Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which joint ministerial committee meetings it has attended; what the subject was of each such meeting; which minister attended, and which meetings it has not attended.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The table provides a complete list of Scottish Executive Ministerial attendance at all JMC plenary and functional group meetings that have been convened since 7 October 1999:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=600><TR><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP">…
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary question to question S2O-229 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 June 2003 (Official Report, c 968-969), on what issues it has sought legal advice in respect of interpreting the Scotland Act 1998 in order to assist negotiations with Her Majesty's Go…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The substantive issue on which we have sought legal advice is whether the establishment of a scheme of ex-gratia payments of the kind I announced to the Health and Community Care Committee in January would be outside the devolved competence of Scottish minist…
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional authority or powers it expects to acquire as a result of the recent cabinet reshuffle of Her Majesty's Government.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The powers and duties of the Scottish Executive, as set out in the Scotland Act 1998 and associated subordinate legislation, remain unchanged. However, it has been agreed that the Scottish Executive will now take the lead in the promotion of Scotland abroad.
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting time was for (a) cardiac surgery, (b) general surgery and (c) child psychiatry in the (i) Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust area and (ii) Scotland in the latest quarter for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on median wait for first out-patient appointment and median wait for in-patient/day case admission, is shown in the following tables:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=540><TR><TD WIDTH="64%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT=29><P>Out-patients<…
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) small, (b) medium-si'ed and (c) large businesses' water bills have (i) increased, (ii) remained static and (iii) decreased in each of the last three years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water. I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves the Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:-<P>For the last two years, the way in which changes in charges have affected business customers are …
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the capital expenditure by (a) Scottish Water and (b) the combined former water authorities, showing the amount and percentage sourced from (i) borrowing, (ii) customer charges and (iii) other sources, in each of the last four years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Information relating to Scottish Water will be available once its first year's accounts have been laid in Parliament. For the three former water authorities, the information is available from the audited accounts as laid before the Scottish Parliament. Bib. n…
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding has been made available for broadband in each local enterprise area, expressed also per capita; whether any future funding has been, or will be, allocated for this purpose, and, if so, how much, and when, such funding will be available.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The supply of broadband is a commercial decision for operators. Our broadband strategy involves stimulating market demand and trialling new technologies. Funding is not therefore allocated on a local enterprise company/per capita basis.<P>We are committed to …
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fires were started wilfully in each of the last three years, broken down by fire brigade area and how much each fire cost to deal with, expressed also as a percentage of fires and of the total cost of dealing with fires.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The most recent statistics on the number of fires started wilfully in the Scottish Fire Brigade areas which are available cover the period 1999-2001, and are shown in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=330><TR><TD WIDTH="49%" …
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5273 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 May 2002, when the further work by the working group on the distribution of funds to police forces was completed; what conclusions were reached, and what further action has been, or will be, taken as a result.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Police Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) Review working group completed its initial reassessment of the proposals put forward by independent consultants in September 2002. On the basis of this analysis, the group recommended, as an interim step, that addition…
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make regarding the European Commission's request for views on the proposal by the European Parliament that an additional 150 million be allocated as aid to fishing communities.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We have agreed a UK response to the Commission, which has issued on ...118 June 2003. First, this fund does not exist. The European Parliament has suggested its creation. However, the Commission would have to propose it, and the Council of Ministers endorse i…
10 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding from NHS Education for Scotland was allocated for converting a building in Aberdeen for interim postgraduate dental training facilities and then withdrawn and, if so, why it was withdrawn; what level of funding had been requested for the facilities; when any decision w…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have allocated £100,000 to the development of the Westburn Centre. The Westburn Centre funding was not withdrawn but delayed while NES went through an option appraisal on alternatives. This is normal practice and to ensure val…
9 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will establish an outreach training centre for dentists in Aberdeen; whether it will give details of any consultation exercise on the matter, including when any such exercise will be undertaken; whether it will provide details on any subsequent consultation on the need to develo…
Answer · Tom McCabe: In a <I>Partnership for a Better Scotland</I> we highlighted our commitment to the development of an outreach centre and the associated increase in dental students to occupy such a centre. This is at present part of an outline cost appraisal exercise being un…
4 Jun 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to reduce drug-related crime.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: During our first term of Government we established the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) which, together with Scottish police forces and other law enforcement partners, is tackling drug-related crime across Scotland. In our second Programme for Governme…
29 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34605 by Mr Andy Kerr on 24 March 2003, how much of the #1.8 million allocated to the rates relief scheme for the white fish industry (a) has been paid out and (b) is expected to be paid out and whether any fish processing businesses have benefited f…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally, as hardship relief is administered by local authorities. However, local authorities have been asked to provide details of the relief granted to the Scottish Executive by the end of November 2003.
