Parliamentary questions

Donald Gorrie

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

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers the results of its study into traffic levels, as reported in The Herald on 15 February 2006, will have in respect of the proposed upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Measures have been developedto stabilise traffic on the M80 route. This issue was addressed at the Public LocalInquiry held in October 2005 to consider the objections to the published draft roadorders. The Reporter submitted his report in February and it is n…

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into patient deaths or serious illness resulting from misdiagnosis by minor injuries units.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific research on misdiagnosishas been carried out.Fit for the Future, the report of the group led by Professor David Kerr,recommended remodelling NHSScotland to provide people with the right care in theright setting. This meant establishi…

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards in respect of the accessibility of public transport and travel times for patients and their relatives.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Transport (Scotland) Act2005 provides for the establishment of regional transport partnerships and the drawingup of a comprehensive transport strategy in each region. NHS boards were informedin July 2005 that they would be consulted by the new regional tr…

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards in respect of patient travel times and distances to access consultant-led hospital-based accident and emergency services.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific guidance in respect of patient travel times and distances to accessconsultant-led hospital-based accident and emergency services has been issued. However, when a proposal for a servicechange, including changes to hospital-basedaccident and emergen…

28 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that funding will be in place at national and local level to maintain in future years the funding currently provided under the Supporting People programme to people needing housing support for reasons such as disability, age, homelessness or deprivatio…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In the 2004 Spending Review the Scottish Executive provided investment of £1.2 billion over three years in housing support services under the Supporting People programme to support vulnerable people. A further £50 million per annum is provided over the same p…

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or has asked the NHS to take, to support staff and keep them informed during the job evaluation aspect of the Agenda for Change.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is the responsibility of individualhealth boards to support staff during the implementation of Agenda for Change, andto keep them up to date with progress.Health boards are achieving thisin a number of ways, such as presentations with Q & A, dr…

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the job evaluation aspect of the Agenda for Change to be implemented, with particular reference to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23100 on 28 February 2006. 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.uk/webap…

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what quality assurance checks it is carrying out in respect of the job evaluation aspect of the Agenda for Change and when it expects to ratify the evaluations, with particular reference to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It was agreed in partnership with trades unions and professional organisations at a UK level as part of the overall Agenda for Change agreement that the outcomes of the job evaluation scheme would be checked for consistency and accuracy. There are two …

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 will come into force and what requirements are currently placed on educational premises to comply with fire safety regulations.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Parts 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 commenced on 1 August 2005. Part 3 (which introduces a new fire safety regime for non-domestic premises and licensed houses in multiple occupation in Scotland) is due to come into force in October this year.…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a full list of public buildings, in addition to educational premises, which are exempt from designated status as defined in the Fire Precautions Act 1971.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Section 1 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 lists those premises which may be the subject of a designation order. To date, only two designation orders have been made: the Fire Precautions (Hotels and Boarding Houses) (Scotland) Order 1972 and the Fire Precauti…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that all technical guidance in respect of escape from school classrooms includes diagrams of escape routes.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Work is currently underway on a series of sector-specific guides to complement the new fire safety legislation for non-domestic premises which is due to come into force in October this year. Each guide will be the subject of consultation and consultation on t…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why educational premises are excluded from the terms of the Fire Precautions Act 1971.

Answer · Hugh Henry: To date, there have been only two designation orders made under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 to designate particular uses of premises. These orders have been in respect of hotels and boarding houses, factories, offices, shops and railway premises. How…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that educational premises, including schools, are re-categorised as “designated premises” as defined in the Fire Precautions Act 1971.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Fire Precautions Act 1971 will be repealed in Scotland later this year when Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 is commenced. There are therefore no plans to designate any premises under the 1971 Act in addition to those already designated.

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in establishing a national youth work strategy and when it expects to issue a consultation document on the subject.

Answer · Robert Brown: A consultation paper will be published in the spring. A national strategy for youth work will be developed following the consultation.

1 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21186 by Robert Brown on 27 January 2006, what the wider criteria referred to are for the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund.

