Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,367 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been received from junior doctors about the Modernising Medical Careers recruitment and selection process.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There is a formal appeal and complaintsprocedure that is available to all applicants which is publicised through the MMCScotland website. This process can be invoked where recruitment processes or procedureshave not been followed, or there is evidence of unfa…
13 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it satisfied with the Modernising Medical Careers recruitment and selection process.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is aware of concerns about ModernisingMedical Careers (MMC) and the Medical Training Application Service across the UK,but delivery of MMC in Scotland remains on track thanks to the hard work of allthose involved. Senior clinicians in S…
13 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reassure junior doctors that, under the Modernising Medical Careers programme, they will have some choice about the location of their training posts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: As with the previous system of recruitment, mobility and flexibilityremain important factors in helping to match doctors to posts. Whilst Scotland isdefined by the UK Medical Training Application System (MTAS) as a single unit ofapplication, those short liste…
13 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all doctors applying under the Modernising Medical Careers recruitment and selection process get an interview for a Scottish appointment.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Selection and recruitment to SpecialtyTraining at both UK and Scottish levels has been the subject of review by a groupchaired by Professor Neil Douglas, President Royal College of Physicians Edinburghand including representatives from the four UK Health Depa…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the British Dental Association.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I last met with the British DentalAssociation on 30 January 2007. Officials meet quarterly with the British Dental Associationand last met them on 1 February 2007.</p>
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any possibility that the public information campaign for the new local government electoral system will lead to confusion in respect of the constituency section of the ballot for the Scottish parliamentary elections, given that this will now be the only …
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is workingclosely with the independent Electoral Commission to deliver a joint informationcampaign for the 2007 elections. We consider that because the local government andScottish parliamentary elections are combined, a joint public in…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to increase the availability of prisoner places, in light of an anticipated rise in numbers of prisoners.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Yes.</p><p>A new 700 place prison has beencontracted for at Addiewell, West Lothian and will come into use at the end of 2008.</p><p>…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that a decision will be made on the planning application appeal in respect of HM Prison Low Moss.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Reporter appointed to conductthe inquiry is presently considering the evidence led at the inquiry and the writtensubmissions of the parties. Thereafter, the Reporter will submit a detailed reportwith recommendations to Scottish ministers, in early Decembe…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the new prison at Addiewell will be ready for use.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29452 on 15 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the…
25 Oct 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of socially rented housing in Glasgow.
Answer · Johann Lamont: TheExecutive is making unprecedented levels of investment available in Glasgow to increase the availability ofgood quality social rented housing through both improvement and new buildprogrammes.</p><p>This yearwe are providing £70 million to fund over 1,000 n…
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what special challenges in respect of recycling it considers exist in (a) tenements, (b) high rise properties and (c) other areas of above average population density and what support and guidance is available to local authorities in relation to improving recycling opportunities in such pr…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Multi-occupancy propertiesface particular problems and difficulties in the storage and collection ofrecoverable waste. The challenge for many local authorities is to implementviable recycling schemes for multi-occupancy properties in a cost effectivemanner.</…
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned that some local authorities have not yet achieved the target of recycling 25 per cent of household waste and, if so, what action and further support it will consider to improve recycling opportunities for all Scots regardless of where they live.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The target of recycling/composting25% of municipal waste by 2006 is an all-Scotland target rather than an individuallocal authority target. To increase recycling we are taking action in a numberof areas. These include:</p><p>Funding a number ofrecycling facil…
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding Glasgow City Council has received over the last five years to fund recycling services and how this compares with the City of Edinburgh, Aberdeen City, Dundee, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire councils.
28 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on people under 18 who have been found soliciting and on how many occasions the charge of soliciting has been applied to such people in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.
