Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24402 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 April 2002, what the expenditure on transport improvements will be to 31 March 2004, including schemes that have already been delivered, or will be delivered, but also including additional spending commitments arising f…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Additional spending commitments arising from decisions taken since November 2001, broken down by geographical area are presented in the following table. The table also includes revised total per capita spend on transport improvements to 31 March 2004. <TABLE …
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated by each NHS board for schemes to tackle (a) alcohol misuse and (b) drug misuse in (i) the current year and (ii) each of the last three years.
Answer · Richard Simpson: The Executive does not collect information on funding allocated by NHS boards for schemes to tackle alcohol problems. These are funded from within boards' general allocations and cannot be separately identified.<P>Information on the expenditure reported by ea…
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of violence and aggression were reported at each hospital in each of the last three years, showing the percentage increase year on year and expressed also as a percentage of overall admissions in each case.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The first national collection of data from NHS boards and trusts on violent and aggressive incidents took place in 2001 for the financial year 2000-01. Collection of the 2001-02 data is currently on-going. Quality assurance of the 2000-01 data has started and…
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding for special responsibilities was allocated to each police force in (a) the current year and (b) each of the last three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: For both 2001-02 and 2002-03, bids for general funding submitted by Scottish police forces have been met in full. In addition, the Executive has provided additional funding to meet certain new demands. These have included:<P>£220,000 to Fife Constabulary in 2…
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much per capita funding was allocated to each police force in (a) the current year and (b) each of the last three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is shown in the following table.<P>Funding Per Capita<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=472><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>2002-03</TD><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>2001-02<…
29 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24633 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 April 2002, what further information it is awaiting in respect of the proposed Youth Convention and what the relevance is of the European Youth Gathering in Murcia, Spain, to the proposed Youth Convention and to potentia…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25469 today. Scottish participation in the Murcia Gathering shows collaborative working with all the devolved administrations and the UK departments in action.
29 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24633 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 April 2002 and following the meeting of Minecor on 25 April 2002, whether it is now able to give its position on Scottish representation on the Youth Convention on the Future of Europe.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A final decision about the composition of the UK delegation to the Youth Convention has not yet been taken. I shall write to the member when this information is available.
29 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much earmarked funding has been received, or will be received, by each NHS board for drug treatment services under the Arbuthnott Substance Misuse Formula (a) since the formula came into use and (b) in future financial years for which budgets are available, expressed in cash terms and…
Answer · Richard Simpson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25154 on 1 May 2002, which detailed allocated resources to each NHS board for drug treatment services for 1998-99 to 2002-03, in cash terms and per capita. The current position is that allocations for 200…
29 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the First Minister's speech to the Committee of the Regions' Commission for Constitutional Affairs and European Governance on 26 April 2002, what "greater role" the First Minister envisages for the Parliament in Europe and when this greater role will be outlined to (a) the Conv…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The reference made by the First Minister in his recent speech to giving national and devolved parliaments in Europe a greater role in the EU decision-making process is fully consistent with previous interventions on this issue. The point was included in the E…
25 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill will allow it to make available all the correspondence between it and Her Majesty's Government in connection with changes to the Scotland/England fishing boundary made in April 1999.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill is not yet in force. As all requests for information made under the bill would be considered on a case-by-case basis, with regard to the exemptions in the bill and the public interest, it is not possible to provide a…
25 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SEhd027/2002 of 25 April 2002, what the implications are for (a) general dental practitioners and (b) acute dental services in (i) Grampian and (ii) Tayside and whether both regions will have full access to available funding.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: General dental practitioners in both areas will benefit from elements of the Executive's "Golden Hello" package directly and indirectly. Grampian is included in the designated areas targeted for additional resources as agreed with the British Dental…
24 Apr 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the delay in the publication of the EU's reform proposals for the Common Fisheries Policy.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is disappointed that the European Commission proposals on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy have so far failed to emerge. We are keen to begin negotiations. However, the Commission is responsible for handling its own work progra…
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of GP referrals to local substance misuse services is in (a) the current year and (b) each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Richard Simpson: Information on the average number of GP referrals to local substance misuse services is not held centrally. However, the following table provides information on the source of referral recorded by new individual patients attending specialist drug services and …
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times were for (a) high-risk and (b) low-risk drug misusers who were referred to local NHS substance misuse services by (i) GPs and (ii) any other route in (1) the current year and (2) each of the last three years.
Answer · Richard Simpson: The information requested is not held centrally.<P>Waiting time information for drug misuse treatment is not held consistently by drug services across Scotland. We do regard waiting times to treatment as important and so we are currently seeking from Drug Act…
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding for general medical services for (a) cash limited and (b) non-cash limited expenditure was allocated to each NHS board in (i) the current year and (ii) each of the last three years expressed per capita, giving any projected or actual overspends and underspends in eac…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=132><P>NHS Board</TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=132><P>1999-2000 GMS Cash Limited Allocation Per Capita<P>(£)</TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIG…
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was awarded to each NHS board for tackling drug misuse in (a) the current year and (b) each of the last five years expressed (i) per capita and (ii) per registered drug misuser.
