Parliamentary questions
Mary Mulligan
707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to raise the age for purchasing alcohol at off-licence premises to 21.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: No.</p>
11 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to lift the ban on alcohol sales at football grounds.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We have no plans tolift the ban on alcohol sales at football grounds.</p>
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities to ensure that the buses used for school transport are the most environmentally friendly.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The ScottishExecutive is currently addressing this in a wider context and is in discussionwith local transport authorities and the bus industry with a view to reviewingthe environmental impacts of all bus travel. There is no current Scottish Executive guidanc…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what encouragement it is giving to local authorities to increase the number of children who travel to school by school bus, so reducing the number travelling by private car.
Answer · Maureen Watt: In March 2007 the Scottish Executive published <i>School transport:</i> <i>survey of goodpractice</i> on its website, to help and encourage authorities to improve thestandards of school transport, discourage car use and promote healthier travelchoices. This b…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children travel to school by school bus, also broken down by local authority.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The percentage ofschool children who travel to school by school bus in each local authority area,and for Scotland as a whole, is given in the following table.This information is collected, in respect of a small sample of pupils, by the ScottishHousehold Surve…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to local authorities about the tendering of contracts to provide school bus services.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Executiveguidance to education authorities on school transport provision, Circular 7/2003,includes advice on contracting with transport providers. This has been supplementedby <i>School transport: survey of good practice</i>, published on the Sco…
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to assist people from West Lothian with travel arrangements when they require to go to Edinburgh for hospital appointments or to visit family members who are in-patients at Edinburgh hospitals.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The patients’ travellingexpenses scheme allows for the reimbursement or partial reimbursement, oftravel costs for eligible patients, and where medically necessary escorts,attending hospital for treatment. Eligible patients are those who are inreceipt of Incom…
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to return emergency surgical services, currently provided at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, to St John’s Hospital and what the timeframe will be for any such decision.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-244 on 11 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sear…
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reinstate trauma orthopaedic surgery services at St John’s Hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is for each health boardto plan and deliver services to meet the needs of its resident population. Traumaorthopaedics and general surgery were moved from St John’s Hospital andtransferred to Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2004 and I understand from NHSLot…
14 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote and regenerate traditional town centres, such as Bathgate and Linlithgow, in the Linlithgow parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: One of our central prioritiesis to support Scotland’s economic growth. We have already made clear that oneof the ways in which we will do so is by removing or reducing the burden of businessrates for small businesses, many of which are located in traditional …
14 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to support the pilot areas such as Bathgate, identified under the Business Improvement Districts project and, if so, how such support will be provided.
Answer · John Swinney: For 2007-08, the Executive hasallocated £543,000 to support Business Improvement District (BID) pilots (includingBathgate); to meet the salary and other costs of the BIDs Project Director, andto fund marketing and publicity costs.</p>
14 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it will commit to ensure that a railway station is built in the village of Blackridge on the new Airdrie to Bathgate rail line.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is no additional funding for the provision of a station at Blackridge. Funding for the station will have to be met by savings in the current budget or through third party contributions, which may include contributions from property developers.</p>
14 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any necessary legislation to provide for a new railway station in the village of Blackridge can be enacted in time to enable building work to be carried out at the same time as the new Airdrie to Bathgate rail line is being constructed.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland arestill in discussions with West Lothian Council about the most appropriate powersto use to take forward the building of the station at Blackridge.</p><p>It is the intention that thiswould be pursued in time to allow for the station to be …
14 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward legislation to provide for a railway station in the village of Blackridge on the new Airdrie to Bathgate rail line.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland arecurrently in discussions with West Lothian Council about the most appropriate powersto take forward the provision of a station at Blackridge.</p>
14 Mar 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is being provided to those not in employment, education or training in the Linlithgow parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Those not in employment, educationor training (NEET) in Linlithgow receive help from a range of delivery partnersincluding education, social work, health, careers advice, training, further education,community learning, youth work and wider voluntary services.…
9 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure a more integrated service for those who need to use wheelchairs and for their families and carers.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-32323 on 21March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
9 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it intends to take in response to Moving Forward: Review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive recognises that thereview identifies priority areas for improvements, including the desire for a moreintegrated model of service. It will work together with NHSScotland and other agenciesinvolved on how best to implement the recommendations, bot…
9 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each NHS board has spent on wheelchair provision in each year since 1999.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.</p>
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for gynaecology in-patient appointments in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The median waiting times forin-patient and day case treatment in the specialty of gynaecology, in the year ended31 December 2006, by NHS board of residence, are given in the followingtable.</p><p>Median waiting times are notan Executive target. Our policy is …
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for gynaecology out-patient appointments in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The median waiting times fora first out-patient appointment at a consultant-led clinic in the specialty of gynaecology,following referral by a general medical practitioner, in the year ended 31 December 2006, byNHS board of residence, are given in the followi…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many gynaecologists are employed in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Gynaecologists are trained withinthe obstetrics and gynaecology specialty. Information held centrally thereforeincludes Obstetricians as well as gynaecologists. The most recent Informationon the number of Obstetric and Gynaecology consultants by health board …
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Data on the number of womendiagnosed with ovarian cancer are available by NHS board and year (1980 to2003) on the Information Services Division website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/cancer_ovary_inc.xls">www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to local authorities and schools regarding the holding of parent/teacher consultation sessions.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Arrangements forparent/teacher consultations are a matter for local agreement by localauthorities and individual schools.</p>
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowance is made in teachers’ time to ensure that parent/teacher consultations take place, following the McCrone Report.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Under the terms of theAgreement <i>A Teaching Profession for the 21<sup>st</sup> Century</i> the allocationof time for a range of planned activities, including parent consultations, is amatter for local agreement by local authorities and individual schools. A…
31 Jan 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to support projects such as FOCCUS, provided by Scottish Marriage Care, for people contemplating marriage.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive supportsa wide range of organisations through the unified voluntary sector fund. This includessubstantial support for a range of activity carried out by Scottish Marriage Care.Applications for funding from April 2007 are currently being…
6 Dec 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to modernise the civil courts.
Answer · Johann Lamont: As announced on 20 April thisyear, we are in discussion with the senior judiciary with a view to setting up ajudicially led review of the civil courts. We hope to make a further announcementshortly.</p>
15 Nov 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it has made in housing in the Linlithgow parliamentary constituency since 2003.
Answer · Des McNulty: By the endof March 2007 the Scottish Executive, through Communities Scotland, will haveinvested nearly £28 million on affordable housing across West Lothian since April 2003. This investmentwill provide 477 new build or rehabilitated affordable houses. Within…
22 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its implementation plan for Changing Lives: Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Changing LivesImplementation Plan is published today, 28 June 2006.The plan sets out details of the approach to implementation we propose to takeand announces the first tranche of funding, £4 million in the remainder of thisfinancial year and rising to £1…
24 May 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities that are experiencing an increasing school population.
Answer · Peter Peacock: the Scottish Executive has regular meetings with local authorities on a range ofeducation issues, during which discussion may touch on both increasing anddecreasing pupil populations, according to local circumstances.</p>
18 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the pilot programme of using helmets to treat benign positional plagiocephaly in Yorkhill Hospital's orthotic department will be available.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yorkhill Hospital has been undertaking initial experimental work to explorewhether it had the technical capability to produce and fit helmets for treatingplagiocephaly. It has not undertaken a properly constituted pilot programme andtherefore does not intend …