Parliamentary questions
Elaine Murray
2,411 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances NHS boards can (a) refer a patient for treatment at a private hospital or (b) reimburse a patient for treatment carried out at a private hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (a) It is for NHS boards tomake decisions on how to utilise their existing capacity, additional capacityin other NHS facilities and, if necessary, existing capacity in the independenthealthcare sector, to ensure that patients receive swift care and treatment …
16 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what services it expects NHS Boards to provide for sufferers of ME/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answer · Shona Robison: We would expect services for people living with CFS/ME to be in line with our general approach to services for those with any long term condition. These should be personal, fully integrated, responsive to the totality of people''s needs and delivered as close…
16 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced any guidance to local authorities regarding consultation with school communities when designing schools to be built using the public private partnership funding mechanism.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The ScottishExecutive has produced or sponsored several publications emphasising thecritical importance of early consultation with school communities, irrespectiveof the funding mechanism for the new school.</p><p>The followingpublications are available in th…
16 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30990 by Ross Finnie on 19 January 2007, whether it has issued a consultation paper seeking views on electronic dog training aids which administer an electric shock; if not, whether it still intends to do so and, if it does, when it will issue the pa…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The consultation paperseeking views on electronic training aids which administer electric shocks hasstill to be issued. The Executive are presently discussing this issue withinterested organisations and intend to issue a formal consultation paper in theautumn…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in reducing the number of pregnant women who continue to smoke during the first three months of pregnancy.
Answer · Shona Robison: The White paper <i>Towards aHealthier Scotland </i>set a target to reduce the proportion of women who smokein pregnancy from 29% in 1995 to 20% by 2010. Latest figures available for 2005show that 22.7% of women smoked during pregnancy.</p><p>In addition in 20…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has received from the Student Loans Company since 2005 as repayment of graduate endowments, including those where students have opted to add the endowment to their student loans.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The total amount received bythe Scottish Executive from the Student Loans Company was £10,000 during the2005-06 financial year and £47,000 during the 2006-07 financial year.</p>
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it receives repayment of the graduate endowment from the Student Loans Company when students opt to add the endowment to their student loans and, if so, whether it receives that repayment in the financial year that the graduate endowment is due.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Student Loans Companydoes not repay the graduate endowment loan. The student repays the graduateendowment to the Student Loan Company (SLC) and SLC remit the monies to the Scottish Executive (via the Students Award Agency Scotland).</p><p>Income Contingen…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current timescales and estimated expenditure are for all trunk road improvements in the Dumfries parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Our current programme ofinvestment in the trunk road network is available on the Transport Scotlandwebsite at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf">http://www.transport…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much landfill tax has been paid for each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The landfill tax is areserved matter for H M Treasury.</p><p>Information on the amountsraised by the landfill tax can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulllandfill">http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulllandfill</a>…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much municipal waste per head of population has gone to landfill in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information is notcalculated centrally. Annual Waste Data Digests, including information on theamount of waste sent to landfill, are available on the Scottish EnvironmentProtection Agency (SEPA) website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/d…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of municipal waste has gone to landfill in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Annual Waste Data Digests,which include information on the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill,are available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s website at <ahref="http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/data_digest.htm">www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/da…
11 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much municipal waste went to landfill in 2006-07, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Full data for 2006-07 is notyet available. The most recent data available is for the period April to June2006 and is available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s websiteat:</p><p><ahref="http://www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/nws/data/quarterly/2006_07/q1.pd…
10 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available to local authorities to assist with the costs of the clean-up operation following the floods of the last few weeks.
