Parliamentary questions
Maureen Watt
360 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been housed in temporary accommodation in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive collectssnapshot data on the number of households placed in temporary accommodation underthe homeless persons legislation as at the end of each quarter. The following tableshows the numbers of households in temporary accommodation as at…
30 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been evicted from their homes in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authority data on evictionswere not collected before April 2001, and housing association data are not availableat local authority level prior to 2003-04. Data on evictions in the private sectorare not collected centrally.</p><p>The following table shows…
29 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria Communities Scotland applies when determining whether a rural home ownership grant constitutes good value for money.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland appliesthe following criteria when determining whether a rural home ownership grant constitutesgood value for money.</p><…
29 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for rural home ownership grants have been unsuccessful since the scheme was created and what reasons were given for these rejections.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland doesnot hold information on the number of applications for rural home ownership grantsthat have been unsuccessful since t…
29 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful rural home ownership grant applications there have been since the scheme was created, showing the (a) individual, (b) average and (c) total payments made in each year.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Information is only availablefrom 1995-96 onwards showing (a) the number of rural home ownership grants awarded,(b) the average rural home own…
23 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) supermarkets, (b) fast food outlets, (c) independently owned shops and (d) independently owned cafes have been located in each local authority area in each year since 1999, showing year-on-year and overall percentage changes.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: It is not possible to answerthis question from the data held centrally. The Executive’s firm-level database(Inter-Departmental Business Register) contains data on employment and turnoverfor all enterprises located in Scotland, but does not record systematical…
22 Nov 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that all pupils have equality of access to a full and varied curriculum.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The on-going review of the Scottishcurriculum,<i> A Curriculum for Excellence, </i>is explicitly working towards animproved curriculum for <u>all</u> children and young people from three to 18 yearsof age.</p>
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduates currently have a student loan debt of above (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000, (c) £20,000 and (d) £25,000.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Student Loans Company (SLC)do not hold details of how many of their customers graduate. The following tablegives details of SLC customers who have student loan debt of above (a) £10,000,(b) £15,000, (c) £20,000 and (d) £25,000.</p><p>The figures giving de…
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people graduated with a student loan debt of above (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000, (c) £20,000 and (d) £25,000 in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table shows howmany people graduated with a student loan debt of above (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000,(c) £20,000 and (d) £25,000 in each year since 2002. Details of the student loandebt from 1999-2001 are not held centrally.</p><p>The figures giving …
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduates (a) in total and (b) who have taken out student loans have declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Student Loans Company (SLC)do not hold information on how many of their customers graduate. The following tableprovides details of the total number of Scottish domiciled student loan borrowerswho are bankrupt or have an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (I…
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average student loan debt of graduates has been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table shows theaverage graduate student loan debt since 1999.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=62 valign=top> <p align=center>Cohort</p> </td> <td width=103 valign=top> <p align=center>Average De…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been undertaken of the implementation of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act2005 came into force on 9 May 2005. The latest available figures indicate that 77% of the249 prosecutions so far completed have resulted in a conviction. No formal assessmenthas so far been undertaken of the implementation …
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received with regard to the implementation of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act2005 came into force on 9 May 2005. The most recently available figures indicate that 392charges have so far been prosecuted under the act. The Executive has received norecent formal representations with regard to the imple…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has ring-fenced to promote awareness among emergency staff of the provisions of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive is working withthe STUC to tackle violence against all workers serving the public. We are now inthe third year of an awareness campaign. Its objectives are to raise awareness of the issue, emphasise that violence, whether physical or verbal, aga…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fines have been issued to people found guilty of offences under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by the level of fine.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on convictions arepublished annually by the Scottish Executive Justice Department each spring. Thelatest set of annual statistics published on 27 April 2006 are for the financialyear 2004-05, which predates the enactment of the Emergency Workers (…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) shortest and (b) longest prison sentence has been given to anyone convicted under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on convictions arepublished annually by the Scottish Executive Justice Department each spring. Thelatest set of annual statistics published on 27 April 2006are for 2004-05, which predates the enactment of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act2005 on…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with an offence under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 and what percentage of those have been convicted, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on convictions arepublished annually by the Scottish Executive Justice Department each spring. Thelatest set of annual statistics published on 27 April 2006are for 2004-05, which predates the enactment of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act2005 on…
10 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a uniform approach to the licensing of limousine and other private hire vehicles by local authorities would be of benefit to the public.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The determination of licensingarrangements for taxis and private hire cars appropriate to their areas is primarilya matter for individual licensing authorities having regard to local circumstancesand their discretionary licensing powers under the Civic Govern…
10 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish best practice guidance on taxi and private hire licensing.
