Parliamentary questions

Dr Richard Simpson

2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has provided on the introduction of test purchasing of alcohol in each police force area.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Society for Chief Officersfor Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers(ACPOS) in association with the Crown Office Prosecution Fiscal Service (COPFS)have worked together to produce an operational protocol drawing…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that under-18-year-olds cannot buy cigarettes from vending machines in hotels and other premises.

Answer · Shona Robison: Sales of cigarettes, includingfrom vending machines, are governed by the provisions of the Children and Young Person (Scotland) Act1937. Trading standards officers routinely enforce the law in relation to vendingmachines in the same way as they do at other po…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it plans to give to local authorities to enable trading standards officers to undertake tobacco and alcohol test purchasing.

Answer · Shona Robison: Trading standards officers currentlydo not undertake alcohol test purchasing which is the responsibility of the police.The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland withrecord levels of funding over the period covered by the spending …

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take against premises that have been alleged, on the basis of test purchasing, to have sold restricted goods.

Answer · Shona Robison: The enforcement authorities -Trading Standards Officers and police - are responsible for reporting to the ProcuratorFiscal alleged breaches of the law relating to the sale of age-restricted goods.The Procurator Fiscal then decides what action to take. Where a…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what demand there is for rehabilitation services (a) across Scotland and (b) in each local authority area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Demand varies across Scotland dependingon drug availability and drug use. Because of this variability, information is notheld centrally but we expect delivery partners to be aware of and meet this demandwith an appropriate range of services available locally.…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are adequate residential and day-based drug rehabilitation services available across Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are over 230 services listedin the National Directory of Drug Services in Scotland, including 26 which offera residential option. Further information on these services can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottishdrugservices.com/">www.scottishdrugservice…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit will be of the commission, referred to in the SNP manifesto, to establish a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit of a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base, as promised in the SNP manifesto, will include consideration of Scotland’s record in dealing with the social impact of drugs and substance abuse.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timeline will be for the establishment of a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base, as promised in the SNP manifesto.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committedto developing a new National Drugs Strategy, which is informed by evidence and built, as far as possible, aroundconsensus. As part of developing our strategywe will consider how best the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug …

11 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that, in addition to doctors in specialist training at ST2 level, all doctors currently engaged in advanced postgraduate research, including those studying for higher degrees such as MD, will have an equal opportunity to apply for ST3 training posts.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All trainee doctors with appropriatequalifications and experience can apply for specialty training posts. An additional30 training posts at ST3 level have been created this year across medical specialities.This should ensure that there are sufficient places a…

13 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-32287 by Des McNulty on 8 March 2007, whether it has taken a view on whether local NHS boards should be statutory consultees for planning applications concerning large housing developments to enable the impact of such developments on local housing se…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-4069 on 20 September 2007. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make it a requirement on planning authorities to notify and consult community health partnerships about any housing development of a size that might affect local community health services.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We are currentlyconsidering what, if any, changes should be made to the list of statutory consulteeswho are required to be consulted on certain types of planning application. Wewould be need to be reassured that any additional statutory consultee has thecapac…

6 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-32287 by Des McNulty on 20 March 2007, whether it has now given consideration to including NHS boards in any list of statutory consultees whom the planning authority must approach in preparing a development plan.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There areundoubtedly important linkages between the planning and health systems,including the implications of major proposed developments on the delivery ofhealth services. The involvement of health boards in the development planprocess is therefore desirable…