Parliamentary questions

Rhoda Grant

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

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Moray Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Providing a weekly allowance for approved kinship carers of looked after children is one of the commitments contained in the concordat signed with COSLA in November 2007. Progress against each of the commitments in the concordat will be reported annually by C…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Highland Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

18 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it plans to offer voluntary organisations such as Depression Alliance Scotland whose Inverness group faces possible closure at the end of March 2008 due to a lack of available funding.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government strongly supports the work of the third sector. We are making £93 million available to the third sector over three years, a 37% increase on the last spending review. Supporting the voluntary sector is an important part of the…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Grampian (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Grampian from 2004-05 have been: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=81 valign=top > Year </td> <td width=114 valign=top > Initia…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Orkney (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Orkney from 2004-05 have been: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=81 valign=top > Year </td> <td width=114 valign=top > Initial Allocation …

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Shetland (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Shetland from 2004-05 have been: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=81 valign=top > Year </td> <td width=114 valign=top > Initia…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Western Isles (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Western Isles from 2004-05 have been: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=81 valign=top > Year </td> <td width=120 valign=top > Initial Alloca…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Highland (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Highland from 2004-05 have been: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=81 valign=top > Year </td> <td width=114 valign=top > Initia…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that tagging and intensive monitoring are effective.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Intensive support and monitoring will be available to all local areas from 1 April 2008. Responsibility for the effective use of these measures is a matter for local agencies. Scottish Government is taking forward a programme of work to support local areas in…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new secure units are planned for detaining children aged under 16 on remand.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Children under the age of 16 on remand are currently placed in secure accommodation in most cases. Children appearing on a charge before a criminal court can be remanded in prison custody under an unruly certificate. The Scottish Government has announced plan…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many secure units are available for children aged under 16 on remand and where such units are located.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: All seven secure units in Scotland are available for children aged 16 and under on remand: Kibble, Paisley St Philip's, Airdrie Good Shepherd, Bishopton, Renfrewshire Rossie, Montrose, Angus <p align=le…

21 Feb 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met NHS Highland and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I meet regularly with all NHS chairs to discuss matters of importance to health and the NHS in Scotland, most recently on 28 January. Health officials are also in regular contact with NHS Highland about a range of matters. The Minister for Public Health also …

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the life expectancy was for (a) men and (b) women in (i) Orkney and (ii) Scotland in the last year for which figures are available.

Answer · John Swinney: Life expectancy figures are normally calculated for a three-year period, to provide large enough numbers to ensure accuracy. The latest life expectancy estimates area as follows: (i) Life expectancy at birth for males living in Orkney betwee…

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding in the spending review will be allocated to the delivery of classes for English for speakers of other languages in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Discussions on the allocation of the additional £9 million for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are currently underway with key stakeholders. A decision is expected shortly. </

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is planned to deliver classes for English for speakers of other languages to the rural areas of the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally. Providers have discretion over the volume and nature of ESOL provision, although they should have regard to our adult ESOL strategy in planning such provision. Publicly funded ESOL (English for Speaker…

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers of classes for English for speakers of other languages are in local authority employment in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the percentage of people in Orkney who visit a private dentist and what the comparative percentage is for Scotland as a whole.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the percentage of people who visit a private dentist is not available centrally.

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists there are in Orkney per head of population and how this compares with the number of dentists per head of population in Scotland as a whole.

Answer · Shona Robison: At 30 September 2007, there were 6.6 NHS dentists1 per 10,000 population in Orkney and 5.7 NHS dentists1. per 10,000 population in Scotland as a whole. Note: 1. Head count of dentists working in the sectors of NHS general, commu…

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the net expenditure was on NHS dental care per head in Orkney in the most recent year for which figures are available and how this compared with the net expenditure per head in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: In the financial year 2006-07, net expenditure on NHS dental care per head in Orkney was £1041,2 and in Scotland was £731,2. Notes: 1. Expenditure on NHS hospital, community and family health dental services. …

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend in the next financial year on publicity to make people aware that they may be entitled to dental treatment that is free or at a reduced cost.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is estimated that approximately £5,000 will be spent on the following public information leaflets: HCS1 Help with Health Costs (web only) and HCS2 A Quick Guide to Help with Health Costs (booklet). Both include information on eligibility to the costs of de…

7 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of Orkney residents aged 18 and over have visited an NHS dentist in the most recent period for which figures are available and what the comparative figures are for Scotland as a whole.

Answer · Shona Robison: The specific information requested is not collected centrally. However, figures on the number and percentage of people aged 18 and over in Orkney and in Scotland who are registered with dentists under NHS general dental services arrangements are available and…

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new initiatives it will introduce in 2008-09 to offer increased access to NHS dental services in Orkney and what financial resources will be allocated to each initiative.

Answer · Shona Robison: There are no current plans to introduce new initiatives in 2008-09 to increase access to NHS dental services specifically in Orkney. NHS Orkney are planning to increase their dental premises but this will take some time to put in place as this is bei…

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its initiatives in place in 2007-08 to offer increased access to NHS dental services in Orkney will continue in 2008-09 and what financial resources will be allocated to each initiative.

Answer · Shona Robison: All of the initiatives in place to recruit and retain dentists to general dental services in Scotland, including Orkney, will remain in place in 2008-09.

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list its initiatives in place in 2007-08 to offer increased access to NHS dental services in Orkney and the financial resources allocated to each initiative.

Answer · Shona Robison: A number of grants and allowances have been introduced over the years to recruit and retain dentists within general dental services in Scotland, including Orkney. These are: commitment payments grants for new and existing vocational traini…