Answer · Richard Simpson: The following table 1 details the resources allocated to NHS boards for drug treatment services since 1998-99, broken down by NHS board area. Funding for drug services prior to 1998-99 was arranged by contract between the Common Services Agency and individual…
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community psychiatric nurses dealing with the misuse of drugs are (a) currently employed and (b) were employed in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area and expressed (i) per capita and (ii) as a ratio of the number of posts to the number of registered drug mi…
Answer · Richard Simpson: Information held centrally on community psychiatric nurses does not specify the number dealing with the misuse of drugs. The former index of registered drug addicts has been discontinued, so the term "registered drug misuser" is no longer used.
17 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant psychiatrists dealing with substance misuse are (a) currently employed and (b) were employed in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area and expressed (i) per capita and (ii) as a ratio of the number of consultants to the number of registered drug mis…
Answer · Richard Simpson: Information held centrally on consultant psychiatrists does not specify the number that deal with substance misuse. The former index of registered drug addicts has been discontinued, so the term "registered drug misuser" is no longer used.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in respect of each committee listed in Part A - Annex I(a) of the Final adoption of the general budget of the European Union for 2002 (OJ L 29 31/01/02), whether any of its officials attended any meeting of each such committee in 2001 and, in each case, how often.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. Officials have attended appropriate committees where there has been a devolved interest.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which working groups and parties of the European Council have been attended by Scottish Executive officials in the last year.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is set out in the following table. No distinction is made in our records between "working groups" and "working parties": both are classed as working groups.<P>In the year to 28 February 2002 Executive officials attended the following…
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Head of its EU Office in Scotland House has had in the last year with (a) the UK Permanent Representative to the European Union, (b) Directors General of the European Commission and (c) the Director General of the General Secretariat of the European Council.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Staff in the Scottish Executive EU Office have a wide range of meetings, formal and informal, with representatives of EU institutions and bodies, including UKRep, the Commission and the council. It is not our practice to disclose details of such official-lev…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S1W-21028 by Mr Jim Wallace on 22 January 2002, who the members were of each delegation that was led by a Scottish Minister.
Answer · Jim Wallace: On all three occasions the Scottish minister formed the UK ministerial delegation and was supported by officials as appropriate.
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21028 by Mr Jim Wallace on 22 January 2002, whether it will give its definition of "led the UK delegation".
Answer · Jim Wallace: In this context, "led the UK delegation" means that the minister concerned was the primary spokesperson for the UK at the meeting in question.
12 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24417 by Ross Finnie on 9 April 2002, how many vessels which have had decommissioning plans accepted are being, or have been, scrapped in each of the locations mentioned.
Answer · Ross Finnie: As at 15 April, the number of vessels which are being, or have been scrapped at each of the locations listed in the answer provided to question S1W-24417, is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=245><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGH…
12 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new Category A fishing licences, excluding Category A (Pelagic Purser), Category A (Pelagic Free'er) and Category A (Pelagic Trawler), as referred to in paragraph 3 of the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2001, have been issued since the scheme began, regardles…
Answer · Ross Finnie: As previously explained, the Fisheries Departments in the UK operate a restrictive licensing system, whereby anyone wishing to replace an existing vessel, or introduce a new vessel into the fleet, has to acquire an existing licence, or licences for aggregatio…
10 Apr 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make any further information available in support of its recommendation on the future of HM Prison Peterhead.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has provided substantial information in support of our proposals in the Estates Review Consultation documents, but any necessary clarifications will be made available during the consultation period.
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any funding from biotechnology companies involved in genetic modification in each of the last three years and, if so, how much it has received and from which companies.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive has received no such funding in the last three years.<P>There are two statutory regulations which require companies, including some biotechnology companies, to pay money to the Executive or its agencies. The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency …
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been, or are being, taken to rejuvenate village and town high streets in rural areas.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Land use planning contributes to sustainable rural development, which is a key priority for the Executive. The Executive has issued National Planning Policy Guidelines and Planning Advice Notes encouraging the retention of and development of local facilities …
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been, or are being, taken to rejuvenate town and village centres that have been adversely affected by out-of-town retail developments.
Answer · Margaret Curran: National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 8: <I>Town Centres and Retailing</I>, provides guidance to local authorities encouraging the retention and development of local facilities in town and village centres. The Executive has also issued a Planning Advice N…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has had on whether it is legally competent for local authorities to attach planning conditions to planning applications from supermarkets which require the supermarket to source a certain amount of its supplies locally.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive's policy on the use of planning conditions is as set out in Circular 4/1998. This requires that conditions should be necessary, relevant to planning, enforceable, effective, precise and reasonable in all other respects. It is, of course, for ind…