Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred to primary care units under the Violent Patients Scheme following aggressive behaviour towards their GP in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Alex Neil: This is a matter for NHS boards. The information requested is not held centrally.
7 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) which applications since September 2001 for the modification or discharge of planning obligations have required further environmental impact or habitats regulations assessment.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
7 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) which applications since September 2001 for the modification or discharge of planning obligations have related to obligations that (i) would safeguard or enhance the natural environment and (ii) were required as a result of the conclusions of environmental impact or …
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
29 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to update its 12% energy efficiency target by 2020 to match the EU target of 17%.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has no plans to update the 12% energy efficiency target at present. The indicative European Union target is to reduce energy consumption by 20% by 2020, calculated using primary energy consumption against a projected 2020 business as …
27 Jun 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion and number of students studying for a Diploma in Legal Practice in 2012-13 will receive the maximum Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan.
25 Jun 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will instigate a public inquiry into the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh.
22 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that wind energy projects in designated wildlife sites are monitored regularly.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Executive ensures that wind energy projects in designated wildlife sites are given appropriate consideration by ensuring the involvement of the relevant conservation bodies in the evaluation process. When considering applications for large-scale …
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the recommended (a) rates of pay for staff and (b) reimbursement for volunteers that assist with local government elections.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The rates of pay for election staff and the reimbursement of volunteers is determined locally by each individual local authority. Returning Officer fees are agreed in consultation with COSLA. This is not information held centrally by the Scottish Government.…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to local authorities for running the 2012 Scottish local government elections and what amount remains outstanding.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is providing £5 million to local authorities towards the cost of running these elections in light of the additional costs they incurred as a result of decoupling local elections from elections to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish G…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties are valued (a) at under £180,000, (b) between £180,000 and £350,000 and (c) above £350,000, also broken down by local authority.
Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether students studying for a Diploma in Legal Practice are eligible to apply for funding under the Professional and Career Development Loans scheme.
Answer · Michael Russell: Students undertaking the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice are eligible to apply for loan funding under the Professional and Career Development Loan Scheme to assist with the cost of their tuition fees and/or to assist with living costs.
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what funding is available under the Professional and Career Development Loans scheme and whether applications for this are weighted in favour of low-income students.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) is a deferred payment bank loan to help pay for vocational training, leading to employment in the UK or the EU. The course must be vocational and can be full time, part time or distance learning. The loan ca…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of students studying for a Diploma in Legal Practice was eligible for a full loan under the Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme in 2011-12.
Answer · Michael Russell: Loan funding was not available for students studying for the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) under the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme (PSAS) in 2011-12. In 2011-2, DPLP students could apply for an allowance of up to £3,400 towards the…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of extending student loans for living costs for students studying for a Diploma in Legal Practice and how this figure has been calculated.
Answer · Michael Russell: We do not currently provide student loans for living costs for any group of postgraduate students including those studying for the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.
11 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-07401 by John Swinney on 31 May 2012, how much has been paid out in council tax discounts through energy efficiency schemes and how many properties are receiving these in each local authority, broken down by (a) type of dwelling and (b) mode of owner…
Answer · John Swinney: The collection of council tax statistics from local authorities is ongoing. This data will inform the Scottish Government’s report to Parliament during the summer on energy-efficient discount schemes, as required under section 66 of the Climate Change (Scotla…
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what form the assessment will take to learn lessons from the Legionella outbreak in Edinburgh as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy on 7 June 2012 (Official Report, c. 9816).
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is standard procedure in all public health incidents and outbreaks such as this for a report to be produced at the end of outbreak by the lead NHS Board Incident Management Team. This is set out in guidance published in October 2011 Management of Public He…
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh, whether an outbreak control team has been established to protect public health and prevent further infection.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: An Incident Management Team (IMT) was set up by NHS Lothian on 3 June when the fourth case of Legionnaires disease was confirmed. The IMT is led by NHS Lothian, and involves the Environmental Health Service of Edinburgh City Council, the Health and Safety Exe…
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations companies need to notify who their responsible person is regarding responsibility for managing Legionella control schemes.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The responsible body for matters relating to health and safety in the UK is the Health and Safety Executive and such matters are reserved to the UK Government. There is no requirement for a company to notify their responsible person to any organisation.
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the sites in Edinburgh that have been treated for Legionella have previously reported the existence of the bacteria.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Currently there is no requirement by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a company, or the person in control of any premises, to notify anybody of the results of any sampling that is undertaken. Matters relating to the HSE are reserved to the UK Govern…
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations are responsible for carrying out further research regarding the identification of the source of the Legionella outbreak in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The City of Edinburgh Environmental Health team and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), working as part of the Incident Management Team (IMT), are actively investigating the source of the current outbreak.
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh will have on NHS Lothian's ability to meet its waiting time targets.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The effect of the Legionella outbreak has brought a significant increase in the number of people requiring investigation and treatment in both primary and secondary care. However, NHS Lothian has confirmed that the actual number of elective procedures cancell…
7 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate additional resources to NHS Lothian to deal with the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government Resilience Committee has considered NHS resource issues at every meeting. NHS Lothian is reporting that it is coping with the current pressures. Should the position change then the Scottish Government would ensure the required resource…
6 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains its plan to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.
Answer · Alex Neil: In my Statement to Parliament on 6 June 2012 I confirmed our plans for a National Retrofit Programme to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. This government remains committed to eradication of fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable.
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposals to keep the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh at the current location in Sciennes would be compatible with the recommendations in the Review of Tertiary Paediatric Services in Scotland in relation to the co-location of children’s specialist acute services wit…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is fully committed to the delivery of the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children on the Little France site. This will fulfil the ambition to have specialist children’s services located on sites which also support maternity and adult serv…
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the continued provision of acute children’s services at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Sciennes during the delayed construction of the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: None. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to the delivery of the project on the Little France site.
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will intervene in relation to the delay to the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lothian is receiving support and advice directly from Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Futures Trust to bring the current contractual issues to conclusion and allow the project to proceed.
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first informed NHS Lothian that funding for the new (a) Royal Hospital for Sick Children and (b) Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh would be under the non-profit distributing model.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A change in funding route for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) project was announced as part of the Draft Budget for 2011-12 on 17 November 2010. Given the real terms reduction of 32% of Capital DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limit) over the CSR (Co…
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lothian and (b) Consort regarding delays to the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lothian is receiving support and advice directly from Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Futures Trust in the development of the project. The Scottish Futures Trust has had direct discussions with NHS Lothian and Consort in order to assist in …
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients from the Lothian region will be treated at the new children’s hospital at the South Glasgow Hospitals Campus when it opens and, if so, how many.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The current Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow provides a number of national designated services for the whole of Scotland. As with other health boards NHS Lothian refers patients who require these services to Glasgow. This is expected to continue wh…
30 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the new children’s hospital at the South Glasgow Hospitals Campus will open.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The £842 million Adult and Children's Hospitals commenced on site in late March 2011 and the full development is planned to be operational/in service by the end of June 2015.