Parliamentary questions

Jamie Stone

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

19 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with lung cancer in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer are available for Scotland by NHS region and NHS board, for years 1985 to 2006, on the Information Services Division website at <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1451.html">http://www.isdscotland.o…

3 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities will benefit from the Barnett consequentials arising from housing spending in the 2009-10 UK Budget.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24523 on 10 June 2009. 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/Apps2/B…

3 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will channel the Barnett consequentials arising from housing spending in the 2009-10 UK Budget into the 2009-10 Affordable Housing Investment Programme.

3 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to use the Barnett consequentials arising from housing spending in the 2009-10 UK Budget.

3 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce for what purpose it will use the Barnett consequentials arising from housing spending in the 2009-10 UK Budget.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government will announce its decision as to how this funding will be allocated in due course.

1 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether prisoner Robert O’Neill, prison number 21230, was released on weekend home leave on 7 and 8 February 1997.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS is unable to answer as to do so would involve the disclosure of sensitive data and be in breach of the Data Protection Act …

1 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what approaches it has received from the Highland Council regarding funding to cover the cost of a replacement for Wick High School.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24481 on 10 June 2009. All answers to written questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/De…

1 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what approaches it has received from the Highland Council regarding funding to cover the cost of a complete refurbishment of Wick High School.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: One of the Highland councillors wrote in March 2008 in this regard, although acknowledging that decisions in relation to individual schools are for the council itself.

29 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of Tamiflu it has stockpiled.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has sufficient antivirals already stockpiled to cover 50% of the population “ amounting to 2.3 million treatment courses. We intend to increase our stockpile to over four million treatment courses.

29 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the New Zealand Government’s decision to make Tamiflu available over the counter in chemists to people exhibiting flu symptoms and whether it has considered taking similar measures to prevent the spread of swine flu.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Licensing of medicines is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Tamiflu is licensed as a prescription-only medicine. Antiviral medicines, including Tamiflu, are a key part …

23 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that need is identified in the affordable and community rented sector and that house building and housing improvements are appropriate to the needs of each area.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government published new guidance for local authorities on housing need and demand assessment in March 2008. As part of reforms to the housing and planning delivery framework these assessments now inform local authorities'' local housing strategi…

23 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of new housing development was reserved for affordable housing in 2008-09.

Answer · Alex Neil: This question cannot be answered directly. However, there are a number of sources which can be combined to provide information on the extent of affordable housing in Scotland: 1. The Affordable Housing Securing Planning Consent Survey is an annual su…

23 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring the best use of the planning process in order to ensure that house building permissions are appropriate to the housing needs of each community.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government published Scottish Planning Policy 3 Planning for Homes in July 2008 which provides guidance for local authorities. It explains how housing need and demand assessments provide the evidence base for housing allocations in local …

23 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that surplus land available for sale that can be used for affordable housing is identified.

Answer · Alex Neil: Both land use planning and Local Housing Strategies are the responsibility of local authorities, therefore they have primary responsibility in matching surplus land and affordable housing. I have recently written to a wide range of public sector bodies, inclu…

23 Apr 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to maximise the use of leisure and health facilities in the north of Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0430-01.htm">http://www.scott…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote (a) the retention of knowledge and skills of older nurses in the nursing workforce and (b) more applications to nursing programs.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are committed to maximising the skills and expertise of all staff in NHSScotland, including those in the ageing workforce. We are currently funding with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the South East (NHS) Education Forum, research on the ageing workf…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to work with the Royal College of Nursing to develop a framework for community nursing.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government welcomes the Royal College of Nursing''s report A Sustainable Future: The RCN Vision for Community Nursing and the on-going contribution of its members in influencing the future of nursing in the community. Visible, …

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with the Royal College of Nursing regarding the future of community nursing and its recent report, A Sustainable Future: the RCN Vision for Community Nursing in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Royal College of Nursing is represented on the Review of Nursing in the Community''s national Programme Board. RCN Scotland presented their findings from a scoping exercise undertaken in spring 2008 to inform the development of its consultation proposals …

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans regarding the nursing profession following the completion of the Review of Nursing in the Community pilot.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22594 on 29 April 2009. 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/Apps2/…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that community nursing training will be transferable across the United Kingdom if the Review of Nursing in the Community model is rolled out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22597 on 29 April 2009. 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/Apps2/…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of various groups opting out of the Review of Nursing in the Community pilot, how it plans to evaluate the pilot.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It has always been recognised and anticipated that a one size fits all approach would not be desirable or practical in implementing and testing the new service model. A key feature of the model is its flexibility to adapt and respond to local circumstances an…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how nursing workforce mobility across the United Kingdom will be ensured if the Review of Nursing in the Community model is rolled out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulatory body and competent authority for nurses and midwives in the UK, is fully engaged with the project through NHS Education for Scotland (NES). On behalf of the Scottish Government, NES is leading …

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will evaluate the Review of Nursing in the Community pilot in Caithness given that two of the three nursing groups have opted out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22598 on 29 April 2009. 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/Apps2/…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the Review of Nursing in the Community pilot is proceeding in Caithness when two of the three groups of nurses have opted out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Although the five Public Health Nurses in the Thurso Community Nursing Team in Caithness asked in December 2008 not to participate further in the development of the new service model, their District Nursing colleagues decided to continue with the pilot and si…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Review of Nursing in the Community model will be rolled out across Scotland following completion of the pilot and, if so, when.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Decisions on the future of community nursing in Scotland will be informed by the outcomes from the four Pilot Sites and other key areas of work, including an independent evaluation of the project which will be carried out later this year and in 2010. Until th…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Review of Nursing in the Community pilot will be evaluated.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The new service model will be independently evaluated in two stages: a Baseline Study and an Evaluation Study. During 2008, an external research team led by Napier University, collected baseline data to be used to inform the full Evaluation Study and to provi…

27 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect tenants in the private rented sector from the threat of homelessness due to landlords defaulting on their mortgages.

Answer · Alex Neil: When a lender takes enforcement action against a private landlord defaulting on a mortgage, the position of the tenant, including the length of notice the creditor must give to the tenant, depends in the first instance on whether the landlord complied with th…

27 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions were reached about postbuses at the meeting between the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and the Royal Mail on 16 March 2009.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As part of the meeting between the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and the Royal Mail on 16 March 2009 the minister took the opportunity to express the Scottish Government''s concerns about the withdrawal of postbus services in the Highlands. Roya…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are receiving rural home ownership grants, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alex Neil: The number of households which have received rural home ownership grant approvals to date in the current financial year (2008-09), broken down by local authority, is as follows: Households Receiving Rural Home Ownership Grants 2008-09 <table bo…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives it provides to encourage private landlords to let their properties for long-term lets instead of holiday lets.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government recognises the important role that private landlords play in providing accommodation to meet a wide range of demands, including both long-term lets and holiday accommodation. The Scottish Government wants to encourage the incr…