Parliamentary questions
Stewart Stevenson
2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly cost was of detaining (a) males and (b) females in prison (i) on remand awaiting trial and (ii) after sentence in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Such information is not availablein respect of remand and sentenced prisoners. The average annual cost per prisonerplace is detailed …
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the total carbon emission from each of its departments in each year since 1997.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No estimates have been madeof total annual carbon emissions from each of the Executive’s departments. Emissionsdata for Scotland are categorised by sector according to the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change Common Reporting Format. These are available i…
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many educational premises have been declared unfit for use since 1997.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The management of educationalpremises falls to those responsible for them, for example, local authorities inthe case of local authority schools. Detailed information of the kind requestedis not held centrally.</p>
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign teachers, excluding language assistants, are working in maintained (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, broken down by (i) nationality and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Teacher census collects informationon national identity in the following categories, Scottish, British English, NorthernIrish, Welsh, Irish and Other. The following table shows the number of teachersidentifying themselves as non-UK nationals.</p><p>Number…
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which countries ministers and officials plan to visit on official business by the end of (a) December 2006 and (b) June 2007.
Answer · Tom McCabe: We announce overseas visitsby ministers at appropriate times in advance of the visits’ taking place,bearing in mind programme planning and security considerations, and ourdiscussions with visit hosts. We expect ministers’ visits in coming months toinclude tra…
3 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
29 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time has been for physiotherapy in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p><p>The first nationalcollection of information on waiting times for services provided by AlliedHealth Professionals, including physiotherapy, was undertaken on 14 September 2005. Theresults from this cen…
29 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average hourly rate it paid to employment agencies for agency staff, broken down by Executive department and employment agency, in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executivecurrently has two central contracts for the provision of agency staff. Administrativeand clerical staff are supplied through a contract placed with Pertemps. Acontract is also in place for the provision of interim managers with Hays.</p>…
29 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new houses have been built in each constituency since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Informationon the number of new house built is not recorded by parliamentary constituency.The following table shows the number of new houses built since 1999 in each localauthority area, which is the administrative unit used for reporting the information.</p>…
26 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which accident and emergency departments have been (a) closed and (b) downgraded in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not heldin the form requested. NHS boards are responsible for the configuration of accidentand emergency services in the areas they serve. Any changes to these serviceshave been and will continue to be made in the interest of maintainingapp…
26 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS beds in specialist facilities are available for spinal cord-injured patients and how many were available in (a) 1990, (b) 1995, (c) 2000 and (d) 2005.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the average numberof available staffed beds in spinal units for the years ending 31 March 1990,1995, 2000 and 2005 is shown in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=123 valign=top> <p>Y…
26 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time was for results of (a) breast cancer and (b) genetic tests in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: For those presenting withsigns and symptoms a variety of tests may be used to diagnose breast cancereither on their own or in combination. These include physical examination,mammography, ultrasound, needle (core) biopsy, fine needle aspiration, bloodtests and…
26 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many women aged under 30 are smokers and what the figure was (a) five and (b) 10 years ago.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The following table detailsthe information available.</p><p>Smoking Prevalence Amongst WomenAged 16-29 in 1995, 1999 and 2004</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=76 valign=top> <p>Year</p> </td> <td width=167 valig…
26 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many internal leak inquiries it has conducted in each year since 1999, broken down by department.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has carriedout a total of 28 leak investigation since 1999.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=37 valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Number of Inves…
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to ensure that each prison has secure access to out-of-doors recreational facilities.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>All prisons allow prisonersto appropriately secure out-of-doors exercise areas, in accordance with Rule 89of the Prisons & Young Offender…
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) serious assaults, (b) other assaults and (c) other criminal acts committed in prisons have been referred to the police or prosecution service for action in each of the last three years, broken down by prison and, of these, how many resulted in a decision not to proceed.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>Such acts are normallyreported to the police but no consistent record is maintained, nor is SPSroutinely notified of the outcome by the polic…
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties have been imposed on Reliance in relation to its Scottish Prison Service contract for prisoner transport, broken down by (a) value and (b) number of penalties.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>I refer the member to the question S2W-25470 answeredon 11 May 2006 which sets out what information the SPS and Reliancehave agreed to publis…
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) maximum, (b) median and (c) average times are to fill medical vacancies in prisons, broken down by category of medical staff.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>I refer the member to thequestion S2W-27084, answered on 24 July 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Pa…
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what premiums are paid to medical staff of any discipline to work in prisons.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>I refer the member to thequestion S2W-27084, answered on 24 July 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the …
23 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for medical staff of any discipline there are in each prison.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>Medical services in prisonsare provided by external contractors. Employment matters are therefore theresponsibility of the applicable contrac…
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses that began trading since 1997 have subsequently ceased trading, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Data on the number of VATregistrations and de-registrations are collected by the Small Business Service, an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry.Businesses thatare registered for VAT can be tracked from the time they first register untilthe time tha…
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were treated by the NHS for wounds caused by (a) a knife, (b) a dagger, (c) a sword, (d) other types of bladed article and (e) a firearm in each year since 1997; of these, what proportion were (i) male and (ii) female, and how many of these were admitted to hospital a…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isgiven in a document patients discharged from hospital who have been treated fora wound caused by a knife, sword, dagger, other bladed articles or firearms,1997-2005 a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Cent…
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fires there were in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local education authority.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information is not availablein the format requested.</p><p>The number of fires inschools (both primary and secondary) is shown in the following table by fireand rescue service area.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td widt…
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of emergency fire service call-outs to schools in each of the last 10 years resulted from hoax calls.
Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of fires in (a) schools, (b) higher education institutions and (c) further education colleges in each of the last 10 years were started deliberately.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information is notavailable in the format requested.</p><p>The proportion of fires in (a)schools and (b) further and higher education premises that were starteddeliberately is shown in the following table.</p><p>Deliberate Firesin Schools and Further Educ…
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many faulty (a) fire extinguishers and (b) smoke alarms were identified in schools in the each of the last five years.
Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
21 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent communications, public relations and marketing staff it has employed in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information from 2002 onwardsis set out in the following table. It would only be possible to provide abreakdown of the data prior to this date at disproportionate cost.</p><p>The information coversspecialist staff employed by media and communications (M&C…
20 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentistry practices (a) serve NHS patients and (b) are available for new NHS patients in each NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The number of practices thatwere providing NHS general dental services in each NHS board area at 31 March 2006 is shownin the following table. Information on practices accepting new NHS patients is notcollected centrally.</p><p>Number of Practices<sup>1</sup>…
20 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to determine the allocation of resources to independent sector health treatment centres and what account it takes of the distance between facilities providing similar services.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are currently noindependent sector treatment centres in Scotland. A procurement is currently underway by NHS Taysidefor an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital,which is scheduled to be operational in the autumn of this year.</p><p>…
20 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what approved independent sector health treatment centres there are and how many elective procedures are expected to be carried out annually at each centre.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are currently noindependent sector treatment centres in Scotland. A procurement is currently underway by NHS Taysidefor an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital,which is scheduled to be operational in the autumn of this year.</p><p>…