an overarching contract put in place by the Executive’s procurement staff. This contract covers all core Executive departments and buildings i…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties are rented by each of its departments and what the annual costs were of each property in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: At present there are 13 properties rented by core executive departments. Both the number and level of rental costs of these properties varies from year-to-year. The following table is a summary of the historical position from 1999 as requested.</p><p>Rented P…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the travel costs were of civil servants in each of its departments and agencies in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is set out in the following table. The information includes subsistence costs as it is not possible to separate these from all the travel costs incurred by staff. Restructuring of Departments in the Scottish Executive over the period…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed by each non-departmental public body in each year since 1999; what the budget of each such body was in each year, and what proportion of each such budget was allocated for administrative costs in each year, broken down into (a) pay and (b) other costs.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on non-departmental public bodies, including details of the number of staff employed is contained on the public bodies website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies/">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodie…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the salary costs to it were in each department of employees working in public relations and publicity in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The specialist Executive staff working on public relations and publicity activities within the core departments of the Scottish Executive are based in the Finance and Central Services Department. The activities covered are advertising, marketing and PR, publi…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) capital and (b) running costs were of mobile phones in each of its departments in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> </p> </td> <td> <p>2002-03</p> </td> <td> <p>2003-04</p> </td> <td> <p>2004-05 (to end Sept.)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align=center>(£000)</p> </td> </tr> …

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many antisocial behaviour orders (ABSOs) have been served in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information on numbers of ASBOs granted in each local authority area in the period 1 December 1999 to 31 March 2004 is provided in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Local Authority</p> </td> <td…

30 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10247 by Malcolm Chisholm of 23 September 2004 and with reference to Bib. number 33792, whether it will provide details of these emergency readmissions, broken down by age group.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The following tables show the number of emergency readmissions for surgical and medical specialties, broken down by age group:</p><p>28-Day Readmission Rate Following Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital; 1999-2003</p><table border=1 cel…

29 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10193 by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 September 2004, whether it will list (a) information that has previously been provided by the Scottish Key Indicators Package for Performance (SKIPPER) which is not currently duplicated in some form on the ISD website …

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information published in SKIPPER was split into 11 broad groups each of which contained a variety of analyses as listed in the table below. The tables below show the definition of each category of analysis, whether it is currently available from another …

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7076 by Nicol Stephen on 2 April 2004, when the results of the consultation into the concessionary fares commitment, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, will be published

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We are currently considering the way forward in implementing the Partnership Agreement commitment for a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities. The next steps will be announced shortly. </p>

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4853 by Nicol Stephen on 19 February 2004, whether funds allocated under the concessionary fare scheme are ring-fenced.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The main source of funding for the current concessionary travel schemes is the formula-based grant aided expenditure allocation made to local authorities which are not hypothecated. However, where authorities can demonstrate that there is a shortfall in fundi…

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of any funding surpluses in the operation of the concessionary fares scheme and, if so, what such surpluses are, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is set out in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=center>GAE</p> <p align=center>Allocation</p> <p align=center>2003-04</p> <p align=cen…

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of any funding deficits in the operation of the concessionary fares scheme and, if so, what such deficits are, broken down by local authority area.

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schoolchildren who are currently in the fifth year of secondary schools are, as a result of the cut-off date for eligibility for the Education Maintenance Allowance of 1 March 2004, excluded from the scheme and what the estimated cost is of including all such schoolchildren, brok…

Answer · Jim Wallace: School census data for 2004-05 have not yet been collected. An estimate, based on numbers of pupils in S3 in 2002-03, suggests that approximately 1,200 school pupils are likely to fall into this group across Scotland. We estimate that the cost of extending Ed…

27 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Justice to Dr Norman Watson on 15 September 2004 regarding posthumous pardons for convicted suffragettes, what information it has on why such pardons are, according to Home Office officials, not appropriate for use of the Royal Prerogati…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A decision to recommend the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to grant a free pardon is limited to cases where no court based remedy is available, or where new evidence, not previously heard by the courts, has arisen which demonstrates beyond any doubt th…

27 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities no longer provide a meals on wheels service and have opted for a frozen food option and how many people received such an option in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

27 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12043 by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 January 2001, how many people in each local authority area received meals on wheels in each year since 1999.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>