Trish Godman

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, which NHS boards have demonstrated, by way of mandatory surveillance, a diminution of MRSA infection rates within their hospitals and clinics in the last two years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: A national mandatory healthcare associated infection surveillance system was introduced in 2001 to monitor MRSA bacteraemias (blood infections). The surveillance is operated by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and it produces quarterly reports about the incid…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, what recent discussions have taken place with NHS boards regarding the installation of more wash basins in hospital wards and other hygiene facilities in relation to infection prevention measures.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Health Facilities Note 30 – <i>Infection Control in the Built Environment</i> has recently been revised by the Property and Environment Forum as part of the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force work programme. This document provides guidance on…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, how many NHS boards have created and filled a post of Director of Infection Prevention and Control, broken down by board and showing when such appointments took place.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There is no direct equivalent in Scotland of the English post of Director of Infection Prevention and Control. NHS boards were directed to appoint a dedicated infection control manager earlier this year. Funding from the £15 million Clean Hospitals budget has…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, how many NHS boards have dispensed with contract cleaners and replaced them with hospital cleaning staff, broken down by board and showing when such action took place.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The current pattern of cleaning services provision is shown in the table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Trust</p></td> <td> <p>Service Pattern</p> <p>In House (I/H) or Contracted Out (C/O)</p><…

8 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with NHS boards concerning the efficacy of the measures taken in hospitals in the last year to eradicate MRSA.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force is nearing completion of a three-year programme of work to improve prevention and control of HAI (of which MRSA is an important element). It is a multi-disciplinary group including several repre…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken over the last year to increase the recruitment, selection and employment of female police surgeons.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19333 on 6 October 2005. 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…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with chief constables concerning the recruitment, selection and employment of female police surgeons.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The recruitment of female police surgeons is a matter for the Chief Constable. No recent discussions have taken place on this matter.</p>

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being implemented to increase the conviction rate of individuals who have committed rape and how the effectiveness of the measures will be assessed.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The role of the prosecution in criminal proceedings is to ensure that all relevant and admissible evidence is presented to the court. It is for juries in solemn proceedings to determine the verdict in individual cases and conviction statistics are not, theref…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio is of men to women police officers from the rank of constable to chief constable in each police force and how this has changed in the last six years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.</p> <p>Female Officers as Percentage of Total Strength</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Force</p></td> <td> <p align=center>30 June 1999</p></td>…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing level was of (a) police officers and (b) ancillary staff in X division of Strathclyde Police in each of the last six years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.</p>

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any indication has been received from the European Union concerning an investigation into whether unfair state subsidies are being given to Polish shipyards; when any such investigation will be completed, and whether a report of any such investigation will be sent to the Executive.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We are aware of two European Commission investigations of alleged illegal state aids to Polish shipyards. The one into the three publicly owned yards is continuing. The Commission has not indicated a completion date.</p> <p>The Commission has, however, confir…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with UK Government ministers and EU officials regarding allegations of hidden subsidies being given to a Polish shipyard.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: There have been significant discussions between the Executive, the UK Government and the EU on these issues. In September 2005, the Commission wrote to Ferguson's indicating that they have found no evidence of illegal state aid and that there is not sufficien…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions its officials have travelled to Poland in connection with the construction of passenger ferry vessels for Caledonian MacBrayne; how many officials have been involved in these visits; what the cost of these visits has been, and whether more such visits are planned.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No Scottish Executive officials have visited Poland in connection with the construction of vessels for CalMac and no such visits are planned for the future. Responsibility for the procurement of Caledonian MacBrayne vessels rests with that company rather than…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the age profile is of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency fleet and how many replacement vessels are likely to be ordered between now and 2009.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The age profile of the Scottish Fisheries Protection fleet is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Vessel</p></td> <td> <p align=center>Age (Years)</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><i>Minna</i></…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the age profile is of the Caledonian MacBrayne passenger ferry fleet and how many replacement vessels are likely to be ordered between now and 2009.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Information on the ages of each of the vessels presently owned by Caledonian MacBrayne is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=328> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Name of Vessel</p></td> <td> <p align=center>Year Built</p…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the dates are for handing over the fisheries protection vessels ordered from a Polish shipyard.

