Helen Eadie

27 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to be in a position to announce how it proposes to fund the new Forth crossing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A decision on this matter will be made later in 2008.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to  introduce legislation to provide protection in the missives for individuals purchasing newly built homes so as to introduce a more equal balance of rights between developer and purchaser.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Housing Improvement Task Force (established by the previous administration to consider issues relating to housing quality in the private sector and the house buying and selling process) recommended that legislation with the purpose of putting minimum safe…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of expenditure was on the treatment of (a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease, (c) diabetes, (d) arthritis and (e) cerebrovascular disease in each year from 2003 to 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bottles of water have been purchased by each of its departments and agencies in each of the last five years and what the cost was in each case.

Answer · John Swinney: The following tables set out the number and cost of the large (11 litre) bottles of water bought under the Scottish Government (SG) water cooler contract which covers the core SG together with certain agencies, as well as the smaller (500 ml) bottles provided…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider an alternative policy of making available central heating grants to enable all eligible pensioners to be able to engage local contractors who meet the criteria and standards set by it to install the required central heating systems and ensure that all pensioners h…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have no plans to introduce such a policy.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are waiting for improvement grants for their homes and how many disabled people are awaiting grants for modifications to their homes.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: This information is not held centrally. Local authorities are not required to record this information and any data they do hold is unlikely to be comparable.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the eligibility criteria for charities, churches and voluntary organisations for reductions in water rates.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is consulting on the issue of the water services charges exemption scheme as part of its 2010-14 Principles of Charging consultation.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of houses are fitted with water meters

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Advice from Scottish Water is that there are currently around 600 households (out of around 2.2 million) which pay for their water and sewerage services on a metered basis.</p> <p >The majority of households pay for these services by reference to the council…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many new homes building work has been started by (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations since May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is published on the Scottish Government website at </p> <p >(a) <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuildLA">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regenerat…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has provided on the issuing of steroid warning cards to patients on steroid treatment.

Answer · Shona Robison: Guidance on issuing steroid treatment cards was disseminated in a joint letter by the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on 26 July 2006.</p> <p >The guidance reminds all healthcare professionals involved in the tre…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on outside consultancy firms by each NHS board in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to fund all grant maintained schools at current levels.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There are no grant-maintained schools in Scotland.</p> <p >The seven grant-aided special schools will receive the same recurrent funding in 2008-09 as was awarded in 2007-08. The other school receiving direct grant from the Scottish Executive, Jordanhill Sch…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that all universities provide language teaching in every EU member state language.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The decision to offer courses in any subject is a decision for individual universities to make based on demand for and perceived sustainability of the course.</p> <p >We will continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that its higher educat…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing developments designated as being at high risk of flooding by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency have been granted planning permission since May 2007 in (a) coastal areas and (b) inland flood plain areas.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an <strong>estimate</strong> of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year “ in other words, those areas estimated to have a one in 200 or greater chan…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to meet the Association of British Insurers to discuss coastal developments in Scotland and, in particular, those designated as being at a high risk of flooding.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Association Of British Insurers is represented on the Scottish Government's Flooding Bill Advisory Group which provides advice to the Scottish Government on flood risk management issues at a strategic level. The group will be advising on the proposals out…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, if the Association of British Insurers refuses to insure homes which are to be built on land designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being areas at high risk of flooding, whether it will underwrite all subsequent purchasers of these homes and businesses.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No. Decisions taken by the property insurance industry are a commercial matter for that industry and it would be inappropriate for the Scottish Government to underwrite any loss that may arise as a result of those decisions.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, if it allows development on areas designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being at high risk of coastal flooding, whether it will require developers to build sea defences.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an <strong>estimate</strong> of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year “ in other words, those areas estimated to have a 1 in 200 or greater chance…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it arrived at a view on the first appeal against planning permission at St. David’s Bay Harbour that planning permission be declined on the basis of a high risk of flooding and why, following the developer’s appeal, the Scottish Government’s reporter approved planning permission.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Section 48(6) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 has the effect that once a reporter has issued a decision on an appeal that decision is final and neither nor Scottish ministers have any further jurisdiction in the matter. This means that it…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to follow the advice of the Association of British Insurers about housing developments in areas designated as being at a high risk of flooding and, if so, whether it will withdraw all planning approvals for such developments agreed since it came to office.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The central purpose of <i >Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 7 “ Planning and Flooding</i> is to prevent further development which would have a significant probability of being affected by flooding or which would increase the probability of flooding elsewhere. T…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made investigating whether there will be European funding available for building the new Forth crossing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland officials are reviewing whether any funding would be available under the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) scheme to support development of the Forth Replacement Crossing.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require (a) all departments and agencies to maintain a register listing sporting facilities in receipt of public funds (i) closed since 1 March 2007 and (ii) proposed for future closure, (b) an investigation into each proposed closure and (c) ministers to report the reason…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Sportscotland maintain a database of sporting facilities in Scotland that are open to the public and known to them. If a facility receives an award from sportscotland it is subject to regular monitoring to ensure that the terms of the award are met. If a faci…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) daily, (b) weekly and (c) Sunday papers it has used used for advertising purposes since May 2007 and what the total expenditure was in each case.

Answer · John Swinney: The following table details newspaper advertising spend from May 2007 to February 2008 broken down by title of publication.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=center >Daily Titles</p> </td> …

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates public expenditure will be per capita for each local authority in the next three years.

Answer · John Swinney: The estimated identified distributable Scottish Government funding per head to each local authority for the period 2008-11 is set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=bottom > <p >(…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any outsourcing contracts have been agreed by any of its departments or agencies since ministers took office in May 2007 and, if so, what the nature and value was of each contract and whether any additional work was added and, if so, of what value.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will accept the recommendations of the Association of British Insurers and withdraw planning permission for any developments where approval has been given to build on sites designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being at high risk of flooding.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an <strong>estimate</strong> of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year - in other words the areas estimated to have a 1 in 200 or greater chance of…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many metastatic or secondary breast cancer patients have access to a breast care nurse.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally. NHS boards are responsible for planning and funding services, in the light of the needs of their resident population, from the unified budgets which are made available to them from the Executive.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to nationally monitor the incidence of metastatic breast cancer and, if not, whether it plans to pilot a monitoring system of metastatic or secondary breast cancer in a clinical network.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Centrally, there are no plans to monitor or pilot a monitoring system for metastatic or secondary breast cancer.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of dentists and orthodontists who provided services on both a full-time and a part-time basis to the NHS in each of the last five years.

Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS boards. This information is not held centrally.</p>

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage private dental practitioners to return to providing NHS dental treatment.

Answer · Shona Robison: The majority of dentists who provide NHS general dental services are independent contractors, i.e. private dentists. Most dentists provide a mix of both NHS and private treatment. A number of financial measures have been put in place over the last few years t…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that dental treatment is available to all patients under the NHS.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are working to continue to increase the dental workforce and to improve dental facilities.</p> <p >More dental students are graduating from the dental schools and the creation of a third dental school in Aberdeen will also increase the number of dentists …