Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S10-4764 by Peter Peacock on 28 February 2002, which councils have received special borrowing consent in order to allow them to eliminate budgetary deficits.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Western Isles Council was granted additional borrowing consent in 1991, in respect of significant losses incurred by investment in BCCI. I am not aware of any other council having been granted special borrowing consent in relation to a budget deficit.
27 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Premier Prisons Ltd is contractually the liable party for any damage arising at HM Prison Kilmarnock, during the transportation of any prisoner to or from the prison or through any other services provided by the company.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited is contractually liable for any damage at HM Prison Kilmarnock arising from the provision of any of the serv…
22 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22619 by Peter Peacock on 21 February 2002, which local authorities have been awarded special or additional borrowing consent under either paragraph 1(2) of schedule 3 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975, or any other statutory or non-statuto…
Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities are empowered to borrow for capital purposes, by virtue of the provisions in schedule 3 to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975. It is only where they require to borrow money for other than capital purposes (except in relation to any pub…
22 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22619 by Peter Peacock on 21 February 2002, whether an application by Scottish Borders Council under paragraph 1(2) of schedule 3 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 for special borrowing in order to reverse the further #5.5 million in cuts v…
Answer · Peter Peacock: Scottish Borders Council has not submitted a formal application for special borrowing to reverse its budget deficit. Further, the council has now set its budget for 2002-03 and council tax bills have issued. The competence of any future request for special bo…
22 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis Glasgow Housing Association has been offered a #300 million interest free loan payable at #30 million per annum over 10 years.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The annual repayable grant will be made available only if the Glasgow Housing Association can demonstrate that this will be required to overcome any potential cash flow difficulties in the early years following the Glasgow housing transfer. Details of the ter…
22 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the City of Edinburgh Council has been granted additional borrowing of approximately #2 million to defray the costs arising from the demolition of houses.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded additional capital consent of £1.8 million for the regeneration of the Gilmerton area of the city, following the collapse of housing over old limestone workings in late 2000. The support has been granted to the c…
21 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22295 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002, how many of the 88 young people on the waiting list of the Young People's Unit are from East Lothian.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are nine patients on the waiting list for the Young People's Unit, who are registered with East Lothian general practitioners.
21 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22295 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002, how many of the 88 young people on the waiting list of the Young People's Unit are from the Scottish Borders.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no patients from the Borders on the waiting list for the Young People's Unit.
21 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17093 by Susan Deacon on 15 August 2001, what the outcome has been of the review of the sleep apnoea service provided by the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The outcome of the review was an agreement by NHS Lothian to fund services for Lothian patients in 2001-02 at the same level as applied in 2000-01. NHS Lothian agreed to consider future funding levels for sleep disorder services, in the context of strategic a…
21 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current waiting time for the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh is now two years and six months; whether there are over 100 patients waiting to be seen at the centre for a first out-patient appointment, and whether it has concerns over these figures given that a substantial number of r…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Waiting times for all services, including sleep apnoea, depend on clinical priority. The highest priority of patients referred to the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh, have their initial appointment within four to six weeks, while routine cases may at present wait 1…
21 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17830 and S1W-19099 by Susan Deacon on 27 September and 12 November 2001, how many patients are now in receipt of equipment for the treatment of sleep apnoea.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are at present 2,355 patients in Scotland receiving Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, for sleep apnoea.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1573 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 September 1999, whether the evaluation of research into proposed legislation on the protection of hutters has been concluded and, if so, what the findings were.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The research on Huts and Hutters in Scotland was published in May 2000 and can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website. The responses received to the consultation exercise, carried out last year, are being considered in the light of that research and th…
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-22460 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 February 2002, why the restructuring of prisoner escort arrangements will result in the Scottish Prison Service needing about 200 fewer prison officer posts, given previous statements that the contracting out of the escor…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Once the new escorting contract is in place, the posts of those SPS staff who are currently involved in escorting prisoners will no long…
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the contract for HM Prison Kilmarnock will be placed in the public domain.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The contract was published on 8 March.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service has at any time given instructions that staffing levels at HM Prison Kilmarnock be reduced.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>No.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfactory that on 18 February 2002 the welding shed at HM Prison Kilmarnock was staffed by one supervisor for 27 inmates and whether this level of supervision is adequate given that there are blind spots in the security camera system.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23282 today.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfactory that on 18 February 2002 the woodwork shed at HM Prison Kilmarnock was staffed by one supervisor for 20 inmates and whether this level of supervision is adequate given that there are blind spots in the security camera system.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23282.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfactory (a) that on 18 February 2002 the gymnasium at HM Prison Kilmarnock was staffed by one supervisor with no prison officer in attendance and relying on the security camera system and (b) that this should regularly be the case.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>It is SPS policy not to discuss matters of internal security in any prison establishment. Security matters, including supervision, are a …
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is currently any shortage of prison officers and, if so, what the shortage is.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:<P>There is no shortage of prison officers.
20 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the appointment of Borders NHS Board members announced on 9 November 2001, whether Mr Tony Taylor, Mrs Eileen McDermott and Dr Ian Lowes have been involved in any political activity within the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20382 on 10 December 2002, in which I have already provided the information requested.<P>For convenience, I confirm that neither Mr Anthony Taylor, Chair of Borders NHS Board, nor Mrs Eileen McDermott, St…
18 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3316 by Peter Peacock on 7 February 2000, what the current (a) allocation per nursery place is to local authorities and (b) minimum recommended payment to the provider is.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In the current session, 2001-02, local authorities receive funding at the rate of £1,254 for a fully loaded part-time pre-school education place. They are free to top slice this level to meet the costs of services provided to their partner providers. The mini…
1 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis extended borrowing was approved for the Western Isles Council following the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Western Isles Islands Council lost £23 million following the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. Since there was no immediate prospect of recovering the money and no chance of continuing to be in a position to discharge its statutory ob…
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the comments made by Lord Bonhomy regarding the state of the court system.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Lord Bonomy's criticisms were caused by the late intimation to the court that an accused person was due to attend hospital for an operation on the day his case was called in to court for trial.<P>A memorandum issued by the Lord Justice General will come in to…
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Dry Dock by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to the Scottish Borders Voluntary Development Agency by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Iain Gray: Borders Local Volunteer Development Agency currently receives funding of £31,500 from the Scottish Executive, as part of our funding package for the national network of Volunteer Centres. Each Volunteer Centre is required to raise funding of a similar scale f…
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Children 1st by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to the Eyemouth and District Disability Association by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Penumbra by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.
31 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to the Borders Carers Centre by Scottish Borders Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22571.