Richard Lochhead

1 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many buildings it (a) owns and (b) leases and what the total square footage is of each, also broken down by local authority area and expressed as a percentage of the total number of buildings in each case.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Currently the ScottishExecutive owns 15 buildings, leases 16 buildings and occupies space in another eightGovernment buildings which are controlled by other Government Departments. Eachoccupation of a Government building controlled by another Government Depar…

28 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital (a) in-patient and (b) out-patient operations have been cancelled or postponed in each hospital due to the (i) malfunctioning or (ii) lack of appropriate preparation of medical equipment in each of the last three years and so far this year, showing also national totals a…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot centrally available.</p>

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many publicly funded buildings and schools built in the last five years, including those currently under construction, source energy from renewable (a) heat and (b) electricity sources, shown as a percentage of all publicly funded buildings built in the last five years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>

24 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made to secure further fishing opportunities in 2006 for fishermen, particularly in the white fish fleet.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has managedto swap in 2,324 tonnes of haddock this year with approximately a further 2,000tonnes in the pipeline. In addition, the Executive is enabling the scientific researchrequired in order to secure an in-year increasein monkfish q…

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many deaths MRSA was mentioned on the death certificate in each of the last five years and in how many of these cases MRSA was the underlying cause of death, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: detailed information on healthcare associated infections (HAIs) as a cause of death from specific infections can be difficult or impossible to interpret safely. As at the end of 2004 there was no international code for recording MRSA as a cause of death: the …

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the national quarterly median waiting time provided by the Information Statistics Division for in-patients includes figures for the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The inpatient/day case median waiting times figures published by ISD Scotland on its <i>Acute Hospital Care</i> website each quarter include submissions from the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in any NHSScotland-level analyses.</p>

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many out-patients were given an availability status code at the end of each of the last 16 quarters, broken down also by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The specific information requested is not available.</p> <p>Centrally collected information is available on the number of patients on the out-patient waiting list who held an availability status code on each census date, but this information does not indi…

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting times were for (a) new out-patients and (b) return out-patients for each of the last 16 quarters, broken down also by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment at a consultant-led clinic, following referral by a General Medical or Dental Practitioner, by NHS board of residence, for each of the last 16 quarters, are given in the following table.</p><p>The Execu…

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were removed from their home in each of the last five years as a consequence of parental (a) drug misuse, (b) alcohol misuse, (c) sexual abuse and (d) physical abuse, broken down by local authority area, showing year-on-year percentage changes and also the percentage cha…

Answer · Robert Brown: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the 14 areas in Scotland recently named as marine environment high risk areas.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is inregular contact with Her Majesty’s Government on a number of issues, including theprocess whereby a number of coastal areas in Scotland were recently designatedas marine environmental high risk areas.</p>

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards ending the beef export ban.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EU Standing Committee onthe Food Chain and Animal Health voted unanimously to lift the beef export ban atits meeting on 8 March. The European Commission will need to follow its usual proceduresto give legal effect to this Decision. Export activity is expe…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all meetings between Scottish Ministers and European Commissioners since the appointment of the current commission, giving details of dates, locations and the ministers involved in each meeting.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

13 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of land is in community or public ownership.

Answer · Johann Lamont: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

13 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much land has been taken into community ownership under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and what percentage of total land in Scotland this represents.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Community Right to Buyin Part 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 provides real rights to purchase land whenit comes to be sold. The Crofting Community Right to Buy in part 3 of the actprovides a right to buy at any time. Both rights came into force …

13 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made, and by whom, in respect of the future of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Scotland and whether it will provide details, and publish copies, of any replies received to such representations.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Representations made by the Scottish Executive to the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC)consultation on the future of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and a responsereceived from NERC have been published on the Scottish Executive website at:</p…

13 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many targets for ambulance response times have not been met in (a) total and (b) in each NHS board area in each of the last three years, broken down by (i) category of call and (ii) response times in (A) urban and (B) rural areas.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Under the priority based dispatch system, which is used in all mainland board areas, 999 emergency calls are processed using a well proven, clinically approved, screen based software (called Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System). Based on the responses o…

13 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio is of landowners to land area, and what information it has on how this compares with other EU countries.

