Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish a national strategy for asthma and what steps it is taking to train more asthma nurse specialists.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no plans for a national strategy for asthma. I have, however, arranged to meet representatives of the National Asthma Campaign Scotland, the British Lung Foundation and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland to discuss services for people with ast…
30 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15440 by Sarah Boyack on 11 May 2001, whether it will give a breakdown of the #3 million "other public/private sector funding" towards the M74 northern extension between Parkhead and the Kingston Bridge, detailing who the parties involved are.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18394 on 5 October 2001. It is too early to provide a breakdown of contributions or details of the parties involved.
30 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what national standards are in existence which define the area of playground required in schools.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is a requirement for every school to have, immediately adjacent to the school building, an outdoor area or areas laid out and surfaced for educational and recreational activities. The area of such space is not currently defined and will vary according t…
30 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding for the provision of library books was allocated by each local authority in each of the past five years.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The information requested is not held centrally. Statutory responsibility for local libraries lies with local authorities. It is for the local authorities themselves to determine the level of resources allocated for the library service which they provide for …
30 Jan 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it plans to make available to NHS Greater Glasgow for the modernisation of hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Greater Glasgow will be required to develop Business Cases for the implementation of the modernisation of acute hospital services in Glasgow. The resource implications and proposals for meeting them will form part of each Business Case. Decisions on meeti…
24 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many infection control nurses currently in training will be posted to hospitals in the Greater Glasgow NHS board area after their training is completed.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information required is not available centrally.
24 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many infection control nurses are currently employed by each NHS trust in the Greater Glasgow NHS board area, broken down by hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information required is not available centrally.<P>Prior to 30 September 2001, a new occupation code was introduced on the Scottish Standard Payroll System to identify infection control nurses and trusts were asked to record the appropriate staff in this …
11 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to provide sufficient secure establishments for children and young people in order to avoid any necessity to use adult prisons.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: There are 95 secure places in Scotland and we have over twice the proportion of children in secure accommodation as in England and three times as many as in Wales. The Secure Accommodation Advisory Group's interim report concluded that the available data did …
11 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children and young people aged (a) under 16 and (b) from 16 to 18 in each sheriff court area have been held in adult establishments in each of the last three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The information requested is given in tables titled, "Receptions of young offenders into adult establishments by age, court and establishm…
12 Dec 2001 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what plans it has to assess the impact on its policy on fuel poverty resulting from the proposal by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets to remove price controls from the electricity market.
Answer · Iain Gray: The effect on the number of fuel poor households will be monitored. I understand that the recent announcement by Ofgem is intended to introduce greater competition in the provision of domestic electricity in Scotland. As such it is welcomed. Our policy of tak…
10 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17591 by Susan Deacon on 6 September 2001, what budget has been allocated to the Scottish Medicines Consortium and what the source of funding is for that budget.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The work of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will be funded through support from the Health Technology Board for Scotland and through drawing on the expertise and skills of Scotland's network of local Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees.
10 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether agendas of meetings of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will be published in advance of such meetings.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Agendas of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will not be published in advance of its meetings. However, minutes of the consortium's meetings will be published on its website.
10 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when minutes of meetings of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will be published.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The minutes of the Scottish Medicines Consortium's meetings will be published on the Consortium's website following their approval at the consortium's next monthly meeting. They will also be available from the consortium on request.
10 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18850 by Susan Deacon on 23 November 2001, on what date it expects to place a full list of the members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Two meetings to agree how a Scottish Medicines Consortium should operate have taken place. A list of the members of the consortium will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre if they are agreed at a meeting to be held on 8 January 2002.
