Parliamentary questions

Kenneth Gibson

2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

16 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on carbon capture and storage in relation to planning guidance for thermal power stations.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is determined to ensure that we become Europe''s leader in carbon capture and storage (CCS). Under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, the building of any new thermal based stations would require consent from Scottish Go…

3 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist the dairy farming industry.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I was pleased to host Scotland''s first ever Dairy Summit on 27 May in Edinburgh. A clear understanding emerged on what Government can and cannot do in a de-regulated market. I announced funding for a dairy carbon foot-printing project and reiterated…

18 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in developing the details of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, whether it will include plans to inform local communities about how they can apply for funding.

Answer · Alex Neil : 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/sor0326-01.htm">http://www.scot…

11 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the deployment of junior doctors to work and train in Ayrshire and Arran.

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/sor0312-01.htm">http://www.scott…

12 Feb 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what impact new UK visa rules for international students will have on Scotland’s universities.

Answer · Alex Salmond: 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/sor0212-01.htm">http://www.scott…

5 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made regarding its commitment to provide humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

Answer · Linda Fabiani : 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/sor0205-01.htm">http://www.scot…

28 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been fined for littering offences in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. The number of fixed penalty notices for littering, issued by police and local authorities under their respective powers in Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, is not held centrally. …

13 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds were available in each of the last 15 years for which figures are available, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The numbers of available staffed hospital beds in Scottish NHS hospitals are shown in the following table. Average Available Staffed Beds1 by NHS Board Area2; Financial Years Ending 31 March 1994-2008 <table bo…

5 Jan 2009 · Written Question

Answer · John Swinney: The significant reduction in ring fencing under the concordat has been of substantial benefit to local authorities. The change has given them greater flexibility to manage their resources more effectively and efficiently for the benefit of their service users…

12 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-14772 and S3W-14773 by Shona Robison on 15 July 2008, whether it accepts the Parkinson’s Disease Society’s estimate of around 10,000 people with Parkinson’s disease in Scotland, based on estimates derived from the results of published prevalence st…

Answer · Shona Robison: We are advised on these issues by the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland. We are pleased that ISD and the Parkinson''s Disease Society have reached agreement on a figure of around 10,000 people in Scotland with Parkinson''s.…

5 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual energy output is of wind turbines.

Answer · Jim Mather: This information is not held centrally in the format requested. Electricity output from wind turbines will vary depending on factors such as the design, size and location, including whether onshore or offshore, of the turbines in question. All of these elemen…

11 Sep 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support the post office network in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recognises the valuable social role of post offices, particularly in deprived and remote areas of Scotland, and although post offices and postal services are a matter wholly reserved to the UK Government, Scottish ministers therefore c…

30 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it will revise its estimate of the number of people with Parkinson’s, in light of the findings of the Parkinson’s Disease Society that peer-reviewed prevalence data suggests that more than 10,200 pe…

Answer · Shona Robison: The number of people in Scotland with Parkinson’s disease is, on the basis of current evidence, uncertain. Applying to the Scottish population the results of seven previous UK studies suggests that between 5,550 and 10,250 people in Scotland may currently hav…

30 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it accepts that the actual number of people in Scotland who have Parkinson’s disease could be more than double the estimate captured through the Practice Team Information scheme, in light of the fin…

Answer · Shona Robison: The answer to question S3W-10033 on 29 February 2008 made clear that the estimate of prevalence given (4,800) was based on the Practice Team Information arrangements. The study cited by the Parkinson’s Disease Society (von Campenhausen et al, 2005) found an …

18 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it will initiate with Her Majesty’s Government following the Republic of Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: I attended the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe) on 17 June 2008 where Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty was discussed. I presented the Scottish Government’s position on this matter to ministers of the UK Government and to mi…

29 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its recent estimate of an additional £4.4 billion of North Sea Oil revenues as a result of rising fuel prices, whether it has estimated the total value of additional revenues from fuel taxation accruing to HM Treasury in 2008 and, if so, what the value is.

Answer · Jim Mather: Initial estimates by the Scottish Government suggest that if the average retail price of motor fuel during 2008-09 remained at the levels observed in May 2008 this would ultimately yield an additional £1.2 billion in VAT receipts to HM Treasury, compared to t…

15 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it expects NHS service commissioners to attach to data on the (a) prevalence, (b) quality of life and (c) excess mortality risk relating to named conditions when reaching decisions on resource allocation to support people with such conditions.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for the planning and provision of NHS services in accordance with national and local priorities, based on their assessment of the health needs of their resident populations, and in line with guidance on evidence-based care for speci…

15 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve data capture for long-term conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland has set up a long-term conditions programme to tackle this issue, with a particular emphasis on record linkages as the basis of a person-centred approach that will capture co-morbiditie…

14 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it (a) has spent in each year since 2005-06 and (b) will spend in each of the next three years in tackling (i) alcohol misuse, (ii) smoking and (iii) illicit drug use.

Answer · Shona Robison: There is a wide range of publicly funded activity to tackle alcohol misuse, smoking and illicit drug use and it is not known centrally how much in total is spent on such activities. The following table shows specifically identifiable spend by the Scottish Gov…

14 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the annual cost to (a) the Scottish economy and (b) NHS Scotland of (i) alcohol misuse, (ii) smoking and (iii) illicit drug use and what the results were of any such assessments.

Answer · Shona Robison: The most recent assessment of the cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland comes from work carried out in 2004-05 by the Scottish Executive. They estimated the cost to society of alcohol misuse in 2002-03 as being in the region of £1.1 billion. This assessment upda…

7 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority spent on collecting council tax in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · John Swinney: The information is contained in the following table: Council Tax Collection (Including Council Tax Discounts and Community Charge Residual Costs) Net Revenue Expenditure (£000) <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > …

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £2.5 million for a Healthy Living Centre Transition Fund, announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 19 February 2008, will be allocated.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards will manage the disbursement of the Governments'' Transition Fund to individual healthy living centres (HLC). Funding will be provided for HLCs that have good prospects for achieving sustainability beyond the transition funding and continue to have…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to each local authority for (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 to promote safer routes to school and cycling, walking and safer streets projects.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following table outlines how much funding local authorities have been allocated for cycling, walking and safer streets projects in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Although local authorities are able to spend their CWSS allocation on safer routes to schools,…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each NHS board area were injured in cycling accidents in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many resulted in (a) head injuries and (b) fatalities, and how many in each category were children.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of hospital admissions due to cycling accidents in each of the last five years is shown in table 1, while table 2 shows the number of deaths due to cycling accidents. Table 1. Number of Hospital Episodes as a Result of a Cy…

18 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to Ron Gould’s inquiry into the Scottish elections of May 2007.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: I am today publishing the Scottish Government''s response to the Gould Report, and a consultation paper on decoupling the Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections. They are available on the Scottish Government''s website <a href="http://www.scotl…