Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been fined under the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 in each financial year since 1999-2000, stating in each case the value of the fine.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information, which relates to calendar years, is given in the following table:Number of persons fined for offences under the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912, 1999-2002<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been under the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 in each financial year since 1999-2000.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information, which relates to calendar years, is given in the following table:Number of persons convicted for offences under the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912, 1999-2002<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> …

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of resources it provides for drug treatment and rehabilitation services.

Answer · Hugh Henry: According to the Executive’sPolicy Unit Review of Drugs Expenditure <ahref="http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/abstracts/PUDrugExpenRev.htm">http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/abstracts/PUDrugExpenRev.htm</a>,38%of the total ex…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been allocated to the NHS for alcohol treatment in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Funding for servicesaddressing alcohol problems is provided within resources allocated to NHS boardsand local authorities, but is not specifically identified by the Executive. The release of funding isconditional on alcohol action teams having agreed outcome …

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been spent by social inclusion partnerships on addressing (a) alcohol and (b) drug misuse in each year since their inception.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:Separate social inclusion partnership(SIP) funding has been allocated since 2000 to tackle controlled drugs asdefined under the Misuse of Drugs…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its drug misuse budget was spent on (a) health-related and (b) justice-related services, in each year since 1999.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We do not hold all of thisinformation centrally, as some drug misuse expenditure is deployed within coreor mainstream budgets. A review by our policy unit estimated that, in 1999, 38%of such resources was spent on treatment and rehabilitation, and 46% onenfor…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to collect information centrally on the level of funding allocated by NHS boards to address (a) alcohol and (b) drug misuse.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Some information on thelevel of spend by NHS boards on addressing drug misuse is currently collectedthrough drug action team corporate action plans, available at <ahref="http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm">http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take at a national level, other than advertising, to address (a) alcohol and (b) drug misuse.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Plan for Action onalcohol problems (<ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/health/alcoholproblems/docs/paap-00.asp">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/health/alcoholproblems/docs/paap-00.asp</a>)sets out a range of actions under the headings of culture change, preven…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has provided to address alcohol misuse in each year since 1999 and what percentage of such funding was spent on advertising.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isgiven in the following table. Budgets for 2004-05 have still to be agreed.Specific central Executivebudgets to address alcohol problems from 1999 to 2004, showing proportionatespend on national advertising.<table border=…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time has been for a local authority to assess an application made by a carer under section 12AA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to date.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliamentwebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to section 12AA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, whether there is a target in respect of the time it takes a local authority to conduct an assessment of a carer's support needs.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has not set atarget in respect of the time it should take to conduct an assessment of acarers’ support needs. I refer the member to the answer given to questionS2W-6151 on 17 March 2004 which sets out the Executive’s position on monitoringcarers…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to section 12AA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, how many assessments of carers for accessing services were conducted by local authorities in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to date.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004 All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the parliament website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to section 12AA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, how many requests there have been by carers to local authorities for an assessment for accessing services in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to date.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamentwebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to section 12AA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, what monitoring is in place in respect of the notification by local authorities to carers regarding their possible entitlement to an assessment for acces…

Answer · Tom McCabe: From 2004-05 we will becollecting data from local authorities on the numbers of carers’ assessmentsbeing carried out. We propose to build on this by collecting additional data onthe numbers of carers requesting assessments. These indicators should provide api…

11 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how carers are made aware of their entitlement to an assessment of their support needs under section 12AB of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Community Care andHealth (Scotland) Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to notify carerswho appear to them to be eligible to have an assessment of their support needsas a carer, that they may be entitled to have such an assessment. The act alsopro…

10 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices have been issued by each local authority under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Tavish Scott: As the provisions containedin the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 only came into effect on 22 October lastyear this information is not yet available. However, as indicated in myresponse to S2W-5987 on 26 February 2004, we intend to undertake a survey towards …

10 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on proposed animal welfare legislation and when it anticipates introducing a bill on the matter.

Answer · Allan Wilson: We anticipate that the firstconsultation paper on proposed changes to animal welfare legislation will beissued in March and this will be followed by a more detailed consultation paperand a draft bill in the autumn. No exact date has been agreed for theintrodu…

9 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-504 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 June 2003, how many dentists there have been whose patient registration status shows withdrawn in each financial year from 1999-2000 to 2001-02 and this financial year to date, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is provided in the following table. The presence of a dentist indicates that the status of at least one of his patients is “withdrawn”. The data do not necessarily indicate all NHS general dentists who have notified patients of their…

9 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency dental admissions there have been in each financial year since 1999-2000, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isbeing compiled by the Information and Statistics Division of the CommonServices Agency, but it will take some time to complete.I will write to the memberas soon as the information is available and will arrange for a copy of …

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4301 by Mr Tom McCabe on 5 December 2003 indicating that the first review of the Care Commission will take place in 2007, whether it will now review the commission on an annual basis.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No. It would not be possibleto deliver good regulation aimed at improving the quality of care forvulnerable people if the organisation responsible for that regulation wassubject to a root-and-branch review every year.

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5725 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 February 2004, if statistics regarding convictions under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 are not held centrally, how it intends to monitor the efficacy of the legislation.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive intend to undertake a survey towards the end of 2004 to establish howeffective the provisions of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003, whichcommenced on 22 October last year, have been. This will incorporate a sectionon the number of fix…

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what role it has in ensuring a fundamental shift in the council's position to meet current and future needs for permanent accommodation for homeless people.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:Scottish ministers actingthrough Communities Scotland have requested that East Lothian Council producean improvement plan, setting out how it …

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what concerns it has in respect of the council achieving its own quota for homelessness allocations.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:As set out in section 7 of the Pathfinder Inspection Report, the Executive’s concern in relation to thisissue is primarily about the weaknesse…

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in the light of the findings and recommendations of the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland that The Council delivers a poor homelessness service with major areas where improvement is needed and the prospe…

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:Scottish ministers, actingthrough Communities Scotland, have requested that East Lothian Council producean improvement plan, setting out how i…

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what steps it can take when a council breaches its statutory duty.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:Communities Scotland,acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers, in terms of Part 3 of the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001, has powers to require a loca…

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what concerns it has regarding the limit placed by the council on vacant properties on offer to homeless households in priority need and whether this breaches the council's statutory dutie…

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Ms Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:The Executive’s concernsregarding this matter are set out in paragraph 7.3 of the Pathfinder InspectionReport on East Lothian Council. This …

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what further procedures are available to a complainer if a complainant is not upheld by the Care Commission in whole or in part.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Care Commission’s complaintsprocedure allows complainants to confirm whether they accept the CareCommission’s provisional conclusions and if not, to express any concerns to theCommission. The Commission will address these concerns before issuing a finalde…

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibility it had for the distribution of the Care Commission's user guide to their complaints procedure; how many copies of the guide were issued in the current year; where the guide can be accessed; how it is monitoring take-up of the guide, and what plans it has to publicise t…

Answer · Tom McCabe: Operation of the CareCommission’s complaints procedure is a matter for the Commission. The currentcomplaints procedure has the consent of Scottish Ministers as required by theRegulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.

3 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to GPs with regard to distinguishing different types of dementia on death certificates.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No guidance is givenspecific to dementia. However, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death usedin Scotland follows that recommended by the World HealthOrganisation and general training material on how to complete this was providedin 1999 to directors of pos…

3 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is given to medical professionals in respect of the diagnosis of dementia.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At present, generalpractitioners are expected to identify their own personal learning needs tobetter provide for the health needs of their patients and to seek trainingaccordingly. Guidance and assistance is available to GPs from NHS Education forScotland (NE…