Parliamentary questions

Sandra White

1,617 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to address the increase in excess winter deaths.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Works to improve home insulation may well help to reduce the number of excess winter deaths, hence the Warm Deal, the biggest package of home insulation measures ever available in Scotland - a total of approximately £39 million over the next three years. This…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is normal practice for ministers to reply to correspondence from their own constituents.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Ministers will normally reply direct to correspondence from their own constituents where the subject matter of the correspondence falls within their ministerial portfolio.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to address the financial situation of Gingerbread Scotland.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-4845.

28 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to protect patients from contracting Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and other infections at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer I gave to question S1W-4790.

28 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have contracted Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and other infections at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow during the last five years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Infection control is the responsibility of NHS Trusts who are expected to act in accordance with guidance set out in the Scottish Infection Control Manual and other nationally agreed recommendations.

28 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards are in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow and how often they are cleaned.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for each NHS Trust to determine the number and type of staff required to deliver an appropriate level of service to meet local patients needs and to organise staff resources accordingly. The detailed information you have requested is available from Nort…

28 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cleaners are employed at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow and how many hours they work each day.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for each NHS Trust to determine the number and type of staff required to deliver an appropriate level of service to meet local patient needs and to organise staff resources accordingly. The detailed information requested is available from North Glasgow …

8 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what are the guidelines currently in use concerning emergency call-outs of GPs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In an emergency a GP is required to render whatever services are in the best interest of any patient on the GP's list. The GP is required to provide treatment other than at the practice premises if the patient's condition is such that in the GP's reasonable o…

28 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to address the problems of sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Answer · Susan Deacon: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a complex condition, which unfortunately is not fully understood, and has, as yet, no definitive diagnostic test to identify it. The difficulties surrounding diagnosis and treatment of ME were recognised in the establishment …

28 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from its representatives on the chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis working group.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Scottish observers on the main Working Group and the Children's Group have been present at most of the meetings of the two Groups and at the one meeting so far of the wider Reference Group. They have been consulted about and fully advised of the outcome of th…

5 Jan 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the drop out rate in higher education institutions from the current 20% and what assessment it has made of the return of full maintenance grant as a way of reducing this figure.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: They are currently being scrutinised by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. I want to see an improvement on the position and we will seek an early meeting with the Council.<P>Reasons for leaving higher education are varied and finance normally come…

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cochlea implants have been carried out in the years 1997-98 and 1998-99 broken down by age.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information available on numbers of cochlear implantation is shown in below.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Number of cochlear implant discharges from hospitals in Scotland; by age of patient<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=531><TR><TD WIDTH="…

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools for deaf people there are in Scotland.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: There are six special schools where the majority of pupils have hearing impairment as their main difficulty in learning. Otherwise, the majority of hearing impaired pupils are educated either in the 91 Special Units attached to mainstream schools or full-time…

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers and interpreters for deaf people there are at present in Scotland.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: As at September 1998, there were an estimated 164 full-time equivalent teachers who had a hearing impairment teaching qualification in publicly-funded schools in Scotland. There are currently 31 registered interpreters for the deaf and 12 trainees.

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to introduce to improve economic and social conditions in the City of Glasgow.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive has made available in the excess of £1.8 billion for the city this year. We have more than doubled the number of Social Inclusion Partnerships in the city to introduce Drumchapel, Gorbals, Greater Govan, Greater Pollok, Milton and Spingburn.<P>Y…

1 Dec 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to introduce to improve economic and social conditions in the City of Glasgow.

26 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Park Authority which is being established covering Loch Lomond will be given powers to regulate and control the use of motor driven craft and, if so, what form these powers will take.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The recently published National Parks Bill provides an opportunity to discuss powers relevant to National Parks, including by-law making powers.

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children living within the Glasgow City Council boundary have been placed by their parents in schools outwith that boundary in each of the years in the period 1988-89 to 1998-99 taking account of local government reorganisation.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

4 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the current review of the Careers Service, whether it still intends to proceed with plans to privatise the Glasgow Careers Service.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: It has never been the intention to make any change to the ownership of the partnership company with which the Scottish Executive contracts for delivery of the careers service. Glasgow Careers Service is not to be "privatised".

3 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level is of public funding being provided to support Scottish gymnastics by local authority area.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The detailed breakdown of expenditure by local authority area can only be supplied by individual local authorities. Scottish Executive funding for sport is generally channelled through <B>sport</B>scotland which, in turn, gives grant assistance to governing b…

3 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government on the potential public risk and environmental dangers resulting from year 2000 computer problems affecting Trident nuclear submarines in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Matters pertaining to the Ministry of Defence are reserved. The Cabinet Office has responsibility for monitoring Year 2000 issues for all UK Government Departments, including the Ministry of Defence and full details can be found on their website <A HREF="http…

3 Nov 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the current review of the Careers Service, whether it still intends to proceed with plans to privatise the Glasgow Careers Service.

29 Sep 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer further to his answer to question S1W-288 on 13 July 1999, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide an update on the timetable for arrangements for the recycling of waste paper within the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · David Steel: The Procurement Office is currently in the process of negotiating a contract for waste management, including the recycling of waste paper. It is likely that services will commence by the middle of next month.

21 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that existing security measures are reviewed and, if necessary, upgraded in all NHS hospitals in Scotland and in particular at Monklands hospital in North Lanarkshire.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Health Board General Managers and Trust Chief Executives are under a statutory obligation to provide, at all times, a safe and secure environment for their staff, patients in their care and the general public and it is up to Trusts to have in place arrangemen…

7 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where and when will each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland be built.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:-<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=1><P>SITE OF HOSPITAL PROJECTS</TD><TD WIDTH="33%"…

7 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds, wards, and staff will be provided in each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:-<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=1><P>Number of beds</TD><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TO…

7 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated building and future annual running costs are for each of the eight proposed new hospitals in Scotland and will a Private Finance Initiative finance these costs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested on the 8 new hospital developments is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="26%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=1><P>Estimated B…