Tommy Sheridan

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost would be of providing (a) free bus travel, (b) free rail travel and (c) free domestic fuel for pensioners throughout Scotland.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information on bus and rail travel is not available in the form requested. The <I>Scottish Executive Concessionary Fares Study Report</I> (November 2000) indicated that providing free off-peak bus and rail travel across Scotland for pensioners and disable…

7 Feb 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether (a) any major landscape problems and (b) any subsidence connected to any such problems have been identified in respect of the Holyrood Project.

Answer · David Steel: I have been informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that there have been no landscape problems or problems associated with subsidence in respect of the Holyrood Building Project.

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency nurses were employed in hospitals in each of the last three financial years; what proportion of hospitals use the bank hour system in order to meet staffing levels, and whether it will issue any guidance on the recruiting of more permanent staff in place of relying on age…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number of agency nurses employed in NHSScotland in each of the last three years, expressed as an average whole time equivalent (WTE), is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=202><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>1998-99</…

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the (a) provision of and (b) eligibility of children for free school meals, what information it has received concerning (i) the number of households with children that do not receive income support but do receive (1) working families' tax credit, (2) housing benefit and/or…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information about individual pupils and their families that would be needed to answer this question.<P>The Inland Revenue publishes statistical information about Working Families Tax Credit and the Department for Work …

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of assaults on hospital staff have been recorded in each hospital in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 to date; what initiatives it is taking to address the issue of assaults on hospital staff across Scotland, and what priority it is giving to addressing this i…

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Data on violence and aggression towards staff is not available centrally for 1999-2000. Information for 2000-01 is currently being collated as part of the occupational health and safety minimum dataset and should be available at the end of March this year. I…

23 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all correspondence between it and Her Majesty's Treasury, the Department for Work and Pensions and any other individuals or departments concerning the loss of Attendance Allowance to Scottish pensioners resulting from the implementation of free personal and nursing…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Correspondence relating to discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government is not published, in accordance with Exemption 2 of Part ll of the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>.

23 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20755 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 January 2002, why the #415 million allocated to Glasgow City Council for re-provisioning and demolition costs will not be available to the Council should tenants vote against wholesale stock transfer in the forthcomi…

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20755 on 14 January 2002 on 14 January 2002.

23 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20755 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 January 2002, whether it plans to pay off Glasgow City Council's capital housing debt should tenants reject wholesale stock transfer and, if not, how much of the #415 million allocated to the Council for re-provision…

Answer · Margaret Curran: There are no plans to pay off Glasgow City Council's housing debt if tenants reject the stock transfer proposal. As was made clear in the answer to question S1W-20755 on 14 January 2002, if the whole stock transfer does not proceed the funds for re-provisioni…

23 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20755 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 January 2002, what specific arrangement has been made between it and Her Majesty's Treasury in relation to Glasgow City Council's housing debt, should tenants vote in favour of wholesale housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The revised arrangements for dealing with local authorities' residual housing debt following stock transfer were set out in the answer to question S1W-18180 on 28 September 2001.

21 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications it recognises as being appropriate for staff directly employed in council-managed homes for children; what proportion of staff directly employed in council-managed homes for children hold such a qualification, and what action is it taking to increase this proportion.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Local authority staff, including managers, working in residential childcare hold a variety of qualifications. Social care staff may have for example Diploma in Social Work, SVQs, relevant HNCs or the Certificate in Residential Care of Children and Young Peopl…

21 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthodontists are employed by the NHS in Scotland; of these how many (a) only take NHS patients and (b) practise privately alongside their NHS work, and how many orthodontists in Scotland only take private patients.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: At 30 September 2000, there were 26 consultant orthodontists employed by NHS Scotland and working in hospitals. Some orthodontic treatment may also be provided by staff employed within the Community Dental Service, but details on the number of those who offer…

21 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on its review of the diligence system will be available for consultation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The work on the review of the law of diligence is almost complete and the Executive hopes to publish a consultation paper within the course of the next few weeks.

11 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Secretary on the announced change in classification of cannabis and whether it has issued any guidelines to police forces regarding the announced change.

Answer · Richard Simpson: We have not made formal representations to the Home Secretary on this issue, which is reserved to the UK Government. However, Scottish interests are well represented on the statutory Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which has been asked by the Home Se…

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide statistical information in respect of levels of environmental pollution from the BP Grangemouth plant.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.

