Parliamentary questions

Rhoda Grant

2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33490 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2010, what the actual budget is for the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 and how many applications were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful.

Answer · Alex Neil: The budget for the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in 2010-11 is £3.6 million. Although the Affordable Housing Investment Programme budget for next financial year has not yet been set, it is intended to provide the balance of funding amounting to £1.3 milli…

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31800 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2010, what it means by near future and whether it considers that there has been an unacceptable delay in the publication of the findings of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA).

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33780 on 1 June 2010, which provides an update of the work of Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) relating to its remote and rural review. All answers to written parliamentary questions can …

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to ensure that further education students receive an acceptable minimum amount of student support throughout their studies and how the additional money for 2010-11 announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will assist further educat…

Answer · Michael Russell: Ministers have no role in setting the budgets of individual colleges. That is the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council, which for 2010-11 has increased by 6.2% (£4.9 million) the resources it provides to colleges for the purpose of providing bursari…

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input from the Parliament it expects in the development of the carers strategy.

Answer · Shona Robison: In the development of the draft Carers Strategy for Scotland, I have taken into account views expressed by MSPs during debates in Parliament on carers'' issues and by members of the Equal Opportunities Committee.

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek a parliamentary debate on the draft carers strategy.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Equal Opportunities Committee agreed after its meeting on 1 December 2009 that it would be preferable to have a parliamentary debate after publication of the strategy. This is because the issues are well known, having been debated and discussed over the l…

3 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when The Carers Strategy for Scotland will be published.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has been developing the carers and young carers strategy in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, working closely with health boards, carer organisations and other stakeholders. We will publish the strategy onc…

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Shetland were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In order to minimise the risk of disclosure due to small numbers it is not possible to provide the number of occupied bed days for NHS Shetland. The aggregate number of occupied bed days in for all island boards (NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS We…

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Orkney were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In order to minimise the risk of disclosure due to small numbers it is not possible to provide the number of occupied bed days for NHS Orkney. The aggregate number of occupied bed days for all island boards (NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western …

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Western Isles were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In order to minimise the risk of patient disclosure due to small numbers it is not possible to provide the number of occupied bed days for NHS Western Isles. The aggregate number of occupied bed days for all island boards (NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland a…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31800 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2010, whether the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation has reported its findings on the assessment of the impact of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee formula on remote and rural areas and, …

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) has not yet reported its findings. TAGRA is currently reviewing its work on the impact of the formula on remote and rural areas, and drawing together its conclusions. The research is due to be finali…

13 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Highland were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of occupied bed days in NHS Highland where a diagnosis of assault by sharp object is recorded is presented in the following table. Number of acute occupied bed days1,2 in NHS Highland connected with an assault by sharp object<su…

8 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures NHS boards have in place to ensure the containment of norovirus.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: To ensure best practice in the prevention and treatment of norovirus outbreaks in health boards, Health Protection Scotland published, on 1 December 2009, revised guidance on norovirus outbreak, control measures and practical considerations for optimal patien…

8 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards were closed as a result of norovirus in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the total numbers of wards closed to admissions due to norovirus outbreaks is not available centrally. Health Protection Scotland monitors and publishes ward closures due to norovirus outbreaks via point prevalence management informati…

8 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital patients with underlying health problems died as a result of norovirus in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The numbers of deaths which occurred in hospitals where Norovirus was the underlying cause of death, or where Norovirus contributed to the death without being the underlying cause is shown in the following tables. Table 1a. Deaths Registered in Scotl…

8 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of norovirus there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of norovirus infection in NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles are presented in the following table. These data are based on voluntary reporting by clinical laboratories…

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were on dental waiting lists as at 1 March 2010, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. As independent contractors dentists are not obliged under their NHS terms of service to advise NHS boards of any waiting lists they may hold. Individual NHS boards may hold information on those waiting to register with …

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were registered with dentists as NHS patients as at 1 March 2010, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not currently available. Patient registration information for the period up to 31 Mach 2010 will form part a National Statistics Release which is due to be published on 27 July 2010.

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were registered with dentists as at 1 March 2010, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not currently available. Information on patients registered under NHS arrangements for the period up to 31 March 2010 will form part of a National Statistics Release which is due to be published on 27 July 2010. We do not hold information …

19 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what schools have been subject to three or more follow-up visits by HM Inspectorate of Education since 2000.

Answer · Michael Russell: The following schools have been subject to three or more follow-through visits since August 2000. Cademuir International School Loirston Primary School Craigston Primary School <p align=lef…

19 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31793 by Adam Ingram on 11 March 2010, what is meant by “or otherwise” and whether specific timescales have been set to bring together representatives to ensure that local authorities are discharging their duties to looked-after children, including t…

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is taking steps to help local authorities to benefit from each others'' experiences in relation to looked-after children, including those in kinship care, for example We have written to local authorities following the release…

17 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage share of total initial revenue allocation to territorial NHS boards has been given to NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles for 2010-11 and what the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target share was in each case.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The percentage share of total revenue allocations to territorial NHS boards for the four boards mentioned above and their NRAC target shares are: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td > NHS Board…

17 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the initial revenue allocation was to NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10 and is for 2010-11, also expressed in real terms, and what the value would be expressed as an NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committ…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The initial revenue allocations to the four boards mentioned above were/are: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=127 rowspan=3 valign=bottom > NHS Board </td> <td nowrap colspan=4 v…

4 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how measures to prevent prisoners from sending unwanted letters to their victims compare with those in England and Wales.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Prison and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2006 enable governors to take steps to seek to prevent prisone…

4 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures to prevent prisoners from sending unwanted letters to their victims could be circumvented by marking a letter as legal correspondence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: It is possible for prisoners to attempt to circumvent procedures put in place to prevent unwanted letters being sent …

4 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to prevent prisoners from sending unwanted letters to their victims.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2006 enable the Governor to take steps to seek to prevent pri…