Richard Lochhead

21 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many educational psychologists who work with school children are employed by each (a) local authority and (b) NHS board, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of children registered as requiring such a service.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested isnot held centrally. However, data on the number of educational psychologistswho work with school children in each authority is currently being collected bythe Scottish Executive and will be published in spring 2004.</p><p>As part o…

21 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2796 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 30 September 2003, what funding has been awarded to (a) Scottish Homes and (b) Communities Scotland in each of the last 10 years, showing also the year on year percentage change.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herreply is as follows:</p><p>The table shows Grant-in-Aidand Scottish Executive funding for Scottish Homes and Communities Scotland overthe 10-year period 1993-94 t…

21 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for physiotherapists in each NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on vacancies and staff establishments is reported annually by NHS trusts. These figures are shown in the following table.</p><p>Physiotherapist Vacancies by NHS Board Whole Time Equivalent: at 31 March 2003</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpad…

21 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2278 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 September 2003, how many physiotherapists are employed in each NHS board area, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of people registered as requiring their services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table showsthe whole time equivalent (WTE) and headcount of Physiotherapists and thepopulations by NHS board area.</p><p>Rates per 100,000 populationare also given. These rates should be interpreted with caution as they do nottake account of cro…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of paediatric (a) nurses and (b) consultants in each NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are responsiblefor planning services in their areas and for securing the staff needed todeliver them. From September 1997 to March 2003, the number of qualified nursesworking within paediatrics rose by 32% from 1,457 to 1,916 (headcount). Thenumber…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many paediatric (a) nurses and (b) consultants are employed in each NHS board area, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of children in each board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details on the whole time equivalentand headcount of paediatric consultants and paediatric nurses, as well as thepopulation by NHS board area, are available from the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre, (Bib. number 30418).</p><p>Rates per 100,000 populatio…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is in each NHS board area for an appointment with a physiotherapist.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any shortage of speech and language therapists and, if so, what steps are being taken to address the situation.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on vacancies andstaff establishments is reported annually by NHS trusts. These figures areshown in the following table.</p><p>Speech and LanguageTherapists Vacancies by NHS Board</p><p>Whole Time Equivalent: at 31 March 2003</p><table border=1 cel…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the speech and language therapy budget is in each NHS board area expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of people registered as requiring such services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Information requested isnot held centrally. NHS boards are given a budget to meet the health care needsof their resident populations. They are individually responsible fordetermining how best to meet national and local priorities from within theiroverall …

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many speech and language therapists there are in each NHS board area, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of people registered as requiring such services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number ofspeech and language therapists within each NHS board area is contained in thefollowing table, which shows whole time equivalent (WTE) and headcount of speechand language therapists and the population by NHS board area.</p><p class=…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is in each NHS board area for an appointment to receive speech and language therapy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthodontic consultants are employed by each NHS board, expressed also per head of population.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows wholetime equivalent (WTE) and headcount of orthodontic consultants and thepopulation by NHS board area, correct at 30 September 2002. The population estimate is correct at 30 June 2002.</p><p>Orthodontic Consultants byNHS Board</p><…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is in each NHS board area for children awaiting a general anaesthetic for tooth extractions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The specific information requestedis not available centrally. Information on waiting times is collectedretrospectively, and does not identify where a general anaesthetic has beenadministered.</p><p>The median waiting times forin-patient and day case treatment…

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how often, and for how long, on average, clinics dealing with tooth extractions under general anaesthetic are held in each NHS board area.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally. Individual NHS boards will hold information about the frequency andduration of such clinics in their area.</p>

16 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses there are who assist anaesthetists administering general anaesthetic for the purposes of treating children admitted to hospital for tooth extractions at each hospital in each NHS board area, expressed also on a per capita basis.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

