Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 90-week wait for an appointment for a hearing test being experienced by Dr Symms from the Melrose area, what action it is taking to address the length of time taken for such appointments and whether additional funding will be made available to reduce such waiting times.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2920. 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/search_wa">http…
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2315 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2003, whether the median waiting times given in that answer include the waiting period for a hearing test following a GP referral but prior to referral to a consultant and, if not, what the total median waitin…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2908 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa…
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2315 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2003, what the average waiting time has been from referral by a GP for an appointment with ear, nose and throat departments for a hearing test, and other audiology tests, prior to referral to a consultant in e…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on waiting timesfor a hearing test or other audiology test is not available. Data onout-patient waiting times are collected centrally at specialty level only. </p><p>Audiology services are in thespecialty of ear, nose and throat, hearing and other…
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1687 by Euan Robson on 18 August 2003, when it was anticipated that the report by the Chief Inspector of Social Work would be available and when that report is to be published.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1687 on 18 August 2003. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2498 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 September 2003, whether the outline agreement on sheriff court provision in Peebles includes the provision of a sheriff clerk's office.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The outline agreement betweenofficials of the Scottish Court Service and the Scottish Borders Council relatingto the use of the council building at Rosetta Road, Peebles, for court hearingsdoes not include the provision of a public office for the Sheriff Cler…
24 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2500 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 September 2003, what the amount of exceptional additional funding for a joint police station and courthouse at Rosetta Road, Peebles, would have been.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Borders Council requested additional capital consent of £710,600 for a co-located district court, police station and council offices at Rosetta Road, Peebles.</p>
24 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the Borders economy.
Answer · Jim Wallace: A wide range of policies arein place to promote and sustain the Borders economy and future economic development.Scottish Enterprise Borders is taking action in line with the direction and prioritiesset out in the Executive’s <i>A Smart, Successful </i><i>Scot…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to promote applications to train in learning disability, children's nursing, mental health and midwifery, as referred to in table 2.5 in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The report <i>More Nurses, workingdifferently: A review of the </i><i>UK</i><i> nursing labour market in 2002</i> was published on Friday 19 September 2003 by the Royal College of Nursing. With reference to table2.5 in the report, the recruitment to the child…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that places on nursing diploma programmes match demand, as referred to in table 2.5 of the report by the Royal College of Nursing More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Pre-registration nursing diplomaeducation is provided by seven higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland, undercontract with the Scottish Executive Health Department. An annual student nurse intake planningexercise, based on the future workforce requir…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to reverse the increase in the number of student nurses discontinuing their course, as referred to in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of reasonswhy student nurses leave their course, including deciding that nursing is not forthem. The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) is working with highereducation institutions to reduce the drop-out rate to an agreed level and…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1659 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether ambulatory oxygen cylinders are now available on GP prescription and, if not, when it now anticipates such cylinders being made available on prescription.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: GP prescribing of portable oxygenwill be introduced on April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designed toensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in place to meetthe needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.</p><p>In t…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote the Pass Plus scheme for novice drivers.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive welcomes Pass Plusas a scheme which enables new drivers to gain additional experience and positivedriving skills that might otherwise take a long time to acquire. The scheme is administeredby the Driving Standards Agency, which chairs a board th…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ScotRail routes would have passed the business case test to be applied to the proposed Waverley railway line.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: In most cases investment in theScotRail routes was made many decades ago. It is not possible to determine how suchinvestments would perform under current appraisal techniques. All new proposalsfor rail investment in Scotland are appraised under the Scottish T…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on which ScotRail routes do not carry operational losses.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment will be made of the effectiveness of the community warden scheme.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested isgiven in section 11.4 (page 11) of <i>Building strong, safe and attractivecommunities: Guidance for submissions</i>, published in 2003, copies of which areavailable in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543)</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community wardens are proposed and what funding is being allocated for them, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested onindicative allocations is available in Annex 3, page 25 of <i>Building strong,safe and attractive communities: guidance for submissions</i>, published in 2003,copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib.…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what uniform community wardens will wear
Answer · Margaret Curran: The choice of uniform is a localdecision.</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24699 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May 2002, what the role of a community warden will be and whether it will be different from that of a neighbourhood warden.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested isavailable in paragraph 12, page 12, of <i>Building strong, safe and attractivecommunities: Guidance for submissions</i>, published in 2003, copies of which areavailable in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543)</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24700 and S1W-26383 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May and 11 June 2002 respectively, whether an evaluation of the Renfrewshire and Paisley neighbourhood warden pilot projects has been made and, if so, where it can be accessed.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Renfrewshireand Paisley neighbourhood warden pilot projectwill be evaluated towards the end of 2004-05 as part of the wider evaluation ofRenfrewshire’s Better Neighbourhoods Services Fund (BNSF) programme. Renfrewshire’sBNSF Annual Report, due later this …
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1576 by Ms Margaret Curran on 13 August 2003, who, in addition to the Scottish Police Federation, responded to its plans for community wardens and whether it will place a copy of any such responses in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Margaret Curran: A comprehensive list of respondentsis given in the annex of <i>Building strong,safe and attractive communities: summary of consultation responses</i>, published in 2003, copies of which are available inthe Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number: 29308). …
17 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve road safety.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is addressing road safety through a wide variety of measures which involvevery substantial engineering, enforcement and education initiatives.</p>
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who reviews the positioning of fixed speed cameras and how often such reviews take place.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Each local Safety Camera Partnershipis responsible for reviewing its use of fixed and mobile speed cameras, within therules of the Scottish Safety Camera programme. The monitoring process is continuous,but it is formalised on an annual basis during the prepar…
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had to the Department for Transport's criteria for the placement of road markings since May 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is represented at official level on the Department for Transport Road MarkingsTechnical Working Party.</p>
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding an application from the Waverley Route Trust in respect of its proposed research project on modification of the current railway specification to accommodate the movement of charter and freight trains and of express services taking under 50 minutes from Tw…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: No. We have funded the WaverleyRailway Partnership to take the project to the current stage. The specificationof the railway is a matter for the partnership to justify in its business case.</p>
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the business case for the Borders railway must reflect inflationary factors such as construction costs and, if so, how such costs will be calculated.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The business case should be presentedin 2002 prices. It is for Waverley Railway Partnership to propose the approach toinflation in its business case.</p>
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its contribution of approximately #110 million as indicated in the estimate of expense and funding statement lodged with the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has already awardedup to £2.1 million to the Waverley Railway Partnership to progress this projectto parliamentary bill stage.</p><p>The Executive is committed tosupporting construction of the Borders rail line and we await submission of thedeta…
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, whether the Waverley railway partnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I can confirm that Waverley railwaypartnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied.</p>
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, what criteria will be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: All business cases are requiredto be compliant with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines (STAG)</p>
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently on waiting lists for aids and adaptations, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information about waiting listsfor aids and adaptations is not held centrally. However, the Executive is currentlyconsidering the future collection of this information.</p>
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are on waiting lists for bathing and showering services, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on waiting listsfor bathing and showering services is not held centrally.</p>