Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18253 by Tavish Scott on 18 August 2005 and whilst the Auchenkilns junction was opened to traffic by Christmas 2005, whether the contract was completed at this time or at a date subsequent to the junction opening to traffic.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The works were substantiallycomplete at that time but, as is customary, some ancillary works continued afterthat date. The contract is not due to end until 21 December 2010 when the fiveyear maintenance period ends.</p>
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions Scottish ministers have travelled abroad on ministerial business; what the duration, purpose and cost was of each visit, and what the size was of each ministerial entourage that travelled with each minister.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I apologise for the excessivedelay in responding to this question. The information in the tables is complex anddetailed. It covers the full range of overseas visits including routine officialvisits to Brussels back to 1999, covering a great number of people, …
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23155 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 March 2006, whether it will now reconsider its decision not to publish the MacLeod reports and the other report referred to, in light of the public comments made in the Scotsman newspaper on 27 March 2006 by the former S…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-23155 and S2W-25240 on 20 March 2006 and 11 May 2006 respectively.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’swebsite the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23155 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 March 2006, whether it will provide details of when it became “a basic principle of Scots law that neither party to a litigation is obliged to disclose reports commissioned for the purpose of the litigation”; who decided…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The principles of Scots law,reflecting its common law tradition, have been developed and refined over time throughcase law. Relevant cases in this instance include <i>Young</i> v <i>NationalCoal Board</i> 1957 SLT 266, <i>Johnstone</i> v <i>National Coal Boar…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23155 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 March 2006 and in relation to the one further report commissioned by it as part of its defence of the civil action, whether it will provide details of the remit of the MacLeod reports and the one further report, when the…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Details about the reports commissionedby the Scottish Executive are given in my letter of 16 June 2006 to the Convener of the Justice 1 Committee, a copy of which is available at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/justice1/pa…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22066 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 January 2006, why there is such a differential in absentee rates between the Aberdeen and Glasgow fingerprint bureaux and what the absentee rate was amongst those officers cited in the MacKay Report as being the subject …
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the informationprovided on 26 April to the Justice 1 Committee (Col 2898) by the Director of the Scottish Criminal Record Office and the Head of the Scottish Fingerprint Service.This can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.par…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22317 by Cathy Jamieson on 31 January 2006, whether it will now provide details of complaints about the internal workings of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) by current and former employees of SCRO which were raised either with ministers or…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The only complaint of this natureof which we are aware is the complaint to which reference is made in the answerto question S2W-23612 on 20 April 2006. In addition, some of the representations received aboutthe McKie case have been made by, or on behalf of cu…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23439 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 March 2006 and given that the outstanding issues have now been resolved, whether it will now provide a breakdown of the total costs to it of legal representation which it sought in defence of the compensation claim agains…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The following table shows a breakdownof costs incurred by the Scottish Executive to date in defence of the compensationclaim against it by Shirley McKie. Figures have been rounded up to the nearest poundand include VAT.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellp…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23157 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 March 2006, whether it will now list all the experts referred to who have reached different conclusions about the ownership of the mark and what their conclusions were.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24270 on 3 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total intake of students to medical schools has been in each year since 1997 and how many of these students graduated with a medical degree.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The numbers of students entering first degree courses in pre-clinical medicine at Scottish Higher Education Institutions and the number of students graduating from first degree level courses in clinical medicine at Scottish Higher Education Institutions are g…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information (FOI) requests each of its departments has received; how many FOI requests have been answered in full; how many have been refused; how many have been answered partially; of the refusals and partial answers, how many have been the subject of an appeal to the…
Answer · Margaret Curran: A report covering the firstsix months of requests handling by the Executive was published on the Executivewebsite in October 2005:</p><p>(<ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/monitor">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/monitor<…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any member of Scottish Criminal Record Office staff, past or present, has at any time made the Crown Office or the Lord Advocate aware of any concerns regarding any fingerprint identifications which they considered might have led to a miscarriage of justice if the evidence had bee…
Answer · Colin Boyd: No central record of suchmatters is held. However, I refer to the member to the answer to questionS2W-23612 on 20 April 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23973 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006 and in light of a report that appeared in The Sunday Times on 5 March 2006 in which the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) stated that “it was common for experts to sign on behalf of colleagues”, whether it…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I do not considerthat the information referred to provides a basis upon which to instigate a criminalinvestigation.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-20247, S2W-23158, S2W-23156 and S2W-24271 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 November 2005, 17 February, 10 March and 4 April 2006 respectively, whether it obtained information on which these answers were based from personnel within the Scottish Criminal Recor…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The questions were answered onthe basis of advice obtained by the Scottish Executive from senior managers in the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO). The answers would not have been given ifthere had been reason to doubt that the information was accurate a…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23973 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, what the definition is of “some documents” which can be signed on the author’s behalf if that person is not available to sign the document personally.