Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31134 by Ross Finnie on 13 November 2002, when it will come to a view regarding the effects of industrial fishing on the food sources for young haddock and cod and whether it will make its findings public.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Young cod and haddock have a catholic diet that is not currently prejudiced by the industrial fisheries.
13 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the funding of free personal care for elderly people.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive is confident that provision for implementing this policy is sufficient to enable all local authorities to meet their commitments to existing self-funding residents at 31 March 2002, replace lost income following the ending of charges for persona…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30597 by Cathy Jamieson on 29 October 2002, whether the "normal" upper age limit of 60 for recruitment as a member of a children's panel is discriminatory.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The age limit is applied flexibly in recognition of the recommendation of the Kilbrandon Committee that panel members should in broad terms be the peers in age of the parents of the children coming before the hearings. <P>The application of age limits for pan…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what timescales parents will be able to appeal against a co-ordinated support plan.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30910 on 19 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether children and young people with specific or pronounced educational needs that require continuing review will be provided with a co-ordinated support plan.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30910 on 19 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed co-ordinated support plans will specify the amount and quality of special needs provision for a child.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30910 on 19 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the existing level of needs matrix set out in the Manual of Good Practice will be revised and distributed to parents and young people in co-ordinated support plans.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30910 on 19 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
11 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 148 responses to Assessing our Schools - Assessing our Children's needs - The Way Forward? stated that the Record of Needs system should be replaced.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In response to the consultation document <I>Improving our Schools - Assessing our Children's Educational Needs - The Way Forward?</I>, the Scottish Executive received 119 responses which indicated dissatisfaction with the Record of Needs system and a further …
30 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 30 October 2002, what assessment it has made of the impact of a ban/limitation on white fish catches should white fish vessels switch to nephrops fishing; what assessment it has made of the impa…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is currently conducting assessments of all of the implications of the recent scientific advice from International Council for Exploration of the Seas.
30 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 30 October 2002, which EU countries still permit industrial fishing; what scientific data is available regarding the effect of industrial fishing on young fish stocks, and what representations i…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands have quota entitlements to fish for industrial species in the North Sea. Various studies have been carried out on the effects of industrial fishing; results tend to vary depending on which industrial fisher…
30 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 30 October 2002, what scientific data is available on the impact of power station seawater coolants on fish stocks; whether it is estimated that 2 million fish per day per filter are killed, and…
Answer · Allan Wilson: Scientific assessments have been carried out at selected power stations around Scotland. The results of the studies show that some fish are being killed when power stations abstract water, but a figure for fish killed per filter per day cannot be extrapolated…
30 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27655 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 October 2002, what the proportion of the financial penalty incurred by Medacs was to the value of the contract for each financial year since the contract with Medacs was made.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The cost of the contract in each year is commercially confidential. It is therefore not possible to provide the proportion to that figure of th…
30 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27655 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 October 2002, what the grounds were for each financial penalty incurred by Medacs and what the value of each such financial penalty was since the beginning of the contract.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The annual value of financial penalties imposed was provided in answer to question S1W-27655. The value of each individual penalty is commercia…
30 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to attract young people to live and work in rural areas.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Our vision for rural Scotland, published in May 2000, stressed the importance of improving the lives of all those living in rural areas. This included our determination to ensure that our rural areas attract and retain young people to live and work there - to…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned an audit of sheriff courts on the cost to them of conforming to the requirements under disability legislation for access by disabled people to public buildings; when this audit was commissioned; whether it has published or will publish the audit on completion; …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Court Service commissioned access consultants to undertake an audit of the court estate to determine the scale and extent of work require…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29481 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 October 2002, whether it is concerned that it does not have comprehensive data on the (a) prevalence and (b) incidence of new cases of hepatitis C in each prison in each of the last three years and, if so, what action it…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The aim of health care within SPS is to provide prisoner patients with access to the same quality and range of health services to which t…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits have been made to the (a) Roxburgh and Berwickshire and (b) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale parliamentary constituencies by ministers in each year from 1999 to date and how many are planned until the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament, detailing the ministers involve…
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Information on the number of visits made by ministers since 1999 is not held centrally. With respect to future meetings, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30344 on 22 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availa…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28895 by Ms Margaret Curran on 18 October 2002, whether it will define "reasonable adjustments" required to the physical features of premises to overcome physical barriers to access in relation to existing sheriff courts in historic/category B listed…
Answer · Margaret Curran: There are no plans to provide a further definition of "reasonable adjustments" for a sheriff court or any other public building. Given the wide range of disabilities and the disparate nature of each building this would not be practicable. Ultimately…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30213 by Cathy Jamieson on 16 October 2002, why it has no survey data more recent than 1998 on young people held in secure accommodation.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The 1998 survey collected detailed information on each resident in secure accommodation and the care they received. This census has been repeated during October 2002, and the results will be made available in due course. <P>In addition, the Executive collects…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30079 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, whether it supports the conclusion of the Secure Accommodation Advisory Group that there is no evidence to support the claims of a lack of secure accommodation given that it cannot provide data on the numbe…
Answer · Jim Wallace: A wide range of information is collected each time a 14- to 16-year-old is held in a penal establishment, as listed in the answer given to question S1W-30452 on 24 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's …
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29261 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, whether it will, as part of the costing of the proposed new 700-place private prison, include costings for all aspects involved in the transportation of remand prisoners to the prison.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>We do not anticipate that the contract for the new prison will include transport of prisoners, as that will be subject to our separate contract…
29 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government on the impact on the environment of CO2 emissions and, in particular, on publicity given to regulations relating to reductions on vehicle excise duty levied on private vehicles to reflect reduced CO2 emissions, on whether garage…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including emissions of CO<SUB>2</SUB>.<P>CO<SUB>2</SUB>emissions are widely recognised as the main contributor to climate change. The UK strategy for tackling emiss…
28 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the legal aid exemption limit in most matrimonial cases was first set at #2,500; when it was first announced that this limit would rise to #4,200, and when this increase will come into force.
Answer · Richard Simpson: The capital disregard from winnings in matrimonial cases was first set at £2,500 in 1987. I announced the Executive's intention to increase the exemption limit to £4,200 on 13 March. The increase has now been incorporated in the replacement set of civil legal…
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many parliamentary questions on prison issues are currently awaiting a substantive answer and when each question will receive such an answer.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are currently no parliamentary questions on prison issues for which a substantive answer is outstanding.
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-29470, S1W-29471, S1W-29510 and S1W-29527 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 October 2002, why no information is available on the number of prisoners that have a mental illness requiring medical treatment.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Mainly because of the constantly changing prison population.
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what screening exists at each prison for (a) tuberculosis, (b) mental illnesses requiring medical treatment and (c) withdrawal symptoms resulting from the use of drugs, medication or alcohol.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>All prisoners on admission to custody are offered an appropriate health care assessment by nursing and medical staff.
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29526 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, how health policies applicable to prisoners in custody is integrated into and compatible with national health policies, in accordance with section 10 of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommen…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Prison Service is cognisant of national health policies in designing its prisoner health care policy.
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29525 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, what guarantee it can give that the remuneration of medical staff in prisons is no lower than that which would be used in other public health sectors, in accordance with section 22 of the Council of Europe …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>None. Remuneration of medical staff is a matter for the contractor, however, on account of market forces, the remuneration of medical staff in …
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29477 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, whether all its arrangements for procuring medical services in prisons have been in accordance with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Yes.
16 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29477 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, what formal steps it took when taking into account the recommendations of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7 when procuring medical services for prisons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Prison Service considered the Recommendations of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on the Ethical and Organisational …