Parliamentary questions
Ben Wallace
205 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of each public inquiry established since 1995 has been, including salaries, expenses, accommodation, printing and any other items.
Answer · Angus MacKay: This information is not held centrally and could only be gathered at disproportionate cost.
5 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all targets within the NHS that have been set since 1997 including those for waiting lists, waiting times and reducing the incidence of heart disease, cancer, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and strokes.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The key national performance targets for NHSScotland are set out in <I>Programmes for Government</I>, <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I>, <I>Our National Health: A</I> <I>plan for action, a plan for change</I> and <I>Cancer in Scotland: Action for change</I>…
5 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its current targets are for reducing the incidence of (a) heart disease, (b) cancers, (c) teenage pregnancies, (d) sexually transmitted diseases and (e) strokes.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Public health targets are set out in the White Paper <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland (</I>Cm 4269<I>) </I>which is available in Parliament's Reference Centre. If these very stretching targets are to be met by 2010, a concerted effort by a range of agencies as…
3 Sep 2001 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what further details on NHS waiting times will become available as a result of the decision to refocus from waiting lists to waiting times.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Already, more information about waiting times and activity is available than ever before on the Scottish Health on the Web (SHOW) website. As my colleague the Minister for Health recently announced, the Health Department has commissioned ISD, Scotland to put …
1 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that the export and home markets for venison do not suffer as a result of the restrictions imposed since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive recognises fully the impact which foot-and-mouth disease could have on this year's venison market both at home and abroad. The case for a recommencement of meat exports from Scotland will be pressed vigorously in Brussels.
1 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any reports of the foot-and-mouth virus in the deer population since February 2001.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There have been no confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease in deer. A small number (figures not available) of deer with suspected symptoms were reported by the public. However, all cases were resolved locally and proved to be negative by veterinary inspecti…
1 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what testing has been carried out on the deer population since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No blood tests have been carried out on the deer population in Scotland. However, following reports from the public concerned about deer showing symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) a small number (figures not available) have been inspected by veterinary …
1 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S1W-14750 by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 May 2001, how many elderly people received long-term care in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information about various long-term care arrangements for older people in Scotland relates to 31 March 1998:<UL><LI>An estimated 7,513 people, aged 65 years and over, were receiving intensive home care services (defined for this purpose as being in recei…
20 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Army Benevolent Fund, the British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help to discuss issues relating to the resettlement of ex-servicemen.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17163.
20 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with the Ministry of Defence and the Homelessness Task Force regarding the resettlement of former services personnel.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Homelessness Task Force, which I chair, is considering, amongst other things, the need for improved housing provision, advice and support for the resettlement of people leaving institutions, including the armed forces. The Task Force has been collecting e…
20 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ex-servicemen are, or will be, a priority category for housing by local authorities.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17163.
20 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many former armed forces personnel are at present homeless in Scotland.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17163.
20 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken into homelessness and rough sleeping among armed service veterans.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17163.
25 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on caring for young and disabled people in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area in each year from 1997 to 2001 and what percentage each local authority's expenditure was of its social services budget.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally. Information on local authority expenditure on children's services as a whole is given in section 6 of the volumes <I>Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure</I>,<I> </I>published by CIPFA. Copies are available …
25 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on long-term care for the elderly in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area in each year from 1997 to 2001 and what percentage each local authority's expenditure was of its social services budget.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authority net revenue expenditure on social work, including nursing and residential care for older people, is given in section 6 of the volumes <I>Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure</I> published by CIPFA (Scottish branch) for years 1996-9…
20 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister or the Minister for External Affairs will attend the Conference of Constitutional Regions in Liege on 25 November 2001 and, if so, what related initiatives it intends to participate in.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The second Conference of Presidents of regions with legislative power, held under the auspices of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, is scheduled to take place in Liege on 15/16 November of this year. The Deputy First Minister attended …
29 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out a survey of the potential costs of the introduction of the euro to (a) each local authority, (b) schools and (c) the NHSiS.
Answer · Angus MacKay: It is not possible to estimate the cost of an introduction of the euro.<P>The cost of a changeover would depend on the timing, the overall approach and individual management decisions.
29 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the powers of prison governors as a result of the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights legislation into Scottish law.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The system of discipline in Scottish penal establishments has already been reviewed by the Scottish Executive in the light of the incorporation into Scottish law of the European Convention on Human Rights. That review included consideration of the powers of P…
22 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the number of people on NHS waiting lists who are sent for treatment in the private sector.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Decisions about the treatment of patients on NHS waiting lists are for health boards and NHS Trusts. NHSScotland makes limited use of the private health sector, primarily on a contingency basis to meet particular short-term pressures.
22 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS operations have taken place in private hospitals in each year from 1995 to date.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Reliable data on numbers of operations on NHS patients undertaken in private hospitals are not available.
21 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been raised from April 1999 to date from insurance companies for the treatment of road accident patients (a) in accident and emergency departments and (b) who were admitted to hospital following the accident.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Up to and including 22 May 2001, the recoverable NHS charges for treating casualties in road accidents has totalled £3,884,689 for outpatient treatments and £3,267,226 for inpatient treatment.<P>The charges, payable by insurance companies, are recoverable onl…
21 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many invoices have been raised against insurance companies for the treatment road traffic accidents under the centralised cost recovery arrangements announced in April 1999 to replace the Emergency Treatment Fee.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Up to and including 22 May 2001, a total of 21,125 invoices have been issued to insurance companies in respect of treatment provided at NHS hospital in Scotland.<P>The centralised cost recovery arrangements have not in fact simply replaced the Emergency Treat…
21 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money the NHSiS has recovered from April 1999 to date from insurance companies for the treatment of casualties of road traffic accidents.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Up to and including 22 May 2001, a total of £7,151,915 has been recovered from insurance companies for treating casualties of road traffic accidents. Amounts recovered are remitted monthly to the Scottish NHS Trusts that treated the accident victims concerned.
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to health boards and NHS Trusts on the collection of data on hospital and clinical activity and, in particular, whether any such guidelines cover the collection of data on cancelled appointments and operations.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Guidance is issued to health boards and NHS Trusts on the collection of data for central returns. Trusts and boards are at liberty to collect additional information locally. This guidance is provided by the Information & Statistics Division (ISD) of the C…
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to collect centrally details of the number of operations which are cancelled for non-medical reasons in the NHSiS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: There are no plans to collect this information centrally.
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by local authorities on personal social services, net of any income received from charges made for such services, in (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98, (d) 1998-99 and (e) 1999-2000.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The information is contained in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=2><P>Social Work Expenditure</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>£ million</TD></TR><TR…
3 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly people in Scotland are currently receiving long-term care.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The latest information about various long-term care arrangements for older people in Scotland relates to 31 March 2000:-<P>An estimated 8,940 people aged 65+ are receiving intensive home care services (defined for this purpose as being in receipt of more than…
15 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek urgent discussions with Aberdeen City Council on the reinstatement of the City's tourist office.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I attended a meeting on 26 April arranged by local MSPs with representatives of Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen & Grampian Tourist Board to discuss the issue. I hope that this meeting will lead to a resolution of the existing problems. However, decisio…
15 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Ministry of Defence regarding contingency plans for the containment of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive considered MOD staff from an early stage which has paved the way for the direct involvement of the armed forces in the containment and eradication of this disease.
15 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general practitioners ceased to practice as principals in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000, broken down by health board.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is shown in the following table.<P>General Practitioners who ceased to practise as principals in Scotland<P>by health board area<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=378><TR><TD WIDTH="45%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=18><P></TD><T…