Parliamentary questions

John Swinney

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

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what surplus capacity at Stracathro Ambulatory Diagnostic Treatment Centre will be utilised by the private sector.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The capacity at Stracathro being considered for utilisation by the independent health care sector is likely to be in terms of beds and theatre availability. A project team has been established to scope the detailed specification.

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for its decision to expand healthcare facilities at Stracathro Ambulatory Diagnostic Treatment Centre through the private sector and not the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There are two main reasons for the proposed utilisation of the independent health care sector in the provision of services at Stracathro Hospital: The first is due to lack of available appropriate staffing resource within the NHS in Scotland. It is exp…

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients it expects will be treated by the private sector at the Stracathro Ambulatory Diagnostic Treatment Centre.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of patients to be treated in a partnership arrangement with the private sector at Stracathro Ambulatory Diagnostic Treatment Centre has yet to be determined. This will be agreed through a future tendering process.

30 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been relocated to Angus in each year since 2000.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Under the Scottish Executive’sRelocation policy no jobs have been relocated to Angus since 2000. Relocation decisionshave been made on a case-by-case basis taking into account the nature and requirementsof the organisation under review. Angus has been assesse…

30 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been relocated to Perth and Kinross in each year since 2000.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Under the Scottish Executive’sRelocation policy no jobs have been relocated to Perth and Kinross since 2000. Relocationdecisions have been made on a case-by-case basis taking into account the natureand requirements of the organisation under review. Perth and …

25 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what companies domiciled in Scotland have successfully tendered to provide services in connection with the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The arrangements for lettingcontracts to provide services in connection with the G8 summit are a matter forthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

25 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a route improvement study on the A9 between Perth and Blair Atholl.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A consultant has been appointed to take forward a study of potential route improvements between Perth and Blair Atholl. The consultants report is expected to be published in the spring of next year.

18 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service has incurred in connection with its involvement in the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) in each financial year since 2001-02.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: Amounts paid by the SPS to the ICPA are given in following: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> 2001…

18 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service has in the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA).

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service, an agency of the Scottish Executive, is a national member of the association. I was honoured to be elec…

18 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA).

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: In pursuit of our Vision, the Scottish Prison Service supports the aims of the ICPA which has the following objectives: promoting, …

2 Feb 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns in respect of the level of ambulance cover.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Ambulance services make a vital contribution to high quality, responsive health care in Scotland. Through the Scottish Ambulance Service, the Scottish Executive is investing in more ambulance service staff, modern vehicles, better equipment and state of the a…

19 Jan 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for tackling flooding.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We are working among other things to avoid inappropriate development in areas at high risk of flooding, to support councils in putting effective flood prevention schemes in place, to improve flood warning systems, and to ensure effective co-ordination of the …

14 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse exists for a member of the public who is dissatisfied with the way in which a complaint is investigated by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Public ServicesOmbudsman office has published guidance setting out what action a member of thepublic may take if they are dissatisfied with a decision made by the Ombudsman orwith the quality of the service provided to them by the Ombudsman offic…

24 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to raise awareness of MRSA.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Tackling healthcare associated infection (HAI) which includes MRSA is a key priority for the Executive and for the NHS in Scotland. Scotland is leading the way in the UK in the fight against infection. A ministerial HAI Task Force was established in Ja…

19 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will develop the role of the British Association for Immediate Care Scotland in providing emergency medical care.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The British Association for Immediate Care Scotland does not provide emergency medical care but does provide training in emergency care for health care professionals. The Executive is looking to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to continue to support t…

19 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to the British Association for Immediate Care Scotland to provide emergency medical care.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive has in recent years provided the British Association for Immediate Care Scotland (BASICS) organisation with direct grant funding and indirect funding through the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI). This funding has supported the…

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals to develop its commitment to alleviate fuel poverty by 2007 will be considered by the Fuel Poverty Forum.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish ministers have committed in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to eradicate fuel poverty as far as reasonably practicable by 2016. We are currently reviewing the Fuel Poverty in Scotland report and will discuss any proposals with the Scottish Executive …

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals the Fuel Poverty Forum is considering in respect of the alleviation of fuel poverty.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At present the Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum is not considering any proposals for the alleviation of fuel poverty. We have not yet taken decisions on the shape and role of future programmes in this area. However, when we take decisions we will discuss…

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary 1 pupils in Angus attended community audiology clinics between September 2002 and August 2003.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Monitoring attendance at community audiology clinics is an operational matter for NHS Tayside. The information requested is not held centrally.

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were not immunised as part of the Angus community child health immunisation programme in the academic year 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested can be found in the table in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34913).

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were immunised as part of the Angus community child health immunisation programme in the academic year 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of children immunised as part of the Angus community child health immunisation programme can be found in the table in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34639).

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school pupils in Angus, whose parents gave consent for their immunisation as part of the Angus community child health school immunisation programme but who have not been immunised, were recorded as “consent form not returned” in the academic year 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. Immunisation will only be given when consent from a parent or guardian has been obtained first.

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse exists for members of the public who are dissatisfied with the conclusions of an investigation of their complaint by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman service represents the ultimate point in the public sector complaints system in Scotland. Anyone who remains dissatisfied after the Ombudsman has concluded her consideration of their complaint has the option of pursuing …