Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12332 by Angus MacKay on 6 March 2001, when it estimates that the Scottish assigned budget's share of UK gross domestic product will again reach the level it was at in 1996-97.
Answer · Angus MacKay: 2003-04 is the latest year for which a projection of GDP is available. Scottish Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) and Non-Domestic Rate Income (NDRI) is projected to be 1.84% of UK GDP <FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The sum of DEL and NDRI will gro…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12169 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 March 2001, why current expenditure per pupil fell in Glasgow by #72 between 1996-97 and 1998-99 in real terms.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive does not plan local authority expenditure in detail. The authorities make their own spending decisions, including the allocation of resources to the various services for which they are responsible.
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scotland's university graduates graduated in science, engineering or related subjects in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is detailed in the following table:<P>Graduates and diplomates from Higher Education Institutions in Scotland</FONT><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=538><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TO…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to undertake a programme to encourage children to study technological subjects at school.
Answer · Jack McConnell: As stated in my response to question S1W-13460, the Scottish Executive has reviewed the Standard Grade course with the aim of making it more attractive to pupils and revised courses will be available from academic session 2001-02. A number of other measures h…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to encourage young people to study civil engineering.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In Scotland, the Scottish Education Unit of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the National Training Organisation for the construction sector, is in the lead on promoting this study and career option. The Unit provides a single approach to promo…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not seek to make a statement in the Parliament regarding the launch of the consultation on rates relief for small businesses.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Details of the consultation were announced on 14 February in reply to question S1W-13413.
9 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money the Coalfields Regeneration Trust has made or will be making available to address the social and economic regeneration needs of coalfield communities in Scotland in each year for which figures are available.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Coalfields Regeneration Trust was formally launched in Scotland in March 2000 and is being funded by £4.5 million over three years from the Scottish Executive.<P>The Trust reports that, as of the end of January 2001, over £3.9 million has been committed t…
8 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women committed suicide in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the table. When analysing suicides it is conventional to include deaths due to 'Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted'. For the sake of clarity, the two categories have also been shown separately…
8 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women aged under 35 died in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by cause of death.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The table gives information on the number of deaths aged under 35 in Scotland. It also gives figures for the principal causes of death affecting this age group. More detailed data on cause of death may be found in the Annual Report of the Registrar General fo…
7 Mar 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the review of non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Angus MacKay: As I made clear in my statement which was issued on 18 January 2001, a further statement on the review will be made in May.
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to extend the life expectancy of males in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is dedicated to improving the health of all Scots and, in particular, to tackling health inequalities. <I>Our National Health: A plan for action; a plan for change</I>, published on 14 December 2000, sets out fully the policy framework …
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to ensure that workers who lost their jobs at the Millennium Cellular Services in Glasgow receive outstanding wages and redundancy payments.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including closures and redundancy policy.
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allocate additional resources to health boards to ensure that drugs effective in the treatment of Al'heimer's can be prescribed without impacting on other services.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Health boards' unified budgets include provision for the cost of prescribed drugs and are set to allow for the introduction of new drugs and the greater use of existing therapies. It is for health boards to agree with Primary Care Trusts the amount to be set …
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will eliminate postcode prescribing of the three Al'heimer's disease drugs, Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl following the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's cessation of the practice in England and Wales.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Technology Board for Scotland is currently working on a process to comment on all final appraisals from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Treatments for Alzheimer's disease will be the first topic to go through the process and …
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on extending compulsory treatment of patients with mental health problems in the community.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Millan Committee, in its report <I>New Directions</I>, which was published on 25 January, recommends the introduction of a community order, where a patient meets the criteria for compulsory measures. The Executive is considering the report and proposes to…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the River Clyde will cease to be used as a repository for (a) sewage and (b) rubbish.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The water quality of the River Clyde has been improving year on year since the 1970s. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) continuously monitors river water quality and sets discharge limits into watercourses. There is a multi-million pound progr…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much untreated sewage has entered the River Clyde in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: No untreated sewage is discharged into the River Clyde down to the Erskine Bridge except through combined sewer overflows (CSOs) which discharge dilute screened sewage at times of high rainfall. It is not possible to accurately quantify the volume of these in…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Millennium Cellular Services received any assistance from it in the current financial year or in 1999-2000.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Millennium Cellular Services have received no financial assistance from the Scottish Executive.