Answer · Johann Lamont: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young offenders aged (a) 16 and (b) 17 have been housed in adult prisons in each of the last five years, broken down by individual prison and showing year on year percentage changes and percentage change for the five year period.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>This information is not available.</p>

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female remand prisoners have been transferred to Cornton Vale Prison as a result of the women's unit at Craiginches Prison being closed.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Seven female remand prisoners arrived at Cornton Vale following the closure of the women’s unit at Aberdeen Prison.</p>

10 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female remand prisoners have been housed at (a) Craiginches Prison and (b) Cornton Vale Prison in each of the last three years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>This information is notreadily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>

1 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers reported being assaulted in each of the last five years, broken down by school and showing (a) year-on-year percentage changes and (b) the total percentage change over the five-year period.

Answer · Peter Peacock: School level information has never been collected centrally. Authority level data, which was collected between 1998-99 and 2002-03, was found not to be reliable and this collection was discontinued. Education authorities are responsible for local reporting an…

1 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on paramedics were reported in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area and showing (a) year-on-year percentage changes and (b) the total percentage change over the five-year period.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not collected centrally in the form requested. The data available on violence and aggression related incidents can be seen on the Scottish Health Statistics website under workforce statistics, <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/w…

1 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on police officers were reported in each of the last five years, broken down by police board area and showing (a) year-on-year percentage changes and (b) the total percentage change over the five-year period.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government in respect of providing a long-term solution to any ongoing competitive disadvantage associated with high fuel prices in rural areas.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The cost of fuel is a matter reserved to the UK Government. However, Scottish ministers have regular dialogue with Treasury Ministers and will continue to ensure that the Scottish interest on this issue is fully understood by the UK Government. Ministers last…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20459 by Rhona Brankin on 17 November 2005, whether it will provide an update on the consultation concerning the proposed 300% rise in the cost of sheep dip disposal registration and what representations it has made to the Scottish Environment Protec…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s consultation on the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Fees and Charges (Scotland) Scheme 2006 closed at the end of December 2005. The Executive is currently considering all responses to the consultation, in…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to order the removal of polytunnels and temporary worker accommodation at Tuesley Farm in Surrey and whether the Executive has any plans to introduce a requirement for planning permission to erect polytunnels on agricultural…

Answer · Johann Lamont: I am aware of the decision in question. The Executive is currently reviewing the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992, including permitted development rights in relation to agriculture and has commissioned research o…

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the delay in publishing volumes 3 to 5 of its report on energy generation commissioned from AEA Technology and when these volumes will be published.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Forward energy demand projections contained in the remainder of the study require updated economic data, which has only recently become available to our consultants. Volumes 3 to 5 should be published later this year.</p>

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any discussions have taken place with the energy sector or the UK Government in connection with potential energy shortages and relevant contingency plans and, if so, whether it will give details of such discussions.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Energy policy, including security of supply, is mainly a reserved matter. However, there is regular contact between the Department of Trade and Industry and Scottish Executive officials on a wide range of energy matters.</p> <p>The DTI lead the Energy Emergen…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been employed by each police force in each of the last three years, expressed on a per capita basis and showing year-on-year percentage changes and national totals.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information is shown in the following tables.</p> <p>Number of Police Officers (Whole-Time Equivalent) Per 1,000 Population</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Force</p></td> <td> <p align=center>2003</p…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded crimes there have been in each police force area in each of the last three years and this year to date, expressed on a per capita basis, showing national totals and year-on-year increases in each case.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Data on the numbers of recorded crimes and offences for the last three financial years are given in the following tables. Data for the year 2005-06 will be published in September 2006.</p> <p>The Number of Recorded Crimes¹ per 10,000 Population by …