Parliamentary questions
Dorothy-Grace Elder
645 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the results of the "Twenty is Plenty" limit in the Gorbals area and investigate the possibility of extending the 20 mph speed limit throughout the Gorbals.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Ms Elder to the reply I gave her to Question S1W-3820.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>Local authorities have power to introduce 20 mph speed limits on local roads in their areas. It is, therefore, for Glasgow City Council to consider the intro…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide updated information on the workings of the "Twenty is Plenty" experimental speed limit scheme set up in a number of areas from 1998.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is evaluating the effectiveness of the 20 mph pilot projects implemented in a number of local authority areas throughout Scotland in 1998. The pilot projects are testing the effectiveness of 20 mph schemes which do not include the use o…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to the provision of council housing for single people convicted of non-violent crimes and who were council tenants prior to serving a prison sentence but are homeless on their release, and what impact this policy has on the likelihood of such individuals re-…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The primary statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness rests with local authorities. In discharging their responsibilities local authorities are required to have regard to the Code of Guidance issued by the Scottish Executive which includes specif…
14 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that small shopkeepers are not prosecuted at least in this year over the change to metric weights in view of the possible added burdens these changes may cause local shops and whether it has carried out any assessment as to the economic impact these changes wil…
Answer · Henry McLeish: Weights and Measures legislation including metrication is a reserved matter. The Department of Trade and Industry made a UK wide assessment of the expected compliance cost to business, including small firms arising out of the legislation. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">T…
13 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what extra funds it proposes to make available to help Women's Aid throughout Scotland in view of the increased number of women and children seeking help through its television campaign and what plans it has to make the necessary funding available in the long term to ensure that no women …
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding for local women's aid groups is the responsibility of the local authorities. The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to disburse funds directly to local groups. However, we expect them to benefit from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund…
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its planned expenditure is on television advertising on domestic violence this year and whether it will show how this figure compares with the #600,000 expenditure last year.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Expenditure on television advertising on domestic violence for the financial year 1999-2000 will amount to approximately £232,000.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The amount spent during 1998-99 included advertising production costs, press advertising, radio comm…
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the annual report of Women's Aid, Glasgow and, if so, whether it plans to respond to their statement that they do not have sufficient funds to feed women and children or give them emergency night clothing.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I am aware of the annual report which includes a list of 28 shortfalls in service for which funding was not available from Women's Aid.<P>Bids for grant from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund will be considered in accordance with the Application Gui…
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make urgent investigations into the #30,000 shortfall in funding faced by Women's Aid, Glasgow; whether it has any plans to make available additional funding to prevent its closure and what plans it has to maintain the long term future and work of Women's Aid, Glasgow thro…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding for local women's aid groups is the responsibility of the local authorities. The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to disburse funds directly to local groups. However, we expect women's aid local groups to benefit from the Domestic Abuse Serv…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rule of "reasonableness" will still pertain with regard to eviction orders issued by sheriff courts to local authorities under the new Social Tenancy Agreements.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Where the rule of reasonableness currently applies under a secure tenancy agreement, it is proposed that it will continue to apply under the new Single Social Tenancy agreement.
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Mr John Rafferty is to be paid approximately #20,000 out of public or Labour Party funds and whether he breached the Civil Service Code by giving false information to the media.
Answer · Donald Dewar: Under the terms of their contract of employment, Special Advisers are Civil Servants and as such are paid from public funds. Mr Rafferty will therefore receive what he is due under the terms of his contract. Mr Rafferty's departure did not rest on a breach of…
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Special Advisers and (b) full or part-time assistants or other support staff to special advisers it currently employs, what the annual salaries of any assistants or other support staff to special advisers are and what the total amount of expenses incurred by special advisers …
Answer · Donald Dewar: The Scottish Executive currently employs eight Special Advisers. Travel and subsistence costs incurred by Special Advisers from 6 May 1999 to 31 December 1999 amounts to £7,937.<P>In accordance with the terms of their contract of employment, Special Advisers …
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over 65 died in hospital in each of the last three years, broken down by health board area and by cause of death, and what the average length of stay in hospital before death was.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The latest available information on the number of patients aged 65 and over who died in NHS in Scotland hospitals in 1996-7, 1997-8 and 1998-9, and the mean length of stay in hospital before death, by health board area of residence, is set out in Tables 1-3. …
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of Health Inequalities and Policy in Britain which indicates that Glasgow contains six of the most deprived constituencies in Britain, it will grant immediate emergency aid to Glasgow.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive recognises the serious health inequalities which exist in Scotland and the particular problems faced by Glasgow. Overall this year the Executive has made available in excess of £1.8 billion for the city, including £850 million for Great…
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Mr John Rafferty has been or will be given a severance or any other type of payment as a result of the termination of his employment with the Scottish Executive.
