Fiona Hyslop

30 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee and its sub-committees have been planned up to December 2003, detailing where and when each meeting will be held, which minister is to attend and what matters will be discussed.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meets annually and met most recently in London on 22 October 2002. <P>JMC sub-committees meet as and when necessary.

30 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all sub-committees of the Joint Ministerial Committee and detail their membership.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) has met in the following functional groups: JMC Poverty, JMC Health, JMC Europe and JMC Knowledge Economy. <P>Each sub-committee consists of UK Ministers, the First and Deputy First Ministers from the Scottish Executive, …

30 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22478 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 February 2002, how many joint ministerial committees and sub-committee meetings have been convened since 12 February 2002; where each meeting took place, which minister attended, and what was discussed.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Since 12 February 2002 one plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC), and five meetings of the functional committees have taken place.<P>The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) Plenary was held on 22 October in London. The First Minister and I at…

23 Oct 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that car parking charges at hospitals are affordable for patients, visitors and staff.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The department expects NHS trusts to consult fully with staff and the public when considering the introduction, and subsequent operation of, car parking charges. Revised guidance is currently under consideration and consultation will be a feature of that guid…

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils have been refused places at their chosen secondary schools where those pupils lived in the official catchment area for the school in question in each year since 1998, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is not held centrally.

26 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27061 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, whether it will collect and hold centrally information on performance against local waiting time targets.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Monitoring and reporting performance against local waiting times targets is likely to be most effective when carried out by individual NHS boards and trusts. The National Waiting Times Unit is currently working with NHS boards on developing local waiting time…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relieve local authority housing departments of capital housing debt.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Arrangements are already in place with Treasury whereby assistance with debt is available as part of a whole stock transfer package. The Executive is not in a position to be able to relieve local authority housing departments of debt outwith stock transfer, s…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the capital receipt set-aside rules governing the use of monies received by local authorities that are obliged to sell houses under right-to-buy legislation.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the housing capital receipts set-aside rules at present. It is important that we continue to reduce the debt burden on local authority tenants.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how often information requested in parliamentary questions has been withheld at the request of Her Majesty's Government under paragraph 11 (a) of the Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the United Kingdom Government, Scottish ministers, the Cabinet…

Answer · Andy Kerr: In answering parliamentary questions the Scottish Executive always respects the status of information held in confidence, and does not distinguish between that and whether or not such information has been subject to a formal request under these arrangements. …

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17642 and S1W-17643 by Angus MacKay on 18 September 2001, whether it has now considered the consultants' final report; if so, what conclusions it has drawn in the light of the report, and whether it will now make public its plans relating to the in…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive considered the consultant's report and a range of potential options for the delivery of Facilities Management services. The Executive concluded that a Business Improvement Plan (BIP), using mainly in-house provision, would provide the b…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, how many staff there are in the unit dedicated to dealing with asylum seekers and with refugee integration issues.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Integration team currently comprises three permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff. This team works closely with a number of officials throughout the Executive on all devolved aspects of asylum and refugee in…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, which minister is responsible for all devolved aspects of asylum issues and has the relevant power to take action on such matters.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Minister for Social Justice is responsible for co-ordinating the devolved aspects of asylum issues, working in partnership with other cabinet ministers.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum was established in January 2002 and has met three times. Six satellite groups were established to take forward specific areas of work. The satellites have completed their evidence gathering sessions and are now consideri…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is currently undertaking on the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and when it expects the results of any such research to be available.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Earlier this year the Scottish Executive commissioned a research study to assess the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in its first eighteen months of operation in Scotland. The study involves in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, service pro…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14111 by Jackie Baillie on 26 March 2001, whether the pilot debtline in Fife has become operational and, if so, when; how it plans to analyse the efficacy of the pilot debtline, and whether any research on this matter has already been undertaken.

Answer · Margaret Curran: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24465 15 April 2002, the Fife pilot of the National Debtline project was launched by Iain Gray, then Social Justice Minister, on 22 March 2002. The Department of Trade and Industry plan to undertake an evaluati…

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the working group considering fire brigade pensions will report and whether the report will be published at the same time.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The work of the group is continuing. It is not possible at this stage to be definitive about when the report will be submitted to ministers or published.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services did not intend to state to the Parliament that money was "flowing north of the border from south of the border" (Official Report, 23 January 2002, c. 56…

Answer · Andy Kerr: I do not think that any clarification is necessary, taking into account the Deputy Minister's comments as a whole, and not just the words selected for quotation in question S1W-25676.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I believe that the letter and spirit of the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I> has been complied with.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of its Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The <I>Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament</I> is directed at Civil Servants.<P>I am not aware of any such request to officials but would be happy to look into the matter if Ms Hyslop's concerns remain.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the <I>Scottish Ministerial Code</I>.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support the New Deal Implementation Support Group has given to West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust in order to enable it to achieve compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week for junior doctors.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Members of the Implementation Support Group have been meeting regularly with trust representatives to provide advice and guidance on producing rotas that are New Deal compliant.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust will achieve full compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week set out in the New Deal for junior doctors.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most recent monitoring data from West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust indicate that 100% of Pre Registration House Officers are compliant with New Deal. Senior House Officers and Specialist Registrars are required to compliant by August 2003.

25 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27066 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, why it does not hold centrally information on the average number of hours worked by junior doctors in the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive requires trusts to report on compliance with the contractual requirements of the New Deal for junior doctors and available data covers whether junior doctors meet the limit of 56 hours per week. Considerable efforts have been focussed o…

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27063 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, whether it will provide additional funding to West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust in order to assist the trust in addressing its funding deficit.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Lothian has received its fair share of funding. In 2002-03 NHS Lothian will receive record investment of over £754 million, a 6.8% increase on 2001-02. Distribution of this allocation is a matter of local negotiation.<P>As mentioned in the answer given to…

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance shifts were not covered in the Lothian NHS Board area in each of the last (a) three years and (b) seven months.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available for the Lothian NHS Board area for the periods in question. The manpower planning system used in other parts of Scotland to provide this detail has only recently been installed in this area.<P>What we do know is that in recen…

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27065 by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 July 2002, whether it will publish the national guidance on car parking charge practice issued to NHS trusts.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In accordance with standard practice, the national guidance on car parking charges was published in Management Executive Letter (MEL) (2000) 13, dated 17 March 2000, copies of which are available to the public through The Stationery Office. Should the guidanc…

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27064 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 July 2002, whether there is a shortfall between the funding of #754 million allocated to Lothian NHS Board and projected expenditure by the board in 2002-03 and how much any such shortfall is, broken down by NHS trust …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Resources are allocated to NHS boards on the basis of need. Boards are held to account for managing within the allocations made to them and for achieving national and local targets.<P>The Health Department will support boards to achieve these targets through …

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it plans to spend on advertising, broken down by media type, in each department in the current financial year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26486 on 20 June 2002.

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many policy analysts were employed by the Scottish Office in each year from 1995 to 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Numbers of policy analysts (administration grade C1) employed between 1995 and 1999 are given in the following table.<P>Count of admin C1 officers, Scottish Office core departments. As at 1 April 1995 - 1999<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=104>…

24 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many policy analysts (a) it employs currently, broken down by department and (b) it has employed in each year since 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Numbers of policy analysts (administration grade C1) broken down by department are given in the following table.<P>Count of permanent admin C1 officers, Scottish Executive core departments, by department, as at 1 April 2002<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADD…