Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much inward investment has been attracted to Scotland directly as a result of the activities of Scotland House in Brussels.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scotland House has a critical role in representing and promoting Scotland in a wide range of interests. It is not in itself directly responsible for inward investment projects although it continues to offer support and assistance to Locate in Scotland in this…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11853 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 March 2001, how many additional jobs will have to be created in Glasgow before the employment rate of working age males rises from 65.2% to the Scottish average of 77.4% and over what time period it would be possible…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: To increase the male employment rate in Glasgow from 65.2% to 77.4%, an extra 24,000 men in Glasgow need to move into work. No forecasts for the number of male workers in Glasgow have been made by the Executive.
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13777 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2001, why the capital allocation to Strathclyde Police fell from #9.732 million in 1999-2000 to #9.076 million in 2000-01 and whether this has had any impact on the operational performance of Strathclyde Police.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Capital allocations are designed to meet both routine expenditure (such as maintenance and the replacement of vehicles) and the cost of large projects.<P>Strathclyde's allocation for 1999-2000 included £3.528 million for major work at the Saltcoats and Kirkin…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a statutory Best Value regime.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Yes. The Executive's <I>Programme for Government</I> highlighted our intention to legislate for a duty of Best Value on local authorities. I intend to make further announcements regarding our proposals in this area following the Easter recess.
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage local authorities to make appropriate contributions towards the funding of their local area tourist boards.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: No. Local authority powers to fund Area Tourist Boards are discretionary. It is for councils to decide the level of support that they provide to ATBs. We are, however, monitoring local authority funding decisions.
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it plans to have to encourage East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire Councils to make a contribution towards the funding of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: None. The powers of local authorities to fund Area Tourist Boards are discretionary. It is for these councils to decide whether or not to contribute to the funding of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board. Scottish Ministers have no powers to interve…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what barriers exist to the uptake by 16- to 21-year-olds with mental health needs of statutory mental health services.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Potential barriers to accessing mental health services by 16- to 21 year olds with mental health needs can exist in various forms and for various reasons. In making mental health a priority, the Executive is committed to working on a variety of fronts with pa…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the establishment of self-sustaining community food co-operatives.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive supports and funds the Scottish Community Diet Project, which directly supports the establishment of community food co-operatives. In collaboration with other public and private sector partners, we are also setting up a new investment f…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the availability of core funding for community health projects and initiatives.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A range of funding support is available, in recognition of the valuable contribution that community health projects and initiatives can make. Each year, as part of the Section 16B Grant Award Scheme, some £4 million is provided to voluntary sector local initi…
28 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much and what percentage of the #640 million funding for roads projects will be spent in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04, within each local authority boundary.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: On 27 March 2001 I announced a £680 million programme of investment in motorways and trunk roads for the three years to March 2004. Table 8.2 of the Executive's Annual Expenditure Report published on 30 March sets out detailed categories of spending. The esti…
28 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to further disperse Scottish Executive staff from Edinburgh.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Executive has made progress in locating public sector jobs outwith Edinburgh by establishing the Food Standards Agency in Aberdeen, by establishing the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department in its entirety in Glasgow and setting up the new Public Gu…
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8508 by Mr Tom McCabe on 30 August 2000, on how many occasions since 10 July 2000 it has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge parliamentary questions in order to enable it to make an announcement; whether it will provide a list of such questions, including…
Answer · Tom McCabe: There are occasions when, for the convenience of members, the Executive brings a matter to the attention of the Parliament by means of a written Parliamentary question. The Procedures Committee has acknowledged this to be a useful and appropriate mechanism. T…
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12051 by Angus MacKay on 8 February 2001, why the number of full-time staff it employs in North Lanarkshire fell from 660 in 1999 to 585 in 2000.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The change in staff numbers relates to the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked the Chief Executive to respond. His response is as follows:-<P>"The decline in staff numbers is due to the closure of Longriggend"
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12051 by Angus MacKay on 8 February 2001, why it has no full-time staff based in East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire and whether it has any plans to disperse jobs to these areas.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The location of staff is determined by a range of factors. Staff of the Rural Affairs Department, for instance, provide a range of services to the agricultural community from offices around Scotland. The location of these offices relates to the efficiency and…
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13199 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 22 February 2001, what impact the reduction in grant to North of Scotland Water Authority from #24.4 million in 1996-97 to #1.2 million in 2001-02 will have on average domestic water and sewerage charges.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The grant payments relate mainly to specific schemes that have now ended. As the grants scored against the Authority's external finance limit, they effectively reduced the amount available to be borrowed. The effect on charges is therefore equivalent to the s…