Answer · John Swinney: As local authorities have ageneral duty to deal with emergencies there is no automatic entitlement tospecial financial assistance. In exceptional circumstances, however, localauthorities can apply under the Bellwin Scheme for additional revenue fundingto assi…
5 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether registered social landlords can purchase existing properties on the open market for rent or shared equity ownership and what procedures require to be followed.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p class=MsoHeader>Registered social landlords (RSLs) can purchase existing properties on the open market for rent or shared equity ownership. R…
5 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will assist disabled people and families affected by disability in Dumfries and Galloway to become home owners.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Communities Scotland’sHomestake scheme provides funding to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) whichcan help disabled people who are in housing…
5 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers Scottish Water has in respect of the prevention of flooding from private land into residential properties.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Water has no powersregarding the prevention of flooding from private land. In terms of responsibility, under the Sewerage (Scotland)Act 1968, land drainage is the responsibility of the landowner.</p>
5 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers local authorities have in respect of the prevention of flooding from private land into residential properties.
Answer · Michael Russell: The primary responsibilityto protect any land from flooding lies with the owners concerned. Under theFlood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, local authorities have a duty to assessthe condition of watercourses in their area and carry out maintenance wherethis w…
5 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has in respect of the prevention of flooding from private land into residential properties.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish EnvironmentProtection Agency (SEPA) has no flood prevention functions. SEPA hasdiscretionary powers for the provision of Flood Warning for Scotland andoperates formal flood warning schemes in partnership with Local Authorities andthe police. SEPA…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Government will take steps to monitor its use of paper.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I have asked Glenys Stacey,Chief Executive of the Animal Health Agency to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The number of farm animalwelfare inspections carried out by Animal Health in Scotlandduring 2006 and the first six months of 2007 are shown in …
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that GPs should be permitted to charge patients for the provision of medical evidence in support of a housing application.
Answer · Shona Robison: The contract between generalpractitioners and the National Health Service is for the provision of essentialmedical services. Since the inception of the NHS it has included the making availableto patients a range of certificates free of charge for certain nati…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review GP contracts and, if so, what the probable timescale is for the review.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The GP (general medical services)contract is under continual review.</p><p>The GMS contract iscurrently negotiated at a UK level, with NHS Employers acting, when mandated byall four countries, as chief negotiators with the GP committee of the BritishMedical A…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to use the ministerial powers available under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to require local authorities and their housing partners to develop a common housing register.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The need to use thepowers provided in section 8 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 is kept under review.</p>
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it makes available to assist each local authority and the registered social landlords operating in its area to develop and maintain a common housing register.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In the period 2004to 2007, a total of £2.54 million was made available to local authorities to supportthe development of common housing registers.</p><p>A further £25,000has been made available to West Lothian Council in 2007-08 to fund the common housingregi…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities maintain a common housing register.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Operational commonhousing registers are currently maintained in ten local authority areas:</p><p>Argyll and Bute; Aberdeen;City of Edinburgh; Inverclyde: Fife; Orkney; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; Shetlands,and Scottish Borders (Hawick pilot).</p>
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in encouraging each local authority and its registered social landlords to develop a common housing register.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Good progress is beingmade in most local authority areas in developing common housing registers (CHRs).There are operational CHRs in 10 local authority areas and 11 further areas expecttheir CHR to be operational later in 2007-08.</p><p>Every local authorityi…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that each local authority and the registered social landlords operating in its area should maintain a common housing register.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes.</p>
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available to assist small businesses to develop e-trading.
Answer · Jim Mather: Economic development is the responsibilityof Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. As such, most grant assistanceto businesses is available through both bodies and I have asked their Chief Executivesto respond to you directly.</p><p>Some d…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available to assist social enterprises.
Answer · John Swinney: Many voluntary organisationsare provided with financial assistance by the Scottish Executive each year. Of thesea significant number may well be considered social enterprises, however many wouldnot describe themselves in this way. The generic grant applicatio…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available to assist sole traders to expand their businesses.
Answer · Jim Mather: Economic development is the responsibilityof Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. As such, most grant assistanceto businesses is available through both bodies and I have asked their Chief Executivesto respond to you directly.</p><p>Some d…
25 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available to assist women in business.
Answer · Jim Mather: Economic development is theresponsibility of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. As such, most grantassistance to businesses is available through both bodies and I have askedtheir Chief Executives to respond to you directly.</p><p>Some d…