Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a scheme will be introduced to help low income families pay their water charges.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Water charges are currently linked to council tax bands; this provides significant protection for a large number of low-income households. Despite this, the Executive recognises that recent increases in charges may have presented some households with difficul…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug addicts there were in (a) each health board area and (b) each of Scotland's cities in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Following the closure of the Addicts Index in April 1997 the term 'registered drug addict' is no longer used. However the following statistics show the number of new problem drug users attending specialist treatment services or GP practices, for treatment for…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatalities there have been in road accidents so far this year and in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force area and (b) parliamentary region in each case.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. Information is collated by local authority area and by police force area but not by parliamentary region.<P ALIGN="…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Rural Development intends to use the title of Fisheries Minister.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I will use this designation in appropriate circumstances.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the increased expenditure resulting from the recent Spending Review will release any additional funding for the water industry and, if so, whether it will detail how much and over what period and what the implications will be for the water authorities' external finance limits.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Spending Review figures were announced in resource terms. This means that Scottish Assigned Budget now scores the full capital expenditure made by the water authorities rather than just the loans and grants, otherwise known as the External Finance Limit, …
30 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who will represent Scotland at the next meeting of the European Community Fisheries Council.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I will attend the next meeting of the Fisheries Council, which will take place on 17 November in Brussels.
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS owned medical equipment (a) in each NHS Trust and (b) Scotland is beyond its standard life.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10616.
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any investigation into any implications for patient care of NHS Trusts using medical equipment that is deemed to be beyond its standard life and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has not carried out such an investigation. It is for NHS Trusts to ensure all medical equipment is safe for use by patients and staff and to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for maintenance and replacement.<FONT FACE="A…
24 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to replace medical equipment deemed to be beyond its standard life in (a) each NHS Trust and (b) Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Details of NHS Trust medical equipment replacement programmes are not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Executive is committed to increasing the monies available for capital expenditure in the NHS in Scotland to improve equipment and facilities to improve…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7968 by Mr John Home Robertson on 3 July 2000, when assistance will become available for the fish processing industry under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance; what plans it has for additional measures to assist the fish processing secto…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: As announced recently we are making an additional £11 million in FIFG funding available for fisheries over the next three financial years. Aid for developments in the processing sector designed to help secure its long-term future will be one of the key f…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place in NHS Trusts to ensure that an adequate level of up-to-date and appropriate training is provided for medical staff and whether any new measures are planned to improve internal training audits.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education is responsible for ensuring that all doctors in training receive adequate, appropriate and up-to-date training following the guidelines laid down by the Specialist Training Authority of the Me…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much government funding was made available to the fish processing industry in each of the last three years and what the nature was of any such funding.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The following assistance was paid, by way of grant, to the fish processing industry in Scotland from the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance and the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department. This assistance was in respect of capital projects for th…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of white fish has been landed in each month of this year and what the total landed figures were for each of the last three years, broken down by species in each case.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The information requested on the volume of whitefish landed in each month of this year (all vessels) for the main whitefish species - i.e. yearly landings of 20 tonnes or more - is provided in the table attached. The equivalent total landed figures for each o…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic value was of the fish processing industry in each of the last five years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The most current information on the economic value of the fish processing industry is provided in the table attached. The information comes from the Scottish Production Database where the most current data is for 1997.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently employed in the fish processing industry, broken down by parliamentary region, and how many were employed in each region in each of the past three years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The most recent information available on current employment in the fish processing industry is provided in the following table. The information comes from the Scottish Production Database where the most current data is for 1997. For reasons of disclosure the …
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving violence and aggression were perpetrated against members of the police service in each of the last five years broken down by police force, showing the percentage increases or decreases for each year and including separate figures for physical and verbal abuse,…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is not held centrally in the form requested. The following table shows the number of assaults on police officers in each of the last five years broken down by force, and the percentage increase or decrease for each year.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACI…
16 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving violence and aggression were perpetrated against members of the Scottish Ambulance Service in each of the last five years broken down by division, showing the percentage increases or decreases for each year and including separate figures for physical and verba…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The statistical information requested is not available centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service, however, has statistical data on violence towards its staff and that can be obtained by writing to Mr Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, …
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make additional resources available to voluntary groups dealing with stress in rural areas and, in particular, to those working with farmers.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive gives funding to Stresswatch Scotland, which provides advice and support to sufferers of stress and their families across Scotland, including in rural communities. The Executive is also in regular contact with other bodies which help to tackle t…
6 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether public authorities within its general responsibilities can apply for exemption from the Competition Act 1998 and whether it has any plans to make representations to Her Majesty's Government for such exemptions to apply to the water industry.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Applications to the UK Government to be exempted from the provisions of the Competition Act 1998 may be made by any public authorities for which the Scottish Executive is responsible. No such application has been made in the case of the water authorities. <P …
6 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9352 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 September 2000, whether it will provide information on the number of persons with a charge proved in sheriff and district courts and the number of these where the main offence involved was aggravated by having been commit…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the following table. Summary data for 1999 on criminal proceedings in Scottish courts are expected to be published by the end of this year.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Number of persons with a charge proved in sheriff and district<…
4 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the saithe quota for fishing vessels.
