Parliamentary questions

Bristow Muldoon

125 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical students graduate from each university medical faculty on average each year and what percentage of those graduates are subsequently placed in Scottish hospitals in the year after their graduation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In order to complete their basic medical education and obtain registration with the General Medical Council, graduates of UK medical schools must currently undertake a one-year Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) post within the NHS. The following ta…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency admissions have been received by St John's Hospital, Livingston, in each year since 1998.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is shown in the following table:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> St John’s Hospital </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> 1998<…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency admissions were received by the old Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in each year since 1998 and how many such admissions have been received in the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is shown in the following table:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> Royal Infirmary </td> <td> Royal Infirmary, Little France </td> </…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the national acute services review has for individual NHS board acute services reviews and whether the outcome of the national review will take precedence over any local reviews of acute services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Framework for Service Change in NHS Scotland will advise on strategies to secure a sustainable configuration of health services in Scotland. It is important that the national framework should not be seen as a means of delaying planning decisions …

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the national acute services review will report.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Framework for Service Change in NHS Scotland is currently expected to report in March 2005. Its remit is not confined to acute services and it will aim to promote opportunities for local access to services to balance the needfor increased special…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected population growth is of (a) Livingston, (b) Linlithgow, (c) Edinburgh West and (d) Edinburgh Pentlands parliamentary constituency over the next 10 years.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Sub-national projections areonly available for local authority and health board areas. The latest, 2002-based,population projections up to the year 2018 are available from the General RegisterOffice for Scotland’s website at:<ahref="http://www.gro-scot…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact is on ambulance travel times of congestion, accidents, road works or other factors on the A720 Edinburgh city bypass.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The key factor in theoverall outcome of an emergency ambulance service intervention is the timetaken for the crew to reach a patient and to begin providing treatment – theresponse time. The Ambulance Service reviews constantly the patterns of emergencydemand …

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the time taken to route a patient from pick-up point to the nearest accident and emergency department is taken into account in determining the recipient location.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9232 on 29 July 2004 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to determine to where medical emergencies are routed.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9228 answered on 14 July 2004 all answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament…

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Ambulance Service has in determining which emergency cases go to which accident and emergency department.

22 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who has responsibility for determining which medical emergencies go to which accident and emergency department.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As a rule, the Scottish AmbulanceService takes emergency patients to the nearest accident and emergency department,unless otherwise specified by the local NHS board. In some circumstances, the ambulancecrew may decide to take a patient to a different unit tha…

10 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what stage has been reached with the reletting of the ScotRail franchise.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Following the approval of the Scottish ministers, the Strategic Rail Authority has today announced to the StockExchange the appointment of First Group as the preferred bidder for the ScotRailfranchise.The Strategic Rail Authoritywill now work with the …

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses and midwives have returned to the NHS since the introduction of the Return to Practice programme.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Four hundred and eight people have returned to the NHS since the introduction of the Scottish Executive Health Department Return to Practice Programme in March 2002.

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to retain nurses in the NHS and how any retention policy is monitored.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A range of recruitment and retention initiatives have been launched under the banner of Facing the Future to support nurses and midwives across NHSScotland.To date, eight key-themes have been identified under which a number of initiatives at bot…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any evaluations that have been carried out on the Agenda for Change early implementation sites in England and whether any evaluations have been carried out on the project sites in Scotland, in particular in relation to the management of additional annual leave e…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Initial findings from the Early implementer sites in England and the four project sites in Scotland are currently being fed into a UK review of Agenda for Change being carried out in partnership with the relevant trades unions. This review is due for completi…

28 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to improve local bus services.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A range of measures is in placeto improve local bus services, including the toolkit of options contained in theTransport (Scotland) Act 2001 and the new Bus Route Development Grant schemelaunched last month.

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue guidance under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I am pleased to announce that we have today published guidance on best value, community planning and the powerto advance well-being, three core elements of the Local Government in Scotland Act.This followed an extensive consultation. The guidance can be found…

14 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the reopening of the Bathgate to Airdrie railway line.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The engineering study has been completed and copies are available from West Lothian Council. The Scottish Executive is working with West Lothian Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to move forward our Partnership Agreement c…

14 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities who wish to initiate quality bus contracts.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Discussionshave taken place with a number of local authorities regarding use of the buspowers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

2 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will be Scotland's full and alternate members to the Regional Chamber of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe for the two year mandate that begins in May 2004.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The names of Tavish ScottMSP as the full member and Phil Gallie MSP as the alternate member have beenforwarded to the Council of Europe, under the procedure agreed by thegovernment of the United Kingdom for appointing the UK delegation to the Congressof Local…

29 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on its commitment to setting up an improvement service for local government.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive, COSLA andSOLACE have entered into a partnership to deliver this new improvement servicefor local government. A shadow board representing the partners is now in placeand met twice, once in November and again in January 2004. We have agreed abusi…

5 Nov 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what figures are available on the level of prosecutions for driving under the influence of drugs.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Therelevant sections of the Road Traffic Act are section 4(1) (driving whilst unfit through drink ordrugs) and section 4(2) (being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst unfitthrough drink or drugs). In 2002-03, Procurators Fiscal received reportscontaining a to…

17 Sep 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with Her Majesty's Government and the Strategic Rail Authority regarding rail infrastructure investment in Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact the UK Government and the Strategic Rail Authorityon a wide range of issues, including rail infrastructure.

2 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32620 by Lewis Macdonald on 13 December 2002, when it will publish the Performance Audit Group's report on the second year of operation of the trunk road operating companies.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The report, entitled Public report on the second year of the trunk road operating companies – 2002/2003, will be published today. The report, which has been prepared by the Performance Audit Group, will be available on the Scottish Executive’s web pag…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the Strategic Rail Authority to ensure that the Royal Mail allows third party parcel operators to use rail terminals if it proceeds with its proposals to withdraw …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The use of rail terminals for third party parcel operators is a matter for the Royal Mail. As I stated in the Scottish Parliament chamber on 14 June 2003, I intend to make representations to the UK Government on the Royal Mail's proposal to discontinue using …

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications to move mail by rail would meet its criteria for rail freight grants in respect of transferring lorry miles from road to rail.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The movement of mail by rail can be considered for both Freight Facilities and Track Access Grant support. There are a number of criteria that must be met before awards of either grant can be made; however, these grants are available to carriers of all types…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

Answer · Allan Wilson: Allocation of funding to the Royal Mail is reserved to the UK Government.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport regarding the proposal by the Royal Mail to withdraw rail services for the distribution of mail.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport on a wide range of issues.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking regarding the impact of the proposal by the Royal Mail to withdraw its rail services for the distribution of mail.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Next month I am to meet both English, Welsh and Scottish Railway and the Royal Mail to receive further briefing on this matter. Following these meetings, I intend to make representations to the UK Government.

28 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any progress has been made by the Scottish Prison Service in identifying sites for the two new prisons announced in September 2002 following the prison estates review.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Since the conclusion of the estates review in September 2002, the Scottish Prison Service has identified two preferred sites for the developmen…