Parliamentary questions
Tommy Sheridan
857 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the final cost was of the tendering exercise for the First ScotRail franchise that took effect from October 2004.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The former Strategic RailAuthority were responsible for tendering the current First ScotRail Franchise. the Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested.</p>
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much First Choice Holidays received in public funding support; how many jobs were (a) promised and (b) created, and how much funding has been clawed back.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: In 1999, First Choice RetailLtd accepted a Regional Selective Assistance offer of £250,000 for a project whichaimed to create 183 jobs and safeguard five. All of the grant was paid. When thefinal instalment was made the company had created 165 jobs, safeguard…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it records job creation and how many jobs have been created in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is no information held centrally on the number of jobs created in Scotland. However, it ispossible to look at the net change in jobs over time and for this information Irefer the member to the answer to question S2W-31932 on 8 March 2007. All answers to…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it records job losses and how many jobs have been lost in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is no information held centrally on the number of jobs losses in Scotland. However, it is possible to look at the net changein jobs over time. The following table shows the net change in employee jobs inScotland in each year since 1999.</p><p>Table 1 An…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was provided to Lexmark in respect of its operation in Fife; how many jobs were (a) promised and (b) created, and how much money has been clawed back from the company.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Lexmark International(Scotland) Ltd accepted three offers of regional selective assistance (RSA). In1995 and 1998 it accepted offers of £5.6 million and £5.9 million that helpedcreate 353 and 562 new jobs respectively. Both of theses grants were paid infull a…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was provided to the Simclar Group in respect of its operations in Ayrshire and Dumfermline; how many jobs were (a) promised and (b) created, and how much money has been clawed back from the group.
Answer · Allan Wilson: In 1999, Simclar (Ayrshire)Ltd accepted an RSA offer of £1.5 million for a project that planned tosafeguard 160 jobs. The grant was paid in full. To date, none of the grant hasbeen recovered but the Executive has lodged a claim with the administrators inrespe…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was provided to Thomson Holidays in respect of its call centre operation in Cardonald, Glasgow; how many jobs were (a) promised and (b) created, and how much money has been clawed back from the company.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: In 2000, TUI (UK) Ltd,Thomson Holidays’ parent company, accepted a regional selective assistancegrant of £1.4 million for a project that planned to create 600 new jobs. All of the grant was paid, and when the final instalment was made in March 2005 thecompany…
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was provided to Chunghwa Telecom; how many jobs were (a) promised and (b) created, and how much money has been clawed back from the company.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: No public money has beenprovided to Chunghwa Telecom and no jobs have been promised or created.</p>
22 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29903 by Nicol Stephen on 16 February 2007, what percentage of the total workforce in each local authority area is represented by these figures.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table showsthe proportion of employees within each local authority area who are consideredlow paid as defined in the answer to question S2W-29903 on 16 February 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to Scottish taxpayers and council taxpayers of the Prime Minister’s visit to Scotland on 15 February 2007.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held by the Scottish Executive. Details surrounding the Prime Minister’s engagementsare a matter for his office.</p>
12 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving airguns were recorded from 1999 to 2006 in each police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The number of incidents involvingairguns, where a crime or offence was recorded, from 1999 to 2006 are shown in thefollowing table:</p><p>Number of Incidents Recordedby the Police in which an Air Weapon was Alleged to have Been Used, 1999-2000 to2005-06</p><t…
24 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all transport projects which have been undertaken since 1999 or are currently planned, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Over 1,000 transportprojects have been announced by the Scottish Executive since 1999 – these rangegreatly in scale and many impact across a number of constituency areas. Projectsare generally announced either through the a Scottish Executive or TransportScot…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ambulance Service’s target of reaching 75% of Category A calls within eight minutes is being met.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The target is to respond to 75%of Category A calls within eight minutes by the last quarter of 2007-08. Againstthe background of an increase of over 11% in the number of emergency calls sincelast year, the ambulance service currently responds to patient in an…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether mechanics employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service to service and repair ambulances and rapid response vehicles also service and repair vehicles of NHS boards or private individuals.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The ambulance service worksin partnership with NHS boards and other bodies in this way, where there is capacityto do so.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all ambulances sent out as a result of Category A calls are staffed by one ambulance technician or paramedic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a separate budget for Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units and, if so, what that budget has been in each year since 2003.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The ambulance service has receivedconsiderable increases in revenue funding over recent years. Since 2002-03, itsallocation has increased by some 30% and currently stands at £167.8 million. Itis for that organisation to decide how best to invest its funding i…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the probationary period is for an ambulance (a) technician and (b) paramedic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31100 on 30 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the training period is for an ambulance (a) technician and (b) paramedic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The training period for an ambulancetechnician is nine weeks residential at the Scottish Ambulance College. Theprobationary period for a technician is one year following the training period.</p><p>Technicians must have a minimumof 18 months post technician ex…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance staff have reported incidents of assault while carrying out their duties in single-staffed ambulances or rapid response units in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many back-up ambulances have been called to assist rapid response units attending Category B calls in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many back-up ambulances have been called to assist rapid response units attending Category A calls in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available.</p><p>The priority based dispatch systemprovides for the dispatcher in the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre to deploy arapid response unit to Category A calls and to back that up with the deploymentof an ambulance. It may b…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response unit would ever be staffed solely by a probationary paramedic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A probationary paramedic is aqualified technician with at least 18 months’ experience and could be deployed ona single-manned rapid response unit.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response unit would ever be staffed solely by a probationary ambulance technician.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A rapid response unit shouldnot be staffed solely by a probationary ambulance technician.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units attending Category B calls are staffed solely by a paramedic or a technician.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Rapid response units are primarilyintended to be deployed to Category A calls, but will attend Category B calls occasionally.As a general rule, rapid response units will be staffed either by a single paramedicor a single technician. In some cases they may be …
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish Ambulance Service rapid response units attending Category A calls are staffed solely by a paramedic or a technician.
Answer · Andy Kerr: As a general rule, rapid responseunits will be staffed by either a single paramedic or a single technician. In somecases they may be double crewed.</p>
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions of the 2002 health and safety improvement notice on the Scottish Ambulance Service, under which ambulance staff are to be given appropriate time to change out of uniform before carrying out a control-of-infection procedure, are being implemented.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In 2001, the Scottish AmbulanceService was served with a health and safety improvement notice with regard to infectioncontrol standards across the ambulance service. I am informed that it has compliedwith this notice.</p>
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the health and safety improvement notices served on the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30913 on 25 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to the Scottish Ambulance Service to purchase shock boxes to prevent staff being injured while carrying heavy defibrillators.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In 2003, the Scottish Executiveagreed to meet the £5 million capital costs to the Scottish Ambulance Service ofit implementing a defibrillator replacement programme, with the revenue consequencesbeing met by the ambulance service through its normal allocation…
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what criteria rapid response ambulance vehicles are staffed only by ambulance technicians.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Ambulance Servicedeploys the most appropriate resource to an emergency call, and in relation to CategoryA (life-threatening) calls, the policy provides for this to be a paramedic response,whether that paramedic is in a single-manned rapid respons…
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many improvement notices have been served on the Scottish Ambulance Service by the Health and Safety Executive since 2000.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of improvement noticesservice on the Scottish Ambulance Service by the Health and Safety Executive since2000 are listed in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=52 valign=top> <p align=cen…