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This refers to the generallyaccepted practice in offices of signing a letter or memorandum on someone else’sbehalf if he or she is not there to sign it for himself or herself. Such signaturesare preceded by the Latin abbreviation “p.p.” This stands for “per p…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24164 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, while party political affiliation is not identified in the Act, whether the Lord Advocate's political affiliation when he was appointed Solicitor General in 1999 was known to it and, if so, what account was ta…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: As my answer to answer to questionS2W-24164 on 3 April 2006, indicated, political affiliation is not identified inthe Scotland Act as a factor relevant to appointment. The appointment of the SolicitorGeneral in 1999 was made by the Scottish Parliament in resp…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24270 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, why it does not hold such a record given that such records would have been required to defend the civil action brought by Shirley McKie that led to the settlement with her.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive didnot prepare such a list to defend the civil action brought by Shirley McKie.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24269 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, what steps have been taken to reconcile these different views, given that the different views relate to two identifications.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: One disagreement concernsidentification of a fingerprint in a case which has been concluded and I referthe member to the question S2W-23156 answered on 10 March 2006. The other isthe subject of current civil proceedings.</p><p>All answers to written parliamen…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23601 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, whether it can identify the two cases where the reliability of the identification was such that evidence was not used in court.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: One case is that of Mark Sinclair,which concluded in the High Court in Ayr in October 2003 and to which reference has been madein previous parliamentary questions, including the answer to question S2W-3412 on12 November 2003. All answers to written parliament…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23970 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, why it is not possible to establish the costs of these inquiries.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: HMIC’s activity on theseinquiries was not separately identified within its total administrationcosts. The total costs for each of the other individual inquiries are not heldby the Scottish Executive.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23970 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, whether the two McLeod reports should have been included in the list of investigations and inquiries requested; what remit given to Mr McLeod in respect of his reports, and whether it will outline their conclu…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The MacLeod reports were notincluded in the response to S2W-23970 as these were commissioned for use indefence of a civil action. As such, they were neither an investigation nor aninquiry. Their remits were consistent with the purpose for which they werecommi…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23626 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 April 2006, whether the Shirley McKie case has featured in any such informal discussions and whether, if there is any record of, or correspondence relating to, such discussions, this will be published.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Over the past nine years theShirley McKie case will have arisen in the course of informal discussions with theConvenors of the Justice Committees and manyother members with an interest in justice matters. Informal discussions are not normally formally recorde…
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23441 by Colin Boyd QC on 3 April 2006, whether it will confirm that there was no official or unofficial contact with FBI officials about the issues being enquired into in the Shirley McKie case and whether it will confirm that there was no concern e…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I am not aware of any contact,either official or unofficial, having taken place with FBI officials about the ShirleyMcKie case.</p>
13 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is delaying its recommendations in respect of the prescription of donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine for the treatment of people with Alzheimer's Disease, given that the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has issued reco…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish IntercollegiateGuidelines Network (SIGN) produces guidelines based on published evidence of theclinical effectiveness of interventions.</p><p>The National Institute for Healthand Clinical Excellence (NICE) also considers a final assessment of cos…
12 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of First Scotrail’s operating budget is met by subsidy from public funds, and what proportion of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s operating budget is met by revenue raised from collection of fares.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Financial informationrelating to First ScotRail’s operating costs is commercially confidential andcannot be released. However, the Scottish Executive will pay First ScotRail approximately£1.9 billion in ScotRail franchise payments over the seven year life of …
12 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to fund ABA therapy education for children with autism.
Answer · Robert Brown: The main Scottish Executivesupport for local authority net revenue expenditure on additional supportneeds, including autistic spectrum disorders, is provided through RevenueSupport grant. This is an unhypothecated grant and expenditure on individualareas, suc…
12 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the decision of the Scottish Information Commissioner that some monthly performance statistics on prisoner escort by Reliance should be disclosed, whether the Executive will take steps with Reliance to vary the confidentiality clause in the contract between them to enable the…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS considerthat the commissioners’ decision can be complied with without adjusting thecontract.</p>
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland to cover bodies set up by local authorities.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Under the Public Appointmentsand Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003, the commissioner’s remit only extendsto appointments made (or recommended by) ministers to the boards of the specifiedauthorities listed in schedule 2 to the act. The bodies listed in th…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland to include the new regional transport partnerships.
Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no plans to do so asonly the first round of appointments, made in April 2006, is made by Scottishministers. From May 2007 appointments will be made by the regional transport partnershipsthemselves subject only to the consent of Scottish ministers. The…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the drug, Enbrel, can be prescribed for arthritis sufferers in Scotland on the NHS.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Enbrel (etanercept) is availableon NHS prescription and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Scottish MedicinesConsortium (SMC) have provided advice to NHS Scotland on its use.</p><p>The Health Technology Board forScotland (HTBS) (now part of NHS Quality …