Parliamentary questions
Trish Godman
601 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers' markets there are in Scotland and where these are located.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There is no obligation to notify the Executive of local farmers' markets. I am aware of nine farmers' markets up and running in Scotland. These are located in Perth, Elgin, Ayr, Inverness, Skye, Tain, Aviemore, Forfar and Glasgow.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">I believe …
7 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisons employ a race relations liaison officer.
Answer · Jim Wallace: As part of the current Scottish Prison Service race relations policy, every prison in Scotland has an Ethnic Minorities Liaison Officer who deals with race relations issues.
7 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the Foreign Office and the Home Office concerning the deployment of Scottish police officers with the United Nations International Police in Kosovo.
Answer · Jim Wallace: None. Scottish police officers may volunteer to serve with the United Nations International Police in Kosovo under arrangements which involve both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office. Such service is contingent on the approval of the offic…
7 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish police officers have been seconded to the United Nations International Police in Kosovo; how long the tours of duty of any such secondees will last, and whether the salary and associated costs of any secondees are being recouped from Her Majesty's Government.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are presently no Scottish police officers on secondment to the United Nations International Police in Kosovo. One officer from Northern Constabulary was seconded to the Kosovo Police Training Group for a period of six months in 1999. Secondees normally …
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that all health boards include osteoporosis as a priority action in their local health improvement programmes and that the framework on older people includes osteoporosis.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The NHS in Scotland's approach to osteoporosis is through tackling life circumstances as set out in the White Paper <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I>, which was endorsed last year by the Scottish Executive. The Health Service is therefore aiming to prevent …
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive it will list those health boards which (a) have an osteoporosis strategy in place, (b) include osteoporosis in their improvement programmes and (c) are implementing the Royal College of Physician's guidelines on osteoporosis.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>As part of the Health Improvement Programme process, health boards, working with NHS Trusts and other partners, have to plan and deliver services which meet the needs of their l…
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many women it employs at a senior level; what proportion of senior posts are held by women and what plans it has to ensure a fair distribution of senior positions to women who possess the requisite qualifications and work experience.
Answer · Jack McConnell: In the Senior Civil Service (SCS) there are 40 women, which represents 19.3% of the total SCS group. Our aim is to increase that percentage where opportunities, qualifications and work experience allow, while at the same time ensuring that our equal opportuni…
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its employees are (a) men and (b) women aged 50 years or more and what proportion of the total workforce such workers represent.
Answer · Jack McConnell: There were 1,820 men and 817 women aged 50 years or more employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 March 2000. Employees aged 50 years or more represented 18.2% of the total workforce.
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has received concerning new passenger ferry services and "ro-ro" freight services between ports in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and the lower and upper Clyde.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has received a number of recent representations concerning new passenger ferry services and "ro-ro" freight services. These have covered various aspects of running commercially-based operations from the lower and upper Clyde to Ireland.…
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its policy on the provision of passenger ferry services and their role in the development of an integrated passenger transport system and whether it has any plans to make a Ministerial Statement on this matter.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: On 27 April I made a statement on the Executive's policy in respect of ferry services and I announced the publication of the consultation document <I>Delivering Lifeline Ferry Services - Meeting European Union requirements</I>. This sets out proposals for cha…
3 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has received concerning the re-development of the waterfront at Port Glasgow and adjacent land.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: A development proposal for the waterfront at Port Glasgow for mixed use development including retail, leisure, and residential, was called-in at the end of October 1999 by Scottish Ministers for their determination. The proposal was called-in because of its p…
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the percentage of Scottish Executive employees who have a disability.