Answer · Ross Finnie: At this time the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency has identified Remontowa of Gdansk, Poland as the preferred bidder for one fisheries protection vessel and it is in negotiation with the Polish yard to finalise a contract. The delays to the contract asses…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a date has been set for awarding a contract for the construction of a near-water fisheries protection vessel for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The procurement process used by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) is set out in EU Procurement Directives. The SFPA sought expressions of interest to construct this vessel on 18 August 2005, for return by 26 September 2005. On current plans, the…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with NHS Argyll and Clyde and dental practitioners in respect of proposals to tackle dental health and hygiene in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive officials meet regularly with lead officers from NHS Boards, including NHS Argyll and Clyde, to discuss the implementation of the Action Plan for Improving Oral Health and Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland.</p>

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental practitioners are currently working wholly in the private sector in (a) Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland and what the comparable figures were in 1998.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information about the number of dental practitioners currently working wholly in the private sector in (a) Renfrewshire (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland is not held by the Scottish Executive. However, the Care Commission are currently compiling a list of wholl…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental practitioners are currently working in the NHS in (a) Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland and what the comparable figures were in 1998.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Number of Dentists^1,2 Working in the NHS at 30 September 2005.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=right>&nbsp;</p></td> <td> <p align=center>2004</p></td> <td> <p align=center>1998</p…

30 Aug 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place regarding the creation of a police ombudsman with responsibilities in relation to all of Scotland’s police forces.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We will be establishinga new Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland in the forthcoming Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.</p><p>Thenew commissioner will bring even greater levels of transparency and robust independentscrutiny to t…

24 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in considering the acceptability of a proposed new motorway junction to serve the redevelopment of the Royal Ordnance site at Bishopton.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has completed its assessment of the proposed development including a new junction to the M8 motorway. The outcome of these considerations is that the Executive is content that the developer proceeds to the next stage of the appraisal pr…

17 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations of the Working Group on Religious Hatred.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The <i>Report of the Cross-Party Working Group on Religious Hatred </i>(published on 5 December 2002 and found at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/trhr-00.asp">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/trhr-00.asp</a>) and the 12 recommen…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that sectarianism is an issue of concern in schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Schools have a duty to equip young people to be responsible citizens. Addressing sectarianism is part of this process, in the same way that schools already address other forms of prejudice and discrimination. We have therefore produced an anti-sectarian educa…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the Education for Mutual Understanding programme in Northern Ireland and whether it has any plans to introduce a suitably-adapted model in Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The team which developed our recently launched anti-sectarian education resource, <i>Don’t Give It, Don’t Take It</i>, did make contact with organisations in Northern Ireland to learn from their experiences of the Education for Mutual Understanding programme.…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce anti-sectarian training into the school curriculum.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We have recently launched an anti-sectarian education resource, entitled <i>Don’t Give It, Don’t Take It</i>.<i> </i>This contains a broad range of classroom material for teachers’ use, and will be followed up with a series of training seminars.</p>

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a study into the monitoring of crimes on the basis of sectarian aggravation.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service published an analysis of the first six months of the operation of Section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 on 11 November 2004. The report is available on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Serv…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Northern Ireland Office about the lessons to be learned from the Northern Irish experience of tackling sectarianism.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have had a number of discussions with the Northern Ireland Office, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland and other organisations in Northern Ireland involved in tackling sectarianism. While we recognise that there …

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that institutional sectarianism in Scotland damages the international image of the country and the Executive's efforts to promote Scotland abroad.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We are not aware of evidence suggesting sectarianism damages Scotland’s image abroad. However, any issue which could portray Scotland negatively is of concern and we are committed to tackling sectarian bigotry however it manifests itself.</p>

25 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an explanation has been obtained from legal advisers concerning the length of time it is taking to recover the costs of repairing the damage to the Erskine Bridge caused by an offshore structure.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive’s legal advisers have advised that the speed of the litigation has been a product of the number of parties to the proceedings, the complexity of the pleadings and the difficulty in obtaining an early date at which the various parties’ c…