Tommy Sheridan

12 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the land currently occupied by British Aerospace, formerly Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd in Scotstoun, Glasgow, has been sold and, if so, what implications this will have for employment in the shipbuilding industry.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: No land or property currently occupied by BAE SYSTEMS in Scotstoun has been sold to date.

7 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to direct that there be a full inquiry into the running of the health service throughout the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4093 on 15 November 2001.

7 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has full confidence in the board of the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am keen that lessons are learned from a number of staffing, investment and operational problems experienced by the Trust since it was established in April 1999. On 7 November, I asked the Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow NHS Board to carry out a review of…

31 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to write off debt in the event that the three water authorities merge into the proposed Scottish Water.

Answer · Ross Finnie: There are no plans for writing off water authority debt.

24 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust regarding negotiations with medical secretaries.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter which has been taken forward by the Trust and which I understand has now been resolved successfully.

16 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many lives it estimates could be saved if liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus tests were applied universally in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19119.

16 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its evaluation is of what the proven detection rates would be if liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus tests were applied universally in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Liquid-based Cytology (LBC) is an alternative method of taking cervical smears. Pilot studies in Scotland are examining the practicalities and cost-effectiveness of this method and further pilot studies in England are also looking at the use of human papillom…

16 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost for all women across Scotland to be tested for cervical cancer with the liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus test, compared to how much it will cost for all women across Scotland to be screened with the cervical smear test.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The recent Scottish pilot of liquid-based cytology (LBC) will provide the information needed to assess the practicalities and the cost-effectiveness of this alternative method of cervical smear taking. The cost of an LBC kit used in the pilot was £3.55 compar…

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether heart patients are being transferred from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

Answer · Susan Deacon: No. Both hospitals have Cardiology Departments, and I understand from NHS Lothian that there are no plans at this stage to change their configuration. Cardiac surgery is carried out only at the Royal Infirmary.

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any dispersal of patients from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in anticipation of the move to the infirmary's new premises.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand from NHS Lothian that there are no plans to disperse any patients currently in the Royal Infirmary in anticipation of the commissioning of the new hospital at Little France. All of the specialities from the Royal Infirmary will relocate to the ne…

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is from arrival to treatment for patients in NHS accident and emergency departments and what the average time was in 2000-01.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on waiting times for patients presenting at accident and emergency departments is not collected routinely, and is available only from data compiled from a week-long survey carried out each year. The results of the March/April 2001 survey will be p…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether not installing condensing boilers under its central heating installation programme will result in higher running costs for tenants and lower savings in energy and CO2 emissions in the future than would be the case if they were installed.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: It need not have this effect. The industry standard is the Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK database which categorises central heating systems by bands. Band D contains high efficiency non-condensing boilers with modulating burners which oper…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow City Council, as part of its Glasgow Action for Warm Homes policy, has specified the installation of condensing boilers for almost 10 years in order to achieve affordable fuel cost targets and whether the Scottish Executive will support the installation of condensing boile…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: It is for Glasgow City Council to answer questions about its central heating policy. The specification for the Executive's Central Heating Programme does not prevent the council from continuing to specify condensing boilers in future improvement works, provid…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why technical specifications were not laid down in relation to safety measures required in connection with its central heating installation programme, in particular the provision of a carbon monoxide detector and cold alarm, and whether it will now require provision of such detectors and …

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive included considerable detail on safety in the performance specification for gas central heating. The specification states that all gas central heating systems must be installed in accordance with all relevant Health and Safety legislation. It al…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision of condensing boilers would be more efficient and beneficial to tenants than other options under its central heating installation programme and why provision of such boilers has not been specified within the programme for the private sector.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The specification for the Executive's Central Heating Programme does not prevent the council from specifying condensing boilers in improvement works, providing they come within the £2,500 grant.

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the technical specifications included in its central heating installation programme match Glasgow City Council's established technical standards and whether each property within Glasgow which receives central heating as part of the programme will need to be subsidised by the counc…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The guidance on the Central Heating Programme includes performance specifications for gas, oil and coal-fired wet central heating and electric storage heating systems. The specifications demand that all relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and manufa…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the nutritional content of school meals is monitored.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Education authorities are responsible for providing school meals and have local arrangements for monitoring their quality.

