Parliamentary questions

Michael McMahon

323 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers, or officials acting on their behalf, have written to conveners to clarify or correct oral evidence given at committee in each year since 2005, broken down by (a) committee and (b) minister.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: This information is not recorded by the Scottish Government.

8 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend planning regulations in order to help restrict the installation of mobile telephone base stations.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no plans at present to amend the planning legislation relating to base stations for mobile phone networks. Applications for planning permission for mobile phone base stations are a matter for the planning authority in the first instance. <p …

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities (a) take on board and (b) implement the new carers and young carers strategies.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are developing the carers and young carers strategy in partnership with COSLA. It will be a jointly agreed document. Working together, the Scottish Government and COSLA will take forward the strategy in light of decisions which have yet to be made about pu…

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Carers’ Information Strategy funding will continue in 2011-12.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government gave health boards £9 million for Carer Information Strategies in the last three years, with £5 million of this allocated in 2009-10. Until the spending review is concluded, we cannot confirm the resource of £5 million from April 2011 …

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the new carers and young carers strategies will address the funding challenges faced by carers and young carers projects and organisations across the country.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34322, on 23 June 2010. 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/Apps2/…

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will acknowledge the work of carers organisations and young carers projects and ensure the sustainability of the support that these organisations offer to unpaid carers.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34322 on 23 June 2010. 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/Apps2/…

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will recognise the contribution of unpaid carers and young carers during Carers Week and beyond.

Answer · Shona Robison: Working in partnership with COSLA, the Scottish Government recognises and values the contribution of carers and young carers by providing strategic leadership and setting out the strategic context for carers issues, thus ensuring a reference point for support…

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the planned new carers and young carers strategies will support the sustainability of carers organisations.

Answer · Shona Robison: Carers organisations include the national carer organisations (NCOs), carers centres, and young carer projects. The Scottish Government recognises and values the important role of the NCOs. Through section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, …

9 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new carers and young carers strategies will be published.

Answer · Shona Robison: The new carers and young carers strategies will be published soon. The Scottish Government has been developing the carers and young carers strategy in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), working closely with health …

7 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many recommendations the Council of Economic Advisers has made to the Scottish Government; how many it agrees with, and how many it has implemented.

Answer · John Swinney: The recommendations the Council of Economic Advisers has made to the Scottish Government are listed in the Council''s Annual Reports; the first published in December 2008, and second in December 2009. The Scottish Government published a respo…

7 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of supporting the work of the Council of Economic Advisers, including travel and hotel costs.

Answer · John Swinney: The costs associated with each Council of Economic Advisers meeting, and supplementary meetings, are routinely published on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/disclosures. <p …

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects work to begin on the M74 Raith interchange upgrade.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The programme for the M74 Junction 5, Raith Scheme is contained within the following link: <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/roads/Programme_Update_at_311209.pdf">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/roads/P…

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects work to begin on the Newhouse to Baillieston M8 upgrade.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The programme for the M8 Baillieston to Newhouse Scheme is contained within the following link: <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/roads/Programme_Update_at_311209.pdf">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/d…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance to NHS boards on consulting communities in relation to proposed closures of branch surgeries.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are committed to ensuring that communities are fully involved in the configuration of local healthcare services and their views are taken into account when changes to services are being proposed. That is why we issued the guidance, Informing, Engaging …

15 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has allocated for spending in 2010-11 on advertising in relation to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

Answer · John Swinney: No money has been allocated for spending in financial year 2010-11 on advertising in relation to the Education (Additional Support For Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

15 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent in 2009-10 on advertising in relation to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

