Parliamentary questions
Jim Mather
709 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average duration of a civil proof, excluding civil jury trials, in the Court of Session was in each of the last three years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The average duration of a civil proof in each of 2002, 2003 and 2004 was 3.9 days, 3.5 days and three days respectively.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>2002</p> </td> <td> <p>3.9 days</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>2003</p>…
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on civil jury trials in the Court of Session in each of the last three years, broken down by category of spending.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The expenditure is shown in the table below.</p><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=468> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Civil Jury Trial Costs</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>2001-02</p> <p align=center>(£)</p> </td> <td> <p…
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average duration of a civil jury trial in the Court of Session was in each of the last three years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The average duration of a civil jury trial, in the Court of Session in each of the last three years was as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>2002</p> </td> <td> <p>3.2 days</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>2003</p> </t…
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the actions for damages relating to personal injuries in the Court of Session in each of the last three years were considered appropriate for jury trial.
Answer · Hugh Henry: A jury trial is fixed in, on average, about three per cent of personal injury cases. The number of jury trials that proceeded were:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>2002</p> </td> <td> <p>5</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>2003…
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the actions for damages relating to personal injuries in the Court of Session in each of the last three years sought damages totalling (a) £5,000 or less, (b) £5,001 to £10,000, (c) £10,001 to £20,000 and (d) more than £20,000.
Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not held centrally. Some information for an earlier period on personal injuries case volume by value is contained within the research report <i>Personal Injury Litigation, Negotiation and Settlement</i> published in 2002. It is available a…
2 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many actions for damages relating to personal injuries have been raised in the Court of Session in each of the last three years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The latest information available is for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 and is given in Table 2.3, page number 6 of <i>Civil Judicial Statistics</i> published by the Scottish Executive in years 2001, 2002 and 2004 copies of which are available in the Parliament…
5 Jan 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will urge the board of NHS Argyll and Clyde to suspend the closure of the assessment ward at Campbeltown Hospital and direct it to refocus its cost recovery plan on areas that have consistently overspent in the past and on specific measures that will not result in the saved cos…
Answer · Andy Kerr: We look to NHS boards to effectively provide services that meet the needs of local people, whilst living within their means. It is essential they do so in order to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable services for all their residents.</p><p>Argyll and …
22 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2002-03 that Scotland has a £9.3 billion deficit, what steps it will take to prevent competitor nations and regions using this information to Scotland£s commercial disadvantage and what the reasons are …
Answer · Tom McCabe: I do not consider that the publication of <i>Government Expenditure and Revenuein Scotland </i>(GERS) and the information it provides puts Scotland at acommercial disadvantage. The Executive publishes GERS in order to enhance publicunderstanding of fiscal iss…
9 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to A Smart Successful Scotland — Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, why statistics on the numbers of economically inactive people are shown in round thousands, including at sub-national levels.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Estimates for the number of economically inactive people are taken from the Labour Force Survey. As the Labour Force Survey is based on a sample of the population all estimates are subject to sampling error. Due to this sampling error it is not appropriate to…
9 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many economically inactive people have been recorded as wanting to work in each quarter since 1997.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Table 1. Number of Economically Inactive People Who Want to Work in Scotland<sup>1</sup></p><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p>Economically Inactive - Wants a Job</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> …
2 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a maximum journey travel time for patients from remote and rural locations who are required to travel significant distances to secure renal dialysis treatment.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland standards for renal services include as a desirable criterion “Within constraints of population density and geography, a unit is available within half an hour’s travelling time for patients.” This is intended to ensure tha…
2 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the availability of renal dialysis facilities to patients in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The recommendations in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report <i>Adult Renal Services: National Overview,</i> and its associated local reports contain important recommendations to NHS boards about ways in which the availability of renal dialysis faciliti…
2 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to any costs, stress, impact on earnings potential and inconvenience affecting people requiring haemodialysis who have to travel from locations such as Rothesay and Oban to central belt hospitals to receive treatment and whether it will make provision for such services…
Answer · Andy Kerr: These issues are highlighted in NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s report on its review of its standards for adult renal services, which calls for innovative and flexible options to be available to patients on dialysis in remote and rural areas. NHS boards ar…
26 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a final decision on third party right of appeal and how it has gauged opinion from business and public bodies to ensure that their views are reflected in reaching that decision.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We expect to publish a white paper on planning reform in the spring of 2005.</p><p>Business and public bodies – as well as individuals - were invited to contribute their views on third-party rights of appeal in a consultation paper – <i>Rights of Appeal in Pl…
23 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that there are two differing sets of registration numbers pertaining to the same set of Scottish native ponies of the Eriskay breed.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is aware that registration numbers pertaining to the native Eriskay pony are issued by two organisations, the Eriskay Pony (Mother Society) – Comann Each nan Eilean, based in the Western Isles, and The Eriskay Pony Society, a daughter s…
23 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether information submitted to it, or the former Scottish Office, by a company for the purpose of its recognition under European legislation is deemed to be confidential and, if so, how such information can be challenged or examined if evidence subsequently emerges, or suspicions arise,…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The question as to whether any information submitted to the Scottish Executive is confidential or not depends on the circumstances under which it was supplied and the nature of the information.</p><p>You will be aware that the Freedom of Information (Scotland…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the 600,000 people of working age who are currently inactive referred to in A Smart Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, how many people are economically inactive in each local authority area, brok…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The number of working age people economically inactive can be estimated from the Labour Force Survey. These estimates broken down by gender and age for all local authority areas in Scotland are reported in Tables 1 and 2 as follows: </p><p>Table 1: Economical…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 21 of A Smart Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what sources were used to conclude that “over 600,000 people of working age are currently inactive in Scotland.”
