Parliamentary questions
Mike Rumbles
1,089 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2362 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 September 2003, how many operational police officers there were per head of population in each police force area in each of the last three years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information at this level ofdetail is not held centrally. Work is under way to ensure that statistics onoperational police officers will be made available in the future.</p>
9 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-382 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 June 2003, whether it can provide an estimate of how many residents of (a) voluntary and (b) private care homes have funded their care be means of selling their homes in each of the last three years and, if not, what steps i…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The way in whichself-funding care home residents choose to fund their care is a private matterfor them. While most such residents will be benefiting from free personal andnursing care, many will not have been financially assessed by their localauthority; and …
24 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the review into the true cost of care will be completed and published.
Answer · Tom McCabe: As part of the agreement on carehome fee levels for 2003-04, COSLA and the care home sector have established a workinggroup to consider a mutually acceptable framework for assessing the cost of providingcare in homes for older people in different parts of Sco…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average council tax bill was in each of the last five financial years, expressed as a percentage of the average (a) wage and (b) state pension.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scotland averagecouncil tax per dwelling from 1998-99 to 2002-03 is shown in the following table.The amounts stated are also expressed as a percentage of the average gross annualearnings, and as a percentage of the average state pension.</p><table border=…
9 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many kidney transplants have been carried out in (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Aberdeen in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is set out inthe table below.</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p>2000</p> </td> <td> <p>2001</p> </td> <td> <p>2002</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Glasgow</p> …
3 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the number of serious and fatal road accidents on the A90 in Aberdeenshire.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Each year the Scottish Executive analyses accidents across the trunk road network, which includes theA90, in order to identify and bring forward an annual programme of targetedroad safety improvements. </p><p>A recent safety review of the route between Dundee…
22 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1004 by Nicol Stephen on 14 July 2003, when it estimates that the research recommended by the Blue Badge review will be completed.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is working with the Department for Transport on this matter. The latestestimate from the Department for Transport is that the research will be commissionedin 2004-05. I would reassure you that we are committed to introducing appropriate…
22 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) NHS dentists and (b) NHS dental practices there currently are in (i) Scotland, (ii) each constituency, and (iii) each NHS board area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The number of NHS generaldental practitioners and NHS general dental practice currently in Scotland,each constituency and each NHS board area is shown in the following tables:</p><p>Number of NHS General DentalPractitioners (GDPs) in Scotland and Each Constit…
20 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing association houses for rent have been built in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>Details of the number ofhousing association units built for rent is given in the following table.</p><p>Housing Association HousesBuilt…
16 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available in each of the next three years for research into endometriosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO has previously contributed £201,000 to research projects on caus…
16 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been diagnosed with endometriosis in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number of patients discharged from acute general NHS hospitals, where a diagnosis of endometriosis was recorded, in each of the last three calendar years recorded by NHS board is as follows:<P> Year Ended 31 December<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING…
16 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provides for research into the causes of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive ealth Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is largely a response mode funder of research and this role is …
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when people with dementia will be eligible for Blue Badges following its research into the recommendations made by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee in Review of the Disabled Persons Parking Scheme (The Blue Badge Scheme): Recommendations for change.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Blue Badge review recommended that further research should be carried out into the independent mobility needs of certain groups of people, to determine whether there is a need for extending the eligibility criteria for a badge. The groups to be covered by…
17 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to reduce the impact of diabetes on people who are diabetic.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Good progress is being made to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Diabetes Framework published in April 2002. Work in hand includes the establishment of diabetes managed clinical networks in each NHS board area, the introduction of effective clinic…
3 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the implementation of rates relief for small rural businesses.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We introduced a rate relief scheme for small businesses with effect from 1 April 2003. All businesses, including rural businesses, with a rateable value of £10,000 or less are eligible for a discount of between 5% and 50% on the rate poundage. In addition, we…
28 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will complete its research into the recommendations made by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee in its report, Review of the Disabled Persons Parking Scheme (The Blue Badge Scheme) - Recommendations for change
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Research into the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) is on-going and the Scottish Executive is working closely with the Department of Transport to define and take forward these areas of research. Meanwhile, the Scottish Executive has alread…
24 May 2003 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Executive will improve the transport infrastructure.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Over the next 10 years we will be steadily increasing our investment in transport and transport infrastructure in order that the proposals outlined in the Transport Delivery Plan and our Partnership Agreement can be delivered.
19 May 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the availability of dentists in rural areas and across the north-east.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has a number of recruitment and retention measures in place aimed at improving access to dentists in rural areas and across the north east of Scotland. These include:<P>grants under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative for dentists wil…
12 Mar 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will be able to evaluate the "golden hello" scheme for dentists.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: As the "golden hello" scheme was introduced from 1 August 2002, it will be at least a further year from that date until its full effect becomes evident.
5 Mar 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether enough dentists are qualifying following the closure of the Edinburgh Dental School.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Our workforce estimates of 120 graduates per year would be sufficient for Scotland, if we retained all our graduates in Scotland. Given the current recruitment and retention difficulties in some parts of Scotland, highlighted by a number of MSPs, we introduce…
22 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Grampian NHS Board in respect of the Arbuthnott formula.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I understand that the Minister for Health and Community Care has received a letter from Dr Morrison, the chairman of the Area Medical Committee in Grampian, which raised a number of concerns about the Arbuthnott formula. Mr Chisholm has written to Dr Morrison…
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it has given local authorities to implement the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer · Frank McAveety: From 1 April 2002 local authorities have been required to pay fees to the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission) to register their own care services. The transfer of authorities' regulatory functions to the Care Commission from t…
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time-equivalent (a) management and (b) clinical staff there have been in the Grampian NHS Board area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Information on the WTE staff in Grampian NHS Board for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 is shown in the following table:<P>Clinical Staff and Management Split in Grampian NHS Board for the Years 1999, 2000 and 2001.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH…
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on independent management consultants in the Grampian NHS Board area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Grampian NHS Board should be contacted directly for the detail required.
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average percentage of the costs of computer equipment is reimbursed to GPs in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS boards and Primary Care Trusts. The information requested is not held centrally.
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average percentage of the costs of the employment of support staff is reimbursed to GPs in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS boards and Primary Care Trusts. The information requested is not held centrally.
16 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average out-patient waiting time has been in each NHS board area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting times, in days, for first out-patient appointments for the last three years is given in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=274><TR><TD WIDTH="55%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSPAN=2><P>NHS Board (Residence)</TD><TD WIDT…
10 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average out-patient waiting time has been in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the out-patient waiting times is published by the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of NHSScotland. The annual median out-patient waiting times are published on the ISD Online website at: <P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/acut…
11 Dec 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the new BSc course in audiology to commence in the 2004-05 academic year.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The final report of the review of audiology services commissioned to establish the extent to which these services need to be modernised and improved is currently under consideration. It includes recommendations on how staffing issues might be addressed.
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current take-up rate of influen'a vaccines is acceptable and what plans it has to increase the take-up rate of such vaccines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The uptake of influenza vaccine to end October 2002 was an average of 54.3% across the country. This figure compares well to figures of 45.4% and 43.1% to end of October 2000 and 2001 respectively. <P>The publicity surrounding the Executive's £12 million flu …