13 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with food manufacturers in Scotland about making healthier products and whether it has had any discussions about putting this issue on the agenda of the European Union.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive and the Food Standards Agency have had discussions with a range of foodmanufacturers in Scotland, and the UK, about developing products with lower levels of fat,salt and sugar. Negotiations with the European Union are reserved to the UK…

13 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been advised by any provider what the estimated cost of rolling out 100% broadband coverage, or as close to 100% coverage as possible, will be, and, if so, what that estimate was.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is in regulardiscussions with Telcos regarding broadband rollout. These discussions are,however, commercially confidential.</p>

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many UK joint ministerial meetings have been attended by its ministers in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total joint ministerial meetings in each year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The following table lists thenumber of UK Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meetings attended by Executive Ministersin each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of the total JMCmeetings for each year.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>…

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many working group meetings of Her Majesty's Government have been attended by its (a) ministers and (b) officials in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total such working group meetings in each year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Numerous meetings are heldbetween the United Kingdom Government and Scottish Executive ministers and officials eachyear on a wide range of subjects and at many different levels. No centralrecord is kept of these meetings.</p><p>The reply to question S2W-3405r…

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many EU working group meetings have been attended by its (a) ministers and (b) officials in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total EU working group meetings in each year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: European union workinggroups are for officials; ministers do not attend these meetings. Details of attendanceby Scottish Executive officials at working groups since 1999 is set out in thetable.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <…

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Council of Ministers meetings have been attended by its officials in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total Council of Ministers meetings in each year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requestedcould only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>

10 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Council of Ministers meetings have been attended by its ministers in each year since 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish ministers haveattended the following number of EU Councils in each year since 1999</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p>Number of Councils Attended</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>1999*</p> </td> …

9 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS funding allocated using the Arbuthnott formula was allocated to each NHS board area for the current year and will be allocated for the next three years, expressed also on a per capita basis, and whether these percentages are likely to change as a result of any revie…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details of Arbuthnott targetpercentages used to allocate NHS funding and per capita funding for 2003-04 areas follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>NHS Board</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>2003-04</p> <p al…

8 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what service standards criteria it has laid down to Eaga Partnership Ltd and to contractors for implementing its central heating programme.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>The Executive has a formalcontract agreement with Eaga Partnership. That agreement sets out the servicestandards such as: technical …

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21028 by Mr Jim Wallace on 28 January 2002, whether Scottish ministers have officially led any further UK Delegations to the Council of Ministers and, if so, whether it will provide similar details to those provided in the answer.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive ministers have not led any further UKdelegations to EU Councils.</p>

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits there have been by ministers to (a) Brussels, (b) London and (c) other locations outwith Scotland in each of the last four years and this year, expressed also as a percentage of ministerial visits outwith Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to theanswers given to questions S1W-29052 on 9 September 2002 and S2W-2904 on 25 September 2003. These answers set out details of alloverseas engagements carried out by Scottish Executive ministers from July 1999 toMarch 2003. All answers …

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34840 by Mr Jim Wallace on 31 March 2003, what proportion of formal meetings of the Council of Ministers have been attended by its ministers this year.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive ministers have attended six out of 39 formalmeetings of EU Councils in the period January to September 2003.</p>

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve (a) electoral turnout and (b) political awareness across all age groups, with particular reference to the 18 to 25 age group.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive is committedto reforming the voting arrangements to increase participation at localgovernment elections, including further investigation of postal and electronicvoting, and is holding a joint seminar with the Electoral Commission and COSLAin Nov…

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 18 were taken into custody due to being drunk and disorderly in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area, expressed also as a percentage of all drunk and disorderly offences.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>

3 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 18 have been admitted to hospital due to severe alcohol intoxication in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area, expressed also as a percentage figure of all alcohol intoxication admissions.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no accepteddefinition for severe alcohol intoxication. The following information relatesto acute intoxication.</p><p>Discharges from Acute Hospitalswith an Explicit Diagnosis of Acute Intoxication by NHS Board Area in 1998–2002</p><table class=MsoTab…