Parliamentary questions

Trish Godman

601 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

3 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being or will be taken to diminish sectarianism in all its forms and to promote Scotland as a nation free from bigotry.

Answer · Richard Simpson: Scottish ministers are opposed to sectarianism in all its forms, in education and in the workplace. I and my colleagues meet Northern Ireland ministers but have not at present any plans to implement specific anti-sectarian programmes based on their experience…

20 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new provisions it is making for respite and palliative care for children.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The provision of respite and palliative care is the responsibility of local authorities and NHS boards to be determined in line with local need. In 1999 the Scottish Executive doubled the funds available to local authorities for respite care and the suppor…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the tourist industry about the use of euro notes and coins.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive is in regular contact with VisitScotland and the area tourist boards on this issue. VisitScotland have stated that Scotland's tourism businesses should be receptive to the needs of their customers. They therefore encourage businesses to accept t…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many mixed-sex hospital wards are in use in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards have been asked to report on progress towards the Executive's target of eliminating mixed sex accommodation by 1 April 2002. A copy of the report of this review will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many delayed discharges there were in (a) West Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in each of the last three months for which information is available.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Validated figures on numbers, causes and duration of delayed discharges are contained in Information and Statistics Division's quarterly census, Patients Ready for Discharge in NHSScotland. There are no monthly figures which are validated and quality a…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have been held with ScotRail about the passengers in excess of capacity limits set by the Strategic Rail Authority and any overcrowding of ScotRail services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The passengers in excess of capacity overcrowding measurement is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive has no locus or powers to intervene.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken in order to reduce delayed discharges in (a) West Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22220 on 6 February 2002. Our Delayed Discharge Action Plan, which was launched on 5 March 2002, will require all local authority and NHS partnerships to produce joint action plans to deliver speci…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place concerning the implementation of the Objective 1 programme and how much has been paid to projects under this programme.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Following the success of the Objective 1 Programme that operated between 1994 and 1999, the Prime Minister secured agreement for a special programme for the Highlands and Islands in March 1999. The Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme for 2000…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role has been played by the system of speed cameras in reducing the incidence of (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road accidents.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A report on the first year of a Great Britain speed camera pilot scheme, published by the UK Government in August 2001, can be found at:<A HREF="http://www.roads.dtlr.gov.uk/roadsafety/costrec/index.htm">http://www.roads.dtlr.gov.uk/roadsafety/costrec/inde…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Scottish Football Association and chief constables about football-related violence.

Answer · Elaine Murray: On 21 January, the Deputy First Minister had a short briefing from the Chief Constable of Grampian Police on the incidents of disorder that occurred at the Aberdeen versus Rangers Scottish Premier League match the previous Saturday. Also, a Scottish Executive…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to (a) reduce crime and (b) improve the safety of communities in (i) West Renfrewshire and (ii) Inverclyde.

Answer · Richard Simpson: This is primarily a matter for Strathclyde Police who work in partnership with other local bodies to reduce crime.However, the Scottish Executive has lent support to partnership working by providing £250,000 for CCTV in Port Glasgow under the "Make our Com…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Scottish Law Commission and other interested parties concerning the future of trial by jury.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have had no discussions with any organisation recently about the future of trial by jury generally.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned from the appointment by the National Assembly of Wales of a Children's Commissioner in relation to the establishment of such a post in Scotland.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We are currently considering our response to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee's Report on their inquiry into the need for a Children's Commissioner in Scotland, which was published on 14 February. The arrangements for establishing a Children's Commi…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans have been adopted to publish new appointments made to health boards and trusts.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All non-executive appointments to NHS boards, Special Health Boards and NHS trusts are announced by the Scottish Executive in the form of news releases. The latest, dated 11 January 2002, is to be found on the Scottish Executive's website at the following add…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with bus companies concerning the adoption of pilot travel schemes involving the use of American-style yellow school buses.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive had a meeting with First Group in September last year to discuss the company's plans to pilot American-style yellow school buses.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have implemented concessionary travel schemes for (a) children aged under 16 years and (b) 16- to 18-year-olds following full-time education courses.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The latest information we have available indicates that concessionary travel schemes operated by the following local authorities include provision for children under 16 and 16- to 18-year-olds in full-time education:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 W…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which companies will assist with the electoral modernisation pilot studies and whether an estimate of the cost of any such studies is now available.

