Parliamentary questions
Bill Butler
673 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S3W-28947 by Alex Neil on 26 November 2009, whether the £128,000 paid back by the Scottish Islamic Foundation will be allocated before the end of 2009-10.
Answer · Alex Neil: The funding returned by the Scottish-Islamic Foundation was granted for the delivery of the IslamFest and the Salaam Scotland and Etisal events subsequently developed. No further funding will be allocated to these initiatives.<b></b></p> <p >All funding has …
1 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28952 by Alex Neil on 26 November 2009, how much of the £7.5 million allocated to support its poverty framework remains to be spent.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £7.5 million funding allocated to support the implementation of <i >Achieving our Potential</i> applies to 2009-10 and 2010-11. To date, £1.5 million has been spent from the <i >Achieving our Potential</i> budget. This spend includes funding to new projec…
1 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28952 by Alex Neil on 26 November 2009, what projects have received funding from the £7.5 million allocated to support its poverty framework, broken down by (a) amount awarded and (b) date of award.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £7.5million funding allocated to support the implementation of <i >Achieving our Potential</i> applies to 2009-10 and 2010-11. To date, the following projects have been allocated funding from the resources identified to support the implementation of <i >A…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many working days it expects the contractor responsible for Stage Three of the Energy Assistance Package to take to hand over applications fulfilling the criteria for Stage Four for progression by the contractor responsible for Stage Four.
Answer · Alex Neil: As announced by the Minister for Housing and Communities on 4 November, where a household is identified as being potentially eligible for Stage Four, they will be referred for an RdSAP survey. This will allow work on Stages Three and Four to be progressed in …
23 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28950 by Fiona Hyslop on 23 November 2009, whether the representatives from the financial sector referred to include representatives from the Royal Bank of Scotland or Lloyds Banking Group.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group will not be represented on the new review group.</p>
20 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to meet Glasgow City Council to discuss support for the Dance School of Scotland in 2010-11.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29221 on 1 December 2009 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/Apps/…
20 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been contacted by Glasgow City Council in relation to support for the Dance School of Scotland in 2010-11.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has had no such contact. Government funding for the dance school was rolled into the local government settlement for 2008-11.</p>
20 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has provided to Glasgow City Council to fund the Dance School of Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has provided Glasgow City Council with the following funding for the Dance School of Scotland at Knightswood Secondary School in Glasgow:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=82 valign=top > <p >…
20 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it made in its single outcome agreement with Glasgow City Council to fund the Dance School of Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: Single outcome agreements reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes for each council and include relevant supporting indicators and targets. They are not funding agreements.</p>
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many officials are working on its sectarianism strategy, broken down by directorate.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Work to tackle sectarianism is part of a broader strategy of work to tackle all forms of religious intolerance and racism, and involves many areas across Scottish Government. Whilst there are staff allocated to work on religious intolerance and faith issues, …
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism events the First Minister has attended in 2009, broken down by (a) date, (b) venue and (c) organisations involved.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The First Minister has hosted anti-sectarian events and has seen the positive outcomes of Sense over Sectarianism twinning schools projects for himself. He regularly has meetings and events with stakeholders which involve tackling sectarianism, such as his ad…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided to the Iona Community to support its anti-sectarianism rehabilitation programme as of 18 November 2009, broken down by (a) financial year and (b) amount awarded.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I am currently considering a proposal which would enable the Iona Community to deliver anti-sectarian workshops in adult prisons. This would be an extension of the work they currently undertake with inmates at Polmont Young Offenders Institution using <i >Bey…
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18386 by Stewart Maxwell on 9 December 2008, what payments have been made to each local authority area from the £7.5 million allocated to support its poverty framework for 2009-10.
Answer · Alex Neil: The £7.5 million allocation covers two financial years (2009-10 and 2010-11). We have made no payments to local authority areas, because we are funding activities which are either Scotland-wide or cover more than one authority area, rather than local projects…
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a date has been set for elections to NHS boards in Fife and Dumfries and Galloway in 2010.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The timetable for pilot elections to the health boards in Fife and Dumfries and Galloway is set out in The Health Board Elections (Scotland) Regulations 2009, which came into force on 12 October 2009.</p> <p >As these will be all postal elections, voting pa…
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release of 5 October 2009 on financial education in the classroom, whether it will list the partners with which Learning and Teaching Scotland will work to “establish a delivery plan for financial education linked to numeracy developments in the context of Curriculum…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Learning and Teaching Scotland will work in partnership with local authorities, schools, HM Inspectorate of Education, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, credit unions and representatives from the financial sector in Scotland on its financial education de…
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28045 by Keith Brown on 4 November 2009, when it expects Learning and Teaching Scotland to report in relation to the implementation of the financial education delivery plan.