Answer · Robert Brown: The current criteria are: to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable and deprived children and young people;to protect children – through effective early intervention with children and families and/or support when they need protection;to i…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what particular measures it is taking, or ensuring are taken, to increase vigilance and raise awareness in organisations and among the general public that child protection is the responsibility of everybody.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Through the child protection reform programme, we have undertaken a pilot awareness raising media campaign in the north east of Scotland and are considering the evaluation from this. We have also issued almost 240,000 leaflets, “Protecting Children and Young …

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reach a decision on the criteria which will apply when determining whether a person should be banned from working with children and, if so, whether it will publish such criteria.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The List of Those Disqualified from Working With Children was established by the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003. In accordance with the provisions of that act an individual can be placed on the list either when the courts have deemed this should b…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment it provides in the community to help people who (a) show inappropriate sexual behaviour which may develop into offending and (b) have committed sexual offences and how widespread the provision is.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Whilst the support provided forpeople showing inappropriate behaviour which may develop into offending is limitedat present, we are committed to addressing their needs as part of the National Strategyfor Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. We have iden…

26 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways Volunteer Development Scotland assists youth organisations in recruiting, supporting and training volunteers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) is an independent voluntary organisation. Accordingly, there are no duties that can be imposed on it by the Scottish Executive and its work is not directed by statute. However, in 2003‑04, the Scottish Executive nego…

26 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the duties placed on Volunteer Development Scotland include specifically helping youth organisations to recruit, support and train volunteers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22201 on 23 January 2006. 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/webap…

26 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to parliamentary question S2W-21186 which received a holding reply on 13 December 2005.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The parliamentary question was answered on 27 January 2006.

25 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment the Minister for Environment and Rural Development has made of the environmental benefits of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative and what plans the Executive has to raise public awareness of the environmental benefits of the scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has recently reviewed its Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative. This showed estimated lifetime carbon savings of almost twenty thousand tonnes for small scale renewables projects supported by the initiative from its inception…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that chambers of commerce and other local organisations will be properly consulted before any decisions are reached on the future structure of enterprise promotion in Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Ministers have made it clear that any proposals should have the support of business. They have discussed, and will continue to discuss, with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise the nature of their developing proposals and in particular th…

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds are available to enable voluntary youth organisations to train volunteers in the skills needed to provide good leadership in youth work.

Answer · Robert Brown: The resources available tovoluntary youth organisations were outlined in my answer to question, S2W-21187on 13 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at…

11 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how its Volunteering Strategy will support established organisations in recruiting, training and retaining volunteers, in addition to supporting newer initiatives such as Volunteer Development Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The objective of strand three of the Volunteering Strategy is to ensure that volunteers are welcomed and valued by organisations which engage volunteers, and that they are given guidance, training and support to develop through volunteering, according to thei…

20 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out a consultation on the establishment of a strategy for the ageing population and whether it will provide details of (a) the subjects to be included in any such consultation, (b) the timetable, (c) how it will be publicised and contributions invited and (d) wh…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive isaiming to launch its consultation on the development of the Strategy for a Scotlandwith an Ageing Population by the end of February 2006.(a) The strategy aims to provide a framework thatincludes access to opportun…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to expand and fund the development of a nationwide in-court advice service, similar to the one run by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Hamilton

Answer · Hugh Henry: I am awaiting the final report of the evaluation of the five pilot in-court advice projects that were set up between 18 and 24 months ago. Whilst indications are that the outcome of the research is positive and demand is high, the projects are still at an ear…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the insurance industry not to impose conditions on youth and outdoor education activities and on voluntary work by older people which discourage people from taking part in these activities.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Government engagement in insurance matters impacting on youth and outdoor education activities and the voluntary sector at large is undertaken on a UK basis to mirror the way in which the insurance industry operates. Volunteering England has been commi…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards in respect of their contribution to health promotion by funding (a) sport and health activities for young people and (b) volunteering and community activities for older people.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Health boards, taking account of their own local circumstances, are best placed to determine appropriate actions to encourage all sections of their populations, regardless of age; to recognise the health benefits that can accrue through following a healthy li…

8 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding research into the health benefits to older people of volunteering taking into account (a) their own well-being and happiness, (b) the life of their communities and (c) reducing the demands on health and social services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The National Framework for Service Change report Building a Health Service Fit for the Future (Bib. number 36608) makes it clear that volunteers make a valuable contribution to health care, and that the health and psychological benefits to volunteers t…