Answer · Donald Dewar: Mr Rafferty will receive what he is due under the terms of his contract of employment. A copy of the model contract for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE).
8 Dec 1999 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what the plans are for press and media accommodation in the Holyrood building and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will ensure that the press and media have adequate access and facilities.
Answer · David Steel: The purpose of the scheme is to help fish and shellfish farmers affected by ISA to become re-established at their previous level of trading. The concentration of aid at this end of the production cycle is seen as the best way of helping smolt and other suppli…
8 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people been brought to court over false calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service in Scotland in the last year for which figures are available and whether it will consider increasing judicial punishment of such nuisance callers.
Answer · Angus MacKay: This information is not collected separately. Sentencing is a matter for the judiciary who take full account of the circumstances of particular cases which are brought before them.
1 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to investigate the cancellation of the booking by people in Drumchapel and the Campaign Against Glasgow Housing Stock of Waverley Community Neighbourhood Centre, Drumchapel for a meeting, whether any breach of the law took place and, if so, whether this is being i…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is not a matter for the Executive.
26 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is and whether it has issued any guidance on the letting policies of public authority controlled or council grant aided halls and meeting places to ensure that there is no local authority political bias against bodies of different political views hiring accommodation.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The letting policy of each public authority controlled or council grant aided hall and meeting place is a matter for that public authority.
26 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consistent with its environmental policies for toxic dumping to be carried out within a city boundary, for quantities of human waste being licensed up to 500,000 tonnes a year and 4,000 lorry loads, and for asbestos, arsenic and cyanide to be disposed of within a town or cit…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), as waste regulation authority, has responsibility for considering applications for waste management licences and setting appropriate conditions to protect health and the environment.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>…
26 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to investigate smells from Paterson's toxic dump in the light of the Greater Glasgow Health Board's Public Health Department report on the matter, what plans it has to address local people's concerns and what practical assistance and/or financial compensation can be made…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), as waste regulation authority, has been investigating reports of smells in the vicinity of Mount Vernon for several months. Investigations indicated two sources of smell at the Paterson's landfill site: first…
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is per patient to health boards for lung transplants, including travel and sustenance costs to hospitals in England.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the total value of contracts for lung transplants and combined heart and lung transplants for Scottish residents at transplant centres in England is £826,000. This includes the costs of assessment and follow-up visits for patien…
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to fund a lung transplant service.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The issue is being considered in conjunction with a review of cardiothoracic transplantation services in England.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist surgeons in Scotland are capable of performing lung transplants.
Answer · Susan Deacon: None.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in Scotland have had lung transplants since the service began in the NHS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Since the procedure was introduced in 1989, 53 Scottish residents have received a lung transplant and 19 a heart/lung transplant.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it acceptable for a college or university to use monies from student fees to fund facilities that are not primarily for the use of students.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Tuition fees represent one of a number of income streams of further and higher education institutions. Both colleges and universities are autonomous bodies. It is for individual institutions to allocate the funding available to them as they see fit.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to investigate the funding of the Business Learning Zone at Central College of Commerce in Glasgow and, if so, whether it will provide further details.
Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no plans to investigate the funding of this project.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries there have been on construction sites in each year from 1995 to 1998.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive - the Scottish Executive does not hold such information - and the member may wish to contact that organisation.
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the distribution of Beta Interferon and end "post code medicine".
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre (SHTAC), which will begin operation in spring 2000, will act as a single focus for advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new health technologies, including drugs. It is likely that SHTAC will be aske…
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the Sex Offenders Act 1997 in relation to those prosecuted and convicted abroad of committing sex offences and, if so, who will lead such a review, which groups or individuals will be consulted and will the review be open to submissions from members of the pub…
Answer · Jim Wallace: We plan to review the implementation of the Sex Offenders Act next year, with a view to amending and strengthening its provisions. The issue of extending the requirement to register to sex offenders who commit and are convicted of offences abroad, together wi…
25 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with the view expressed by Shetland Health Board in recent evidence to the Health and Community Care Committee that there should be a new national policy on prescribing beta interferon and, if so, what plans it has to introduce such a policy.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to S1W-2774.