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to investigate the closure of the Millennium Cellular Services call centre at Rosemount Business Park, Royston, Glasgow.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive regrets the closure of Millennium Cellular Services. Our sympathies are with those who have lost their jobs. We understand that the decision to close in no way reflects on the quality or productivity of the workforce.<FONT FACE="Arial" …
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it plans to have with Scottish Gas on the impact on the Executive's fuel poverty strategy of Scottish Gas's decision to free'e electricity prices in Scotland while cutting them by 3.7% in England and Wales and to increase gas prices in Scotland by 4.7% while not increasin…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Although responsibility for policy on energy pricing is a reserved matter, the Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Scottish Gas on a range of issues, including concerns about fuel poverty in Scotland. The current rise of 4.7% in the price of gas mus…
19 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied in deciding whether to provide financial assistance to professional football clubs for the establishment of football academies.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The criteria applied to the funding available through <B>sport</B>scotland are the Policies and Procedures of the Scottish Lottery Fund Football Academy Strand. These criteria are based on the proposals drawn up and endorsed by the Scottish Football Partnersh…
19 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which professional football clubs will receive financial assistance to establish football academies in the next three financial years, specifying the amount each club will receive in each year.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Awards of financial assistance will be determined by assessment of applications received. It is not possible, therefore, to say which clubs will benefit and to what extent. I do expect, however, to be able to announce shortly the first <B>sport</B>scotland aw…
19 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it intends to give to professional football clubs to help establish football academies in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2003-04.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Over the period 2001-03, up to £4,000,000 will be made available through <B>sport</B>scotland and about £1,000,000 will be made available from Reduction in Pools Betting Duty monies.
19 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it expects the recent local government finance settlement to have on the sport and cultural services provided by local authorities.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The settlement provides local authorities with an additional £1.2 billion in Scottish Executive support over the next three years and with the stability of firm three-year grant figures. This should enable them to improve the range and quality of local servic…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to diversify the economy to reduce the dependence of exports on a few key sectors.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The current Export Development Strategy for Scotland recognised the need to widen the base of exporting industries in Scotland. Within this objective, a number of priority sectors were identified and in all these, initiatives to help grow international busine…
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, if Glasgow City Council's housing debt will remain on the books of the council following stock transfer, over what time period it will expect the debt to be cleared.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer to the answer to question S1W-13378. Until an application to transfer has been received from the council it is not possible to say what level of debt may remain outstanding, nor how long it might take to repay such debt.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the time period is for the refurbishment of all transferred council housing in Glasgow should the tenants vote for stock transfer.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The proposed time period for the refurbishment will be set out in the business plan to be produced by the Glasgow Housing Association. That business plan is currently being prepared.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the (a) interest and (b) principal on Glasgow City Council's housing debt it will service, in both cash terms and as a percentage of the outstanding debt, should the debt remain with the council following the housing stock transfer.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-13381.
14 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow City Council's housing debt will be transferred to it or remain with the council should tenants vote for stock transfer.
Answer · Margaret Curran: As indicated in written evidence to the Social Inclusion Committee from the former Minister for Communities, Ms Wendy Alexander, (SP Paper 161, Session 1 (2000)) where a whole stock transfer proposal represents good value for money and is selected to proceed …
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Health Technology Board for Scotland consults with health boards, trusts, the medical profession and patient groups regarding its decisions.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) recognises effective communication processes are essential to its work and is developing a communication strategy to ensure it has ongoing dialogue with interested groups. It is also forming a Communications Ref…