Parliamentary questions

Jamie Stone

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

14 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the annual cost of pathology testing carried out in NHS primary care services.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29836 on 28 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

14 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the level of inappropriate pathology testing and its annual cost to the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Pathology testing is carriedout when clinicians determine that this is necessary in making a diagnosis, andfor the benefit of patients. There is no information available centrally that wouldenable the Scottish Executive to assess the level of inappropriate pa…

14 Nov 2006 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to what extent the lessons learned by other parliaments in relation to the allocation of allowances for staff costs will inform the legacy paper setting out options for a review of the members¿ allowances scheme.

Answer · Nora Radcliffe: Information on allowancesfrom other Parliaments and how these have been devised and assessed would be arelevant consideration in any review. As I have made clear, the SPCB is seekingan issues paper to inform a legacy paper for the next Parliament. It is notin…

10 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial assistance it plans to provide to the Highland Council under the formula which it operates, similar to the Bellwin formula, to compensate for losses incurred during the recent flooding.

Answer · George Lyon: The First Minister has invitedHighland Council to submit more detailed information on the nature and costs of the damage they have incurred as a result of the recent flooding incident. We arestanding by to consider this detailed information, when it is availa…

3 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek any derogation from EU Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of farm animals during transport.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executiveintend to derogate from the requirements for vehicles on which animals aretransported for between eight and 12 hours:requirement to havesatellite navigation;requirement to have forcedventilation;requirement to havete…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ease restrictions and controls on the movement of livestock between farms which are not contiguous but are owned by the same farming business, given that foot and mouth disease has been eradicated in the United Kingdom.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Keepers of livestock are requiredto report and record movements of livestock between holdings to comply with EU diseasecontrol legislation and not as result of the foot and mouth disease outbreak. Thecurrent sheep and goat movement reporting requirements take…

15 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which publications it advertised the posts of non-executive members in each of the NHS boards that are currently recruiting for such posts.

Answer · Andy Kerr: These public appointments wereadvertised in the national press, The Scotsman, The Herald, ThePress and Journal and The Courier. Following discussions with the respectiveNHS board chairs these non-executive opportunities were also a…

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pupils have received financial education in school in each year since 1999.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not heldcentrally.

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools currently offer some form of financial education, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not heldcentrally.

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which subjects financial education will be taught under A Curriculum for Excellence.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Financial education will be deliveredthrough a number of curriculum areas, for example, social studies and health andwellbeing, and mathematics.

7 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role financial education will play in A Curriculum for Excellence.

Answer · Peter Peacock: A Curriculum forExcellence aims to provide acurriculum framework which will enable all young people to become responsible citizens,effective contributors, successful learners and confident individuals.Financial education can contributeto the developmen…

2 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents have been recorded at the Tomich junction on the A9 in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The number of road accidentsthat have been recorded at the Tomich junction on the A9 in each of the last 10years (January 1996 to December 2005) is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=52 valign=top> <p alig…

29 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions translation services have been provided in courts in the last year for which records are available, broken down by (a) court and (b) language requiring translation.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Responding to this questioninvolves collation of considerable information. This information is currentlybeing gathered from all geographical Areas within COPFS and I will write to youwhen it is available. A copy of the information will be placed in the Parlia…

29 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to provide translation services during court cases where some or all of those involved do not speak English.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Translation relates to thewritten word. Interpreting relates to the spoken word.The prosecutor isresponsible for translation of documents served on the accused and on witnesses(and written information provided to victims through the VIA service) and in…

29 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any cases have been dismissed in the last five years as a result of the lack of adequate translation services, other than the case dismissed at Wick Sheriff Court on 26 June 2006.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The prosecutor is responsiblefor translation of documents served on the accused and on witnesses (andwritten information provided to victims through the VIA service) and interpretationof information for prosecution witnesses and in some circumstances for fami…