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12259 by Susan Deacon on 6 March 2001, whether the #2,263,000 deficit incurred by South Glasgow University NHS Trust in 1999-2000 has impacted or will impact on patient care and staffing levels in the current and any future financial years and, if so…
Answer · Susan Deacon: During 1999-2000 South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust agreed a recovery plan with Greater Glasgow Health Board. Plans were drawn up that protect patient services and restore financial balance where necessary. Details of the impact of the measures iden…
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12259 by Susan Deacon on 6 March 2001, whether the #8,706,000 deficit incurred by North Glasgow University NHS Trust in 1999-2000 has impacted or will impact on patient care and staffing levels in the current and any future financial years and, if so…
Answer · Susan Deacon: During 1999-2000 North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust agreed a recovery plan with Greater Glasgow Health Board. Plans were drawn up that protect patient services and restore financial balance where necessary. Details of the impact of the measures iden…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set any target for returning derelict and vacant land to productive use.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive is determined that vacant and derelict sites in Scotland should be brought back into use. Planning policy encourages the re-use of previously developed sites. We have not set a national target.<P>We monitor and report annually on the extent of s…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, in partnership with local authorities and private owners where appropriate, to secure cemeteries against vandalism, neglect and environmental destruction.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive recognises the distress felt by the families involved when cemeteries are vandalised or neglected and deplores such actions. These matters are, however, the direct responsibility of the local authorities and private owners concerned.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent members of staff it employed at 31 March 2000 and how many it estimates it will employ at (a) 31 March 2001 and (b) 31 March 2002, broken down by the local authority area in which the staff are based.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The number of permanent staff employed in the main departments of the Scottish Executive, its agencies and associated departments are shown in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=550><TR><TD WIDTH="57%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P></TD><TD…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11275 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 January 2001, why the number of excess winter deaths has increased from 2,610 in 1997-98 to 5,190 in 1999-2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Year to year fluctuations in the numbers of "excess winter deaths", however defined, show a close relationship with the occurrence of major influenza outbreaks. Whilst the numbers of deaths where the underlying cause is recorded as being influenza i…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11227 by Susan Deacon on 8 January 2001, why the median waiting time for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant neurologist following GP referral in Grampian Health Board has increased from 37 days for the year ending 31 March 1999 to 77 da…
Answer · Susan Deacon: This is a matter for Grampian Health Board.<P>The answer I provided to S1W-11227 showed that the median waiting time for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant neurologist following GP referral in the Grampian Health Board area, in the year ended 31…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11227 by Susan Deacon on 8 January 2001, why the median waiting time for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant neurologist following GP referral in Forth Valley Health Board has increased from 36 days for the year ending 31 March 1999 to 1…
Answer · Susan Deacon: This is a matter for Forth Valley Health Board.<FONT SIZE=2><P>Improvements to service provision across the health board area since March 2000 have produced a significant reduction in waiting times. The board reports that all urgent referrals are now seen wit…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13289 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 February 2001, why the number of beds in private nursing homes has fallen from 23,838 in 1998 to 22,950 in 2000.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As indicated in footnote 2 to the table provided in the answer given to question S1W-13289, part of the apparent change may be due to incomplete returns. It may also be due to a wide variety of factors including population structure, health condition of older…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13289 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 February 2001, why the number of places available in residential care homes have fallen from 16,677 in 1998 to 15,851 in 2000.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: That is likely to have been the result of a wide variety of factors, including population structure, health condition of older people, availability of alternative forms of accommodation and other factors affecting demand for and availability of places.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for an elderly person to receive a residential care place in each of the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any information to suggest that the Glasgow housing stock transfer ballot will be delayed beyond November 2001.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Glasgow City Council has responsibility for the timing of the ballot.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many renal consultants were employed by head count and by full-time equivalent in each of the last three years, broken down by health board.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The latest information available is shown in the table, which should be read in conjunction with the notes following:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=7><P>Renal Consultants by Health Board area at 30 September</…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Scottish economic growth rates have failed to match UK growth rates in recent years.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Latest data show that quarterly growth in Scotland is broadly in line with the UK, although year on year growth is slower. Independent forecasters (BSL and Cambridge Econometrics) suggest that growth in Scotland will be slightly below the UK this year. <P>Sho…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the contribution which harmonisation of VAT on building work at 5% for both new build housing and repair could make to improving the quality of housing stock in Scotland.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is constantly in touch with the UK Government on a range of matters, including taxation.