Parliamentary questions
Andrew Welsh
539 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many prosecutions there were against persons alleged to have injured others with fireworks in each of the last five years and (b) how many such prosecutions resulted in a conviction in each year.
Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not available centrally.
6 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many prosecutions there were against suppliers of fireworks in respect of sales to underage children in each of the last five years and (b) how many such prosecutions resulted in a conviction in each year.
Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not separately identifiable from other crimes relating to the keeping and supply of explosives in the data held centrally.
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether heart attack patients in Angus who are not suitable for treatment with clot-busting drugs will be at greater risk of death or permanent disability following the proposed closure of the Coronary Care Unit at Stracathro Hospital.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Decisions about the future of the Coronary Care Unit at Stracathro Hospital are, in the first place, the responsibility of NHS Tayside. In making these decisions I expect NHS Tayside to be guided by the latest available evidence and by current good practice, …
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust annually to run the community thrombosis service in Angus, whereby paramedics deliver clot-busting drugs before patients are taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This is a matter for NHS Tayside. The information requested is not held centrally.
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the effectiveness of clot-busting drugs.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. <P>The National Research Register (NRR) records that …
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the delivery of clot-busting drugs by paramedics before patients are taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-19635 on 16 November 2001.
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what risks there are to patients from the use of clot-busting drugs.
Answer · Susan Deacon: There are risks associated with almost all medicines. There are a number of thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) drugs with specific side effects and contra-indications. For example, some patients suffer bleeding. Before a decision to administer a thrombolytic agen…
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what pilot projects have been, or are being, conducted whereby paramedics deliver clot-busting drugs before patients are taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Medical research in the UK and overseas shows clearly that treatment with thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) drugs is an effective way of reducing or avoiding long-term damage from heart attack, and that effectiveness is greatest when the drugs are administered v…
26 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the collection centrally of domestic water rates by the proposed single water authority would have on the revenue levels of local authorities.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The impact would depend on how any new arrangements compared with the various different agreements and collection arrangements that individual local authorities have in place now.
26 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the collection rate for non-domestic water charges as a percentage of the total amount billed was in each water authority in each year from 1995-96 to 2000-01.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The collection rate for non-domestic water charges as a percentage of the total amount billed is:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=608><TR><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="J…
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for the recycling of beverage containers
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are no targets for beverage containers as such. There are, however, recovery and recycling targets for the materials from which beverage containers are made. These are currently 56% recovery and 18% for material-specific recycling. The Executive is curr…
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the recycling of beverage containers.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive is currently consulting on proposals to increase the recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste materials for 2002 from the existing targets of 56% recovery and 18% material-specific recycling to 61% and 20%, respectively. The consultati…
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to place restrictions on those who decommission fishing vessels in order to prevent them from buying other fishing vessels.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: No.
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what methods of disposal it recommends for the decommissioning of fishing vessels painted with Tributylin or Triphenyltin coatings and what estimates it has of the costs involved in such disposal.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scheme legislation and guidance material provides that vessels may be decommissioned by means of:<UL><P><LI>scrapping, or</LI><P><LI>permanent re-assignment to a purpose other than fishing e.g. placed in a museum, converted to a pleasure craft etc, or</LI><P>…
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account is being taken of the costs associated with the analysis and disposal of Tributylin or Tryphenyltin coatings on boats under the Fishing Vessels Decommissioning (Scotland) Scheme 2001.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scheme guidance material makes clear that vessel owners should investigate the practicalities and costs of decommissioning, which will need to be covered by any decommissioning grant payable, before submitting a grant bid. Costs involved are likely to depend …
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S1O-3848 by Jackie Baillie on 27 September 2001, whether it will now provide information on the performance of each local authority in respect of home energy conservation.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: We will seek local authorities' views on the kind of data from their second progress reports under the Home Energy Conservation Act, which might be published at local authority level by the Executive. The second progress reports will cover the two years from …
2 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a ban on landfill of (a) sorted combustible waste and (b) organic waste.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We plan to make regulations that will include a ban on the landfill of flammable and highly flammable waste as part of the implementation of the EC Landfill Directive. The draft regulations will be issued for public consultation shortly. The Executive also in…
28 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18169 by Ross Finnie on 28 September 2001, what the timetable is for the incorporation of the Safe Sludge Matrix into the revised Sludge (Used in Agriculture) Regulations 1989.
Answer · Ross Finnie: It is planned to incorporate the matrix into revised regulations in early 2002.
28 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3843 by Susan Deacon on 27 September 2001, what measures are being taken to promote the better use of antibiotics.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive has orchestrated, or been involved in, a number of initiatives aimed at raising public and professional awareness of antimicrobial resistance and the appropriate use of antibiotics. These include:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">a high profile public awarenes…
28 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it undertakes of the use of antibiotics in hospitals.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Detailed information about the use of antibiotics in hospitals is not held centrally.<P>The Executive has issued guidance to NHSScotland on the systems and processes, including monitoring, required to support the safe and effective use of antibiotics in prima…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of end-of-life waste electrical and electronic equipment have been disposed of in an non-environmentally acceptable way in each of the past three years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Data on the amounts of waste, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) disposed of are not held centrally. A recent research report commissioned by the Executive and entitled <I>The Determination of the Source, Nature, Amount and Disposal Routes of WEEE Ari…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17943 by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001, whether it is aware that Sweden has introduced a system of producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic products within the last year.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Yes.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17943 by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001, whether there is any reason why it could not introduce a system of producer responsibility for the collection and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products before the proposed European directiv…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There is no legislative bar to doing so but business in Scotland could be disadvantaged through having to discharge a producer responsibility obligation from which its competitors elsewhere in the United Kingdom were exempt.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to expedite the programme of assessment and strengthening up to 44 tonnes carrying capacity of all bridges in the local authority road network.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is entirely a matter for each council, as the local roads authority for its area, to take the appropriate action.
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding has been made available to fund the #166 million estimated by the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland as needed to assess bridges in the local authority roads network and strengthen them when required to 44 tonnes carrying capacity in accordanc…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive support for local authorities' capital expenditure on roads and transport is included within the single capital allocation which covers all non-housing programmes. An extra £70 million is being allocated to local authorities over three year…
20 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of bridges have been assessed and strengthened where required to 44 tonnes carrying capacity since 1 January 1999 in accordance with European legislation.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This information is not held centrally.
14 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the laws with regard to the application of sewage sludge to land.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive plans to incorporate the provisions of the Safe Sludge Matrix into revised regulations, which govern the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land. The matrix, which bans the use of untreated sewage sludge in agriculture and det…
14 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the laws with regard to the treatment of sewage.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Water Environment and Water Services Bill, which we plan to introduce to Parliament next year, will provide a new structure to protect Scotland's water environment in a consistent and integrated manner. Measures in the bill, or related secondary legislati…
14 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out into any health risks associated with treated sewage sludge.
Answer · Ross Finnie: WRc's (Water Research Centre) <I>Review of the Scientific Evidence relating to the Controls on the Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge</I> reported in 1998. It concluded that there is no direct evidence in the UK of adverse human health effects resulting from t…
14 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any health risks associated with treated sewage sludge and, if so, how any risks are minimised when sludge is applied to agricultural land.
Answer · Ross Finnie: WRc's (Water Research Centre) <I>Review of the Scientific Evidence relating to the Controls on the Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge</I> reported in 1998. It concluded that there is no direct evidence in the UK of adverse human health effects resulting from t…