Answer · Hugh Henry: In the five year period2000-01 to 2004-05 there were two females aged under 18 recorded as beingproceeded against for offences related to prostitution.</p>
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the report, SME Music Businesses: Business Growth and Access to Finance, as it affects Scotland.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive will considerthis report, and as part of this, will discuss it with both Scottish Enterpriseand Highlands and Islands Enterprise.</p>
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Creative and Cultural Skills in respect of Scotland’s allocation of funding for music.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The role of Creative andCultural Skills (CCS), the UK sector skills council for the creative andcultural industries, is to be the independent industry-led voice of itssectors, working with employers, employees and the self-employed to identifyskills and produ…
14 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional student dental places were created to replace those lost at the Edinburgh Dental School.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The total intake of UK dental studentsin Scotland reduced from 151 in 1989-90 to 120 in 1996-97. This representsa loss of 31 places available to dental students in Scotland dueto the review of dental student numbers and the closure of Edinburgh Dental School.…
14 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many student dental places in each year of training were lost as a result of the closure of the Edinburgh Dental School.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Dental Workforce Planningreport published by the Scottish Executive in 2000 shows that the range of graduatenumbers for full cohorts in Edinburgh over the period 1990-93 was 34 to 45. In thefinal full year of training, 45 students graduated from the schoo…
14 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Edinburgh Dental School closed.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Edinburgh Dental School closedin 1995, following a decision by ministers in 1989. The final full cohort of studentsgraduated in 1993.</p>
14 Jun 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in identifying positive alternatives for children and young people abused through prostitution since the publication in February 2005 of the Barnardo¿s report on alternatives to secure accommodation.
Answer · Robert Brown: There has been a welcome growthin support for young people at risk of being abused through prostitution. The Executive has provided financialsupport to a number of organisations and projects working in this important aspectof child protection, such as ChildLi…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to review the preparedness of the emergency services and other local responders to deal with simultaneous major incidents.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: It is vital that Scotland’s emergencyservices and other organisations with responsibilities for dealing with civil contingenciesare properly prepared to deal with such incidents. A great deal of work has alreadybeen done, flowing from the Civil Contingencies …
22 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many under-16-year-olds are currently placed in young offenders institutions.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>As at 31 May 2006, there areno under-16-year olds placed in young offenders institutions.</p>
22 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new secure unit places are planned to be developed.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26157 on 8 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
22 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be of the loss of secure unit places at Kerelaw.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The redevelopment of the secureestate will mean an increase in secure unit places to 125. Kerelaw had agreed toprovide 12 places in the redeveloped estate but announced their intention to withdrawfrom the redevelopment scheme in October 2004. The resulting di…
22 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secure units there are and where they are located.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The are currently five secureunits consisting of 90 places and are located as follows:</p><p>St Mary’s Kenmure – Glasgow –31 places</p><p>St Philip’s – Airdrie – 18 places</p><p>Rossie – Montrose – 25 places</p><p>Howdenhall/St Katharine’s – Edinburgh– 12 pla…
22 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secure unit places there were in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The secure accommodationcensus details that in 2002-03 and 2004-05 there were 96 secure unit places andin 2005-06 there were 92 places. On 24 March 2003, plans were announced toincrease the number of secure unit places by 29 to 125, this redevelopment of the …
3 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to fluoride in the water system are being considered to help prevent tooth decay in young children.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>The Action Plan for improvingoral health and modernising</i> <i>NHS DentalServices in</i> <i>Scotland</i> was published in March 2005. This document outlined themain preventive actions towards improving oral health of children in Scotland, includingdiet, o…
3 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published research showing the key factors responsible for the high incidence of tooth decay in primary schoolchildren.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>Towards Better Oral Healthin Children</i>, a consultation publishedby the Scottish Executive in September 2002, set out the main determinants of oralhealth of children in Scotland. The consultation identified the main cause of dentaldecay as the high sugar…
3 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address tooth decay among primary schoolchildren in Glasgow, in light of recent statistics indicating that Glasgow children have the second highest rate of tooth decay in Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A range of preventive programmesare in place to address tooth decay among primary school children in Glasgow, includingtooth brushing in nursery and primary schools and the distribution of preventivepacks to children on starting school.</p><p>Dental programme…
3 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address tooth decay in young children.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has put in placea range of measures to address tooth decay in young children through <i>An ActionPlan for improving oral health and modernising NHS</i> <i>Dental Services in </i><i>Scotland</i>launched in March 2005.</p><p>Initiatives include: t…