Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient funding is given to Highland Council to maintain the road infrastructure in its area.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Funding for local roads andbridges forms part of the general Local Government Finance settlement. As partof this, Highland Council will receive above inflation increases in revenuesupport of 8.0% this year, and of 5.1% and 3.6% over the next two years. It isa…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses have been built in each of the last five years.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The following table showsthe number of dwellings completed in Scotland for 1998-2002.</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p>1998</p> </td> <td> <p>1999</p> </td> …
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many adopted local plans are more than five years old.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2408 today, which is available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <a name="_Hlt51731618"></a><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.s…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it takes to prepare a local plan from start to adoption in each local authority.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Information is onlyavailable on the time taken to prepare local plans started after localgovernment reorganisation in April 1996. Plans have taken between 32 and 84months.</p>
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how consultation will take place with local communities in respect of offshore wind farms.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: It is a requirement ondevelopers applying to the Scottish ministers for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 that they place advertisements in the local andnational press describing the proposal, its location and to whomrepresentations should …
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how individuals and communities can become involved in the planning process if no local plan exists.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Including plans which havestarted and are at various stages of preparation there is local plan coverageacross the whole of Scotland.</p>
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all local authorities have an up-to-date local plan.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: In June 2002 the Executivepublished its report <i>Review of Strategic Planning: Conclusions and Nextsteps.</i> The report is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Theintention is to replace the two-tier system of development planning with localdevel…
5 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have an up-to-date (a) structure plan and (b) local plan covering their full area.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Information on the status ofstructure and local plans can be found on the development plan progress page onthe Scottish Executive Planning home page at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/planning/development_progress/view2.asp">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/plan…
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding for Citi'ens Advice Bureaux to enable them to cope with any additional advice required as a result of legislation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Funding for Citizens AdviceBureaux is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to decide on theallocation of resources according to the needs of their particular areas.</p>
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to upgrade the National Grid to meet the increase in electricity generated from wind farms and who will be consulted regarding the si'e, siting and type of electricity pylons and any other infrastructure required.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The upgrade of the transmission systems in Scotland is a matter for the owners, Scottish Hydro-Electric Transmission Ltd and SP Transmission, and the industry regulator, Ofgem. The regulation of the electricity industry is a reserved matter.<P>Any proposal in…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the requirement to upgrade the National Grid to meet the increase in electricity generated from wind farms will result in a halt to planning applications for wind farms.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We would propose no such moratorium.
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how energy from wind farms in the Western Isles and Orkney will be connected to the National Grid and how much each connection will cost.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S2W-1521 and S2W-1522 on . All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for funding any upgrade of the National Grid to cope with the capacity of electricity generated from wind farms and future wave energy generation.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The regulation of the electricity network is a reserved matter. The electricity network is privately owned and operated and network upgrades are the responsibility of the owners in conjunction with the regulator, Ofgem.
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of upgrading the National Grid to meet the increase in electricity generated from wind farms.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The regulation of the electricity network is a reserved matter. However, the Executive participates in the work of the GB Transmission Issues Working Group (TIWG), which has been tasked with looking at the implications for the GB electricity network of the Go…
3 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S1W-30227 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 October 2002, whether Tayside NHS Board's confidentiality statement will be adopted by other NHS boards in order to enable funeral directors to be informed of bodies with infectious disease.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I recently met representatives of the National Association of Funeral Directors when this issue was discussed. The matter is now being considered further in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and other interests.
3 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory and other agencies in Scotland will be consulted in respect of the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive consulted with relevant experts within the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage when preparing its formal response to the planning application for the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station near Ballym…
3 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether people on the west coast of Scotland will be in any danger from wind-blown dust particles emitted from the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is closely monitoring the planning application for the proposed integrated lignite mine and power station development near Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. We formally responded to the Northern Ireland Office Planning Service on 13 May 2…
4 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is planned in respect of common factoring schemes, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A consultation paper enclosing a draft Tenements (Scotland) Bill was published on 20 March and the consultation period concluded on 13 June. That paper invited views on the appointment of factors. The Executive will be considering the responses to the consult…
30 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what health ha'ards arise from exposure to mercury, methylmercury and ethylmercury.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Elemental mercury can cause a wide range of adverse health effects including damage to the respiratory, renal and nervous systems. However, incidences of poisoning by elemental mercury are rare, and associated mainly with occupational exposure by inhalation. …
30 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will end postcode prescribing in the Highlands, given that Highland NHS Board has set up a task group to manage implementation of guidance of new drugs "within a cash limited envelope of resource", as referred to in the report to the board on 1 April 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have made it clear that I expect NHSScotland to take account of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland advice and evidence and to ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need. <P>Like all NHS boards, NHS Highland has to man…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing a new fee structure for general dental practitioners to reflect more accurately the cost of dental treatment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have introduced a number of individual measures to assist financially general dental practitioners in Scotland, including the new sedation and general dental practice allowances.
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the free dental check referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland will be an (a) basic check costing #6.65, (b) more extensive clinical examination costing #9.95 or (c) full case assessment costing #20.80.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our intention is that free dental checks, when introduced, will extend to the three categories outlined above, subject to (a) the clinical need of the individual patient and (b) meeting the criteria specified in the statement of dental remuneration.
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been diagnosed as having an autistic spectrum disorder, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information requested is not held centrally, although the child health team within Information and Statistics Division Scotland is working towards obtaining this data in the medium term.
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS trusts had incurred a financial deficit at the end of 2002-03 and what the deficit of each such trust was.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following forecast positions have been received from the trusts in their March financial monitoring:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=492><TR><TD WIDTH="62%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Trust</TD><TD WIDTH="38%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Forecast Overspend (£000)…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct local authorities to pay the same fee for an elderly person in an independent or voluntary sector care home as is paid to a local authority home, given that each home is required to meet the same quality standards of care provision.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No. Local authorities are bound by section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to recover, where possible, the full costs of providing care in their homes.
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the programme to end the use of mixed sex hospital wards will be completed, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Very substantial progress has been made towards achieving the target of ending mixed sex hospital wards with almost 99% of wards fully compliant. Plans are in place to make six more wards compliant by next April. Discussions continue with two trusts to ensure…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether research will be undertaken to examine levels of toxins and mercury build-up in children with autistic spectrum disorder in order to ascertain any potential link between such levels and autism.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-298 today. 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/search_…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether research will be carried out into any link between autism and vaccines containing mercury.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. CSO is contributing £0.25 million to the £2.75 million which the Medic…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when thiomersal will be removed from those vaccines containing the substance that are currently administered.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).<P>The MHRA has advised that to date a number of UK licensed vaccines have had levels of thiomersal reduced or remov…
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making single vaccines for mumps, measles and rubella available on the NHS as an alternative to the triple MMR vaccine.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no such plans.