12 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the waste material derived from foot-and-mouth disease infected carcasses is being burnt at temperatures high enough to kill any toxins produced by the carcasses.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The pyre ash generated by the three mass burn sites used during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders is material resultant from the cremation of animals which did not have foot-and-mouth disease but were on farms contig…

12 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether vehicles transporting ash derived from the pyres of foot-and-mouth disease infected carcasses are washed so as to prevent the risk of diseased material spreading to a previously disease-free area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The pyre ash being transported from the three mass burn sites used during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders is material resultant from the cremation of animals which did not have foot-and-mouth disease but were on fa…

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund further new projects in the education sector through the Private Finance Initiative.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have invited local authorities to submit bids for financial support for school Public/Private Partnerships which they may be considering taking forward. Full details of the bidding arrangements are set out in Scottish Executive Education Department circula…

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund further new projects in the National Health Service through the Private Finance Initiative.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS trusts and boards are expected to fully examine all procurement options in developing capital projects. Such options include the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which is a form of Public/Private Partnership (PPP). However, the only projects which will su…

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18771 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 November 2001, how parents who are concerned about the quality of food served in schools can obtain information about nutritional standards, particularly in circumstances where the caterers used by local authorities t…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have nothing to add to the answer given by Mr McConnell on 20 November 2001.

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18772 by Mr Jack McConnell on 30 October 2001, how many education authorities have local arrangements for monitoring the nutritional quality of school meals; what those arrangements are, and how parents may access information about them.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally.

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18064 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 September 2001, whether it plans to introduce a statutory obligation on education authorities to provide school food of a nutritional quality which complies with the model nutritional guidelines issued with Eating for…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-20792.

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18770 by Mr Jack McConnell on 22 October 2001, whether it plans to make it a statutory obligation for caterers providing school meals to comply with the Model Nutritional Guidelines for Catering Specifications for the Public Sector in Scotland issued…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I recently announced, together with the Ministers for Health and Community Care and Social Justice, the establishment of an expert panel to make recommendations for wide ranging improvements in the delivery of school meals. Chaired by a Director of Education,…

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many former Scottish Ministers have claimed lump sum payments or pensions after leaving ministerial office since May 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Five former Scottish ministers and junior ministers who left office prior to 27 November 2001 have been paid the lump sum grant to which they are entitled on ceasing to hold office. Ministers and junior ministers who left office on 27 November will be paid th…

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #415 million allocated to Glasgow City Council for new social housing building is allocated on the basis of housing need and, if so, why this money will only be allocated should the tenants vote for wholesale housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20755.

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18893 by Ms Margaret Curran on 26 November 2001, who will be allocated the #415 million earmarked for Glasgow City Council should the tenants of Glasgow vote against the wholesale housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: As a result of the agreement between the Scottish Executive and HM Treasury, if local authorities transfer their entire housing stock into community ownership, the Treasury will contribute to the costs of debt repayment. This will enable Scottish Executive fu…

5 Dec 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is planning to take in order to improve the financial resources available to Glasgow City Council for tackling poverty and deprivation.

Answer · Iain Gray: Over this three-year settlement period (2001-02 to 2003-04) we are allocating record levels of grant to Glasgow City Council: £895 million, £958 million and £1,004 million respectively. We are increasing Glasgow's capital allocation by 38% to £40 million by 2…

29 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to apply for EU subsidy for school milk for secondary school children and how much any such subsidy could be in total.

Answer · Ross Finnie: £1.2 million was paid in EC school milk subsidy to primary schools in Scotland in year ended August 2001. The UK has member state discretionary powers to apply for subsidy under the EC School Milk Subsidy Scheme in respect of schoolchildren in secondary schoo…

15 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a consultative committee to consider and report on the registration of same sex partnerships.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans to establish such a committee.

12 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #415 million allocated to Glasgow City Council for new social housing building in Glasgow will be allocated to the council if council house tenants vote against housing stock transfer and, if not, to whom this money will be allocated.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The announcement on 27 September made it clear that the additional funding for re-provisioning and demolition costs in Glasgow was subject to the transfer proceeding.

12 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the ballot on housing stock transfer in Glasgow will take place.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The date for the ballot on the proposed housing stock transfer is a matter for Glasgow City Council.