29 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an investigation into why the Crown Office did not provide adequate translation facilities at Wick Sheriff Court on 26 June 2006, which resulted in the Sheriff dismissing the case against a Polish defendant.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Procurator Fiscal Deputeat Wick instructed an interpreter from an agency which is regularly used byCOPFS, the Sheriff Clerk and the Police. The interpreter was instructedto assist three prosecution witnesses, who speak Polish, for a trial at the Sheriff C…

12 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on developing a strategy to reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I am pleased to announce thepublication of More Choices, More Chances, our strategy to reduce thenumber of young people not in education, employment or training in Scotland.The strategy makes clear that tackling this problem is a national priority, and…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the stretch of the A9 between Helmsdale and Portgower in a manner similar to the works that have been completed on the A9 south of the Ord of Caithness.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The A9 Helmsdale to Ord of CaithnessImprovements have been promoted in order to replace a particularly tortuous sectionof trunk road. Phase 1 of these improvements was completed in November 2005 andPhase 2 is expected to start later this year, subject to the …

18 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to build a flyover across the A9 at Berriedale in Caithness.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no current plans in ourexisting programme of major schemes to build a flyover across the A9 at Berriedale.Transport Scotland has recently commenced work on a Strategic TransportProjects Review to consider, plan and prioritise transport infrastructure …

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the grant aided expenditure (GAE) allocated to local authorities includes an allowance for the (a) running costs of street lighting, (b) maintenance cost of street lighting equipment and (c) costs of replacing and upgrading street lighting equipment and, if so, how much was paid v…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The level of detail requestedis not available. However, overall Scottish local authority GAE allocations forroad lighting for 2001-06 are listed in the following table. It should be notedthat these allocations are not budgets or spending targets. They form pa…

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any surveys have been undertaken to assess the condition of street lighting equipment and what the findings have been of any such surveys.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Roads authorities throughoutScotland have carried out surveys on behalf of the UK Road Lighting Board, listingthe age and condition of their columns and lanterns. The standard of the existingstock varies greatly across the country, but it is clear that concer…

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding will be made available to roads authorities to upgrade road lighting with a view to reducing light pollution and saving energy.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE)provision for local roads is to be increased by £60 million per annum in 2006-07and 2007-08 (a 23% increase) as part of Spending Review 2004. The total GAE provisionto local authorities for roads maintenance, which includes an all…

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress (a) has been made and (b) remains to be made to reduce light pollution and save energy by specifying appropriate lighting standards, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has madegood progress with the Controlling Light Pollution and Reducing Lighting EnergyConsumption document. The draft stage has now been completed and thefinal document is now being prepared with an anticipated publicatio…

14 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether apprentices funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise are paid less than if they were funded by Scottish Enterprise and, if so, why.

7 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the British Cattle Movement Service, in accepting applications for cattle passports, to retain on file both the application and envelope which carries the date of posting of the application.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The British Cattle Movement Service(BCMS) receives approximately 20 million notifications per year of which three millionare birth notifications. Due to this volume and the automated scanning processesthat the BCMS use to deal with birth applications it would…

7 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about postal delays in relation to cattle passport applications in different parts of the country and the impact which such delays may have on the late delivery of such applications to the British Cattle Movement Service.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The information the ScottishExecutive has about postal delays affecting cattle passport applications relatesto individual appeals received by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) fromfarmers whose applications are late. This information shows that there…

7 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications for registration of cattle passports are recorded by date of dispatch by the applicant, postal receipt by the British Cattle Movement Service or date of processing.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Cattle passport applicationsare recorded by date of postal receipt by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS).

3 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Polish dentists are due to take up posts within NHS Highland.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We expect three dentists fromPoland to take up posts within NHS Highland in September this year.

28 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent in each of the last five financial years on the free central heating programme; how these figures compare with the budget available, and what the budget is for the programme for each of the next three years.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:The expenditure and budget forthe Private Sector Central Heating Programme for each year is shown in the followingtable.<table border=1 ce…

24 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any high street banks trading in fish quotas and, if so, which banks are involved.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Following previous decommissioningschemes, we are aware that some banks have acquired quota units – in total, representingless than 1% of the fixed quota units available - and are engaged in the so-called“trade” in fish quota. However, full details of the ban…