Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to improve facilities for, and access to, healthcare for the homeless beyond the current year.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The £4 million allocated to health boards this year for spend in support of Rough Sleepers Initiative projects was targeted at the pump-priming and evaluation of services with long-term potential.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Guidance on the health care needs of homeles…
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a programme of care and support for drug users who are homeless preparatory to treatment and rehabilitation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are strong links between drug misuse and homelessness, and in particular rough sleeping. The Government has allocated £42 million over the five years from 1997-2002 for the Rough Sleepers Initiative, so that no-one will have to sleep rough by 2003.…
8 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the future funding of current Rough Sleeper Initiative projects.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Rough Sleeper Initiative projects are currently funded through to March 2002. An announcement on funding after that date will be made after Christmas.
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the expenditure was on roads maintenance by each local authority in each of the last three years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Revenue expenditure<SUP>1</SUP> on roads maintenance<SUP>2</SUP> by each local authority in each of the last three financial years is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Roads Maintenance<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=608><TR><TD WIDTH="26%" VALIGN…
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a pilot programme for drug courts in North East Scotland.
Answer · Iain Gray: Decisions on the piloting of drug courts will be made within the next few months. I have meantime noted the member's interest in a pilot in North East Scotland.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the provision of a drug detoxification, rehabilitation and throughcare centre for North East Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We offered grant earlier this month to Phoenix House for an intensive day care rehabilitation facility in Aberdeen and to Turning Point for a day rehabilitation service in Aberdeenshire. <P>We expect these to be supported in subsequent years through the subst…
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when details of the additional funds to tackle Scotland's drug problems will be announced.
Answer · Iain Gray: As stated by my predecessor, Angus MacKay, when announcing the additional funding of £100 million at the International Drugs Conference on 29 September, a statement will be made in January detailing how the new resources are to be allocated. The statement wil…
1 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that Great North Eastern Rail services north of Edinburgh are restored.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in daily contact with GNER about the suspension of its services north of Edinburgh. GNER wrote on 8 November to all MSPs concerned about disruption of services to Aberdeen in order to advise them of its plans for restoring a normal t…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its inquiry into Hepatitis C contracted as a consequence of treatment by contaminated blood products.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-6273.
10 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on central heating grants on 19 September 2000, whether such grants will be available to replace unsuitable existing systems on health or other grounds.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10369.
10 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on central heating grants on 19 September 2000, whether such grants will be available to complete partial systems.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The scheme is intended to help those households most at risk from cold and damp homes. They comprise an estimated 70,000 pensioner households across all sectors of the stock and another 70,000 households in local authority and housing association dwellings wh…
10 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on central heating grants on 19 September 2000, whether the grants will cover complete central heating systems.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The central heating initiative will provide up to £2,500 per dwelling to install an insulation package and a heating system. If this amount can deliver whole-house heating it will be provided. Where partial heating is installed it will be put into all main li…
10 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on central heating grants on 19 September 2000, what advice it will offer local authorities and other housing providers concerning any current programmes they may have for the installation of central heating systems in their properties.
Answer · Frank McAveety: These programmes are supported by resources made available to local authorities by the Scottish Executive. Authorities should continue with them. Later this year they will be receiving advice from the Scottish Executive on additional resources for the central…
15 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the invoicing and accounting system for the administration of the meningitis C vaccine differs from standard practice.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The administration of the meningitis C vaccination programme is funded by the Scottish Executive and invoices are processed by the Common Services Agency. This system was agreed with the Department of Health in England and allows Scotland to take advantage of…
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the procurator fiscal service has conducted or is considering conducting any inquiries into sudden deaths which have occurred shortly after administration of meningitis C vaccine.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Enquiry has been made with Procurators Fiscal and to date only one such death has been reported. The death in question was reported to the Procurator Fiscal at Aberdeen. Investigation by the Procurator Fiscal revealed that the death was not related to the adm…
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many adverse drug reactions to the meningitis C vaccine have been reported in Scotland and how many of these were fatal.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Reports of suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) to medicines marked in the UK are received by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). A report may describe more than one ADR in an individual.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">As at 29 August, the MCA had received 7,742 reports of …
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in developing its approach to the clinical use of the meningitis C vaccine, it obtained information about practice in other countries and, if so, whether it is aware of any other countries which have approved the meningitis C vaccine for clinical use.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The UK was the first country to grant licences for the meningococcal group C conjugate vaccines.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Of the three vaccines licensed in the UK (ie Meningitec, Menjugate and NeisVac C), Meningitec has since been approved in Belgium, Germany, Greec…
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where and when the stage 1 and stage 2 clinical trials for the meningitis C vaccine were carried out.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The three meningococcal C conjugate vaccines that are currently licensed in the UK were approved primarily on the basis of immunogenicity studies conducted from around 1995 onwards as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Meningitec - studies in the US and the UK;<P ALI…
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many notified cases of meningitis C have been reported in Scotland so far during 2000 and how many were notified in the comparable periods in 1998 and 1999.
Answer · Susan Deacon: To 1 September 2000, 52 cases of group C Neisseria meningitidis had been confirmed by sero-typing by the Scottish Meningococcal & Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory (SMPRL). This compared to 49 and 71 such cases between 1 January and 1 September in 1998 a…
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, why the safety review report of the A90 was not commissioned for external publication.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The safety review report on the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty Route Accident Reduction Plan was commissioned for official use only.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, what long-term improvements it will consider for the A90.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-7952 on 28 June 2000.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, what recommendations were made in the safety review report on the A90.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The report contained recommendations which involved renewing missing or weathered verge marker posts and installing white junction bollards at all public junctions and private accesses on the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty route.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, what immediate and short-term road safety improvements are planned for the A90 in the current financial year.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the reply given to question S1W-9575.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, whether the safety improvements recommended in the safety review report on the A90 include any relating to the Tipperty to Balmedie stretch.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the reply I gave to question S1W-9575.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9061 by Sarah Boyack on 30 August 2000, when it received the safety review report on the A90.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The safety review report on the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty Route Accident Reduction Plan was received on 11 August 2000.
23 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual or estimated annual cost is of police officers providing court services in Sheriff Courts in Grampian and Tayside for each court.
Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally. The provision of police services in Sheriff Courts is an operational matter for chief constables.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will designate the western peripheral route around Aberdeen as a trunk road.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The route is being promoted by Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Councils as part of their Integrated Transport Strategy.
15 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists in Tayside provide an emergency service and where these dentists are located.
Answer · Iain Gray: Dentists throughout Tayside who have patients registered with them under NHS capitation or continuing care arrangements are required to provide emergency cover to these patients under their NHS terms of service. Details of emergency dental services available …
15 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Tayside are waiting to register with an NHS dentist.
Answer · Iain Gray: Individual general dental practitioners who are private businesses may hold lists of patients wishing to be treated in their practices but no lists are held centrally.
15 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which rural towns in Tayside are served only part-time by an NHS dentist.
Answer · Iain Gray: There is no definition of "part-time" in NHS general dental services. Since general dental practices are independent, privately owned businesses, the dentists themselves decide on the hours which will constitute their working week and on which patie…