29 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision on whether beta interferon should be available on prescription will be made.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Beta interferon is available on NHS prescription and its use depends on the clinical judgement of the specialist concerned, informed by advice and evidence about its use.<P>The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Health Technology Board …
29 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what appeals process against its decisions on the approval of medical products is in place.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: When a medicine receives a UK marketing authorisation, either from the Medicines Control Agency or the European Medicines Evaluation Authority, it becomes prescribable on the NHS unless it is added to Schedule 10, or in certain circumstances, Schedule 11 to t…
29 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses in deciding whether to recommend the prescription of particular pharmaceutical products on the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: When a medicine receives a UK marketing authorisation, either from the Medicines Control Agency or the European Medicines Evaluation Authority, it becomes prescribable on the NHS unless it is added to Schedule 10, or in certain circumstances, Schedule 11 to t…
29 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage more use of public library facilities.
Answer · Elaine Murray: Statutory responsibility for local libraries lies solely with local authorities. The Executive is funding the Scottish Library and Information Council with £110,000 in 2001-02. £11.5 million is available through the New Opportunities Fund for the Public Libra…
29 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for local authorities in respect of their library book provision.
Answer · Elaine Murray: Statutory responsibility for local libraries lies solely with local authorities. In Scotland, standards for public library services were introduced by COSLA in 1986 and revised in 1995. Under these standards the target for the lending of adult books is 280 it…
27 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the arrangements for planning consent in respect of houses in multiple occupation.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to change the arrangements for planning consent in respect of houses in multiple occupation, but it will continue to keep the matter under review in the light of experience with the implementation of licensing un…
27 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether some local authorities do not require the owners of houses in multiple occupation to seek planning consent for houses which are occupied by five persons or less while other local authorities require owners to seek planning consent for houses which are occupied by three persons or …
Answer · Iain Gray: The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997 (the 1997 Order) specifies in Class 9 that, among other things, changes in the level of occupancy of a house between the following groups: a single person, people living together as a family an…
26 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18907 by Jackie Baillie on 2 November 2001, whether its review of the Grants for Rent or Owner Occupation scheme has been completed.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has now concluded its review of the Grants for Rent or Owner Occupation (GRO) scheme, which included detailed discussion with the European Commission. As a result of these discussions the commission has given formal approval that the GR…
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the time taken for cases of enforcement action against Houses in Multiple Occupation to reach court.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20345.
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Procurators Fiscal require varying types and levels of evidence from tenants and landlords prior to prosecution and, if so, what the reasons are.
Answer · Colin Boyd: In considering a report of an offence in relation to houses in multiple occupation, as in considering any report of any offence, procurators fiscal are under a duty to be satisfied that there is evidence available which is sufficient in law to prove the offen…
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing any problems experienced by local authorities when taking enforcement action against Houses in Multiple Occupation which are operating without a license.
Answer · Iain Gray: In line with the recommendation of the research commissioned by the Scottish Office on the discretionary licensing schemes, the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 2000 which introduced mandatory licensing t…
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 for each individual local authority.
Answer · Iain Gray: Local authorities were asked to set challenging but achievable targets for improving home energy efficiency over 10-15 years from April 1997. They have set their own targets accordingly, but these may change over time.
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Housing Improvement Task Force will publish its "issues" report.
Answer · Iain Gray: The current intention is that the task force will meet towards the end of January 2002 to consider an issues report based on the first stage of its work. I hope that it will be possible to publish the report for wider consultation shortly thereafter.
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available to ensure that architects are trained on the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 that affect their profession.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The allocation of funds to individual higher education institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). Ministers are explicitly prevented from attaching conditions to the grant to SHEFC by reference to particular institutio…
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the curriculum for postgraduate qualification for architects includes person-centred training on the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 that affect their profession.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: It is for higher education institutions themselves to determine the content of programmes they offer. Ministers have no powers of intervention. I understand that, where higher education institutions' programmes are intended to lead to recognition by a profess…
23 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the curriculum for trainee architects includes effective person-centred training on the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 that affect their profession.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: It is for higher education (HE) institutions themselves to determine the content of programmes they offer. Ministers have no powers of intervention. Where HE institutions' programmes are intended to lead to recognition by a professional body, it is common pra…