Parliamentary questions
Michael Matheson
1,154 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date tenders will be invited for establishing a Scottish centre for learning disabilities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: An invitation to apply for a grant to set up and run the Scottish Centre for Learning Disability was published in <I>The</I> <I>Scotsman</I> on Tuesday 17 October, and in other newspapers during that week. Applications for grant must be submitted to the Scott…
30 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on recommendation 8 of the Learning Disability Services Review.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Consultation on how to implement the review has recently finished. We are currently analysing the results. Meanwhile we have had preliminary discussions with the Scottish Accessible Information Forum, and hope to build on these in the future.
30 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with regard to recommendation 17 of the Learning Disability Services Review.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Consultation on how to implement the review has recently finished. We are currently analysing the responses. Once completed, action on recommendation 17 will follow.
30 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans for the provision of Salbutamol or Ventolin inhalers to be exempt from prescription charges.
Answer · Susan Deacon: We have no plans to do so.
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in implementing the recommendations in The Same As You? A Review of Services for People with Learning Disabilities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Nationally, I am pleased to say that on 18 October we invited applications to establish the new Scottish Centre for Learning Disabilities. We are also analysing the responses to the consultation on the report, and will support implementation in whatever ways …
14 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any additional funding will be provided to Central Scotland Police in respect of the protest at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery between 11 and 14 September 2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive will meet reasonable claims from all forces, including Central Scotland Police, in respect of additional operational costs incurred by the police during the recent fuel distribution emergency.
14 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was to Central Scotland Police of policing the protest at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery between 11 and 14 September 2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is not yet available. Central Scotland Police are currently collecting data on the cost of policing the protest at Grangemouth oil refinery. Figures should be available by the end of October.
6 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the consultation period will be for the codes of practice and regulations under Part 5 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We intend to allow at least three months for consultation on the code of practice and regulations under Part 5. It has not been possible to publish the code and regulations in accordance with the timetable originally posted on the Adults with Incapacity websi…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations it provides funding to in order to promote race equality.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Unemployed Voluntary Action Fund for the purpose of administering the Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme on its behalf. The Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme is for projects designed to reduce racial disadvantage and promot…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to local authorities in order to promote race equality in the last three years.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive does not provide specific funding to local authorities for this purpose. In accordance with the principle of mainstreaming equality, local authorities are expected to fund the promotion of racial equality from their main budgets. Some R…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was made available in order to promote race equality in the last three years.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive provides £275,000 annually to promote race equality. The allocation has totalled £825,000 over the past three years. This amount is allocated to the Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme. The Scheme provides grants to voluntary organisations in …
14 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fiscal fines were issued by each Procurator Fiscal's office in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000 and how many of the fiscal fines issued by each office were fully paid in each of these years.
Answer · Neil Davidson: The total number of conditional offers of fixed penalty ("fiscal fines") issued by each Procurator Fiscal's office during the years to which the question refers was as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=3 WIDTH=564><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" V…
14 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to increase the number of fiscal fines which are fully paid.
Answer · Jim Wallace: District Courts are responsible for collecting and enforcing fixed penalties, including fiscal fines. To enforce these fines, the court may use all the methods of enforcement available for court imposed fines, except imprisonment. In practice, this means that…
14 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fiscal fines were issued in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The total number of conditional offers of fixed penalty ("fiscal fines") issued by Procurators Fiscal in each of the years to which the question refers was as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">a) 1997-98 - 36,201;<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">b) 1998-99 - 40,250; and…
14 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was raised from fiscal fines issued in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the table. Data for 1999-2000 are not yet available.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Value of fiscal fines received by district courts in 1997-98 and 1998-99<SUP>1 </SUP>£000<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD W…
14 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fiscal fines issued in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, and (c) 1999-2000 were fully paid.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the table. Data for 1999-2000 are not yet available.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Number of fiscal fines fully paid into the district court in 1997-98 and 1998-99<SUP>1</SUP><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><T…
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any genetically modified crops have been planted in the Forth Valley area and, if so, whether it will list all those farms involved.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No consents have been issued for the growing of genetically modified crops in the Forth Valley area. <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In terms of the GM contaminated Advanta seeds sown in Scotland, our expert advisory committees have assured us that there are no public or …
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders were granted in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer Mr Matheson to the answer I gave to question S1W-8336.
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications local authorities made for anti-social behaviour orders in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer Mr Matheson to the answer I gave to question S1W-8336.
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have obtained anti-social behaviour orders over the last two years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. However, last year the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to investigate the use which landlords were making of the provisions for evictions on the grounds of …
8 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to deal with the recent heroin deaths in Glasgow in addition to the action which is presently being taken by Greater Glasgow Health Board.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive does not believe that an official inquiry into the current outbreak of deaths among drug injectors is appropriate, as there is an official investigation being undertaken led by Dr Laurence Gruer of the Public Health Medicine Unit of Greater Glas…
8 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding has been provided to Greater Glasgow Health Board to deal with recent deaths caused by contamination of heroin in the Glasgow area.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board receives an annual general revenue allocation. It is for the board to determine within the funds available how to manage and deliver local healthcare services to meet the needs of its resident population. No separate funds have th…
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of "ring fenced" funding was available for arrest referral schemes for drug offenders in Scotland in 1999-2000.
Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to my reply to question S1W-6164.
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the planned expenditure is on arrest referral schemes for drug offenders for 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Whilst no specific funding is earmarked for arrest referral schemes, £5.9 million is set aside over these two years for priority programmes tackling the problem of drug offenders. These funds will enhance the provision of intensive probation and diversion fro…
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of "ring fenced" funding was available for drug treatment and care services, excluding drug education and drug awareness sessions, in Scottish prisons in 1999-2000.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Prison Service does not ring fence budgets in this area.
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of expenditure is planned for prison-based treatment and care services, excluding drug education or awareness projects, for 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Estimates of future Scottish Prison Service expenditure in this area are not yet available. However, they hope that the amount spent will increase over the period.
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total amount of expenditure in 1999-2000 on treatment and care services, excluding drug education or drug awareness sessions, on people with drug problems in Scottish prisons.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Due to the multiplicity of tasks performed by nurses, drug workers and others working in prisons, it is not possible to be precise. Scottish Prison Service estimate that they spent about £6.5 million on drug treatment and case services in 1999-2000.
12 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total expenditure in 1999-2000 by local authorities, health boards and other relevant public bodies on arrest referral schemes for drug offenders in Scotland.
Answer · Angus MacKay: This information is not held centrally. Any arrest referral schemes in Scotland would operate through locally agreed arrangements and expenditure on their operation is likely to be small. Policy on early intervention in the criminal justice system for drug mi…
10 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce the level of lead in domestic water supplies.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The tighter standards for lead prescribed in the EC Drinking Water Directive published in December 1998 are being transposed into Scottish legislation. The existing drinking water quality regulations set a maximum level for lead in drinking water of 50 microg…
10 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all domestic water supplies will comply with the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) by the year 2013.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Draft regulations transposing the Drinking Water Directive into Scottish legislation will be the subject of a consultation exercise during the summer. The proposed draft requires water undertakers to submit programmes of work designed to secure compliance wit…