Parliamentary questions

Mr Brian Monteith

1,042 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

10 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to initiatives to reduce drug taking and alcohol abuse in the Forth Valley NHS Board area.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Funding support for local initiatives to reduce alcohol problems cannot be identified separately. NHS boards and local authorities fund such work from within their general health allocations and Grant Aided Expenditure respectively.The Forth Valley NHS Boa…

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for the provision of facilities for skateboarders and BMX riders.

Answer · Elaine Murray: The responsibility for the provision of recreational and leisure services is primarily a matter for local authorities. However, applications for the provision of such facilities can be made to sportscotland under the Lottery Sports Fund's Sports Fac…

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been granted in Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Fife in each of the last four years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland has been commissioned by the Executive to undertake an annual exercise to determine the use being made of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), which came into force on 1 April 1999.The first two reports, cove…

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any incidents recorded by Central Scotland Police as "suspicious circumstances" should instead have been included in crime figures.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have been informed by Central Scotland Police that in instances where a report of a suspicious incident is made to officers of this force, and there is evidence of a crime being committed, such acts will be recorded in the crime statistics in accordance wit…

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to produce, publish and print the NHS publication Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative Mid-term Report.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative. The chairman Mr Stewart Whiteford will be happy to provide the information requested.

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what allocations have been made within Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside NHS Board areas under the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The main objective of Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) is not direct support for particular remote and rural areas but the testing of proposals which might be generalised throughout remote and rural Scotland.The RARARI invited bids for p…

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what allocations have been made to Stirling Council under its Public Transport Fund; what allocations have still to be made, and what applications have been made that have not received funding in each year since the scheme was established.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Details of the successful applications made by Stirling Council under the Public Transport Fund are set out in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="37%" VALIGN="TOP">Project (year) (£ million)</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VAL…

1 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the appointment of the 10 ministerial appointees to the board of the new Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Details of the 10 directly appointed members of the board of the National Park Authority were announced on 4 July along with details of the 10 nominated members. Details of the composition of the full board are available on the Executive's website (www.scotla…

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of claims was made and how much was paid out in compensation payments in cash terms in each of the last five years in respect of deficient road maintenance on roads maintained by local authorities.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26355 by Lewis Macdonald on 17 June 2002, what level of claims was made in cash terms in each of the last five years in respect of deficient road maintenance on trunk roads.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The level of claims made in cash terms in each year is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">Year</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">Level of Claims(£000)</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TO…

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether arrangements have been put in place with Stirling Royal Infirmary should its services be required following the temporary closure of the Special Care Baby Unit at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is on-going contact between Forth Valley Acute Hospitals Trust and Tayside University Hospitals Trust to ensure a safe service for patients during this time.

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance on consultation and public involvement is currently available to NHS boards when considering changes in a board's service provision and whether any changes to such guidance are planned.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Patient Focus and Public Involvement, which was published in December of last year, set out a framework for changing the way in which the NHS interacts with the people it serves. It also contained a commitment to revise the current guidance on closure …

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to place a time limit on delayed discharge patients remaining in hospital which, if breached, would then result in responsibility for the patient solely resting with either the local authority, the NHS board or some other agency.

Answer · Frank McAveety: We have no such plans. We are looking to local authority and NHS partnerships to make specific, targeted reductions in the number of long-term delays with the additional £20 million we have provided this year. Our emphasis is on joint responsibility and partn…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of delayed discharge, and whether this definition has changed in recent years and, if so, in what way.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Individuals who have been assessed as being clinically ready for discharge from hospital but who thereafter experience a delay in moving into the next stage of their care are classified as "delayed discharges" from the moment their discharge is dela…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of delayed discharge patients remain in hospital for longer than six weeks, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is set out in the table.NHS - Patients Ready for Discharge Number and Percentage of Patients with a Length of Delay over Six Weeks1 by NHS Board Area of Treatment - as at 15 April 2002<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 …

