Parliamentary questions
Stewart Stevenson
2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for patients before entering a methadone maintenance treatment programme in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Average waiting times are notregarded as a particularly effective measure of the availability and efficiencyof drug services. Rather, the information compiled by Alcohol and Drug Action Teams(ADATs) and submitted to Information Services Division specifies the…
4 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its computer accounts have been hacked into in each year since 1999, broken down by department.
Answer · Tom McCabe: There have been no reported incidentsof account hacking on Scottish Executive systems in the years concerned.</p>
4 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local sport strategies it has promoted in each year since 1999.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: <b>Sport</b>scotland, on behalf of the Executive, works closelywith all 32 local authorities in developing sporting opportunities within theirareas. The development of sport strategies within the community planningprocess is an integral part of the strategic …
29 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into loss of jobs in the fishing industry since 1999.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive regularlymonitors employment, costs and earnings of the fishing industry in Scotland. Theresults of these studies are published, for example in the annual Sea FisheriesStatistical Bulletin, with accompanying commentary. The most importa…
29 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing vessels have been (a) deregistered and (b) decommissioned since 1999.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Details of all Scottish basedvessels which have been deregistered in each of the years since 1999 are asfollows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=52 valign=top> <p>1999</p> </td> <td width=124 valign=top> <p align=right>156…
29 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that a strategy exists for quota management in the pelagic fishing industry.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive, has establishedan industry-led Pelagic Strategy Group to consider the long-term future of the Scottishpelagic industry. It is hoped that this group will help develop thinking for a forwardstrategy for Scottish pelagic sector, in partic…
29 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence it has had regarding clawback in pelagic quotas.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has receiveda range of correspondence regarding clawback on this issue which, by its nature,covers a number of complex and sensitive issues (involving legal and commerciallyconfidential matters), including an on-going criminal investiga…
29 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has undertaken in respect of the impact on employment and productivity within the fishing industry of any clawback in pelagic quotas.
Answer · Ross Finnie: A socio-economic study has beenundertaken to assess the potential impact of a range of payback scenarios and soinform matters currently the subject of international discussions with the EU authorities.</p>
23 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences involving air guns there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down into those committed by persons aged (a) under 16 and (b) 16 and over, in each police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The number of recorded crimes and offences involving air weapons and unidentified weapons in the last ten years, and the age breakdown of the main accused, where known, by police force area, are given in the following tables.</p><p>There have been changes in …
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff the Scottish Tourist Board and VisitScotland employed in (a) the United States of America, (b) Canada, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) France, (f) the Netherlands and (g) Belgium in each year since 1990.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Neither VisitScotland nor the Scottish Tourist Board before it has directly employed any staff in the United Statesof America, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands or Belgium since 1990.In some cases, VisitScotland contract with local marketing, PR…
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Tourist Board and VisitScotland spent on marketing Scotland in (a) the United States of America, (b) Canada, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) France, (f) the Netherlands and (g) Belgium in each year since 1990.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: This is an operational matterfor VisitScotland. I will ask the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to write to youdirect on this matter.</p>
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bookings for outdoor activities have been made through visitscotland.com since its launch (a) in total and (b) broken down by tourist board area.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Visitscotland.com acts as animportant source of information to our many visitors who come to Scotland toparticipate in outdoor activities. It provides information about the outdooractivities on offer, as well as providing a facility for booking accommodationa…
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff have been employed by VisitScotland and what its staff costs have been in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) department and (b) salary band.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The number of full timeequivalent staff employed by VisitScotland in each year since 1999 along withtheir associated costs is shown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=71 valign=top> <p>Year</p> </td> <t…
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what VisitScotland’s central administration costs have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of its total budget for each year.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The VisitScotland central administrationcosts in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of its total budget,are shown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Year…
21 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what VisitScotland’s salary bill has been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of its total budget for each year.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The VisitScotland salary costsin each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of its total budget, areshown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=100 valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> …
18 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce targets for general dental services (GDS) provided by independent GDS practioners.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Criteria already exist for thepayment of certain allowances such as the higher rate of general dental practiceallowance where an additional 6% is payable, making a total payment of 12% of NHSearnings to those dental practices which (a) treat all categories of…
18 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any general dental practioners have been fined, disciplined or otherwise excluded, in part or in total, from providing NHS general dental services due to their being unable to provide satisfactorily responsive delivery of treatment.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information is not held centrallyon the number of dentists found in breach of their terms of service under NHS generaldental services (GDS) by NHS Discipline Committees.</p><p>The NHS tribunal has directedthe national disqualification from NHS board dental li…
18 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average and maximum waiting times are for an appointment for dental treatment in general dental services, other than for routine examinations, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
17 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-26952 which received a holding reply on 17 July 2006.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested inS2W-26952 is currently being collated and will be provided as soon as possible.</p>
3 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on cattle movement legislation in light DEFRA’s admission that the EU law it used to prosecute a Flintshire farmer in March 2006 had been repealed and was yet to be replaced, and what the poten…
Answer · Ross Finnie: On 10 June 2006 Defra made SEERADaware that the enforcement powers of the Cattle Identification Regulations 1998(CIR) and the Cattle Database Regulations 1998 (CDR) may not be effective as theywere not updated when Council Regulation (EC) 820/97 was revoked a…
3 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers have been convicted of cattle livestock movement offences in each year since August 2000, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Twenty-four people have beenconvicted under the Cattle Identification Regulations and the Cattle Database Regulationssince August 2000. This information is available by Procurator Fiscal (PF) areaas follows:</p><p>1 August 2000 to 31 December 2000: one convic…
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff have left the Scottish Environment Protection Agency other than through retirement in each quarter since January 2003.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive. As this is an operational matter for the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency (SEPA) I have asked Dr Campbell Gemmell, Chief Executiveof SEPA, to respond to the question direct.</p>
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who authorises the employment of additional staff by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: It is a matter for the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency to determine the staffing complement required to meetits statutory obligations and to appoint such employees as it thinks fit withinthe terms of its management statement and financial memorandum, su…
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff employed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are (a) graduates and (b) non-graduates.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive. As this is an operational matter for the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency I have asked Dr Campbell Gemmell, Chief Executiveof SEPA, to respond to the question direct.</p>
26 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Communities will reply to my letter of 12 June 2006 regarding Supporting People.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Johann Lamont replied on my behalfon 3 August 2006.</p>
25 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the detection rate was in 2005-06 for (a) theft and handling of stolen goods, (b) fraud and forgery, (c) criminal damage, (d) violence against the person, (e) sexual offences, (f) robbery and (g) all violent crimes.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information will not beavailable until the publication, on 5 September 2006, of <i>Recorded Crime in </i><i>Scotland</i><i>, 2005-06</i>,a Scottish Executive National Statistics publication, which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publi…
25 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) violent crimes and (b) crimes were committed in each police force area in each of the last 20 years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: For the number of non-sexualcrimes of violence recorded by the police, 1990 to 2004, by police force area, Irefer the member to the answer to question S2W-27226 on 2 August 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s …
25 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers (a) retired and (b) retired on the grounds of ill health in each year since 1997, broken down by category of illness.
Answer · George Lyon: Table one contains details ofage retirements from 1 April 1997 in the Scottish Teachers Superannuation Scheme [STSS]:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Year to 31 March</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p alig…
24 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what proportion of people aged between 16 and 24 declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1997
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Accountant in Bankruptcydoes not hold records of sequestrations by age. However, the Accountant in Bankruptcyundertook an exercise to extract what data could be retrieved manually.</p><p>Thedata available covers the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2006. D…
19 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on repairing toilets in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the last 12 months.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested isnot collected centrally.</p>