Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the design capacity is of the proposed new prison at Peterhead for (a) male and (b) female prisoners.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >HMP Grampian will provide around 500 prisoner places (roughly the current combined capacity of HMP Aberdeen and HMP Peterhead), supportin…
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were held at HMP Peterhead in August 2007 and how many of these were serious sex offenders.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >On 1 August 2007 the population of HMP Peterhead was 306, all of whom were sex offenders. There is no technical definition of serious sex …
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were held at HMP Aberdeen in August 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >There were no females prisoners held in HMP Aberdeen during August 2007. There were an average of 92 Adult Male Remand, 15 Young Adult Ma…
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are held at HMP Peterhead and how many of these are serious sex offenders.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >On 18 February 2009 the population of HMP Peterhead was 304, all of whom were sex offenders. There is no technical definition of serious …
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the design capacity is of HMP Peterhead.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The design capacity of the current prison at Peterhead is 306.</p>
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners are held at HMP Aberdeen.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >As of 18 February 2009, there were 224 males held in HMP Aberdeen. There were no female prisoners. The male population was made up of 84 …
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the design capacity of HMP Aberdeen is for (a) male and (b) female prisoners.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The current design capacity of HM Prison Aberdeen is 155. Both male and female prisoners can be held at the establishment.</p>
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pain clinics there are, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information on pain clinics, which comes from NHS boards, is as follows:</p> <p >NHS Ayrshire and Arran holds four clinics and three treatment sessions per week for pain management.</p> <p >NHS Borders holds one pain clinic for new referrals three times…
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for patients referred to pain clinics by consultants and specialists, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20390 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for patients referred to pain clinics by general practitioners, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Most pain clinics provide services to patients in an outpatient setting. Information about outpatient waiting times is collected centrally at speciality level only and does not differentiate between different types of clinics within the specialty. Consequentl…
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to recruit additional psychologists to work in pain clinics, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally available. The planning of the workforce at this level of detail is primarily a matter for individual NHS boards. It is for NHS boards to determine levels of service provision based on local needs.</p>
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychologists work in pain clinics, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available broken down to specialty clinic. However, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data on Clinical and other Applied Psychologists (whole-time equivalent) employed in psychology services in NHSScotland b…
30 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialists in pain management are currently employed in the NHS, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally available. Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland hold data on NHS workforce, many of whom deal with pain management as part of their role either as a matter of routine or on a specialised basis. Staff in many …
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the comment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that “the work will be done but let's get the bypass done first, it would be daft to do it the other way round”, whe…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19898 on 6 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the commitment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that “It will not be (down to) Aberdeen city. It will be the Scottish Government that will do the work and then i…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19898 on 6 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the commitment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that “roundabout improvements will be paid for and delivered before the road is de-trunked”, whether it expects i…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19898 on 6 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog is conditional on the local authority carrying out improvements at the junction of the A90 and A96.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No.</p>
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether it will give support to Aberdeen City Council for improvements to the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads following the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19898 on 6 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether any improvements to the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads at the Haudagain roundabout will be funded by Scottish ministers after the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog a…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has assumed responsibility for improvements to the Haudagain roundabout. If the improvements are still underway on the date of the road being detrunked, we will undertake to pay for the completion. The method of funding could take a va…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, what arrangements are in place for local authorities to receive funding from Scottish ministers for investment in non-trunk roads.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government provides local authorities with funding for local roads and transport through the core local government finance settlement and each council is responsible for the maintenance and improvement of local roads in its area. It is entirely a…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the notice on its website that consultation on draft guidelines for the Saltire Prize began on 5 January 2009, when it expects to publish the consultation paper.
Answer · Jim Mather: The consultation paper will be published by 30 January 2009 and will remain open for a period of three months.</p>
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-5488 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 January 2009, what saving NHS Grampian can expect in relation to the reduction of the standard rate of VAT without consideration of other changes to VAT rules.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has provided very broad estimates of potential changes to their costs. The reduction is estimated at £1.7 million (Revenue £1.4 million and Capital £0.3 million) during the financial year 2009‘10 as a result of this one specific temporary change …
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-5488 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2009, how much was paid at the standard rate of VAT by NHS Grampian in the last financial year for which information is available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has provided information on the value of Standard Rate VAT payments for the financial year 2007-08, the last financial year for which information is available. The total value of these payments is £25.396 million set against combined Resource Lim…
16 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-5488 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2009, what changes to the VAT rules other than the reduction of the standard rate will affect NHS Grampian.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In common with all of NHSScotland, NHS Grampian will be affected by changes to be made to the rules by which NHS bodies can reclaim VAT charged in respect of agency staff working within NHSScotland.</p> <p >The rules were previously changed for 2008-09 to r…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with VisitBritain regarding Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: VisitScotland staff are in regular contact with staff at VisitBritain and, as a result, VisitScotland''s own Homecoming promotion is being significantly extended through collaboration with VisitBritain who are actively promoting Homecoming through their offic…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with UK ministers with responsibility for tourism regarding Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: I met with the UK Minster for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism in March 2008 and discussed the plans for Homecoming and other general tourism matters.</p>
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has had discussions regarding Homecoming Scotland 2009 with the Stakeholder Engagement Team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Officials there have received a core briefing pack on Homecoming and were sent copies of the new Events…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the advertising campaign for Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Government is committed to the effective marketing of Homecoming Scotland 2009 and are continually reviewing the advertising of this initiative. There are already indicators that the advertising targeted at domestic visitors and in 40 countries aroun…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it will consider when evaluating Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: The main objective of Homecoming Scotland is to increase tourism revenues and VisitScotland is working to a target of an 8:1 return on the core funding; meaning that a £40 million increase in tourism revenues should be delivered. The Scottish Government is, h…
15 Jan 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS Grampian will save in 2009-10 as a consequence of the reduction in VAT announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 24 November 2008.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are a number of changes in the VAT rules beyond the temporary savings resulting from the reduction to the standard rate of VAT affecting NHS Grampian. It is therefore not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the total level of VAT payments “ and …