Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has access to statistics that note the causes, such as driver fatigue, of road traffic accidents.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Data about injury road accidentsare collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the Stats19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which oneor more people were injured: they do not cover damage only accide…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2901 by Sarah Boyack on 14 December 1999, what progress has been made in diagnosing sleepiness as a factor in road accidents.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A road safety research reportlooking at sleepiness as a factor in road accidents was published by the UK Governmentin 2001. The report suggests that sleep could be a factor in a tenth of all roadaccidents across the whole of the road network and up to 20% on …

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary schools have been closed in each year since 1999, stating which closures required ministerial consent, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The number of local authority primary schools closed in each of the calendar years concerned is shown in table 1 below. The table includes schools that have merged to form new schools in the local area and also, in a small number of cases, where a separate ed…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the members' business debate (Official Report; Vol 1 No 64 (Session 2) c 7178) on 25 March 2004, what plans it has to adopt policy, against the closure of rural schools in line with the presumption in England.

Answer · Peter Peacock: When the presumption was announcedin England in 1998, ministers in Scotland declined to follow suit but, rather, drewthe attention of Scottish local authorities to the importance of balancing all theeducational, financial and community issues which particular…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-1704 by Euan Robson and the members' business debate (Official Report; Vol 1 No 64 (Session 2), c 7177 and c 7178) on 25 March 2004, what plans it has to progress the proposed code of guidance on school closures with COSLA.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Following discussion with COSLA,we will prepare new guidance for parents, to improve understanding of the processesand of the respective rolls of local authorities and ministers.

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report on the Miss X case by the Chief Inspector of Social Work Services and, if so, when the report will be published.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive has receivedthe Social Work Services Inspectorate report into the Borders case, and expectsto publish it in the near future.

25 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has secured a commitment from the Strategic Rail Authority to the contribution of #4 million towards the Borders railway.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As promoters of the BordersRailway project, it is the responsibility of the Waverley Railway Partnershipto assemble and deliver the funding package.

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many organisations, registered with the Care Commission, failed to comply with one or more national care standards in each year since the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 came into force, detailing the standards involved in each case.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This is an operational matterfor the Care Commission. The commission are currently setting up an advisory workinggroup to develop a system which will report to both the public and ministers onthe quality of regulated care services. Details can be found at:</p…

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6836 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 March 2004, how much the Care Commission charges for attendance at its meetings and conferences.

Answer · Tom McCabe: To date, the Care Commissionhas not charged for attendance at its meetings and conferences. Decisions on chargingfor attendance at such events are an operational matter for the Care Commissionitself.

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6836 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 March 2004, what resources, financial and otherwise, have been used by the Care Commission in publicising the national care standards in each year since its inception.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Scottish ministers are responsiblefor the development and publication of the National Care Standards, which the CareCommission must take into account when carrying out its business. The Scottish Executiveworks closely with the Care Commission in publicising t…

23 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the US Food and Drug Administration requesting the label of 10 anti-depressant drugs to include a statement that recommends close observation of the patients for worsening depression or the warning signs of suicide and the fact that nine of these drugs are prescribed in Scotl…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety ofmedicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA).The safetyof the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been closely monitoredby the MHRA and the …

19 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4161 by Nicol Stephen on 1 December 2003, on what date the proposed formal consultation on the concessionary fares commitment outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland and announced as commencing shortly will be launched and whether proposals f…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The consultation paper onconcessionary travel is currently being finalised and we intend to publish thedocument in April. The introduction of a nationally recognised bus pass will beconsidered as part of the consultation.

16 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3039 by Mr Tom McCabe on 14 November 2003, when the strategic review of the care home sector will be published.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Work on the review iscontinuing. I expect to see a report in the coming months.

15 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care was aware that no-fault compensation awards to infected haemophiliacs in the Republic of Ireland were made on compassionate grounds without legal liability on the part of the state and, if so, why he did not advise the Health Committee (O…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-6958 on 29 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

15 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care was aware that compensation to those in the Republic of Ireland who developed hepatitis C through contaminated blood products was a no-fault compensation scheme when giving evidence to the Health Committee (Official Report, 9 September 20…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: My reply of 20 March to yourletter of 12 March on this issue sets down the important facts concerning thesituation in the Republic of Ireland as I understand them.I have placed copies of myletter in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 31878)…

15 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-455 by Euan Robson on 9 June 2003, when the report of the Chief Inspector of Social Work on the examination of the reports on the "Miss X" case will be available and whether it will publish this report.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Chief Inspector's report on the Scottish Borders Council social work services for people affected by learning disabilities is expected in the autumn, and will be published.

12 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-5962 and S2W-5963 by Mr Tom McCabe on 25 February and 9 March 2004, what it estimates the cost is of providing free personal care to 780 people under 65 with dementia.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to theanswers given to S2W-5963 and S2W-6498 on 26 February and 9 March 2004.Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at:<ahref="http://www.sco…

12 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding for aids and adaptations is ring-fenced.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No. Resources for aids andadaptations are provided through local authority general allocations.

12 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the funding of aids and adaptations by local authorities and, if not, how the provision of aids and adaptations is monitored.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Local authorities are notrequired to provide this level of detail to the Executive in their financialreturns. However, the Strategy Forum: Equipment and Adaptations commented onthis in their report Equipped for Inclusion. We are consideringresponses to…

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cost of installing sprinklers in care homes will be reflected in future care home charges or whether it will provide any financial assistance to care homes for their installation.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no requirement forsprinklers to be installed in existing care homes. The Executive intends tointroduce regulations requiring sprinklers to be installed in new residentialcare homes. Providers need to consider the cost of meeting all the relevantregul…

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of increases in water charges when care home charges are set.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5615 on 3 February 2004.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.uk/we…

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for a patient to be referred for rheumatologist specialist opinion and treatment in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting times for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, and for inpatient and day case treatment, in the specialty of Rheumatology, by NHS Board area of residence, in each year since…

11 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards (a) are and (b) are not meeting Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines that all patients who have experienced persistent inflammation of the joints for more than six to eight weeks and are receiving simple painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs are to be r…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.NHS boards should takeaccount of all guidelines issued by SIGN.