Parliamentary questions
Trish Godman
601 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with appropriate voluntary organisations, other interested parties and police forces anent the care and treatment of women and children who have been rescued from human traffickers.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Executive officials are in regularcontact through a number of fora with organisations which have an interest in thecare and treatment of victims of human trafficking. These include local authorities,police forces, the Home Office and non-governmental organisa…
28 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposals are in place anent the introduction of a system of administrative penalties for fisheries offences committed by the skippers or owners of fishing vessels in fishing grounds policed by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and whether such a legal procedure could be us…
Answer · Ross Finnie: A consultation exercise was carriedout in the first quarter of 2006 on a system of administrative penalties which givesalleged offenders the opportunity to accept a fixed financial penalty as an alternativeto criminal prosecution. The Scottish Parliament vote…
28 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) beds, (b) day care places and (c) residential facilities there are for individuals suffering from chronic eating disorders, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the allocationof health care facilities for the treatment of specific conditions is not held centrally.</p>
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of (a) foreign and (b) UK registered fishing vessels apprehended and escorted into Scottish ports by Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency vessels because of fishing offences in each of the last 10 years, and what range of penalties was imposed in t…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Fisheries ProtectionAgency does not keep a specific record of when fishing vessels are escorted to port.When an infringement is detected at sea it is sometimes necessary to escort a vesselto port to secure the necessary evidence for any subsequen…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31570 by Rhona Brankin on 12 February 2007, whether the £56,000 which is to be spent on Warm Deal measures in council-owned properties in Inverclyde in 2007-08 will be re-allocated to houses that are to be transferred from Inverclyde Council to River…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Inverclyde Council has confirmedthat it expects the total allocation of Warm Deal funding to be spent in full bythe local authority by the time…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Scottish fishermen have lost their lives while working, (b) Scottish fishing vessels have been lost and (c) fatal accident inquiries concerning such fatalities have taken place in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Information in relation to accidentsinvolving fishing vessels and their crews is maintained on a UK basis by theMarine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) of the Department for Transport. MAIBhave provided the following details in relation to Scottish regist…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed on vessels operated by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency; where they received their training before joining their ships, and which organisation is responsible for their terms and conditions of employment.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Fisheries ProtectionAgency employs 133 persons to man their vessels.</p><p>Individuals will have receivedmarine training under the auspices of their previous employers. In the case of officersit will have been either at nautical colleges through …
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the average daily flow of traffic crossing the Erskine Bridge since the tolls were removed compared with the average daily flow of such traffic in the comparable period prior to the removal of the tolls.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Tolls were removed from the Erskine Bridge on 1 April 2006.</p><p>Average daily traffic flows forthe Erskine Bridge for comparable months are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p> </p> </td> …
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish NHS hospitals and psychiatric clinics have the right to seek financial contributions from the Ministry of Defence (MOD Defence Medical Services) in order to help meet the cost of the medical treatment of discharged Scottish servicemen and servicewomen.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Transfer of Functions (Ministryof Pensions) Order 1953 passed the financial and administrative responsibility forthe provision of medical and surgical services for war pensioners to Health Departments.In Scotland funding was transferred to NHS boards. Tra…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30903 by Mr Andy Kerr on 22 January 2007, what recent information was given to the partnership board by the Ministry of Defence (MOD Defence Medical Services) anent the number of discharged Scottish servicemen and servicewomen who have been (a) direc…
Answer · Andy Kerr: None. The statistical informationrequested is not held centrally.</p>
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of occasions in each of the last seven years on which the Erskine Bridge was closed to all types of vehicles because of severe weather conditions.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The number of occasions whenthe Erskine Bridge has been closed to all types of traffic since 1 April 2001 becauseof severe weather conditions is set out in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> …
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish ministers take part in discussions concerning the disposal of redundant offshore oil and gas installations with (a) the companies that own such structures, (b) UK ministers, (c) commercial fishermen’s organisations and (d) other interested parties.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industryconsults the Scottish Executive on all decommissioning programmes covering redundantoffshore oil and gas infrastructure located in Scottish waters. Such proposals includethe outcome of consultations by the operator with int…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of Scottish companies involved in the disposal of decommissioned, or redundant, offshore oil and gas structures and what estimate has been made of the number of people employed in such work.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There is no data stored centrallyregarding number of jobs and Scottish companies involved in decommissioning projects.However, Scottish Enterprise published a decommissioning report in 2005 (Oil andGas Decommissioning Opportunity Review) providing forecasts o…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the UK Government anent the impact of the dismantling and disposal of redundant offshore oil and gas structures where such work takes place in Scottish waterways.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Most recently the Executive alongwith DTI and other interested parties were invited to meet with Shell and discussthe future decommissioning project of Brent Field.</p><p>Over the last five years theDepartment for Trade and Industry has consulted with the Sco…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of households in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde that have benefited from the Warm Deal programme since its inception.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Since the programme began in1999, a total of 1,979 households in council owned properties have benefited fromthe Warm Deal programme in Renfrew…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been made anent the number of households that are eligible for installations under the Warm Deal programme in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in 2007-08.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The latest information providedby the local authorities would indicate that 50 council owned properties in Renfrewshireand 500 in Inverclyde wo…