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to enable parents concerned about the nutritional content of their children's school meals to find out exactly what is provided.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The primary responsibility for the quality of school meals rests with authorities. Parents concerned about the nutritional content of school meals should in the first instance raise their concerns with the head teacher. School Boards and Parent Teacher Associ…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that caterers providing for schoolchildren have qualifications which include training in the health and nutritional content of food.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The provision of the school meals service is a matter for the local authorities, and the Scottish Executive has no role in monitoring the qualifications of those involved in catering for that service. The Model Nutritional Guidelines for Catering Specificatio…

25 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the establishment of community farms to produce hemp and assist in the production of any other environmentally-friendly products.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has no specific plans to support the establishment of community farms to produce hemp or any other environmentally friendly products. However, provided that the eligibility criteria are met under the Arable Area Payments Scheme, area aid is avai…

25 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether oil for use in the production of animal feed, bio-diesel fuel and food products can be produced by processing hemp oil and what information it holds on other products that can be produced from the hemp plant.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Technically hemp oil could be used for these purposes, but for animal feed and biodiesel other materials, such as oilseeds, are more economically viable. Hemp oil use in the food sector would most likely be restricted to higher value products.

25 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned, or plans to commission, any research into (a) the potential benefits to be derived from the cultivation of hemp and (b) the number of products hemp can be used to produce.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Office commissioned several research projects on the potential of hemp as an industrial or novel crop in recent years. Brief information on these projects and others carried out in the UK are available on the DEFRA website. Further information ma…

19 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Private Finance Initiative and Public/Private Partnership projects offer Best Value to Scotland's citi'ens.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Our policy is that<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=4> Private Finance Initiative (PFI) should only be used where it represents best value for money. To test for value for money, bids received are compared to a Public Sector Comparator (PSC) which represents an estimat…

18 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15291 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001, whether sufficient details of the Glasgow housing stock transfer are now available for the VAT implications to be assessed; if so, whether, in the event of a vote for stock transfer in the forthcoming ballo…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The implications of VAT will be neutral to tenants because the effects of VAT will be reflected in the transfer price. The impact on the public purse would also be neutral since the impact on the price would be offset over time by VAT payments. The level of V…

18 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16343 by Jackie Baillie on 16 August 2001, on what date it expects to make an announcement regarding an extension of its central heating programme.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I announced how the programme was to be extended on 21 September.

18 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes in each local authority area qualify for central heating and insulation installation according to the criteria currently being used in its central heating programme.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Local authorities and housing associations have advised that they have the number of dwellings eligible for the central heating programme as set out in tables 1 and 2. The authorities not shown have no dwellings which lack central heating. Details on the hous…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money (a) was made available over the last five years and (b) is expected to be made available in the next five years in (i) Glasgow and (ii) the rest of Scotland for improvement and repairs grants for private sector housing.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Since April 1996, the amount set aside for improvement and repairs grants has been for each local authority to determine. The table sets out the actual expenditure by local authorities on improvement and repairs grants for private sector houses, for Scotland …

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much grant funding (a) was made available over the last five years and (b) is expected to be made available over the next five years to housing associations in (i) Glasgow and (ii) the rest of Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The table shows the grant funding made available by Scottish Homes to housing associations for the construction of houses of all tenure types in Glasgow City and the rest of Scotland for the 5 years to 2000-01, and an estimate of the grant funding that will b…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new build homes for social renting in (a) Glasgow and (b) the rest of Scotland (i) were built over the last five years and (ii) are expected to be built over the next five years as a result of grants to housing associations.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The table shows the number of new build houses for social renting by housing associations that Scottish Homes approved in Glasgow City, and the rest of Scotland, over the five years to 2000-01 and the estimated number of approvals likely to be given in the cu…

13 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money the Glasgow Housing Association has received to date; whether any of this money was ring-fenced for specific purposes, and, if so, what these purposes were.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to PQ S1W-18125.