James Kelly

21 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to address the regeneration of town centres.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Purpose of the Scottish Government is to increase sustainable economic growth across the whole of Scotland. To achieve this, we need to support local areas and businesses to regenerate and grow our town centres.</p> <p >That is why the government signal…

15 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the planned new build of the Southern General Hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: <i > This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></b></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0115-01.htm">http://www.scotti…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with South Lanarkshire Council in relation to its involvement in hosting events as part of Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Homecoming Scotland 2009 team at EventScotland have had a good level of engagement with South Lanarkshire Council. A local authority email distribution list was used to invite local authorities to distribute the Homecoming partner events registration form…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much VisitScotland allocated to promoting South Lanarkshire in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Answer · Jim Mather: VisitScotland''s promotion of Scotland and its areas, and the process by which marketing funds are allocated, is based on market research which identifies what potential visitors want from a trip to Scotland. This allows VisitScotland to focus marketing spend…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many public agencies are working towards Fairtrade status.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: This information is not held centrally although all public agencies have received a copy of the guidance issued in 2005 recommending that they should support Fair Trade.</p> <p >Research indicates that, at present, eight local authorities in Scotland have ac…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on Fairtrade products in 2007-08 and what proportion of overall spending on catering services this represents.

Answer · John Swinney: The total spend on fair trade and ethically traded products during 2007-2008 was £74,834. This comprises departmental and employee spend and represents 4.1% of the total catering spend of £1,819,994.</p>

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that Fairtrade products are used by agencies across the public sector.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Guidance issued in 2005 recommends that public bodies should support fair trade and explains how this can be done within procurement legislation by inviting suppliers to include fair trade options in their tenders and by working on a voluntary basis with supp…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote fair trade.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government remains committed to promoting fair trade and supporting the Fair Trade Nation campaign.</p> <p >It is for this reason I am pleased to award the Scottish Fair Trade Forum an additional £20,000 for 2008-09 to assist with high visibilit…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered for free off-peak concessionary bus travel, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The issuing of national entitlement cards is the responsibility of each local authority.</p> <p >Based on the information available to Transport Scotland I can advise you that the total number of valid national entitlement cards that were in circulation, giv…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many subsidised bus services are in place in each parliamentary constituency in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether progress towards completion of the M74 link remains on target.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Yes, progress towards completion of the M74 link remains on target for completion in autumn 2011.</p>

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many conferences have been addressed by ministers since May 2007; where and when the conference was held, and which minister participated.

Answer · John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47125).</p>

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Cabinet Sub-committee on Legislation has met since May 2007 and when these meetings took place.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation has met six times since May 2007 at these times:</p> <p >2007 (all in St Andrew''s House):</p> <p >Wednesday 27 June </p> <p >Wednesday 8 August </p> <p >Wednesday 3 October.</p> <p >2008 (all in St Andrew''…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of NHS board budgets is allocated to the provision of GP services, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of GP medical services is funded from each NHS board''s primary medical services budget, Details of the proportion of NHS board revenue resource limits in 2007-08 allocated to primary medical services are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellsp…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices there are with two or more GPs, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (a) The number of GP practices with two or more GPs broken down by NHS board is illustrated in the following table. (b) The information broken down by parliamentary constituency has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47015…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs currently practise, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (a) The number of GPs currently practising broken down by NHS board is provided in the following table. (b) The breakdown by Scottish parliamentary constituency has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47014).</p> <table bo…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding is to be provided for primary care services in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Boards are funded to the level of their expenditure for demand led primary care services. Funding levels for each NHS board for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2001-12 have yet to be determined and are subject to pay negotiations with the professional groups concerned.<…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was provided for primary care services in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Details of the funding provided for primary care services in 2007-08, comprising primary medical services, pharmaceutical services, general dental services and general ophthalmic services, are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > …

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time for drug rehabilitation services is in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) NHS Lanarkshire.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the average waiting time of clients for drug treatment interventions is not held centrally. </p> <p >A national waiting times information framework was implemented in April 2004 to enable alcohol and drug action teams (ADATs) and local service…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time for audiology services is in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) NHS Lanarkshire.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on audiology average waiting times is not available centrally. Audiology waiting times will be included within the 18 week referral to treatment standards by 2011 and systems are being developed to report progress towards that target. Information …

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W–11422 by Stewart Maxwell on 24 April 2008, what the average daily waiting times was under the central heating programme in each of the last three months in (a) the Glasgow Rutherglen parliamentary constituency and (b) Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Information is not held by parliamentary constituency area, but for Scotland as a whole.</p> <p >The average waiting time during 2008-09 remains around six months. So far, the average daily waiting time for all those that have received a central heating syst…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have been held at ministerial or official level with (a) COSLA and (b) individual local authorities since the announcement on 2 October 2008 by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Young People that free school meals for children in the first three years of primary sc…

Answer · Adam Ingram: Ministers and officials meet frequently with COSLA and local authorities to discuss a variety of issues. There are also bi-monthly meetings between COSLA and Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and John Swinney MSP, Cabinet…

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of providing free school meals, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The local government settlement covering the period from 2008 to 2011, which is negotiated as a whole, provides for sufficient funding to fulfil the Scottish Government''s progressive policies to extend entitlement to free nutritious school meals.</p> <

24 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with representatives of South Lanarkshire Council regarding the implementation in every school in South Lanarkshire of the SNP manifesto commitment to reduce class sizes in primaries 1 to 3.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Minister for Children and Early Years and I visited South Lanarkshire on 26 August 2008 when class size reduction in primary 1 to primary 3 was discussed. South Lanarkshire has used efficiency savings to employ 11 teachers to reduce P1 classes to a maxim…

6 Nov 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are involved in funding elections to NHS boards.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The cost of any pilot elections to health boards is estimated at £2.86 million, which will be funded centrally from Health Directorates budget in 2010-11.</p>

25 Sep 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust has been established and we have appointed Sir Angus Grossart as its Chair. Sir Angus is moving forward the work needed to deliver the objectives set out for the trust in the Business Case we published in May. Key appointments and c…

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of securing the services of perfusionists not employed by the NHS in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not centrally held. The costs associated with NHS-employed or non-NHS perfusionists are not separately identifiable. The planning of the workforce, including healthcare scientists, is a matter for NHS boards who are responsible fo…

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many perfusionists were employed in the NHS in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The planning of the workforce, including healthcare scientists, is a matter for NHS boards who are responsible for planning services in their area based on need.</p>

4 Sep 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in taking forward the policy priorities of the 2008-09 Scottish budget.

Answer · John Swinney: The First Minister''s statement on 3 September 2008 reminded the Parliament of the very real progress we have made on our government programme for 2008-09.</p> <p >And, as I am sure the Parliament is aware, progress towards our purpose, strategic objectives …

15 May 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the implementation of the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: We are making good progress with the development of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) initiative which will deliver major infrastructure projects through more cost-effective means than the standard form of PFI.</p> <p >The Cabinet will take a decision regardi…