Answer · Jim Wallace: The figure for the number of people of working age who are inactive in Scotland quoted in Smart Successful Scotland was estimated from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The LFS is carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and meets the quality cont…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 21 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what the objectives will be of the employability framework.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There is a large number of organisations involved in delivering employability support in Scotland. The objective of the Employability Framework will be to set out how these organisations will work together both at a national and local level, to provide approp…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what the levels of investment in training by businesses have been in each of the last five years compared to the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The level of spending on training is not collected. However, the proportion of people in employment undertaking training can be estimated from the Labour Force Survey. These estimates are reported in Table 1.</p><p>Table 1: Proportion of Working Age<sup>1</su…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 19 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what barriers to entering the labour market have been identified for the most vulnerable in society.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Research for the Scottish Executive on 16 to 19-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) (Linda Croxford and David Raffe, Centre for Educational Sociology, University of Edinburgh, 2000) identified young people who have been disaffected, play…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 15 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what the business start-up level has been in each of the last five years and what information it has on the equivalent start-up rates for (a…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The measurement of the business start-up rate, as referred to in Smart Successful Scotland, is based on the VAT Registration Rate per 10,000 of the Adult Population, aged 16 and over. This information for Scotland, the UK and other UK regions is reported in T…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 5 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, which countries were compared to Scotland when drawing the conclusion that there are comparatively low levels of unemployment.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Scotland’s employment rate was compared, using Labour Force Survey and OECD figures, against OECD countries. Further details of this are provided in the <i>Measuring Progress Towards a Smart, Successful Scotland 2004</i> report.</p>
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 16 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what criteria are used to determine which businesses have high growth potential.
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is for the Enterprise Networks to determine the criteria by which businesses are considered to have high growth potential. In doing this, various factors are taken into account including potential revenue and employment, impact on the local economy, and ma…
22 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 16 of A Smart, Successful Scotland – Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland, what business expenditure on research and development has been in each of the last five years and what information it has on how this compar…
Answer · Jim Wallace: This information comes from the Office for National Statistics publication “Regional Trends”. The latest figures published for Scotland are for 2002. The table shows the businesses research and development expenditure for 1998 to 2002 by Government Office Reg…
18 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce Scottish population projections to 2073 and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The choice of projection period reflects user demand and the increasing uncertainty of projections as the period is extended, particularly for smaller populations. However, the Government Actuary’s Department and the General Register Office for Scotland will …
18 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Scottish population projections available from the Government Actuary’s Department stop at 2043 when the UK population forecast is being produced up to and including 2073.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The choice of projection period reflects user demand and the increasing uncertainty of projections as the period is extended, particularly for smaller populations. A 40 year period has been used since 1970 for the projections for the constituent countries of …
1 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage the Scottish population was of the UK population in each of the last 20 years.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The required information is shown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p>Scottish Population as % of UK Population</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>1984</p> </…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will produce gross national product data for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: A feasibility study was carried out into the possibility of producing an estimate of gross national product for Scotland (also referred to as gross national income) in 2002. The final report, which recommended that the development of this estimate should not …
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the indexing method used in reporting of GDP is not used in the calculation of other government statistics such as hospital waiting lists, life expectancy and population movement.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The use of index numbers is an appropriate method where the subject being reported on is a complex grouping of a range of different types of activity. The indexing method used in the reporting of GDP was developed to be consistent with the UK methodology. The…