Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

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

12 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are on waiting lists for assessments for community care services, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.

12 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were on waiting lists for assessments for aids and adaptations on 1 April in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on waiting listsfor aids and adaptations is not held centrally. However, the Executive is currentlyconsidering the future collection of this information.

10 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has under its road safety responsibilities on the number of new car drivers in the 17 to 20 age range there have been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The table gives the numberof full driving licences that commenced between 1997 and the end of May 2002where the driver was aged between 17 and 20 years old and resided in Scotland. <table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <t…

10 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what publicity has been given to the Pass Plus scheme in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Pass Plus scheme has beendeveloped by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which chairs a board that promotesthe scheme throughout Great Britain.The Pass Plus scheme providesa structured course of post-test training for newly-qualified drivers, and …

10 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what publicity has been given to the Arrive Alive Scheme in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Arrive Alive Road SafetyProgramme was launched in 1997 by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). The programmeinvolves driving examiners visiting schools and colleges, and other organisationsconnected with the 16- to 19-year age group, and delivering road sa…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Sheriff Principal of Lothian and Borders regarding the provision of court services in Peebles and the time taken to resolve the situation.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: None. However, the Scottish CourtService, which has operational responsibility for courthouses, has kept the SheriffPrincipal of Lothian and Borders fully advised of its discussions with the ScottishBorders Council on providing court services from an alternat…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-28460 and S1W-28894 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 September 2002, whether it will consider funding the building of a joint courthouse and police station in Peebles in light of the current police stations not complying with the terms of the Disability Disc…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Responsibility for such a developmentlies with the Scottish Borders Council, the Scottish Court Service and Lothianand Borders Police, each of which has a capital budget to deploy in accordance withits own priorities.

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Lothian and Borders Police regarding the funding of any development of a joint courthouse and police station in Peebles.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Lothian and Borders Police werein contact with the Executive in 2002 about the possibility of exceptional additionalfunding for a joint proposal.

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28903 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 September 2002, why the process of review of Sheriff Court facilities in Peebles has not been completed; when it will be completed, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish CourtService has been involved in detailed discussions with the Scottish Borders Councilon the use of the council premises at Rosetta Road, Peebles, for court hearings. Considerationhad to be given on how best to accommodate the needs of the cou…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-776 and S1W-30468 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 June 2003 and Mr Jim Wallace on 10 October 2002, what the reasons are for delay in issuing the consultation paper on the future of Peebles Sheriff Court following the feasibility study on the refurbishment …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: It would not have been appropriateto issue a consultation paper on the closure of Peebles Sheriff Court and the transferof business to another court, while discussions were continuing on the potentialto deliver court services from another building in Peebles.…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is for a first appointment with a paediatric occupational therapist, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many practice pharmacists there are, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on NHS pharmacistsemployed at 30 September each year is published on the web pages of the Informationand Statistics Division of NHSScotland, in section A of Workforce Statistics atthe following address: <ahref="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/i…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-160 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 September 2003, how many vacancies there were for consultant (a) radiologists and (b) radiographers in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information available fromvacancy surveys conducted by ISD Scotland in each of the last four years forwhich there is information, respectively for consultant radiologists and forradiographers, is as follows.Table 1: Number ofConsultant Radiologist Vaca…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for the funding of (a) free personal care for patients registered with cross-border practices where the practice and the majority of patients are located in Scotland and (b) drugs for patients who live in England but are registered with a Scottish practice.

Answer · Tom McCabe: (a) The concept of free personal and nursing care only appliesto those who would normally pay for, or towards, such care in community settings.After a care needs assessment by the socialwork department in the area where the person lives, eligible people asses…

9 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Collegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) publications were issued within the NHS in each of the last four financial years; how many print runs were carried out for such publications; what the cost of these publications was in each of the last four financial years; whether an…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm:  SIGN Guidelines Published<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=226> <thead> <tr> <td>   </td> <td> SIGN Budget </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> 1999-2000 </td> <td>…

8 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many safety camera sites in the Scottish Borders comply with the conditions of the safety camera scheme; whether the conditions of the scheme are mandatory, and what variation of these conditions it will make so that speed cameras can be sited on the entry to, and egress from, Borders…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The rules of the Scottish SafetyCamera Programme require safety camera partnerships to identify the areas wherecameras are to be located by identifying road casualty clusters and then surveyingthese sites to investigate if the problem is related to speed. The…

3 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to local authorities has been of special educational needs funding for each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on local authoritynet expenditure on special educational needs is available for the period 1997-98to 2001-02. This information is provided in the table.Total Net Expenditure1on Special Education 1997-98 to 2001-02<table class…

3 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-537 by Peter Peacock on 18 June 2003, whether it will consider funding special educational needs centrally if the costs of a young person's additional needs exceed any agreed national total and, if so, whether it will develop appropriate systems to a…

Answer · Peter Peacock: We have no plans to changethe current funding arrangements for special educational needs.

1 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for appointments with audiology and ear, nose and throat departments in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on waiting timesfor a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, following GP referral,is collected at specialty level only. Audiology is a sub-specialty of ear, noseand throat. The median waiting times fora first out-patient appointm…

1 Sep 2003 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what concerns the Scottish Executive has with regard to the delivery of cancer services.

Answer · Jack McConnell: There aremany challenges to address, but implementation of the Scottish Cancer Plan ismaking steady progress. More than 300 additional staff are already in place,and we are continuing to support new initiatives such as the Cancer Networks,which are driving do…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Borders Council has at any time expressed any concerns, or made any representations, concerning Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels.

Answer · Euan Robson: We have received no such representationsfrom Scottish Border's Council about its own facility.

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to intervene following any critical inspection report by the Care Commission.

Answer · Euan Robson: There is no power in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 relating to a service registered under part 1 of that act which would enable Scottish ministers to intervene in the running of that service.Where a service is registered under part 2 of the ac…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the conditions for staff and young people at Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels, in light of recent inspection reports.

Answer · Euan Robson: This report was produced by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission) which becamethe independent regulator of care homes, including those for children, from 1 April 2002. The CareCommission regulates services by inspecting them…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics it has on the incidence of staff long-term sickness in young people's residential units.

Answer · Euan Robson: The information requested isnot held centrally.

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on (a) staff and (b) other young people and incidents involving (i) staff and (ii) other young people were recorded in young people's residential units in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, in total and broken down by residential unit.

Answer · Euan Robson: The information requested isnot held centrally.

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures the Care Commission follows when it has made an inspection of a young people's residential unit.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1901 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa"…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Care Commission report on Glenview Young People's Unit Galashiels, dated 29 May 2003, differs from the commission's report dated 3 March 2003.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1901 today. 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/search_wa…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where the Care Commission report on Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels, dated 29 May 2003, can be accessed.

Answer · Tom McCabe: <div class=Section1>The report can be accessedby contacting the provider direct or from the Care Commission South EastRegional Office, Stuart House, Eskmills, Musselburgh, EH21 7PB. Telephone number 0131 653 4100.</div>

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had sight of the Care Commission's inspection report on Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Yes. The Care Commission hasa statutory duty to make inspection reports on registered care services availableto the public and as such we have asked for and received a copy.

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place on the preparation, form and publication of Care Commission reports.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The inspection process includingthe preparation, form and publication of inspection reports and any associated guidelinesare an operational matter for the Care Commission. An individual may raise any concernsthey have over the operation of a care servi…