Answer · John Home Robertson: At last year's December Fisheries Council, we successfully invoked Hague Preference for West of Scotland Saithe. This provided an additional 1,840 tonnes of saithe for UK fishermen this year.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">We shall examine closely the scientific advice on…
4 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Promoting and Protecting Freshwater Fisheries, whether it plans to initiate any legislation in addition to the Salmon Conservation Bill.
Answer · John Home Robertson: 230 responses were received during the consultation period on "Protecting and Promoting" and these are currently being analysed. An announcement about future action will be made in due course.
4 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the membership of each District Salmon Fishery Board.
Answer · John Home Robertson: This information is not yet held centrally. However, the Rural Affairs Department holds lists of the Chairperson and Clerk for each District Salmon Fishery Board and copies have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The department intends…
26 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current state is of cod stocks off the west coast of Scotland, whether any new measures are planned in connection with the management of such stocks and, if so, what discussions have taken place with the industry.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The need for management measures for west of Scotland cod will be considered in the light of scientific advice from the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM). We expect this advice by November 2000. If the nature of the advice suggests that new mana…
19 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being put in place to reduce bed blocking in the NHS in Grampian and to increase the number of long-term care beds available and what plans it has to ensure the provision of services this winter in NHS hospitals in Grampian.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Ministers have already acted to safeguard NHS services this winter. £10 million has been made available to local authorities primarily to tackle problems arising from delays in discharging patients and a further £60 million has gone to the NHS mainly to targe…
19 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds are blocked in the NHS in Grampian.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Based on recent information from Grampian Health Board there were 256 patients experiencing a delay of 10 days or more in their discharge to alternative continuing care.
18 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assessment has been or will be made of the impact of the proposed Climate Change Levy on the fishing industry.
Answer · John Home Robertson: The climate change levy will not affect fuel for fishing vessels. Fish processors are subject to the levy but are eligible for 80% rebates available under the Food and Drink Federation's Climate Change Levy Discount Scheme. The Sea Fish Industry Authority has…
18 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has a role in drafting answers to relevant parliamentary questions and, if so, whether it will list those questions with which the SQA has assisted.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Questions which relate purely to operational matters for SQA have been passed to the Chairman for reply. Replies to other questions have drawn upon factual information supplied by the SQA as necessary. Other than this they have no role in drafting answers to …
13 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence given to the Rural Affairs Committee by representatives of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency on 4 July 2000 (Official Report col. 1081), whether it has now received any further information from the Canadian Government about the level of sterility of the cro…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Investigations by the Canadian authorities are continuing and we still await definitive information. The Scottish Executive's concern at this delay is shared by the UK Government which has sought recently from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency a progress re…
13 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of drug dealing offences in each of the last three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information on persons convicted of drug offences in Scotland is given in the following table:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Persons convicted in Scottish courts of drugs offences, 1996-1998<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=472><TR><TD WIDTH="…