Answer · Tavish Scott: We intend to put draft guidanceout to consultation early next year.</p>
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many motoring offences since 1999 have resulted in the fine paid being invested in road safety.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Only the income from the fixedpenalties paid by drivers who have been detected speeding under the Safety CameraProgramme are invested directly back into road safety. The Safety Camera Programmewas first piloted in 2000 and from then, up until March 2006 which…
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the main offences were for which cyclists have been found guilty in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table.</p><p>Persons witha Charge Proved for Cycling Offences<sup>1</sup> in Scottish Courts, 1999-2000 to2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=cent…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) driver deaths, (b) pedestrian deaths, (c) motorcyclist deaths, (d) cyclist deaths, (e) driver injuries, (f) pedestrian injuries, (g) motorcyclist injuries, (h) cyclist injuries and (i) non-fatal or injurious road accidents there have been in each police board area since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The following tables give theinformation that was requested for (a) to (g). The figures were produced from datasupplied by police forces in their <i>Stats 19</i> injury road accident statisticsreturns, so will not include injuries in accidents which were not …
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions for hit-and-run incidents there have been in each police board area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hit-and-run incidents have been recorded in each police board area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Comprehensive statistics of hit-and-runincidents are not held centrally. However, some information is available from datasupplied by police forces in their <i>Stats 19</i> injury road accident statisticsreturns. These cover only accidents involving personal i…
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are gaps within the NHS physiotherapy workforce and, if so, how it intends to address such gaps.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is the responsibility of NHSboards to determine the service requirements to meet the healthcare needs of theirpopulations and plan the workforce to deliver the service.</p>
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are age and experience imbalances within NHS physiotherapy services and, if so, how it intends to address such imbalances.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is for NHS boards to planthe skill mix of their staff according to the needs of their localities. The agerange of qualified physiotherapists in NHSScotland is balanced with 55.7% in the30 to 49 age group, 28.9% less than 30 and 15.4% in the 50 years and ol…
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many physiotherapists working in the NHS are aged (a) 21 to 30, (b) 31 to 40, (c) 41 to 50, (d) 51 to 60 and (e) over 60, also broken down by NHS board and expressed as a percentage of all NHS physiotherapists.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The following tableshows the headcount number and percentages of qualified physiotherapists by NHSboard and selected age groups. The latest available data is at 30 September 2005.</p><p><a name=Confidentiality></a>Table1, NHS Scotland Workforce Statistics, Qu…
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment not to reduce places for physiotherapy students in response to unemployment levels among physiotherapy graduates.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Places for physiotherapystudents at Scottish universities are not controlled by the Scottish Executive.It is for universities themselves to decide on their intake within theirallocation of places by the Scottish Funding Council.</p>
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to alleviate unemployment among physiotherapy graduates.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Over the past 10 years the numbers of physiotherapistsworking in NHS Scotland have increased by almost 38%. Locally, it is for NHS boardsto plan the number and skill mix of staff needed to deliver services in their areaincluding the recruitment of newly quali…
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to create additional junior posts for physiotherapists in the NHS.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions about the numbers andskill mix of staff are for NHS boards to make, according to the healthcare needsof their populations. Over the last 10 years, the numbers of physiotherapists workingin NHS Scotland has increased by almost 38%.</p><p>The Scottish…