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money will be spent on the Warm Deal programme in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in 2007-08 and, of this, how much will be allocated to (i) Renfrewshire Council, (ii) Inverclyde Council and (iii) housing associations in these areas.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>It is estimated that £16,000will be spent in Renfrewshire and £56,000 in Inverclyde on Warm Deal measures during2007-08 in council owned proper…
16 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with Inverclyde Council and River Clyde Homes anent the implementation and consequences of the council housing stock transfer and what initial sum of money is to be given to the housing association.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Following the announcement of the successful Inverclyde Stock Transfer ballot result on 1 December 2006, InverclydeCouncil, River Clyde Homes a…
16 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental surgeons operated in the NHS in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde at the most recent date for which figures are available and what the comparable figures were in 2003.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested isshown in the following table.</p><p>Number of Dentists<sup>1</sup>Providing NHS General Dental Services; at 31 March</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p> </p> </td> <td vali…
16 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has received from fishermen’s organisations and other interested parties anent the proposed siting of offshore windfarms.
Answer · Allan Wilson: In determining applications forconsent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 in respect of offshore windfarms, Scottish ministers would consult widely inviting representations from statutorybodies and other interested parties including fishermen’s and …
16 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have declared medical secretaries’ posts redundant in the last two years and have outsourced secretarial transcription services to specialist secretarial agencies and what the cost has been to each board of this outsourcing.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This is a matter for the boardsthemselves and information is not held centrally.</p>
16 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has concerning the number of recently discharged Scottish servicemen and servicewomen who are receiving psychiatric treatment for mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and whether the Ministry of Defence contributes to the cost of such care …
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The statistical information requestedis not held centrally. The Transfer of Functions (Ministry of Pensions) Order 1953passed the financial and administrative responsibility for the provision of medicaland surgical services for war pensioners to health depart…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which journals, periodicals and newspapers carry advertisements anent the recruitment and selection of candidates for senior positions within public utilities and similar organisations.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I can only answer in relationto senior recruitment in Scottish Executive departments. Public utilities and similarorganisations are responsible for their own recruitment advertising. The main mediaoutlets used to date for advertising senior positions in the S…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what formal procedure will be put in place anent the recruitment and selection of a director of corporate affairs for Scottish Water.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Staff recruitment and selection,and the procedures underpinning these, are matters for Scottish Water to determine.I understand Scottish Water is in the final stages of recruiting a director of communications(formerly corporate affairs) and will make an annou…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the Ministry of Defence anent the rehabilitation, care and nursing of Scottish servicemen and women who have been discharged from military service because of injuries received in the course of duty.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since 2004 there has been aconcordat in place between the UK Departments of Health and the Ministry ofDefence (MOD Defence Medical Services) on Delivering our Armed Forces HealthcareNeeds<i>.</i> Implementation of this agreement is overseen by a partnershipbo…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is given to local authorities and other interested parties involved in the housing of, care for and assistance with the employment of former members of the armed services who have been discharged because of injuries received in the course of their duties.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Provision for former membersof the armed services on discharge is primarily the responsibility of theMinistry of Defence and it has contributed to the following information.</p><p>No financial assistance isgiven to local authorities or other interested partie…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish local authorities have any statutory obligation, in respect of houses owned by the Ministry of Defence and occupied by members of the armed services, to ensure that they are of a tolerable standard and on a par with local authority and housing association properties.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Under the Housing (Scotland)Act 1987, a Scottish local authority has the statutory power to require that ahouse owned by the Ministry of Defence be brought up to the tolerable standard,but only if the Ministry of Defence consents to the service of an improvem…
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations have been made by community groups, voluntary organisations and other interested parties anent the implications for community-based projects in Scotland of National Lottery funds being re-allocated or redirected to fund the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: No recent representations havebeen received.</p>
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of victims of human trafficking freed by police raids in the last two years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
10 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions have been secured in (a) sheriff courts and (b) the High Court in the last two years in relation to human trafficking offences and what range of sentences were given to those found guilty.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Trafficking for sexualexploitation was made a specific offence by section 22 of the Criminal Justice(Scotland) Act 2003. Trafficking for any purpose was made a specific offence by Section4 of the Asylum & Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004. To …