Parliamentary questions
Bill Butler
673 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it is funding in universities in the 2008-09 academic year.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The funding of Scotland''s universities is the responsibility of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. It is for the universities themselves to determine the learning activity which is offered to students and potential students and which …
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it is funding in further education colleges in the 2008-09 academic year.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The funding of Scotland''s colleges of further education is the responsibility of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. It is for the colleges themselves to determine the learning activity which is offered to students and potential studen…
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it is funding in schools in the 2008-09 academic year, broken down by local authority area and amount awarded.
Answer · Maureen Watt: After two successive years of offering funding to a total of 69 such projects, the current focus is on evaluating them and considering how best to share all of the good practice and lessons to be learned about supporting anti-sectarian work in schools.</p>
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it is supporting through its Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Fund.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: During the 2007-08 financial year the Scottish Government supported Sense Over Sectarianism with £88,750 to deliver community-based anti-sectarian projects and provided Nil by Mouth with £51,500 to undertake anti-sectarian education work. We also provided £85…
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to promote constructive dialogue between faith and belief communities and enhance the interaction these communities have with all levels of government.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to promoting constructive dialogue between faith and belief communities and uses established fora, such as the Faith Liaison Advisory Group, to do this. We also meet with organisations such as Faith in Communities Scotland…
24 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not available centrally in the form requested.</p> <p >Around 100 boys are born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy every year in the UK (one in every 3,500 male births) and it is thought that there are currently around 160 people …
18 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have been prosecuted successfully under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by police authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.</p> <p >Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts Under the Emergency Workers Act (Scotland) Act 2005<sup>1</sup>, by Police Force, 2005-06 to 2006-07</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpa…
18 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on emergency services workers have been reported to the police since 1 August 2007, broken down by police authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police recorded crime statistics (collected centrally) are based on an aggregate return at local authority level, and do not distinguish the circumstances of the crime, such as the occupation of the victim.</p> <p >Following the introduction of the Emerg…
18 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on NHS staff have been reported to police since 1 August 2007, broken down by police authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return at local authority level, and do not distinguish the circumstances of the crime, such as the occupation of the victim.</p> <p >Following the introduction of the Emergen…
18 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on rail staff have been reported to police since 1 August 2007, broken down by police authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return at local authority level, and do not distinguish the circumstances of the crime, such as the occupation of the victim.</p> <p >Police recorded crime statistics for the …
17 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what awards it has made from its Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding since its inception, broken down by (a) recipient, (b) amount awarded and (c) date of award.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding stream will run from 2008 to 2011. Applicants were informed of the result of their application by letter on 28 July 2008. The successful applicants are as follows;</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadd…
17 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13759 by Stewart Maxwell on 2 June 2008, what its reasons were for not consulting charitable or voluntary sector bodies prior to its decision to extend the contract for providing its central heating programme in October 2007.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: As the extension to the central heating contract was intended to continue delivery of the existing programme without any service change, we did not consider it necessary to consult with stakeholder organisations. However, we are consulting a number of charita…
17 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to its central heating programme have been refused since 1 August 2007, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) reason for refusal.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Information is not held by local authority area but by main postcode. The information, provided by the managing agent, on the number of applications to the central heating programme that were not taken forward to the home survey stage, between 1 August 2007 a…
15 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of cases was diverted from prosecution by procurators fiscal from April 2008 to June 2008.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: I refer the member to the question S3W-15012, answered on 12 August 2008. 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/webap…
15 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of cases was diverted from prosecution by procurators fiscal from May 2007 to March 2008.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: Diversion from prosecution is used by prosecutors to describe cases where offenders are offered the opportunity to address their offending behaviour normally through local social work support, such as by mediation or tackling alcohol abuse.</p> <p >Between M…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13758 by Stewart Maxwell on 10 June 2008, exactly what criteria were used to make an assessment of the most effective way to continue value for money delivery of its central heating programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The criteria used to decide on an extension to the contract for delivery of the central heating programme included the timing, risks and costs involved. As the future shape of the programme cannot be determined while the review is underway, it was decided not…
2 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13143 by Stewart Maxwell on 28 May 2008, which charitable and voluntary sector bodies it consulted prior to deciding to extend the contract for providing its central heating programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: No consultation with charitable or voluntary sector bodies was carried out at the time of the current contract extension. The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum, made up of a number of charitable and voluntary sector bodies, is now considering the future of the cent…
2 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13143 by Stewart Maxwell on 28 May 2008, what criteria were used to reach the decision to extend the contract for providing its central heating programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The decision to extend the contract for a further 12 months was based on an assessment of the most effective way to continue value for money delivery of the programme.</p>
2 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13143 by Stewart Maxwell on 28 May 2008, on what date the decision was taken to extend the contract for providing its central heating programme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The letter notifying the managing agent (Scottish Gas) of the contract extension was dated 9 October 2007.</p>
27 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population of the City of Glasgow is registered with an NHS dentist, broken down by age group.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the following table.</p> <p >Percentage of People Registered with an NHS Dentist; by Age Group; in the City of Glasgow Local Authority Area<sup>1</sup> at 31 December 2007.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpaddin…
16 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its central heating programme will next go out to tender.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We would expect the central heating programme to go out to tender sometime in the next 18 months, subject to the recommendations by the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum on the future shape of the programme.</p> <p >Tendering of the central heating programme was l…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it will provide specifically to improve public transport access to the New Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12949 on 22 May 2008. 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/webapp/…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place on measures to alleviate potential traffic congestion at the site of the New Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: No discussions have taken place with the Scottish Government but NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has, as part of its travel planning arrangements for the new Glasgow hospitals, had and will continue to have, discussions with Glasgow City Council and other relev…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with bus operators to discuss public transport access to the New Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.
Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government has had no discussions with bus operators to discuss public transport access to the new Southern General Hospital. This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which is currently in discussion with major bus operators regarding publi…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to improve public transport access to the New Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport receives an annual capital budget of £25 million and all other capital budgets have been consolidated into the funding provided to local authorities.</p> <p >As with any major development of infrastructure in its area, N…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding potential transport problems in relation to the New Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government Health Directorate have an ongoing dialogue with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as the board develops its business case for the redevelopment of the site. Whilst these discussions have touched upon potential transport problems, these are pr…
14 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport regarding public transport to serve the New Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: No formal discussions have taken place between the Scottish Government and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Operational responsibility for developing the asset infrastructure of NHSScotland is devolved to NHS boards and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hav…
2 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many double-crewed ambulances have been in service in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12714 on 13 May 2008. 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/webapp/w…
2 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many single-staffed rapid response vehicles have been in use in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not available by NHS board area.</p> <p >However, the total numbers of all categories of accident and emergency vehicles for the west central operating division, which comprises NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire, …
2 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances volunteer ambulance drivers are used by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer · Shona Robison: Volunteer ambulance car drivers are used to convey patients where the patient''s medical condition impacts on their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access health care and/or it would be detrimental to the patient''s condition or recove…