Questions · Rhoda Grant

28 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs were incurred by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland for the use of taxis for patient transport in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

28 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what patient transport costs were incurred directly by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government do not hold centrally the amount each NHS board spends on patient transport costs.

23 Apr 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , in light of the review of direct payments by Orkney Islands Council, what mechanisms are available to ensure that payments will continue for eligible applicants as required under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials have been advised by Orkney Islands Council that the review has resulted in there being no waiting list and in direct payments being offered to all eligible clients. Any such applications will be subject to the usual care management processes of ass…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Super Puma search and rescue helicopter operating from Shetland has been called out and what each response time was.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to search and rescue helicopters. This is a matter for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, an Agency of the UK Department for Transport.

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the occasions when the Eurocopter EC135 helicopters operating from Glasgow and Inverness and the King Air 200c fixed-wing aircraft operating from Aberdeen and Glasgow have been used to access island locations and what each response time was.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service can be contacted at: Scottish Ambulance Service National Headquarters Tipperlinn Road Edinburgh EH10 5UU.

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the King Air 200c fixed-wing aircraft operating from (a) Aberdeen and (b) Glasgow has been called out in each of the last three years.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is set out in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=72 valign=top >   </td> <td width=72 valign=top > 2006-07<…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Eurocopter EC135 helicopter operating from (a) Glasgow and (b) Inverness has been called out in each of the last three years.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is set out in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top >   </td> <td valign=top > 2006-07 </td> <t…

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding remains available for applications to the Rural Priorities scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The amount actually available for new commitments under Rural Priorities will depend on a number of factors, including the level of uptake for demand-led elements within the relevant budget headings, and any future policy changes. At the start of th…

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when applications to the Rural Priorities scheme will reopen.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and their agents may submit Statements of Intent or Proposals through the online applications system.

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the reopening of the Rural Priorities scheme for applications.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. The deadline for applications was extended, as a direct result of the success of the most recent assessment round in February. However, the facility has remained availab…

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Rural Priorities scheme have been received in each month since its inception.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Rural Priorities opened for expressions of interest (Statements of Intent) in April 2008. The number of expressions of interest received each month is shown in the following table. Applications are counted from the first submission of an expression …

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has run out of funding for the Rural Priorities scheme for 2009.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We have not run out of funding for the Rural Priorities scheme for 2009. Rural Priorities is successfully investing in rural Scotland, and in four rounds we have approved £124 million for 1,800 projects in rural Scotland. SRDP has a huge role to pla…

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Rural Priorities scheme funding has been allocated for 2009.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A total of £49 million in Rural Priorities funding has been allocated, over the first four assessment rounds, for spend in 2009.

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what compensation will be payable to businesses that have already spent money drawing up applications for the next round of the Rural Priorities scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and agents may still submit proposals through the online applications system. Any applicant who has put forward a proposal will still have the opportunity to …

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has suspended the next round of applications to the Rural Priorities scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and agents may continue to submit proposals through the online applications system. We are currently considering the arrangements for the next assessment roun…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services it anticipates will be available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen (c), Perth and (d) Inverness in 2009-10.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions …

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services were available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Perth and (d) Inverness in 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions …

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects a veterinary manager to be recruited at the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. D…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to enhance the services at the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions …

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment that the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre will remain open in its current form on a long-term basis.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. SAC have b…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations are placed on the prosecution service as a result of the Getting it Right for Every Child programme.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Getting it Right for Every Child programme is a long-term transformational change programme across services'' culture, systems and practice to improve outcomes for children and young people across Scotland. It is being developed through pathfinder project…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations are placed on the criminal justice system as a result of the Getting it Right for Every Child programme.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Getting it Right for Every Child programme is a long-term transformational change programme across services'' culture, systems and practice to improve outcomes for children and young people across Scotland. It is being developed through pathfinder project…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason children involved with the criminal justice system as victims or witnesses are not allocated safeguarders as they would under the children’s hearing system.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The option to appoint a safeguarder is only available for children who are referred to a Children''s Hearing. Where children are called as witnesses in court proceedings a number of measures can be used in the court to provide for their support and protection…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the age at which children are able to receive information in their own right on cases where they are witnesses differs from the age of criminal responsibility.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: In considering the age at which it was appropriate for Victim Information and Advice (VIA) to send information on case progress direct to children and young people in their own right, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service consulted with the Children''s C…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive at what age it considers that children are able to receive information in their own right on cases where they are witnesses and whether this differs from the age of criminal responsibility.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: In considering the age at which it was appropriate for Victim Information and Advice (VIA) to send information on case progress direct to children and young people in their own right, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service consulted with the Children''s C…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the age at which children are able to receive information in their own right on cases where they are victims differs from the age of criminal responsibility.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: In considering the age at which it was appropriate for Victim Information and Advice (VIA) to send information on case progress direct to children and young people in their own right, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service consulted with the Children''s C…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive at what age it considers that children are able to receive information in their own right on a case where they are victims and whether this differs from the age of criminal responsibility.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: Victim Information and Advice will provide information direct to victims and witnesses aged 12 years and over. Where a child victim or witness aged seven to 11 years lives with a parent or guardian, VIA sends information to the parent or guardian to pass on t…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that victims who are also witnesses receive the same information regarding possible plea bargains as victims who are not witnesses.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: Procurators fiscal have a duty to consider all pleas of guilty offered by the defence and to accept them where it is in the public interest to do so. The views of the victim may, where known, be taken into account at the discretion of the Procurator Fiscal as…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that witnesses who are also victims receive the same information regarding a case as witnesses who are not victims.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: Victim Information and Advice (VIA) staff provide information to victims of, and witnesses to, crimes reported to the Procurator Fiscal which involve: domestic abuse; racial or religious aggravation; <p align=le…

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that when an individual is prosecuted for domestic abuse they do not inadvertently become a victim of abuse.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: In dealing with domestic abuse cases, the police and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are committed to identifying best practice and obtaining consistency of approach in the investigation reporting and prosecution of these cases, with a view to impr…