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to progress the recommendations made by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 4th Report 2002, Report on Petition PE327 by the Blairingone and Saline Action Group on Organic Waste Spread on Land.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive's response to the recommendations made by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 4th Report 2002 on Organic Waste to Land can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/trans-02/trp02-22.pdf.T…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16713 by Susan Deacon on 9 August 2001, what the per capita level of funding for each health board was in 2001-02 and is in 2002-03.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details are as follows: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=576><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=58>Health Board</TD><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=58>2001-02Per Capita Funding(£)</TD><TD WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it first advertised the board vacancies on the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority; on which occasions and in which publications the advertisements appeared, and how much it will cost to recruit and select the 10 ministerial appointees, including any fees paid to c…

Answer · Allan Wilson: Advertisements inviting applications for direct appointment to the Board of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority appeared in The Scotsman, The Herald and The Press and Journal on 9 November 2001. Advertising costs amo…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26204 by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 June 2002, when representatives of the National Waiting Times Unit will meet senior management of NHS boards and trusts in (a) Forth Valley and (b) Fife.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Director of the National Waiting Times Unit met with senior management of NHS Forth Valley and NHS Fife on 1 May 2002 and 9 May 2002 respectively.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the full costs were of printing, publishing and distributing its policy paper The Scottish Fire Service of The Future.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The full costs of producing the policy paper The Scottish Fire Service of the Future, including graphic design, print buying and web conversion, was £6,672.95 inclusive of VAT.The main distribution was carried out at the launch. In addition, however…

6 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much advertising expenditure by media type is planned for each month in each of its departments in 2002-03.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Planned advertising expenditure by media type for 2002-2003 is shown in the following tables:Justice Department<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=519><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP">£</TD><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP">April</TD><TD WIDTH…

6 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on advertising by media type in each department of (a) the Scottish Office in each year from 1991-92 to 1999-2000 and (b) the Scottish Executive in each year from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=8>1991-92</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP">Department</TD><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP">Campaign (£)</TD><TD WIDTH="11%" …

5 Jun 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it is supporting to promote diversity in school education.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We have a Programme for Government commitment to support "future schools" projects and develop evaluation plans. We will publish details of the range of projects supported later this year.

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23646 by Allan Wilson on 15 March 2002, why the ministerial appointees to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority will only be announced once the results of the elections to the park have been declared.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The appointments cannot be finalised before the results of the elections are known because a number of candidates for appointment have also put themselves forward for election.

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the full costs were of printing, publishing and distributing its consultation paper The right place, The right time - improving the patient journey for those who need secure mental health care.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of designing and printing the consultation paper and its web conversion was £1,300. The distribution costs were met from within the department's existing running costs budget.

28 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many personal injury accidents have occurred on the Milngavie to Strathblane stretch of the A81, detailing whether the accidents were slight, serious or fatal.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage only acc…

28 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) safety and (b) security regulations cover youth hostels and what inspection regimes are in place in relation to each.

Answer · Hugh Henry: When youth hostels are constructed or created by conversion of an existing building, they must comply with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations. There is no requirement under these regulations for inspection after a completion certificate has been gr…

27 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government concerning the take-up of EU agrimonetary compensation for Scottish farmers.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As agrimoney payments must be made on a UK-wide basis, I have raised the matter with my counterparts in the other UK administrations. I strongly supported the case for payment both in principle and on practical grounds. However, the decision to pay or not is …

27 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the fire and safety regulations for youth hostels and similar temporary accommodation.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The Executive's Policy Paper, The Scottish Fire Service of the Future was launched by the Deputy First Minister on 29 April. It contains some 28 recommendations including a number relating to the importance of fire safety and enforcement. At the end of…

24 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what schools participated in last year's Programme for International Student Assessment.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We do not make public the identity of subjects and organisations that take part in Scottish Executive commissioned research without first obtaining their consent. We do not have this consent from the schools that took part in the Programme for International S…