Parliamentary questions
Mike Rumbles
1,089 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which electronics businesses it has given financial support to in each of the last three years and how much support each such business received.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The main form of financial assistance provided by the Executive to businesses investing in the Assisted Areas of Scotland is through Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). In addition, the SMART and SPUR schemes support small- and medium-sized businesses across…
30 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many electronics businesses have opened in Scotland in each of the last three years and where these businesses are located.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not maintain comprehensive records on the number of electronics businesses opened in Scotland. However, the Executive is aware of the following:<P>1998-99 - four opened and are located in Livingston, Irvine and Bathgate;<P>1999-200…
30 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many electronics businesses have closed in Scotland in each of the last three years and where these businesses were located.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not maintain a centrally held record of electronics businesses that have closed in Scotland. However, my department monitors Scottish Press stories of closures and the following information is derived from that source:<TABLE BORDER…
30 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13550 by Susan Deacon on 17 April 2001, what the estimated figure of 69,000 cases of hospital-acquired infection represents as a percentage of the total number of patients treated annually by the NHSiS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The estimate referred to was prepared by a Scottish Office Health Department working group which reported in May 1999. Copies of the report, <I>Hospital Acquired Infection - A Framework for a National System of Surveillance for the NHS in Scotland</I> are ava…
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money will be dedicated in the current financial year to reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infections.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is making more money available for health in Scotland this year than ever before - a total of £5.9 billion, up 7.5% on last year. I have already announced substantial further growth in this budget over the next three years: by 2003-04, …
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12178 by Susan Deacon on 6 March 2001, how the figure of #3.9 million as the estimated cost of avoidable hospital-acquired infection to the NHSiS was calculated.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15386.
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12178 by Susan Deacon on 6 March 2001, how the figure of #21.6 million as the estimated annual cost of hospital-acquired infection to the NHSiS was calculated.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The estimates referred to were prepared by a Scottish Office Health Department working group which reported in May 1999. Copies of the report, <I>Hospital Acquired Infection - A Framework for a National System of Surveillance for</I> <I>the NHS in Scotland</I…
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13550 by Susan Deacon on 17 April 2001, whether it is aware that the National Audit Office for England's report of February 2000 on hospital-acquired infections (HAI) was able to estimate the number of deaths caused by HAI within the NHS in England a…
Answer · Susan Deacon: I am of course aware that the National Audit Office's report <I>The Management and Control of Hospital Acquired Infection in Acute NHS Trusts in England</I> gave an estimate of the numbers of deaths which it believed were attributable to hospital-acquired inf…
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned national surveillance system for monitoring hospital-acquired infection will allow the number of deaths caused by such infections to be estimated.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The main objectives of the proposed HAI surveillance system, which is the subject of work by a sub-group of the Scottish Executive's Advisory Group on Infection, are to gather and present systematic information about a range of hospital-acquired infections so…
24 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6297 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, when it expects the review of the system used to allocate police funding in Scotland to conclude and whether a copy of the findings will be available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Angus MacKay: An extensive analysis of police workloads is currently being completed. The results of the analysis will be considered by the representatives of the Scottish Executive, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local …
24 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when an answer to a question refers to a previous answer, it will in future also provide the text of that previous answer.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No, previous questions can now be accessed easily on the Scottish Parliament website.
24 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14262 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 17 April 2001, why this question was given a holding reply on 30 March 2001 when the substantive answer was a referral to an answer which had been given to question S1W-14121 on 26 March 2001.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: There was no reason why question S1W-14262 could not have been answered on 30 March. This did not happen because of an oversight.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the findings of the recent publication A Scottish Survey of General and Community Dental Practitioners published by the University of Aberdeen Toothousand Project.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The discussion document <I>Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland - A Strategic Review</I>, which was published in October 2000, detailed a number of areas for review by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce (SACDW). The findings of th…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13850 by Susan Deacon on 16 March 2001, when the review of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas is expected to conclude.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15172.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13850 by Susan Deacon on 16 March 2001, who is reviewing problems of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer member to my answer to question S1W-15172.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13850 by Susan Deacon on 16 March 2001, whether in the review of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas the views of people who live in such areas will be sought.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-15173.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13850 by Susan Deacon on 16 March 2001, which organisations are being consulted as part of the review of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The problems of dental access in rural and remote areas have been well documented and are well understood. Where future proposals are developed to improve the situation, account will be taken of the many comments and views already put forward. Since any prop…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13850 by Susan Deacon on 16 March 2001, when the review of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas was initiated.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Problems of access to NHS dentistry within all areas of Scotland, including remote and rural areas, are kept under review by the Executive on a continuous basis and is one of the areas being looked at by the Implementation Support Group for the Action Plan fo…
17 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which non-departmental public bodies for which it is responsible had (a) a budget overspend and (b) a budget underspend and what the respective figures were for (a) and (b) in the last year for which such information is available.
17 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average per capita level of funding of health boards is for (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04.
17 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the per capita level of funding for each health board is for (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04.
6 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce universal neonatal hearing screening to detect hearing loss in newly born babies.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive welcomes the advice of the UK National Screening Committee on Neonatal Hearing Screening. The Executive has commissioned a comprehensive review of the implications associated with implementing a phased screening programme from the Natio…
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people visit Scotland annually because of skiing facilities.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The number of skier days recorded at Scotland's five skiing resorts in 1999-2000 was 300,000. This figure includes day trippers as well as UK and overseas tourists.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value of the skiing industry is to the Scottish economy annually.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The estimated annual value is £18 million.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any research into the implications of climate change for Scotland's skiing industry.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive has commissioned research to consider the predicted impact of climate change on snowfall patterns in Scotland. This research, due to be published shortly, will consider the impact of changing snow cover in a number of key areas, including snowsp…
20 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the consultation period for the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code in the light of the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease in order to ensure that farmers and other interested parties in rural areas have time to meet to di…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive fully appreciates the difficulties being experienced in rural areas from Foot and Mouth Disease, and eradicating the disease remains the Executive's highest priority. We are also aware of the problems farmers and related organisations h…
20 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the details of DNA samples of individuals retained on file by police forces will only be those of individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offence.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Only the DNA samples of those subsequently convicted of a criminal offence will be retained on file by police forces except for samples taken in terrorist cases. Under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, other DNA samples taken from people arrested or…
16 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was represented at a meeting on 5 March 2001 hosted by the English Tourism Council to discuss the implications of the foot and mouth outbreak for the tourist industry across the United Kingdom.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14121 on 26 March 2001.
16 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct Scottish Natural Heritage to provide MSPs and MPs with details of any areas being proposed for Special Areas of Conservation status within their constituencies.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No direction is required. When consultation begins on proposals for Special Areas of Conservation, Scottish Natural Heritage has agreed to provide MSPs and MPs with details of individual areas within their constituencies.
14 Mar 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to give tenant farmers the right to purchase their farm holdings when they become available on the open market.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No. I explained the Executive’s position on this matter in my reply to Mike Watson on 19 November 1999.