Parliamentary questions

Mrs Margaret Ewing

567 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current annual expenditure is on the training of teachers who are responsible for the education of autistic children.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive provides £5 million to local authorities for in-service special educational needs staff development and training, including teachers of autistic children.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under the age of 12 are registered as having autism, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is provided in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=470><TR><TD WIDTH="70%" VALIGN="TOP">Local Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CEN…

18 Feb 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what has been the total expenditure on the provision of library facilities for the use of MSPs since July 1999, how many people are employed to provide library facilities to MSPs and what the proposed budget for library facilities will be in the financial year 2000-01.

Answer · David Steel: Total expenditure on the provision of library facilities for the use of MSPs from 1 July 1999 - 31 January 2000 has been around £650,000. From July-October 1999 there were 24 staff employed to provide library facilities, and there are now 28. The proposed bud…

12 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make public the report of the National Audit Office investigation into Moray College, Elgin.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Responsibility for the conclusion of the investigation was passed to the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council on 1 July 1999 when the Council assumed responsibility for the funding of further education colle…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to reconvene the Highlands and Islands Convention to discuss the loss of jobs at Barmac.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Ministers are actively considering the future of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands. An announcement will be made in the near future. Ministers remain willing to discuss any matters relating to the Highlands and Islands in the meantime.<FONT FACE="Ar…

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to ensure funding is available for the updating of equipment at the department of neurophysiology at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust is currently exploring options for the procurement of medical equipment for the Southern General Hospital.If a request is received from the Trust for capital funding to update the e…

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to appoint representatives of (i) the Scottish Executive and (ii) the Scottish Parliament to the Council of the Isles, what will be the time-scale for appointments and what will be the role of cross-party discussions.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The British-Irish Council (BIC) is being established under Strand 3 of the Belfast Agreement. Membership of the Council comprises representatives of the British and Irish Governments, devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, together …

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been affected by the cancellation of appointments at the department of neurophysiology at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and what plans it has to reduce such cancellations.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am advised by South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust that between 1 June and 30 November, there were a total of 233 cancellations broken down as follows:<CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=477><TR><TD WIDTH="53%" …

25 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects have been approved under the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme during the current financial year and what action it is taking to process outstanding claims.

Answer · Ross Finnie: During the current financial year, 850 applications for grant assistance under the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme (ABIS) have been approved. The outstanding applications are being assessed in accordance with my announcement on 16 November that, subj…

24 Nov 1999 · General Question

16 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will launch an investigation into why the Fine Arts degree at Moray College, Elgin has not been validated.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Validation of proposed new degree courses is a matter between the college and the validating body. I understand that an Open University Validation Service panel met on 28 and 29 June 1999 and agreed to validate the proposed BA in Fine Art, but imposed conditi…

16 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the number and location of courses which were previously offered but have not been validated this year by the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are, to the best of my knowledge, no courses which fall within this definition.I understand from UHI, the company promoting the University of the Highlands and Islands Project, that all degree courses approved through UHI in 1998 were…

11 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total budget is currently allocated for the present financial year to the North of Scotland Water Authority and how the budget is monitored in terms of spending patterns.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not allocate a budget to the North of Scotland Water Authority. The Authority is a public corporation of a trading nature resourced by a combination of revenue from customer charges and borrowings within limits set by the Scottish …

11 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with the North of Scotland Water Authority in connection with the laboratories at Aberdeen, Dundee, Elgin and Turriff.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: How the North of Scotland Water Authority handles its need for laboratory analysis is an operational matter for the Authority. In determining its approach it is the responsibility of the Authority to obtain value for money whilst meeting the requirements of t…

11 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total expenditure is by the North of Scotland Water Authority on laboratory facilities in its area in the current financial year, and how many staff are employed.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The North of Scotland Water Authority's budget for laboratory facilities in the current financial year is £2,516,000 and at present the Authority employs 66 Full Time Equivalent laboratory staff.

11 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the budgets allocated to the four laboratories in the North of Scotland Water Authority area including when these budgets were decided and the purpose for which the funds were allocated.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The allocation of the budgets for the six laboratories in the North of Scotland Water Authority area is an operational matter for the Authority. The budgets are decided by the Authority in December/January each year and are allocated to enable them to comply …

20 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what are the legal obligations of local authorities in relation to providing for the education needs of autistic children of all ages.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Education authorities have a duty under section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to secure the adequate and efficient provision of school education for the children in their area, including children with special educational needs. This includes children…

20 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the more in-depth review of fuel poverty and energy efficiency envisaged when the warm deal was introduced will take place.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer Mrs Ewing to the reply given to Question S1W-2010.

20 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the remaining #40 million Home Energy Efficiency Scheme budget over the next two years will be allocated to Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer Mrs Ewing to the reply given to question SW1-2011.

3 Sep 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what budget has been provided for the current financial year for the circulation of Parliamentary documents to MSPs and their staff and whether this includes provision for MSPs' staff in constituency offices to have the same access to Parliamentary documents as staff based in Edinburgh at …

Answer · David Steel: The Document Supply Centre has a budget of £250,000 in the current financial year. This budget covers the purchase of printed parliamentary documents to be supplied to MSPs and their staff free of charge. ‘Parliamentary documents’ are defined as: any document…

3 Sep 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what the Scottish Parliament Information Centre's budget for the current financial year is giving a breakdown on the basis of (a) information technology; (b) acquisition of reference and reading material and (c) staff salaries and what the projected budget is for the next financial year.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Information Centre's budget for this financial year of £163,250, to cover stock in whatever format is most cost-efficient. The budget for staff salaries is £620,862. The projected budget for the next financial year has not yet been dec…

3 Sep 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what powers the staff of the Parliamentary library have to purchase documents, reference books and statistical information requested by MSP's; and if there is any current or proposed budgetary limit for such purchases.

Answer · David Steel: The Information Centre has an annual budget of £163,250 for the purchase of whatever reference stock staff judge necessary to fulfill the anticipated information needs of MSPs, and maintain a central resource for the Parliament. MSPs may suggest items for Inf…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with MSPs and representatives of local authorities to ensure the continuation of the Highlands and Islands Convention, and when it expects to be able to announce the membership of the Convention.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The future of the Highlands and Islands Convention is currently under consideration and an announcement will be made in due course. The views previously expressed by the Convention as to its future are being taken into account.

25 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to respond conclusively to the studies prepared by Moray Council in 1998 for the National Roads Directorate in relation to the A95 Keith to Aviemore route, a Route Accident Reduction Plan for the A95, and an Inception Report for traffic calming measures in Keith.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: he final phase of the current A95 Route Accident Reduction Plan works is expected to go out to tender this month and to be completed within the current financial year.Other studies carried out will assist in the prioritisation of …

2 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is its target number of orthodontic consultants in each Health Board area and on what basis such targets are set.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are no target numbers set by the NHS for Consultant Orthodontic services in any Health Board or region in Scotland. The geography of Scotland, the distribution of its population and the variability of the population's oral health needs make a blanket q…

2 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthodontic consultants are employed in each Health Board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information available is shown in the table:Consultants in Orthodontics by Health Board (Headcount Totals)<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=397><TR><TD WIDTH="52%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><…

2 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many Health Board areas patients who are awaiting orthodontic treatment are now being placed on hospital waiting lists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Most orthodontic treatments carried out within the Hospital and Community Health Service settings are undertaken on an outpatient basis and information on the number of patients waiting for such treatment is not held centrally. Information on waiting lists is…