Parliamentary questions
Stewart Stevenson
2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reply to my letter of 30 June 2004 entitled “A90 - Flooding Problems at Stirling Village, Peterhead”.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I replied to your letter on 20 August 2004.</p>
9 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20824 by Allan Wilson on 21 December 2001, what the net benefit or cost of the aggregates tax has been to the economy in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 after taking account of the Aggregates Tax Sustainability Fund.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Assessment of economic impacts of taxation measures is a matter for HM Treasury.</p>
9 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what expenditure items, and to what value, Scotland's share of the Aggregates Tax Sustainability Fund has been spent in 2002-03 and 2003-04 and what plans exist for 2004 to 2007.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Scotland receives a share of the aggregates levy equivalent to the share allocated for environmental purposes to Defra’s Aggregates Levy SustainabilityFund. The Executive administers the use of the funding through the Sustainable Action Fund.</p><p>In 2002-03…
9 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of, and percentage of the total fund, Scotland's share of the Aggregates Tax Sustainability Fund has been, or is expected to be, in the five year period from 2002-03.
Answer · Ross Finnie: 90% of the levy is returned to the economy through a reduction in employers’ National Insurance contributions. The remaining 10% is allocated for environmental purposes to the UK Government and the devolved administrations. The Scottish share of that 10% is c…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of household savings, household liabilities and household debt has been in each of the last five years expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Information on the proportion of private households with savings within broad bands is collected by the Scottish Household Survey. However, it is not possible to estimate the total level of household savings.</p><p>The Executive does not currently collect inf…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases against each department and the agencies for which it is responsible have been brought to employment tribunals in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were ma…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does not hold information related to the number of employment tribunal cases, or the level of any awards, on a central database and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, the Central Office of the Employment Tribun…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road vehicles are operated by each of its departments and agencies; how many personal injury accidents involving road vehicles operated by each department have occurred in each of the last five years, and what its policy is for managing work-related road safety.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of vehicles operated by each of the Scottish Executive’s departments and its agencies are shown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=425> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Scottish Executive Department</p> </td> …
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount paid by each of its departments to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff was in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive currently has two contracts for the provision of agency staff. Administrative and clerical staff are supplied through a contract placed with Pertemps. A contract is also in place for the provision of interim managerswith Hays.</p><p>Emp…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many business failures there have been in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority in each year since 1999.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Accountant in Bankruptcy maintains the Register of Insolvencies in Scotland. Details are held by Sheriffdoms rather than local authority areas and are compiled by financial year. The following tables give the number of liquidations and receiverships for t…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of rent arrears has been in each local authority in each year since 1999.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Levels of rent arrears for local authority tenants are shown in the following table </p><p>Local Authority Rent Arrears (£ m) as at December of Each Year</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=559> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Authority</p> </td>…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9544 by Mr Jim Wallace on the 22 July 2004, how many redundancy notices have been issued by (a) companies and (b) administrators in each year since 1999 broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>Information contained in the answer to question S2W-9544 on 22 July 2004 was supplied by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The DTI are not able to breakdown the Scottish figures by local authori…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the total NHS drugs bill has been recovered through prescription charges in each of the last five years for which information is available, (a) disregarding and (b) after deduction of the cost of collection charges.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The NHS prescription charge does not relate directly to the cost of the item prescribed or the cost of supplying it. It is a contribution towards the cost of the service as a whole.</p><p>The following table details prescription charges collected in each of t…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been collected through prescription charges in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The total value of prescription charges collected in the years 1999-2000 to 2003-04 is set out in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Total Value of Charges …
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of collecting prescription charges has been in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Prescription charges are collected at community pharmacies and dispensing medical practices when prescriptions are presented for dispensing. Information about collection costs is not held centrally.</p>
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role anaesthetists' log books play in NHS workload planning.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Log books are kept by trainee anaesthetists as a record of the type of cases they are dealing with and the specialities in which they have had experience. It enables the junior and his/her trainer to identify any gaps in their training and are used at the ann…