Answer · Keith Brown: Learning and Teaching Scotland will report on its progress with implementation of the financial education delivery plan in February 2010.</p>
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-27498 and S3W-27497 by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 September 2009, for what reason it will not issue guidance to NHS boards requiring them to reopen negotiations with service providers of bedhead inpatient telephone services in order to reduce charges, d…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Bedhead inpatient telephone services have been installed in hospitals, under arrangements agreed locally by NHS boards as an additional and optional means of communication for patients. NHS boards and NHS National Services Scotland have direct responsibility …
13 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27919 by Alex Neil on 29 October 2009, whether it plans to make available to organisations seeking to tackle sectarianism and religious intolerance in Scotland the £128,000 returned to it by the Scottish-Islamic Foundation.
Answer · Alex Neil: All decisions in relation to funding have to be taken in line with ministerial priorities and it is right that we take stock before taking any decisions on the allocation of funding. This is normal practice and consideration will be given to all of the option…
6 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28387 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 November 2009, whether it plans to make available to other healthy living centres in Glasgow the £70,000 handed back to it by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Shona Robison: If other Healthy Living Centres in Glasgow choose to apply, in conjunction with local community planning partners and the NHS board, then their application will be considered, up to March 2010.</p> <p >All lottery funded Healthy Living Centres with good pros…
27 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans additional funds to assist Strathclyde Police Authority with the costs associated with policing the high volume of marches and parades in its area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to provide additional funds to Strathclyde Police Authority to police marches and parades. Strathclyde Police Authority received record funding for financial year 2009-10, receiving £268,289,000 in police grant.</p>
26 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been returned to it by NHS boards since 2008 in respect of the Healthy Living Centre Transition Fund, broken down by (a) amount, (b) NHS board and (c) date of payment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: To date £70,000 of the Healthy Living Centre transition fund has been returned to the Scottish Government. This was returned from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde due to the closure of the Chinese Healthy Living Centre during 2009-10. NHS Greater Glasgow and Cly…
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the impact on access to medicines for cancer patients of a positive appraisal of a treatment by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish ministers already expect NHS boards and clinicians to take full account of Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland recommendations in the planning and provision of NHS services, in line with existing guidance. Drugs t…
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27718 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, for what reason data on the direct supply of medicines to patients from hospitals are not available through the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD) within National Services Scotland is to be a Scotland-wide repository of high-level information on medicines use in hospitals. HMUD is currently focussing on developing key priority areas such as antimicrobia…
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27687 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it will make it its policy to make mandatory the guidance issued by the Scottish Medicines Consortium on the drugs that should be made available by the NHS.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards and clinicians in Scotland are already expected to take full account of advice provided by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in the planning and provision of NHS services. Drugs that are accepted by SMC, or their equivalents, are expected to …
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27696 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it has considered the findings of the Rarer Cancers Forum’s report, Exceptional Scotland?, in relation to anti-emetic treatments.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are many anti-emetic treatments available to patients within NHSScotland to reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting which are common adverse effects of chemotherapy for cancer. Generally, these treatments fulfil the same function and some are consid…
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27699 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether the views of (a) patients and (b) patient representative organisations will be considered by the Scottish Medicines Consortium when it reviews its modifiers in April 2010.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The membership of the Scottish Medicines Consortium includes three patients and public partners. The Scottish Medicines Consortium has indicated that when reviewing the SMC''s published modifiers, all members will contribute to the review. In addition, the Sc…
19 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27687 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2009, whether it will make it its policy to collect information from NHS boards on the number of exceptional case requests received.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is preparing guidance for NHS boards which sets out the policy framework with regard to the introduction and availability of new medicines in the NHS in Scotland and includes a specific requirement for NHS boards to have fair, consiste…
8 Oct 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what spending limit it has set for the use of consultants by the Scottish Futures Trust.
Answer · John Swinney: <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1008-01.htm">http://www.scott…
6 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to remove the Royal Bank of Scotland from the management group of the Scottish Centre for Financial Education and, if so, when.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Centre for Financial Education (SCFE) is part of Learning and Teaching Scotland. Its future role and membership is under consideration by Learning and Teaching Scotland as part of its implementation of the financial education delivery plan, which…
5 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide level four budget information for the Third Sector Development Fund for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Answer · John Swinney: The Budget for 2009-10, published on 18 September 2008, is £32.6 million. £22.6 million is for Third Sector Development and £10 million for the Scottish Investment Fund.</p> <p >The £22.6 million Third Sector Development budget is allocated as follows:</p> …