Answer · John Swinney: Approximately £320,574 inclusive of VAT will be spent in the financial year 2009-10 on advertising in relation to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009. The Scottish Government''s advertising spend for 2009-10 will be r…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30739 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, what baseline data the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland has established in order to measure improvements in delivering equality of access to health services in the individual e…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31268 on 23 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/App…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30742 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, what action the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland took to ensure that the original proposal to appoint consultants to assist NHS Health Scotland communicate with MSPs would have…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government can confirm that the Directorate of Equalities and Planning within NHS Health Scotland has ensured there is a mandatory equality and diversity questionnaire which forms part of all tender documentation considered by the organisation. C…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30741 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, what opportunities were provided to organisations across Scotland’s voluntary sector to secure a service level agreement with the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Health Scotland promoted the opportunity to work with them on a programme of equality impact assessments through the Community Health Exchange (CHEX) newsletter, which is widely distributed to a network of organisations working in the field of community h…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30741 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, what specialist advice has been provided by the community and voluntary organisations with which the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland established the 13 service level agreement…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: During 2009-10, community and voluntary organisations were involved in 8 of NHS Health Scotland''s equality impact assessment workshops to help identify the potential impact of certain areas of NHS Health Scotland''s work on equality. Organisations with parti…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30741 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, what the views of the public involved in the work of the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland are on whether its work is having an impact on patients’ experience of the NHS and whe…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Equalities and Planning Directorate involve the public at various stages of their work. Guidance developed for NHSScotland using the feedback and experiences of service users is available on the NHS Health Scotland website at: <a href="…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what systems NHS Health Scotland has inhouse for monitoring the effectiveness of its corporate communications activity with MSPs; what changes have been made recently as a direct result of such monitoring, and when NHS Health Scotland will share this information with MSPs and other stakeh…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government can confirm that NHS Health Scotland does not monitor the effectiveness of its corporate communications, but monitors the effectiveness of its campaigns across a wide range of audiences. NHS Health Scotland does this through tracking a…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30737 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2010, in what six areas compliance by NHS boards with legal equality duties was most frequently identified as a concern in the NHS Health Scotland report, The Big Picture 2009: A review of progress on equality i…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is the responsibility of individual NHS boards to ensure compliance with legal equality duties. Compliance is monitored by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The aim of the NHS Health Scotland report was to gather a baseline on the status o…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it includes Uddingston Grammar School as one of the 236 new or refurbished schools completed since May 2007 referred to in its news release, School building programme, of 8 October 2009.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Uddingston Grammar School was included by South Lanarkshire Council in their 2009 School Estate Statistics return as being completed in 2008-09, and was therefore included in the list of schools built or refurbished since May 2007.

8 Oct 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any pupils will be taught in schools announced as being in the initial phase of its school rebuilding programme in the current parliamentary term.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: 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/sor1008-01.htm">http://www.scott…

16 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations it consulted before changing the code of practice in relation to Part 5 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and whether these are the same organisations that it consulted when the original code of practice was drawn up.

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/sor0924-01.htm">http://www.scott…

3 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with North Lanarkshire Council to discuss the implications of the Zero Waste Plan.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: In May I attended and spoke at a meeting of COSLA Leaders at which North Lanarkshire Council were represented. At that meeting I gave assurances that Scottish Government will continue to work closely with COSLA and local authorities in the developmen…

14 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards have published an equal pay review.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is presently no statutory duty on public authorities to carry out equal pay reviews. However, NHSScotland recognises the value of this tool within the goal of being an exemplar employer. Only NHS 24 has so far published an equal pay review but all board…

14 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many black and minority ethnic staff identified themselves in last year’s NHS staff survey as having experienced bullying or harassment.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS Scotland 2008 staff survey took place between 20 October 2008 and 21 November 2008. A total of 58,381 staff completed the staff survey. From the 2008 staff survey results, 265 black and minority ethnic staff identified themselves as having ex…

14 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female staff identified themselves in last year’s NHS staff survey as having experienced bullying or harassment.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS Scotland 2008 staff survey took place between 20 October 2008 and 21 November 2008. A total of 58,381 staff completed the staff survey. From the 2008 staff survey results, 7,323 female staff identified themselves as having experienced bullyin…