Answer · Jack McConnell: 2.7% of staff employed by the Scottish Executive including its Agencies and Associated Departments, excluding the Scottish Prison Service, have self-declared a disability in terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it is setting for the next five years in relation to the employment of people with disabilities.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the number of staff with disabilities at all levels and will monitor progress by setting targets for improvement. Specific targets are being considered in the light of the UK-wide target for the Senior Civil S…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the range of penalties which may be imposed for causing death by dangerous driving.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended, the offence of causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Since the law on dangerous driving is reserved under the Scotland Act 1998, this is a matter for the UK Governmen…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of patients per general practitioner is in (a) urban areas; (b) rural areas and (c) island communities.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is as shown in the table.<P>Average number of patients per general practitioner in Scotland by type of area: as at 1 October 1998 (the most recent date for which complete data is available)<P>(Patients per GP<SUP>1</SUP>)</FONT><TABL…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents since 1990; of these fatalities and serious injuries, how many were to pedestrians, and what action it is taking to reduce these fatalities and injuries.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Information about the numbers of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents since 1990 is published in Table 2 of <I>Road Accidents Scotland 1998</I>, copies of which are held in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects (a) The West of Scotland Water Authority (b) the East of Scotland Water Authority and (c) the North of Scotland Water Authority to meet the requirements of the European Union Directive on primary and secondary sewage treatment.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The UWWTD imposes a wide range of requirements, with a range of deadlines. Some, such as ending sewage dumping at sea, have already been implemented. The other main deadlines are end-2000 and end-2005, and the requirements are set out in more detail in the Qu…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many malicious calls were made to the emergency services in (a) Inverclyde (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland in each of the past four years.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The available information on malicious false alarm calls to the emergency services is as follows:<P ALIGN="CENTER">Fire Service<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=367><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP" BGCOLOR="#ffff00"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current penalties are for malicious calls to the emergency services and whether it plans to increase these penalties or otherwise alter the sanctions available.
Answer · Jim Wallace: This is a reserved matter. Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984, as amended, provides the penalties for malicious calls to the emergency services. They are a maximum fine of £5,000 or six months imprisonment, or both. Any changes to the legislation i…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many millennium volunteer projects have been approved in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Scotland.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: No applications have been received from projects in Renfrewshire. To date 42 projects have been approved in Scotland.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many healthy limbs have been amputated as an element of medical or psychiatric treatment in each year since 1990 and how many men and women suffer from body dysmorphic disorder.
Answer · Susan Deacon: BDD is a very rare condition and, as such, it is not possible to extract information about it from data routinely collected by Information and Statistics Division. However, a recent survey carried out by the Chief Medical Officer, of NHS Trusts in Scotland, h…
14 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Ministers or officials of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions concerning Scottish representation on the Strategic Railway Authority.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Deputy Prime Minister gave a commitment in October 1998 that Scottish interests would be represented on the Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive has been in close contact with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions concer…
11 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that in all PFI contracts for the building of schools the needs of both disabled children and staff are given priority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The details of such contracts are between the authorities and the contractors concerned. However, since 1985, the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations have required that the design of most new or altered or extended buildings, including schools, take pro…
11 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local authorities concerning the implementation of a voucher system for asylum seekers in Scotland under the terms of Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is a matter for the Home Office.
11 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities in Scotland have indicated that they have the housing and educational resources which will allow them to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees and their families under the terms of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: Work is ongoing, involving all Scottish Councils either directly or indirectly, to set up a consortium to contract with the Home Office to provide for asylum seekers in Scotland under the terms of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This work is not complete…
11 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Home Office concerning the provision of Home Office funding for the housing, education and other needs of refugees and asylum seekers and their families in Scotland under the terms of the Im…
Answer · Iain Gray: There have been various discussions on these matters, which are continuing on a regular basis.
11 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have been held with the Home Office concerning the dispersal of asylum seekers in Scotland under the terms of section 101(b) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including asylum seekers.
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend legislation to allow local authorities to enable operators of school transport to run a pay service when there is no other public transport available.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Existing provisions in section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 already give authorities considerable discretion in relation to the provision of school transport and payment of travelling expenses, and we have no plans to amend these specifically to pr…
24 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the representation of ethnic minorities and disabled people on Scottish public bodies.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive is committed to increasing the representation of ethnic minorities and disabled people on Scottish Public bodies. Work is currently underway to target advertising of specific appointments and develop initiatives to raise awareness amongst ethnic…
24 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce the number of beds blocked in hospitals and whether it will list those hospital trusts which are experiencing difficulties in delayed discharges.
Answer · Iain Gray: Discharge planning is a matter primarily for Health Boards, NHS Trusts and Local Authorities to ensure that people who no longer require acute treatment and care can be discharged into more appropriate settings. The NHS and Local Authorities work jointly to e…