Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland regarding the future of the Bikesafe initiative.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has had no such discussions.</p>
3 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16532 by Nicol Stephen on 31 May 2005, whether it has now made a decision on the route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I will make a decision when I have had a full analysis of all available information.</p>
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider supporting the Robert the Bruce Commemoration Trust.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has not been approached for support by the Robert the Bruce Commemoration Trust.</p>
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the crowning of Robert the Bruce as King of Scots.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive would be happy to consider proposals to mark this anniversary.</p>
20 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has had with COSLA and individual local authorities about the implementation of single status agreements.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has received a number of written communications from individual local authorities on the subject of the implementation of the single status pay agreement. The issue has also been raised in the course of discussions that have taken place between …
20 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fines for dog fouling were issued in each local authority area in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003, (d) 2004 and (e) 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information available on court imposed fines is given in the table. The court proceedings statistics for 2004-05 are scheduled for publication in March 2006. The available information on fixed penalty notices issued by local authorities during the first y…
20 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fines for littering were issued in each local authority area in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003, (d) 2004 and (e) 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table. The court proceedings statistics for 2004-05 are scheduled for publication in March 2006.</p> <p>Persons Fined in Scottish Courts for Litter Offences<sup>1</sup>, 2001-03</p><table border=1 cellspacin…
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it may be at risk of legal action for compensation from prisoners or staff exposed to passive smoking during transportation to and from the courts.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>That would be a matter for Reliance Custodial Services. However, we understand that a no smoking policy applies, and that smoke detection …
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current contract with Reliance prohibits smoking in vehicles used for prisoner transport and, if so, what action is being taken to enforce the prohibition.
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 contract provides for Reliance Custodial Services to have a smoking policy. The policy is a matter for Reliance but we understan…
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary accommodation places were available in each of the last three years (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) registered social landlord and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information is not held centrally on the total number of temporary accommodation places available, neither in properties owned by registered social landlords, nor in properties in other tenures.</p><p>Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended, local a…
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many short Scottish secure tenancies have been terminated by registered social landlords since their introduction.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
16 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many short Scottish secure tenancies have been issued by registered social landlords since their introduction.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Information about short Scottishsecure tenancies from registered social landlords has been collected since September2002. A total of 1,228 sho…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for any redundancy payments to NorthLink staff in the event of any changes resulting from the tender for the Northern Isles ferry service.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Invitation to Tender for the next Northern Isles ferry service contract invites tenderers to bid on the basis that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) apply as set out in answer S2W-19203. There would not, therefore,…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the conduct of NorthLink and subsidiary organisations towards staff under the current contract for the provision of ferry services in the Northern Isles.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The contract between NorthLink and the Scottish ministers for the delivery of lifeline ferry services to the Northern Isles does not cover relations between NorthLink and its staff. Accordingly, while we do receive occasional information on matters relating t…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect staff interests in respect of the tender for the Northern Isles ferry service.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Invitation to Tender for the next Northern Isles ferry service contract recognises the importance of the process for the existing marine staff, shore staff and management. Tenderers are required to provide details of their proposals on staffing in their t…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average gross NHS remuneration dentists were paid in each of the last three years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is shown in the table.</p> <p>Average Gross NHS Remuneration<sup>1,2</sup> Paid to Dentists Providing NHS general Dental Services; Year Ending March</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>2003</p></td> …
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of their time dentists offering NHS dentistry give to NHS patients on average.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.</p>
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists have offered NHS dentistry in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board and expressed also on a per capita basis.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is shown in the table.</p> <p>Number of Dentists<sup>1</sup> Offering NHS Dentistry; at 30 September</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p></td> <td colspan="2"> <p align=cen…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to public health it anticipates as a result of implementing Agenda for Change.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Agenda for Change represents a ground breaking package of pay reform for over 90% of NHS Scotland staff. Not only will it deliver equal pay for work of equal value for staff, but will also improve personal development though wider access to training and caree…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Agenda for Change to be fully implemented.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18749 on 26 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing Agenda for Change.
Answer · Andy Kerr: At the end of August 2005 NHS Scotland had matched 45% of its staff to national job profiles. While progress has been steady, NHS Scotland acknowledge that, in common with the other UK Health Services, not all staff will be assimilated to new pay bands by the…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to public health have been achieved through the new GP contracts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The continuation of high-level achievement in meeting the Quality and Outcomes Framework standards and providing additional services through the nGMS Contract provides positive benefits for the quality of the lives of many people across Scotland.</p> <p>For E…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to public health have been achieved through the new NHS consultant contracts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The service benefits arising from implementation of the new NHS consultant contract, including the delivery of public health, will be outlined in the initial Pay Modernisation Benefits Delivery Plans now being prepared by NHS boards. These are due for finalis…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to measure the public benefit of the new GP contracts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are a number of mechanisms already in place and being developed to measure the public benefit of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract.</p> <p>1. The national Pay Modernisation Team has developed an NHS Scotland-wide nGMS Implementation Tool t…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to measure the public benefit of the new NHS consultant contracts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive issued a Health Department Letter (HDL(2005)28) on delivering the benefits of Pay Modernisation in July 2005. The HDL asked boards to submit Pay Modernisation Benefits Delivery Plans by 30 September 2005. This will allow the department …
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to implement changes to the Arbuthnott formula.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The recommendations of the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee, which is tasked to look at ways of improving and refining the Arbuthnott formula, will impact on revenue allocations for 2008-09, at the earliest.</p>
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider writing off the accumulated debts of NHS boards and, in particular, NHS Grampian's debt of £10.7 million.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In a statement to Parliament on 19 May 2005, I announced my intention to dissolve NHS Argyll and Clyde and clear the board’s accumulated deficit up to a maximum of £80 million. (The board currently have an accumulated deficit of £59.492 million and this is ex…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has written off any of the accumulated debts of NHS boards since 1999 and, if so, of which boards, by how much and when.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In 2001-02, the Scottish Executive allocated an additional £90 million to NHS boards to accelerate the implementation of <i>Our National Plan: A plan for action, a plan for change</i>. The £90 million formed part of the Finance Minister’s End Year Flexibility…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much debt each NHS board had accumulated at the end of the last financial year.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The health boards which overspent against their revenue resource in 2004-05 are detailed in the table, along with their actual cumulative overspend:</p> <p>Table 1:<b> </b>Accumulated Financial Deficits as at 31 March 2005</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 ce…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy on the use of non-recurring monies to fund the revenue budgets of NHS boards.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards are allocated a Revenue and Capital Resource Limit by the Executive and it is the responsibility of each NHS board to manage within these resources.</p> <p>I have made it clear to boards that any use of non-recurring monies must be within the conte…