Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether the changes in the accounting procedure for student loans will have any impact on the repayment procedures and costs for individual students.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: No.
18 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether the changes in the accounting procedure for student loans have been applied elsewhere in the budget and, if so, where and to what effect.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The changes in the accounting procedure for student loans have no application elsewhere in the budget.
18 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, what changes have taken place in the accounting treatment of student loans.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: On new loans the budget makes provision to reflect estimated future write-offs for non-recovery and the difference between the cost of capital charge and the interest earned over the whole life of the loan. The data underpinning these estimates is reviewed o…
18 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, which projects due to receive Regional Selective Assistance have been delayed and why.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Expenditure on Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is forecast using a computer model which takes account of existing commitments and the expected future flow of new cases, by financial year. The forecasting model operates on an aggregate basis, and does not…
17 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the work on the resurfacing of the southbound carriageway of the A90 before the Stonehaven slip road will commence.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Resurfacing of the A90 carriageway north of Stonehaven will be starting shortly and will be completed before the end of August, ahead of the major maintenance scheme on the northbound carriageway at Cannochmore, which is programmed to start in September this …
11 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the approval of analysts under the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1998.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The subject matter of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 is reserved to the UK Government and responsibility for authorisations under the Act rests with the Secretary of State.
6 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or plans to take, to address the financial difficulties of G-DOCS, the GP co-operative for out-of-hours services in the north east.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Out-of-Hours Co-operatives are not directly funded by the Executive, an Out-of-Hours Development Fund (£5.742 million for 2001-02) is allocated to health boards to support improvements in out-of-hours services, including the development of out of hours co-ope…
6 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next publish the number of children recorded on child protection registers.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive intends to publish figures for the number of children recorded on child protection registers as at 31 March 2000 in October 2001.
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the local government level 3 budget the savings of #7 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The £7 million reduction represents the release of provision to cover non-domestic rating appeals which is no longer needed. This release of provision will have no effect on programmes funded by this budget.
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the 21st Century Government level 3 budget the savings of #15 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Angus MacKay: This money was unallocated. The savings will have no effect on other programmes. Ministers may still choose to fund future initiatives on 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century Government from other sources, such as Capital Modernisation Fund consequentials.
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the environment and rural development level 3 budget the savings of #21.3 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The detail of the proposed savings is shown in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Programme Level 2/3</TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">2001-02 Budget<P ALIGN="CENTER">P…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the social justice level 3 budget the savings of #35 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The key changes relate to the housing programmes. I have provided details on what we expect to spend on social sustice commitments, in both cash and real terms, in answer to question S1W-16746. Level III information will be published once we receive final agr…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the sports and culture level 3 budget the savings of #2 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There is a net addition over the three years. But there will be a variety of small changes in 2003-04.
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the justice level 3 budget the savings of #30 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The £30 million savings announced in the Justice budget by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on 28 June cover three financial years, 2001-02 (£5m), 2002-03 (£10m) and 2003-04 (£15m). These savings will be found from within two Level 3 budgets.<P>C…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the enterprise and lifelong learning level 3 budget the savings of #47 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The savings of £47 million in the enterprise and lifelong learning budget take place over three years from 2001-02 to 2003-04 as shown in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="46%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Level 3</TD><TD WIDTH="…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the transport level 3 budget the savings of #30 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The adjustments to help fund wider Executive priorities are set out in the following table. The SPT adjustment will bring provision in line with payments due under the franchise and is not expected to affect operations and services. The other adjustments will…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the education level 3 budget the savings of #47 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The savings of £47 million come from the following level 3 lines within Education and Children.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=517><TR><TD WIDTH="60%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Level 3</TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP">…
3 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where in the health level 3 budget the savings of #55 million planned for 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be made and what effect these savings will have on programmes funded by this budget.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The resources realigned from within the health budget to support the implementation of free personal care will come from revenue and capital resources not yet allocated to NHS Scotland. The planned allocations to NHS Scotland which have already been announced…
16 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of the amount each local authority will be allocated to fund the McCrone proposals on teachers' pay in financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15551.
24 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government about the economic impact of the increase in the price of gas recently announced by Scottish Gas.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Discussions with the UK Government take place on a wide range of subjects including energy policy.
10 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to decontaminate any landfill sites affected by chemical pollution.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are none. At present landfill sites are regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (WMLR) 1994 which ensures that landfill sites do not pollute the environment.
10 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to carry out investigations into the content of landfill sites which were used prior to the introduction in 1974 of a requirement for records to be kept.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are none. However, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14984 on 26 April 2001.
10 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have put in place a strategy to deal with contaminated land, including landfill sites.
Answer · Ross Finnie: None. Under the terms of the new statutory contaminated land regime, which came into force on 14 July 2000, local authorities have until October 2001 to produce and publish strategies for inspecting their areas to identify contaminated land.
10 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase vaccinations against tuberculosis in light of the recent outbreak in England.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: On 24 March, I announced, through Scottish Executive News Release SE0786, the resumption of the schools BCG vaccination programme in Scotland. We have now received details of vaccine requirements from boards and will be writing out to them shortly asking them…
10 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were vaccinated against tuberculosis in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures are available centrally for the routine immunisation programme for school children only. The number of such children reported as vaccinated against tuberculosis in the years ending 30 June 1995 to 1999 were:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WI…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government requesting that the use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines be reviewed in the light of any possible adverse health effects of such use.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The regulation and control of medicines is a reserved matter. Information on which vaccines used in Scotland over the last 10 years contained the preservative Thiomersal is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there currently are for children's social workers in each local authority area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not currently held centrally.
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there currently are for social workers in each local authority area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14568 on 2 May 2001.
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are currently on the child protection register, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Child protection registers are maintained by individual local authorities in Scotland. The following table illustrates the total number of children recorded on these registers as at 31 March 1999, and is the most current information held centrally.<TABLE BORD…
28 Mar 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the decision to refuse compensation to patients with haemophilia who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood products.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.