Parliamentary questions
Sandra White
1,617 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
31 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made for the carry-over of Social Inclusion Partnership funds from one financial year to the next as a result of underspending.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The amount allocated annually by the Scottish Executive to Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) has to be spent in the year to which it is allocated. However Scottish Executive Departments can apply to carry forward unspent amounts from one financial year to …
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who currently serves on the working group looking at hearing services and what the group's remit is.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Current membership of the working group follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Dr P Craig, Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Executive<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Mrs C De Placido, Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Mr S Eales, Scottish Executive Health Department<P A…
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the review of audiology services.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The working group detailed in the answer to question S1W-12861 met on Thursday 1 February to consider a number of issues, including the terms of a possible remit for a wide-ranging review of audiology services. Membership of the group is likely to be expanded…
25 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether nine working days is a reasonable time to allow organisations to apply for Social Inclusion Partnerships funds which become available as a result of a capital underspend.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12843.
25 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued in relation to capital underspends of Social Inclusion Partnership funding.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12843.
25 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended timescale is to allow organisations to apply for Social Inclusion Partnership funds which have become available as a result of capital underspend.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12843.
25 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the criteria against which applications for Social Inclusion Partnership funds which have become available as the result of a capital underspend are judged differ from those applied in other circumstances.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive expects all Social Inclusion Partnerships to allocate funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of grant. These are currently being revised. Once the revisions are complete a copy will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Cen…
18 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the effectiveness of methadone programmes used in the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is already robust national and international evidence for the effectiveness of methadone programmes. In Scotland research carried out by clinicians and academic institutions consistently shows effective outcomes for individuals. These include reduced cr…
17 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for grant aid for listed building repairs were received in 1999; how many grants were approved, and how much was spent on such grants.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<P>In 1999-2000, Historic Scotland received 57 applications from owners for grants to assist with the cost of repairing buildings of special ar…
17 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funds were allocated for listed building repairs in 1999.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>I have been asked by the Minister to respond. In 1999-2000, Historic Scotland allocated £11.45 million to assist o…
17 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who nominates Scottish buildings for World Heritage Site status and who advises this person or body.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO determines whether sites should be inscribed on the World Heritage List. Sites must be nominated by n…
17 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether present statutory powers for safeguarding listed buildings are adequate and enable the aims of all relevant legislation to be met.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The current legislation provides a wide range of statutory powers to help safeguard listed buildings. Many of these powers are for local authorities to use in relation to buildings in their areas. Generally, these powers appear to be adequate, though, as with…
17 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many listed buildings were demolished in 1999.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I have asked Graeme Munro, Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The number of listed building consent applications involving demolition, which were notified to Scottish Ministers by planning authorities d…
12 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to ensure that all primary and secondary school pupils are taught Scottish history.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12450 on.
12 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to expanding the teaching of Scottish history in the school curriculum.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12450.
12 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued on the teaching of Scottish history in primary and secondary schools.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12450.
12 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to making Scottish history a compulsory part of the syllabus for primary and secondary school pupils.
Answer · Jack McConnell: In Scotland the curriculum is not prescribed by statute and delivery is a matter for local authorities and schools. The Scottish Executive's policy is to ensure that guidance to education authorities and schools and the framework of national qualifications pr…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in setting up a register of battlefield sites.
Answer · Allan Wilson: A contract was awarded in August 2000 to the Department of History at the University of Aberdeen to carry out a pilot study of four battlefield sites in Scotland. These sample entries will be the subject of a consultation exercise (to be carried out this year…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to health boards concerning the use of income generated from the sale of former hospital sites.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A policy was introduced on 1 April 1998, whereby individual health boards and NHS Trusts in Scotland were given the opportunity to benefit directly from capital receipts resulting from the disposal of surplus assets.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The policy introduced th…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of Greater Glasgow Health Board's funding in the current financial year comes from receipts from the sale of former hospital sites.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In the current financial year the Greater Glasgow Health Board and the NHS Trusts in its area are forecasting receipts from the sale of hospital sites of £8.66 million. Under the established arrangements for the retention of capital receipts the Health Servic…
29 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to public bodies such as health boards concerning the release of information to MSPs.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Executive NDPBs have to operate the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I> which came into force on 1 July 1999. NHS organisations, including health boards, must subscribe to the <I>Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS in Scotl…
21 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deal with any increase in the incidence of tuberculosis amongst elderly people.
Answer · Susan Deacon: There has been no significant increase in recent years in the numbers of new tuberculosis infections notified by doctors, among the population generally or among the elderly. Revised comprehensive guidelines on the prevention, surveillance, diagnosis and mana…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an epidemiological survey into the extent of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive has no plans to conduct an epidemiological survey. There is at present no independently validated diagnostic test for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and, without such a test, the value of an epidemiological survey would be do…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to keeping a public record of deaths and suicides directly associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answer · Jim Wallace: All information on cause of death collected when a death is registered is held on public registers. The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) collates this information and codes the cause of death data using the World Health Organisation's International…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to health boards and GPs concerning the treatment of sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive has not so far issued guidelines on the treatment of people with ME/CFS. Good practice guidelines are, however, being developed by a working group led by the Chief Medical Officer in England, and on which the Executive is represented. The group'…
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to local authorities concerning the maintenance and good repair of Category A listed buildings.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Advice on maintaining listed buildings of all categories and unlisted buildings within conservation areas in good repair is covered within the <I>Memorandum</I> <I>of</I> <I>Guidance</I> <I>on</I> <I>Listed</I> <I>Buildings</I> <I>and</I> <I>Conservation</I> …
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to ensure the maintenance and good repair of Category A listed buildings.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There is no statutory requirement upon an owner to keep a building in good repair, whether it is listed or not. There are, however, powers under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 for planning authorities - and, in exce…
1 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to widen the social inclusion strategy to deal explicitly with exclusion of older people.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The <I>Social</I> <I>Justice</I> <I>Annual</I> <I>Report</I> <I>2000</I>, which was published on Monday (13 November), sets out what is being done to support our social justice targets and milestones for older people. This includes the installation of central…
1 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is of the recently commissioned study into rail access to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has allocated £15,000 for this joint DETR/Scottish Executive/Shadow Strategic Rail Authority funded study into the options for rail access to Scottish airports. This study is ongoing but we expect the total cost not to exceed £40,000.
1 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the report of the Better Government for Older People programme.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive will formally respond to the recommendations of the Better Government for Older People programme, including those made by the three Scottish Pilots, early in the New Year.