Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Apr 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the prevalence of osteoporosis is amongst men and women over 50.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network estimates a prevalence of osteoporosis in people over 50 as one in three women and one in twelve men.</p>
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be represented on the Department of Trade and Industry and Cabinet Office's Equalities Review reference group.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15888 on 20 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is represented on the Department of Trade and Industry and Cabinet Office's Equalities Review Team and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15888 on 20 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its responsibilities in respect of the encouragement of equal opportunities, what representations it will make to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Cabinet Office to ensure that the Equalities Review gives specific consideration to Scottish issues.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including this matter. Assurance has been given that Scotland will be represented on the Equality Reference Group for the review and that the review team will fully …
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take forward the Home Office strategy, Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society, in Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive will be publishing a report and action plan in the coming months following the Executive’s review of race equality. The review was commissioned by ministers last year given the changing context in which race equality work is being condu…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to adapt the Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Toolkit, produced for the NHS, for use by other Executive Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to mainstreaming equality to ensure that all policies, legislation, spending plans and services integrate an equalities perspective and are designed and delivered in a way that is sensitive to the diverse needs and experien…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish the findings of its mapping exercise on progress being made by public authorities towards meeting their duties to promote race equality, eliminate racial discrimination and promote good race relations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive commissioned a review of race equality last year to consider, among other things, priorities in communities, Executive funding, and the infrastructure required to deliver effective race equality and community cohesion. As part of the evidence ga…
6 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Office to ensure compliance by the Home Office or its contractors with the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Compliance with all applicable legal obligations by the Home Office is a matter for them.</p>
1 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14479 by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 March 2005, how many of the new-build starts referred to have been approved for funding by Communities Scotland and have scheduled start dates.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Further to my response toquestion S2W-14479, the figures given in that answer have been revised to takeaccount of Communities Scotland’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme for2005-06. The following table provides updated information on:</p><p>(a) Number …
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect secondments have on (a) the reported number of staff working for it and (b) its budgets for salaries.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Secondments have no effect onthe reported number of staff working for the Scottish Executive. Secondees arenot counted for the purposes of determining the Scottish Executive’s staffingnumbers.</p><p>Salaries of staff in the Scottish Executive’s core Departmen…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how staff on secondment are counted for the purposes of determining civil service numbers.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Staff on secondment (either inwardor outward) are not included in staffing returns. The Scottish Executivefollows cabinet office mandate criteria and only civil servants who are in postand are carrying out civil service functions are counted.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14444 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 March 2005, how the salaries of those seconded from other organisations are accounted for under the Executive's budget headings.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The cost of secondments thatare funded by the Scottish Executive are charged to the staff costs heading of the Executive’s Administration Budget.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14444 by Mr Tom McCabe on 4 March 2005, which of the organisations referred to have made financial contributions towards salary costs and how this has affected the Executive's budget headings.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Of the organisationsreferred to in my answer to question S2W-14444 on 4 March 2005, only ScottishPower made a financial contribution towards salary costs. The cost ofsecondments funded by the Scottish Executive were charged to the staffcosts heading of the Ex…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14445 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 March 2005, how the salaries of those seconded to other organisations are accounted for under the Executive's budget headings.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The cost of the secondmentto be funded by the Scottish Executive is charged to the staff costs heading of the Executive’s Administration Budget.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14445 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 March 2005, which of the organisations referred to have made financial contributions towards salary costs and how this has affected the Executive's budget headings.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Of the 46 organisations,listed in the answer to question S2W-14445 on 1 March 2005,33 made contributions towards salary costs. The following table lists theorganisations and provides details of those who contribute to the cost of thesecondment.</p><p>The sala…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, which organisations have now made a f…
Answer · Peter Peacock: The First Minister apologised on behalf of the people of Scotland on 1 December 2004. Information on other organisations is not held centrally.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, what input the In Care Abuse Survivor…
Answer · Peter Peacock: The idea of having a group to specifically scope the level of support services available to survivors of in care abuse arose out of discussions between INCAS and my officials. Subsequently, at both a meeting with officials on 10 December 2004 and again in cor…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, what input the In Care Abuse Survivor…
Answer · Peter Peacock: This was discussed at a meeting between my officials and representatives of INCAS on 10 December 2004 when INCAS were invited to make suggestions of potential candidates and to provide input into the characteristics they felt were important in any appointee. …
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, what financial support has been given…
Answer · Peter Peacock: My officials met with representatives of INCAS on 10 December 2004 to discuss this. Since then the Executive has paid for mentoring and developmental work to be undertaken with INCAS. A proposed business plan, including information on the level of financial s…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, whether it has appointed someone with…
Answer · Peter Peacock: We are in the final stages of discussing the remit with interested parties and an announcement on the appointment of the independent expert will be made soon.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, when the short-life working group to …
Answer · Peter Peacock: The membership of the short-life working group will be announced shortly.</p>
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, whether discussions are concluded and…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: As stated by the Minister for Education and Young People in the debate on 1 December 2004, we expect the Scottish Law Commission to publish a discussion paper on limitation in the second half of 2005 and to report to ministers during 2006. Discussions are con…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, what support has been put in place fo…
Answer · Peter Peacock: A helpline has been set up by the Executive. Run by Who Cares? Scotland this local charge telephone helpline service will assist people who want information about how to access information held by the Executive and with understanding the access process. The h…
31 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the commitments made during the debate in the Parliament on Institutional Child Abuse on 1 December 2004 and the letter of 21 December 2004 from the Minister for Education and Young People to the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, whether all relevant files, appropria…
Answer · Peter Peacock: All relevant files held by the Scottish Executive are now available for public inspection. Full details on how to access these files can be found at:</p> <p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/education/accesstoinfo/residentialestablishments">http://www…
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual outturns were against target outturns for the Refuge Development Programme in each of the last three years and what projects were funded, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Actual out-turn spendagainst target for the Domestic Abuse Refuge Accommodation Programme over thelast three years have been as follows:</p><t…
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into benefits in patient care and cost savings arising from the employment of Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Specialist nursing roles are relatively new in Scotland and as such published literature on outcomes is limited. We are not aware of any specific research that has quantified both the benefits to care and the cost effectiveness of Parkinson’s Disease nursing …
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of neurologist provision in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on neurologistsin post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics websiteunder Workforce Statistics, at <b><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a></b>.</p><p class=MsoBodyText>The latest…
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and assistance it gives to NHS boards in respect of the employment of specialist nursing staff.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Recruitment and training ofspecialist nurses is primarily a matter for NHS boards to determine in thelight of clinical needs and service developments within their area.</p><p>To support NHS boards, theHealth Department has produced a Framework for Developing …
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to make funding available to NHS boards for the employment of nurses specialising in Parkinson's Disease or for training to allow nurses to become specialists in this area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning of the workforce to deliver first class health services - including specialist Parkinson’s nurses - to patients in Scotland is primarily a matter for individual NHS boards.</p> <p>All NHS organisations also have responsibility for nursing and mid…
30 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11567 by Cathy Jamieson on 17 November 2004, whether the Scottish Information Commissioner has made available to it his conclusions on Contract between the Scottish Ministers and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the Provision of Prisoner Escor…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Yes. The Information Commissioner’s decision can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/decision.htm">http://www.it…