Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio of applicants to places was for each (a) medicine, (b) nursing, (c) speech and language therapy, (d) chemistry, (e) biology, (f) physics, (g) primary teaching and (h) secondary teaching course at each university in each of the last six years.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) deals with applications for study at universities.</p>
30 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the supply of places at Scotland's dental schools is sufficient to meet current demands.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The number of Scottish dental graduates is predicted to meet or exceed demand in Scotland from 2008.</p>
30 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any locations have been identified for a third dental school.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Dental teaching strategies are based on the advice of academic dental professionals in Scotland. We will expand the capacity of dental training facilities in Scotland by establishing an outreach training centre in Aberdeen, and we will consult further on the …
30 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any feasibility studies have been commissioned in respect of opening a third dental school.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19577 on 28 October 2005. 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/webap…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost of, and increase in, land prices of housing plots funded through the rural home ownership scheme was in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The average cost of land prices of housing plots funded through the rural home ownership scheme in each of the last five years was as follow…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of Communities Scotland's budget has been used for the purpose of purchasing land in each of the last five years, showing the amount in each case and broken down by category where appropriate.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>In each of the last five years the proportion of Communities Scotland Affordable Housing Budget which has been committed for land purchase c…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average price paid by Communities Scotland for housing plots was in each of the last five years, showing year-on-year percentage increases.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The average cost of land per house in projects grant funded by Communities Scotland in each of the last five years and the percentage increa…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation was paid to landowners by local authorities in each of the last three years, broken down by reason for compensation where appropriate, such as that arising from the building and improvement of the road network, and showing year-on-year percentage increases.
Answer · Tavish Scott: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p>
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation was paid to landowners by it in each of the last three years, broken down by reason for compensation where appropriate, such as that arising from the building and improvement of the trunk road network, and showing year-on-year percentage increases.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The information is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p>
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation was paid to landowners by Scottish Water in each of the last three years, broken down by reason for compensation where appropriate, such as that arising from the installation of new water and sewerage systems, and showing year-on-year percentage increases.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for Scottish Water. I have forwarded your request to Scottish Water's Chief Executive and asked him to write to you.</p>
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans ministers have to extend the provisions of Part 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to urban areas with populations of over 10,000 and whether it will provide details and any estimated timescale.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are no present plans todo so.</p>
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland: Progress Report 2005, what representations it has made to the Department of Trade and Industry in respect of changes to legislation and trading arrangements for electricity which impact on the generation and transmission of …
Answer · Allan Wilson: No representations have been made by the Executive to the Department of Trade and Industry in light of the <i>Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland: Progress Report 2005</i>, published on 31 August 2005. The Executive did however, make representa…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much electricity was generated in Scotland in each year from 2000 to 2003 and, of this, how much was generated by (a) hydro, (b) wind, wave or solar and (c) other renewable sources, as referred to in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland: Progress Report 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Statistics on electricity generation are collected by the UK Government’s Department of Trade and Industry. Generation figures, rounded to the nearest whole gigawatt hour (GWh), are detailed in the table below:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals give a guaranteed one-year contract to newly qualified NHS staff.
Answer · Andy Kerr: All newly qualified nurses and midwives in Scotland are offered a minimum of a one-year guarantee of employment if they are unable to secure a post through the normal recruitment process. The guarantee applies to available posts anywhere in Scotland and all N…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified NHS staff have received a guaranteed one-year contract (a) nationally and (b) in each NHS board area in each year since the guarantee was announced, shown also as a percentage of all newly qualified health service staff and showing the year-on-year percentage chan…
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.</p>
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the impact of the closure of facilities, such as banks, schools and post offices, on rural population levels.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We value, and are continually improving, our evidence base for rural areas in order to inform our policies. We document key facts on rural Scotland, including population figures, in our annual Rural Scotland: Key Facts publication:</p> <p><a href="http://www.…
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the difference in the costs of car use between urban and rural Scotland.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Assessments undertaken by the Scottish Executive indicate that fuel prices in remote and rural areas of Scotland tend generally to be higher than in urban areas, largely resulting from higher distribution costs and low throughput. In contrast, in urban areas …
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many petrol stations have gone out of business in each of the last six years, showing the year-on-year percentage changes and broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The information requested is not held centrally. However, Office for National Statistics figures below show that the number of petrol stations operating across Scotland has fallen from approximately 880 in 1999 to about 700 in 2004.</p> <p>Number of Business …
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues on cost-benefit analyses in respect of funding for flood defence.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: To date, the Executive has given advice on cost-benefit analyses on a case by case basis based on the principles of <i>Flood and Coastal Defence Project Appraisal Guidance 3 - Economic Appraisal</i>, published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural …
13 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in assisting the University of Dundee Dental School in meeting the costs of additional students who have requested, and been offered, training places and what funding and other assistance has been provided to the school in each of the last three years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Following discussions with Dundee University, the Scottish Executive has agreed to put in place a one-off emergency funding package of £4.5 million to support the clinical costs of these students education, including one year NHS vocational training after gra…
12 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the powers to introduce a renewable transport fuel obligation and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no current functions in relation to introduction of a renewable transport fuel obligation. This is a reserved matter.</p>
12 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assessment has been, or is being, made in respect of the impact of rising fuel prices and, if so, whether it will provide details of the assessment.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The taxation of fuel is a matter reserved to the UK Government. However, Scottish ministers are monitoring the current situation and will continue to ensure that Scotland’s interests are placed firmly on the agenda in Whitehall on fuel costs as on other matte…
7 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18152 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 September 2005, whether it will give the (a) date of, (b) location of and (c) topics discussed at each of the 11 meetings that have taken place between the First Minister and Prime Minister on government business since Nov…
Answer · Tom McCabe: Meetings between the Prime Minister and the First Minister are held in confidence. Details of the meetings listed in the answer to question S2W-18152 are set out in the following table. That list is not a complete list of all meetings they have had during the…
6 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to the introduction of environmental courts and, if so, what the (a) steps planned are and (b) timescale is to take forward their introduction.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Partnership Agreement contains a range of commitments to help tackle environment crime. A number of these commitments such as legislation on nature conservation, increased training for police dealing with wildlife crime, and consultation on access to cour…
30 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it considers bird flu strain H5N1 to be a threat to public health in Scotland and what steps are being taken to measure the threat and respond accordingly.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Although the avian influenza virus poses a risk to birds its risk to humans is extremely limited. This is because it is very difficult to catch from birds and even more difficult to pass from human to human. The major concern is the possibility that the virus…
30 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to investigate the impact on rural communities of the latest round of branch closures announced by the Clydesdale Bank and what its response is to the announcement.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive takes the well being of rural communities very seriously and our Partnership Agreement outlines a commitment to protect and develop rural services through community planning. Key facts are documented by the Environment and Rural Affairs…
30 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in improving country of origin labelling.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency has advised me that it has recently undertaken a country of origin survey to investigate whether the best practice advice issued in the agency’s guidance document <i>Food Labelling Country of Origin Guidance</i> (published in 2002) i…
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many births have taken place in each NHS board area in each of the last six years, expressed also as a ratio of births to midwives and showing year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is already in the public domain and can be downloaded from <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/">www.isdscotland.org</a>.</p>
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many births have taken place in each NHS board area in each of the last six years, broken down by maternity hospital, showing also year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is already in the public domain and can be downloaded from <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/">www.isdscotland.org</a>.</p>
26 Aug 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many midwives have been employed by each NHS board in each of the last six years, showing also year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Due to the large volume of data requested, the information has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37395).</p> <p>The demand for midwives reflects the continuing falling number of births in Scotland. The number of births has…