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to promote the medical prescribing of heroin for long-term addicts and, if so, what these plans are.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no current plans to promote the medical prescribing of heroin for long-term addicts. We will continue to keep in touch with our counterparts in England and Wales on this question.
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the economy of drug-related crime has been in each of the last four years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33413 on 3 February 2003. 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…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of court cases related to drugs in each of the last four years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available data is given in the following table. The statistics for persons proceeded against for drug offences relate to instances where the main offence involved the illegal importation, cultivation, supply or possession of drugs. Other offences may be d…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prison inmates have been sentenced for drug-related offences in each of the last four years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The available information is:<P>Percentage of Sentenced Prisoners in Custody on 30 June in Each of the Last Four Years Where the Main Crime/Off…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to tackling drug misuse for each of the last four years, broken down into (a) enforcement and (b) treatment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Expenditure on tackling drug misuse comes from a wide range of specific and mainstream programmes, which are administered at national and local levels. It is, therefore, extremely difficult to provide comprehensive and robust aggregate figures. In addition, d…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug misusers there have been (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board area in each of the last four years, showing the percentage increase in each year.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The term "registered drug misuser" no longer exists. Information on the numbers of people misusing drugs is not available on an annual basis.
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any further recommendations from Sir John Arbuthnott in relation to the distribution of NHS funds and, if so, whether it will give details of the recommendations and what the timescale will be for any ministerial decisions being taken in respect of this matter.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Standing Committee on Resource Allocation, chaired by Sir John Arbuthnott, has completed a piece of research on unmet need. This is currently being considered by officials and a ministerial decision on the implementation of that work will be taken in due …
21 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any dentists are not accepting children as new NHS patients and, if so, what information it has on the matter, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.
19 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken, or remain to be taken, as a result of the most recent activity analysis undertaken by the police service.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The most recent activity analysis undertaken by the police service was in February 2003 in connection with assessment work around the tenders for a prisoner escort and court custody project. That project is still under consideration. <P>The last general activ…
12 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about any bonuses being paid to local authority chief executives who acted as returning officers in the local authority and Scottish Parliament elections on 1 May 2003.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-67 today. 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/webapp/search_w…
12 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities about any payment of bonuses to local authority chief executives who acted as returning officers in the local authority and Scottish Parliament elections on 1 May 2003.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has not had any discussions with local authorities or received any information about payments of bonuses to returning officers at the local government elections on 1 May 2003. The conduct and funding of parliamentary elections is reserv…
7 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will accept, or propose amendments to, the latest European Commission cod recovery plan.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We are considering the proposals, which are likely to be subject to substantive discussion and negotiation - and possible amendment - before any decisions are taken in Council.
7 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications there have been for the fisheries rates relief package.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Applications for rates relief are made to local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
7 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to extend the length of period for which aid will be made available to the fishing industry.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Our current priority is to ensure EC State Aid approval to, and implementation of, the existing scheme proposals.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to HM Treasury in regard to the tax paid as a result of the last fishing vessel decommissioning scheme.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No such representations have been made.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account it takes of any tax paid by the recipients of grants it made to decommission fishing vessels when it awards the grants and what information it has on how much tax was paid, expressed as a percentage of the total amount of such grants, and on how much is expected to be paid by…
Answer · Ross Finnie: No account is taken of the tax position of applicants when assessing decommissioning bids. Taxation policy is a reserved matter for the Inland Revenue. The information requested is not held centrally.