Parliamentary questions

Mr David Davidson

1,095 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

13 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the two routes to the west of Peterculter were included as options for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: These were included following representations from the public and interested parties.

13 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on the route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Responses to the public consultation are being considered and I hope a decision can be made later this year.

21 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the system of equine passports.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The current system of equine passports is laid out in The Horse Passports Order 1997 which was introduced to facilitate trade in pedigree horses and the movement of horses for competition. That order will remain in force until The Horse Passports (Scotland) R…

14 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards receive specific funding to operate community hospitals.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards do not receive specific funding to operate community hospitals. Each NHS board receives an annual allocation of funds. It is for each board to decide how to utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of its resident population taking account…

14 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to modernise community hospitals.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Capital Investment is increasing significantly with £426 million, £458 million and £532 million being made available to NHSScotland in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively. This will ensure that adequate resources are available to NHS boards to enable th…

14 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community hospitals there have been in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board, and what projections it has made in respect of the number of community hospitals there will be in the next three years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland undertook a “stocktake” of community hospitals in Summer 2004. NHS boards were asked to identify community hospitals which fitted into a specific definition. A total of 100 community hospitals, including wards in general hospi…

14 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the opportunities offered by community hospitals to deliver more health care within communities.

Answer · Andy Kerr: As demonstrated by partnership agreement 408, the Executive recognises that it is important to develop the role of community hospitals. In order to meet the partnership agreement, the Executive is currently conducting a national review of the role of communit…

14 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a strategy on the role of community hospitals.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is planned that a draft strategy on the future of community hospitals will be circulated for consultation during summer 2005. The final version is expected to be available in April 2006.

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new framework for a new independent advice and support service to replace the work currently done by local health councils will be approved and published.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto S2W-14970 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">…

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-14158 and S2W-14156 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005, why new advice and support systems are unlikely to be in place on 1 April 2005.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The provision of advice and supportfor people wishing to comment on NHS services is the responsibility of NHS boardsand will remain so. New advice and support systems will be available from 1 April 2005.

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14160 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005, whether it will give the explicit reasons why the new Scottish Health Council was not given the task of providing advice and support services for those people seeking to complain about the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The consultation document ANew Public Involvement Structure for NHSScotland, held in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre (Bib. number 26830), outlined the proposals for the Scottish Health Councilwhich were based on an increasing emphasis on NHS Boards di…

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14157 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005, what payments have been made, or may be made, to any of the organisations referred to for the provision of advice and support to those seeking to complain about the NHS in their area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Health Department have fundedCitizens Advice Scotland to develop a draft framework for an independent adviceand support service. This envisages NHS boards working in partnership with the CitizensAdvice Bureaux in their area to provide a service to meet th…

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14155 by Mr Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005, whether it will list all the members of the Scottish Health Council, their areas of expertise and their home areas.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information wasprovided in press releases, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre (Bib. numbers 35664 and 35665) which announced the appointments.

28 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidance on the use of Zometa® (zoledronic acid).

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to question S2W–14839 answered on 8 March 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/webapp/wa.sea…

28 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Medicines Consortium's reasons are for not approving the use of Zometa® (zoledronic acid).

Answer · Andy Kerr: In April 2003 the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommended restricted use of zometa for patients with breast cancer and multiple myeloma, but not for patients with prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumours. SMC concluded th…

28 Feb 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many reported thefts from members' offices have been recorded, and to what value, since the move to Holyrood, broken down by floor.

Answer · George Reid: Only two items have beenreported lost or stolen from members’ offices since end of August 2004, namelya camera from the first floor valued at £400 and a mouse from the fifth floorvalued at £20. Both instances occurred in December 2004 with no reported lossesi…

28 Feb 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what IT equipment has been lost or stolen, and to what value, since the official opening of Holyrood.

Answer · George Reid: The reported losses or Thefts of IT equipment between 9 0ctober 2004 and 16 March 2005 are set outbelow:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> Date </td> <td> Item </td> <td> Estimated Cost </td> <td> Lo…

28 Feb 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many thefts have been recorded, and to what value, in Holyrood since its official opening, broken down by department.

Answer · George Reid: The information requested,in respect of reported losses or thefts of IT related equipment is set out inthe answer to S2W-14835. In addition, there are four reported losses or theftsto a total value of £66 from offices within the Clerking and ReportingDirecto…

22 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a separate scheme for payments to NHS boards based on deprivation criteria.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There are currently no plans to introduce a separate scheme for payments to NHS boards based on deprivation criteria.Funds are allocated to NHS boards on the basis of the Arbuthnott formula. The Arbuthnott formula takes account of four main indicators …