Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure delivery of the Scottish Ambulance Service patient transport service, given the loss of time and commitment from volunteer drivers.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are responsible for ensuring the provision of safe, sustainable and high quality health care that meets the needs of their patients. They must do so in line with strategic national priorities, ensuring they achieve the annual performance targets th…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25934 by Jim Mather on 17 August 2009, where the proposed grid infrastructure projects under the EU’s Economic Recovery Programme are located.

Answer · Jim Mather: The European Energy Programme for Recovery invited bids for funding from a specific range of energy infrastructure projects, including a number of offshore wind projects, grid connections in the North Sea and development of carbon capture and storage technolo…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in making greater use of the skills, training and experience of Scottish Ambulance Service staff in the NHS.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Ambulance staff at all levels are more highly trained and educated than ever before. Ambulance staff training is now aligned to the Paramedic Career Framework and this allows skills to be mapped across the various professional bodies within the NHS. More trai…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Ambulance Service is increasing clinical services to patients.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service is committed to developing clinical services to patients. This starts from when the caller is connected to the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre (EMDC) through the on-going enhancement of clinical triage and advice, through to t…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect of the European working time directive is on (a) retained firefighters, (b) retained ambulance staff and (c) mountain rescue groups.

Answer · Jim Mather: In respect of each of these groups: (a) The European working time directive currently has no effect on retained fire-fighters within the fire and rescue services in Scotland. (b) The Scottish Ambulance Service is not currently operating any …

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response time has been for category (a) A and (b) B calls in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested has been provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service and is set out in the following table. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > Year </td> <td valign…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage increase has been in category (a) A and (b) B calls in each NHS board area in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A detailed response to this question is available from the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. number 49112).

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are being given to growers of bog myrtle during the three years from planting to maturing of the crop.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26648 on 18 September, on DATE, which states that financial support is available under the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on t…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are being given to encourage the planting of bog myrtle.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Funding for farm businesses to diversify into alternative forms of agricultural production is available through the Scotland Rural Development Programme under Rural Priorities. Rural Priorities is a competitive funding mechanism whereby the best qual…

12 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NorthLink Ferries was given an additional grant in 2008-09 due to rising fuel costs and, if so, what additional amount was given.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under the terms of the agreement between Scottish ministers and NorthLink Ferries Ltd, the Scottish Government is required to give the ferry company additional grant if the price of fuel increases above the amount budgeted for in the operational year. During …

12 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether unsuccessful applicants for the first round of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund will be offered advice on where their applications failed and, if so, whether this advice will be available before the deadline for submission of applications for the second round.

Answer · Alex Neil: I can confirm that letters were issued to all unsuccessful applicants on 5 August, which offered feedback to candidates on their application. Advice was offered both on areas of relative weakness in applications and on the process by which allocations were de…

12 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the same criteria will be used for allocating money in the second round of applications to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund as were used in the first round.

Answer · Alex Neil: I can confirm that the same criteria will apply. Further details are available via the attached link: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/regeneration/town-centres/tcrf/FeedbackFAQs">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-E…

12 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding applications to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund from the Highlands and Islands region were not more successful.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26427 on 8 September 2009. 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/App…

12 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason communities in the Highlands and Islands region did not receive a larger share of the first round of funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Answer · Alex Neil: I can confirm that all applications were subject to the same four stage assessment process: an initial sift to check eligibility, scoring against key assessment criteria for the fund, consideration of the ranked order by an Independent Advisory Panel before f…

10 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether people with haemophilia who have regularly received blood products are at risk of (a) contracting or (b) carrying variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Blood transfusion remains safe in relation to the risks of other medical and surgical treatments. However, no medical procedure, including blood transfusion, can be entirely free of risk. Haemophilia patients have previously been informed by their doctors of …

5 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S3W-25087 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will ask Mr Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to answer the question as lodged.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Yes we believe the interventions are appropriate.

5 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to give cancer patients access to intensity modulated radiotherapy and proton therapy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is currently delivered at two Scottish cancer centres (for certain tumours only) with two centres having plans under development to introduce IMRT. Although not all centres currently have machines capable of delivering …

5 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies exist for radiographers in each NHS board area

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for NHSScotland boards who have delegated authority over recruitment issues. The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. NHSScotland advertises all vacancies centrally on the Scotland''s Health on the Web site:<…

5 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage of successful outcomes as a result of radiotherapy treatment is in each NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally. Radiotherapy is often delivered as part of a complex treatment regime, which may for example also involve chemotherapy and/or surgery. It is not currently possible to establish or classify the outcomes solely …

5 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment in each NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not collect, hold or publish validated waiting times statistics for all radiotherapy. NHS boards that provide radiotherapy collect information about radiotherapy waiting times to inform service planning, scheduling and provision …

21 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to carry out a review of voluntary sector organisations, in particular in the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Jim Mather: We have no plans to carry out a review of voluntary organisations, in the Highlands and Islands or elsewhere. Across the country third sector intermediary organisations are considering how best to engage with the community planning partnership for th…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what infrastructure investment is planned to support renewable energy projects in the Pentland Firth.

Answer · Jim Mather: An energy infrastructure requirement assessment is currently being undertaken by Scottish Enterprise, working closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Development International. This will go a significant way to identifying the current…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investment is planned in local infrastructure, including harbours and grid connections, in order to assist the Caithness economy in light of the decommissioning and loss of jobs at Dounreay.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP), formed in 2006, aims to drive forward new initiatives to counteract the effects which the decommissioning of Dounreay nuclear plant will have on the area''s economy. The CNSRP''s published a…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to regenerate the Caithness economy following the decommissioning of Dounreay.

Answer · Jim Mather: In 2001, following a period of consultation, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) published a strategy focusing on securing economic benefit from the decommissioning of Dounreay. This strategy was refreshed in 2006 and the Caithness and North Sutherland Re…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will come from the European Union to assist with grid connections and upgrading to support renewable energy projects in the Pentland Firth.

Answer · Jim Mather: Creating the appropriate grid infrastructure to support future renewable energy developments in the Pentland Firth and throughout Scotland is a priority for this government. It is also a key feature of the Marine Roadmap, being developed by the Forum for Rene…

6 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance will be given to Highland Hospice following the loss of £700,000 cash deposits in Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (KSF).

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As an independent voluntary organisation, the Highland Hospice receives funding for services provided to NHS Highland. This funding is unaffected by the current economic downturn. Any financial loss suffered by Highland Hospice as a consequence of investing w…

30 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce health checks for people aged over 40.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is currently developing proposals for a programme of health checks for people when they reach 40 in association with NHS24. We will make a detailed announcement in due course.

30 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations of Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: The Final Report of the Remote and Rural Workstream have been implemented and which are still to be implemented.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Remote and Rural Implementation Group is responsible for monitoring implementation of Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare. Six-monthly reports are published by the North of Scotland Regional Planning Group. The most recent report, dated Jun…

26 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the proposed introduction of Administered Incentive Pricing will have on the (a) cost of flights from smaller airports, (b) cost of flights within the Highlands and Islands and (c) future viability of small airports.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Administered Incentive Pricing (AIP) for the use of spectrum by the aeronautical sector would provide airports with a significant cost that they would either have to absorb or pass on to users. For the Highlands and Islands this could translate into a potenti…

26 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that small local companies in the Highlands and Islands are given the opportunity to tender and benefit from contracts awarded by the public sector.

Answer · John Swinney: The government is committed to ensuring that small and medium sized businesses have fair access to public sector contracts in Scotland. In support of this, in April I wrote to heads of procurement and chief executives throughout the Scottish public sector se…