Answer · Peter Peacock: No electoral pilot studies have yet been run under the provisions of the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Act 2002.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many units of social housing were built by each local authority in each of the last three years and how many such units are projected to be built by each local authority in each of the next two years.

Answer · Iain Gray: Information on the number of social housing units built each year, is published in the Scottish Executive Housing Trends Bulletins. The information, by local authority area, was published for the years 1998, 1999 and 2000 respectively in the following …

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal protection will be given to the residents of refuges and supported housing schemes following the transfer of housing stock from council ownership to housing associations.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23716.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with Scottish Women's Aid and other appropriate bodies concerning the provision and funding of council-owned refuges and supported housing schemes for the victims of domestic violence following the transfer of housing stock from council ownership …

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23716.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration will be given to the position of council-owned refuges and other supported housing schemes for victims of domestic violence in housing stock transfer programmes.

Answer · Margaret Curran: It is a matter for local consideration and agreement, as to whether council-owned refuges and supported housing schemes for victims of domestic abuse, are included as part of a council housing transfer to community ownership. Where residents of refuges are as…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with COSLA and the local authorities outwith COSLA concerning the provision of refuges and supported housing schemes for the victims of domestic violence.

Answer · Margaret Curran: There have been no formal discussions with COSLA and local authorities outwith COSLA about the provision of refuges and supported accommodation for the victims of domestic violence since the spring of 2001 when the allocation of monies in respect of the first…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many second homes are entitled to the 50% council tax discount and what percentage of the national housing stock this figure represents.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Second homes are not identified separately from other homes receiving a 50% discount. At 3 September 2001 there were 60,319 chargeable dwellings in Scotland subject to a 50% discount. This represents 2.7% of the total number of chargeable dwellings in Scotlan…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases screens have been used in (a) High Courts and (b) sheriff courts in order to give a degree of protection to (i) vulnerable witnesses and (ii) police witnesses over the last three years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:<OL TYPE="i"><LI>No figures are maintained to show the frequency with which screens have been used. However, prior to using screens, the prosecuti…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Scottish Law Commission and other interested parties concerning the legal definition and interpretation of the term "vulnerable witness".

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Law Commission last considered the definition of a vulnerable witness in its Report No. 125 of 1990. Since then, work on this issue has been taken forward by the Scottish Executive through the Towards a Just Conclusion Action Plan, publish…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases in (a) High Courts and (b) sheriff courts CCTV systems have been used in connection with the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses in the past three years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:No figures are maintained, to show the frequency with which CCTV systems are used. However, prior to using such systems, the prosecution or defenc…

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) sheriff courts and (b) High Courts have now installed CCTV systems for use with vulnerable witnesses.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:The four largest courts have a CCTV system permanently installed. All others have access to mobile systems which can be deployed to the courts as …

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual expenditure was on the employment of doctors, nurses and midwives hired from the private sector in order to provide NHS services in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on expenditure on the employment of doctors, nurses, and midwives hired from the private sector is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive Health Department.

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21977 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 January 2002, in which publications advertisements were placed for members of the Judicial Appointments Board.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The advertisement for the chair and lay members was placed in the Scotsman and the Herald. It attracted 119 firm applications. An advertisement for professional members was placed in the Scots Law Times.

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21977 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 January 2002, which organisations and other interested parties were consulted concerning the recruitment and selection of members of the Judicial Appointments Board.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The recruitment exercise is being carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. A panel, including an independent assessor is currently undertaking a selection process and in due course will provide ministers…