6 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anaesthetists have been on duty for any (a) periods in excess of 24 consecutive hours, (b) weeks in excess of 58 hours in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of all NHSScotland employers to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations. Detailed information on the hours of work of anaesthetists is not held by the Scottish Executive.</p>
28 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance (a) is currently and (b) will be available in 2004-05 to all farmers whose operations are affected by nitrate vulnerable 'one designations.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Capital grants at the rate of 40% are currently available to assist farmers in designated nitrate vulnerable zones to install or upgrade storage and handling facilities for slurry, manure and silage effluent. The maximum grant payable to any one business is £…
28 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on recruitment advertising in (a) Scottish-based newspapers and (b) London-based newspapers, in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The following table sets out the spend on recruitment advertising for Scottish based newspapers and those based outside Scotland, including London, for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2004.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> …
2 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what (a) initiatives, (b) campaigns and (c) advisory bodies relating to older people it has (i) been responsible and (ii) provided funding and how much each initiative, campaign and advisory body cost in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The table sets out the information requested. However, much Executive activity is not age related but is aimed at improving the lives of Scotland’s people irrespective of age and is therefore not included in the table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpa…
2 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed by it, and what the total expenditure was, on communications in each of the last five years, broken down into (a) information and communications technology staff, (b) press officers, (c) special advisers and (d) others and what the estimated equivalent figure…
Answer · Andy Kerr: We do not break expenditure down into a communications heading. In the last five years the costs of staff in our Communications and Information Services Division and Press Office, Media and Communications are:</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspaci…
2 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many redundancy notices have been issued by (a) companies and (b) administrators in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. </p><p>However, the following table contains the total number of redundancy notices that the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry was notified of in Scotland since 1997.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 c…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what entitlement people with myasthenia gravis have to use the blue badge or any similar parking scheme and what the reason is for the position on this matter.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: People who suffer from myasthenia gravis would be able to apply for a blue badge provided that they meet the eligibility criteria. </p><p>The eligibility criteria are as follows:</p><p>Receipt of the high rate of the mobility component of the Disability Livin…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase awareness about myasthenia gravis amongst the medical profession.
Answer · Tom McCabe: General practitioners are expected to identify their own personal learning needs to better provide for the health needs of their patients and to seek training accordingly. Guidance and assistance is available to GPs from NHS Education for Scotland (NES) via …
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of consultants and nurses qualified to diagnose and treat myasthenia gravis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The management of thediagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis lies with NHS boards and involvesa number of different medical specialties.</p><p>The number and skill mix ofstaff that will be required in the future is a matter for the individual NHS boardst…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average and recommended hospital waiting times are for patients diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The treatment of myasthenia gravis is undertaken mainly in primary care and hospital outpatient settings,and in a small number of cases inpatient and day case treatment is performed. Information on waiting times is available centrallyfor first outpatient appo…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will make available for people who are diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and their families.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Support services for people with myasthenia gravis and other chronic illnesses, and for their families, are in general for NHS boards and local authority social services departments to plan, based on their assessments of local needs. The Executive takes the v…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take with respect to people diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The management of myasthenia gravis, and other chronic illnesses, is in general a matter for NHS boards to plan based on their assessment of local needs. The Executive would expect NHS boards to provide suitable services for people with myasthenia gravis, the…
25 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all PFI/PPP projects that there have been in respect of the modernisation of police stations.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9357 on 20 July 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
25 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new businesses have been registered in each of the last four years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The number of new businesses that have been registered for VAT in the last four years in each of Scotland’s local authorities is shown in the following Table 1. This data is produced by the Department of Trade and Industry and 2002 is the most recent year for…
25 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of computer misuse there have been in each of its departments since 1999, broken down by category of misuse, and how many such cases resulted in disciplinary action.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Since 1999, there have been 166 recorded breaches of the Scottish Executive IT Code of Conduct in core departments. They are broken down by department as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Corporate Services</p> </td> <…