Parliamentary questions
Mike Pringle
251 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were made to the Scottish Legal Aid Board for the employment of counsel in jury trials in sheriff courts in each month since April 2006.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The following table shows the numbers of applications for sanction to instruct senior and/or junior counsel for trial or proof by the month in which they were received by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. The table shows the final decision on those applications t…
20 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission will examine the issue of female inmates in its report.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Prisons Commissionhas been asked to consider how imprisonment is currently used in Scotland forall prisoners and how that use fits with the Government’s wider strategic objectives.The commission visited HM Prison and YoungOffenders’ Institution C…
20 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any targets for reducing the number of female prisoners.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We have set up an IndependentCommission, chaired by Henry McLeish, to look at the purpose and use of imprisonment,which is due to report in June.</p><p>The role of the Scottish Governmentis to provide courts with a sufficient range of sentencing options in de…
20 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to reduce the number of female prisoners.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is implementinga range of measures which have the potential to reduce the numbers of female accusedand offenders being sent to custody. Individual remand and sentencing decisionsare a matter for the courts.</p><p>In relation to remand,…
29 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Communities and Sport will meet me to discuss the provision of community sports facilities in the Inch area of the Edinburgh South parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I would be happy tomeet the member to discuss sports issues. The member should contact my diary secretaryto arrange a mutually convenient time.</p>
22 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering ways in which funding can be made more accessible to continue and strengthen the work being undertaken by projects such as Moose in the Hoose in promoting lifelong learning in the Edinburgh South parliamentary constituency and the rest of Edinburgh by introducing…
Answer · John Swinney: It is for local authoritiesto determine whether they wish to support Digital Inclusion projects for olderpeople. Previous experience shows that provision of funding nationally forindividual projects has not generated sustainable or national solutions. Sharing…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive .
Answer · Maureen Watt: The quality of educationin Littlemill Primary School is the responsibility of East Ayrshire Council. We expectEast Ayrshire Council to takethe necessary action to secure continuous improvement in their schools and our experienceis that this is happening.</p>
7 Nov 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to ensure that the volume of hen manure deposited by the planned free-range egg enterprise at Blythbank, set to be the largest in Europe, will not contaminate the water supply of the Edinburgh South parliamentary constituency via the Talla Main aqueduct which ru…
Answer · Michael Russell: The security of publicwater supplies is a matter for Scottish Water and its response to the planning applicationfor the free-range egg enterprise was made to Scottish Borders Council on 25 January 2007. This is a matter of public record. In its response,Scott…
29 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the review of guidance governing hospital car parking charges will include consideration of the policy for parking charges at hospitals delivered by public private partnership.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I have asked thegroup to review the existing guidance on car parking. This clearly states thatit applies whether the car parking facilities are provided by an NHS board orby a private sector provider acting on their behalf.</p>
29 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the review of guidance governing hospital car parking charges will include consideration of the policy for parking charges at hospitals planned but not yet built, such as the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Any revisedarrangement recommended by the review group will, like the current guidance,apply where consideration is being given to the introduction of car parkcharging, or to the revision of existing car parking arrangements.</p>
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it intends to give to the City of Edinburgh Council to help school rebuilding.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Governmentis committed to further improving Scotland’s school estate,and to working with authorities, including the City of Edinburgh Council, on how best to continue to achieve that. We will beproviding financial support towards the current rebu…
12 Sep 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making on encouraging supermarkets to reduce excess packaging.
Answer · Michael Russell: Where packaging isgenuinely excessive, the supplier would be liable to enforcement action under theprovisions of the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003, which arereserved.</p><p>The Scottish Governmentis working with the Waste and Resources A…
16 Aug 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies are in place to promote recycling in the National Health Service.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government’sHealth Directorate has an Environmental Management Policy for NHSScotland whichimposes a number of mandatory requirements on NHSScotland bodies (this includesall health boards, Special Health Boards and NHS National Services Scotland)…
16 Aug 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of non-clinical waste is recycled at hospitals in Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information isnot held centrally.</p>
30 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to Intowork to help people with Asperger syndrome.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A range of Scottish Governmentfunding, which can help support people with autism spectrum disorders to preparefor and find work, is available to local agencies. These include local authorities,health boards, local enterprise bodies and some non-departmental p…
30 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to people with Asperger syndrome.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government workscollaboratively with voluntary sector organisations, service users and carers ongroups such as the national ASD Reference Group and the ASD education working group,to develop appropriate and responsive services for people on the a…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage reuse of consumer goods and whether it will promote schemes such as Freecycle in Edinburgh.
Answer · Michael Russell: We are committed to reducingthe amount of waste sent to landfill and to moving towards a zero waste Scotland. Thisincludes the promotion of re-use. We intend to work with the community recyclingsector and others to consider, by the end of this year, what more…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its current policy is on sellers’ surveys.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The public consultation onthe draft regulations relating to the single survey and property sale questionnaireended on 15 May 2007. Ministers will consider the way forward for theseproposals in light of the responses received from the consultation.</p>
8 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place in respect of the siting of wind farms.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Existing planning policies areset out in <i>National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments.</i>Consultation has taken place on revised guidance and this is expected to be publishedshortly.</p>
7 Mar 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will work towards a target of zero waste in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Although we do not consider thatit is realistic to eliminate waste entirely, we are committed to more sustainablewaste management including waste prevention, increased recycling and compostingand reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.</p>
31 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the average salary of emergency workers compares with that of employees in the private sector with similar skills and experience.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The preferred source for earningsestimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried outby the Office for National Statistics. The latest earnings estimates available arefor April 2006.</p><p>Table 1 shows the median full-timehourly …
29 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any open prisons receive prisoners immediately after sentencing and what guidelines exist on the use of open prisons.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Open prisons are used to prepareprisoners for release, and for other prisoners not considered to present a risk.Prisoners must be assessed …
29 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what categories of prisoner are eligible for transfer to open prison and at what point in a sentence prisoners are routinely transferred to an open prison.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Short-term prisoners may be transferredat anytime in their sentence. Long-term prisoners are subject to a minimum periodin secure condition…
29 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many open prisons there are and how many prisoners are held in each.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS Open Estate consistsof two sites offering a total of 452 spaces. In addition, HM Prison Cornton Valeoffers 24 similar spaces …
29 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what written contract has been entered into between NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare to allow the reduction of parking charges at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh from a maximum of £10 per day to £7 and whether it will publish any such contract.
Answer · Andy Kerr: An agreement was made to reducethe parking charges levied by Meteor Parking at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburghfrom a maximum of £10 per day to £7 per day at a regular meeting between NHS Lothianand Consort Healthcare. There is no written contract between NHS…
15 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the evaluation and review of free personal care.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We plan to publish the reportat the end of February.</p>
10 Jan 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging public transport use among hospital visitors and staff in the Lothians.
Answer · Tavish Scott: We expect each individual hospital,local authority and Regional Transport Partnership to work in partnership to encouragepublic transport access to hospitals.</p><p>To improve access to hospitals,the Scottish Executive Health Department policy places a mandat…
3 Jan 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to guided busway development across Scotland.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Capital resources amounting to£35 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08 have been allocated to regional transportpartnerships towards their transport priorities, which could include the provisionof guided busways.</p><p>The West Edinburghguided busway which opened i…
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether extra resources will be made available to reduce the backlog of audiology appointments in NHS Lothian.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: An additional £19.3 million fundingwas provided by the Executive to support the four year project of modernisationof NHS audiology services across Scotland (2003-07). A financial audit of the modernisation projectwas recently completed and the report includes…
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to guided busway developments.