Parliamentary questions
Murdo Fraser
2,062 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on procuring its own supplies of vaccine to protect against human papilloma virus (HPV) separately from the UK Government.
Answer · Shona Robison: At present, all childhood vaccinations are procured by the Department of Health on behalf of the four UK administrations. To date this process has always worked well and Scotland benefits significantly from this arrangement. While the possibility of a separat…
30 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will stipulate in the retendering process for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination that the product should offer protection against the strains of the virus that cause genital warts as well as the majority of cervical cancers.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Department of Health has commissioned an update to the cost-effective modelling for the HPV vaccine. This model is taking into account new data on the potential protection provided by HPV vaccine against cancer and non-cancer diseases. This model will sup…
30 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding mechanism is for the provision of a vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV) under the arrangements in which the Department of Health procures the vaccine for the whole of the United Kingdom.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government meets the cost of all HPV vaccine used in Scotland as part of the national programme. The Department of Health currently procures the HPV vaccine on behalf of the UK administrations. NHS boards in Scotland ordered HPV vaccine stock fro…
30 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it is in contact with the Department of Health regarding the retendering process for a vaccine to protect against human papilloma virus (HPV)
Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with counterparts within the Department of Health on all vaccination policy matters, including the retendering process for the HPV vaccine.</p>
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question answer S3W-37060 by Shona Robison on 17 November 2010, how many patients were awaiting a placement in a care home in each NHS board area and what the (a) average and (b) maximum length of wait is, also broken down by local authority area, in each of the …
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on NHS patients awaiting placement in a care home is recorded on the Delayed Discharges censuses. Data from October 2005 to October 2010 is available in the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. number 52135).</p> <h6>Source: ISD Scotla…
17 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a recommended number of echocardiogram machines per head of population and, if not, for what reason there is a discrepancy between different NHS boards in the number of such machines in operation.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is no national recommendation on the number of echocardiogram machines per head of population. NHS boards are expected to deploy the number of machines needed to provide an appropriate level of care within an acceptable time, as part of the 18 week refe…
10 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the comment of the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change reported in The Courier of 10 November 2010 that “The A9 is a vital link to north Scotland and the Scottish Government is committed to dualling it, from Perth to Inverness, on a phased basis”, when i…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Upgrading the A9 remains a priority for this Government and will be undertaken in the context of overall affordability and our commitments to the Strategic Transport Projects Review recommendations.</b></p> <p >Transport Scotland has taken forward detailed p…
29 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy approach it is taking to generic substitution in NHSScotland prescribing and whether it is to be reviewed or altered in light of the decision by the UK Department of Health not to proceed with such a scheme.
Answer · Shona Robison: No decision has been taken to introduce generic substitution in NHSScotland. It has long been the Scottish Government''s policy to encourage generic prescribing wherever clinically appropriate. This policy has resulted in a high generic prescribing rate. In 2…
14 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements have been made to railway stations in the last three years, broken down by cost.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Information on what improvements have been made to railway stations broken down by cost is not held by the Scottish Government.</b></p> <p >Investment funding for rail stations has been provided by various organisations including Network Rail, First ScotRail…
14 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in partnership with Transport Scotland and First ScotRail to improve train services between Perth and Edinburgh.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Performance for rail services between Perth and Edinburgh is monitored by Transport Scotland. The Public Performance Measure (measuring reliability and punctuality) has shown consistent improvement, rising from 85% in 2006 to 91.1% at present. This is the res…
13 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24176 by Stewart Stevenson on 4 June 2009, how many (a) accidents and (b) fatalities occurred on the A9 between (i) Dunblane and Perth, (ii) Perth and Pitlochry, (iii) Pitlochry and Inverness and (iv) Inverness and Thurso in 2009 and have occurred in…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of (a) accidents and (b) fatalities which have occurred on the A9 between (i) Dunblane and Perth, (ii) Perth and Pitlochry, (iii) Pitlochry and Inverness and (iv) Inverness and Thurso in 2009 and 2010 is as shown in the following table:</b></p> <t…
13 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive with what flood prevention schemes it is assisting Perth and Kinross Council, showing the (a) financial costs and (b) location.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Funding for flood risk management is no longer ring-fenced but is included within the overall level of capital support provided to local government. This provides local authorities with the flexibility to allocate the financial resources available to them on …
29 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on asking Scottish and Southern Energy to underground sections of the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade in the Stirling area.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Stirling section of the proposed Beauly to Denny upgrade is almost entirely covered by the Scottish Power Transmission Ltd consent and the Scottish Government have no plans, or means within the conditions of the consent, to ask Scottish and Southern Energ…
29 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on asking Scottish Power to underground sections of the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade in the Stirling area.
Answer · Jim Mather: Condition 19 of the consent for the Stirling section of the Beauly to Denny upgrade requires that a visual impact mitigation scheme is approved by Scottish Ministers before any towers and overhead line are erected in the Stirling Council area covered by the S…
24 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS National Services Scotland will be affected by the new Advisory Group for National Specialised Services in England.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) has recently been established in England to replace the National Commissioning Group which provided advice to the Department of Health on highly specialist health services. Scottish interests are re…
24 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of osteosarcoma have been recorded in each of the last five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of cases of osteosarcoma (cancer of the bone and articular cartilage) recorded by the Scottish Cancer Registry in each of the last five years can be found at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=i_cancer_b…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been as a result of the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme
Answer · Shona Robison: In the five years 2003-04 to 2008-09 there were three, two, five, nine and 12 convictions respectively for selling cigarettes to persons under the legal age of purchase in Scottish courts. It is not possible to say from the information held centrally if any o…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the results of joint operations carried out between local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs to address the sale of illicit tobacco in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11, broken down by local authority area
Answer · Shona Robison: The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTTS) is expected to publish a report on the progress made under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme within the next couple of months. We will inform you when the report is availab…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many joint operations were carried out between local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme
Answer · Shona Robison: There were 16 joint operations reported to have taken place between local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs during 2009-10 and six joint operations during 2008-09.</p>
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities met the target for joint operations with HM Revenue and Customs under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme
Answer · Shona Robison: National targets were set under the programme rather than individual local authority targets. For 2009-10 a target of six joint operations was set and I am pleased to report that the target was exceeded, with 16 operations reported to have taken place over th…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the target is for joint operations between local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme
Answer · Shona Robison: The national targets for joint operations between local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs are five operations in 2008-09, six operations in 2009-10 and seven operations in 2010-11.</b></p>
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £4.5 million awarded under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme was or has been allocated to each local authority in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-36274 on 27 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to each local authority under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-36274 on 27 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which local authorities met their targets for (i) test purchasing and (ii) advice and support services under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme in (A) 2008-09, (B) 2009-10 and are meeting their targets for 2010-11
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is as follows:-</b></p> <p >A. 2008-09</p> <p >i. Test Purchasing </p> <p >(a) 12 local authorities met their targets.</p> <p >(b) The authorities were:</p> <p >Aberdeen City, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East D…
15 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding was allocated to trading standards departments for (a) test purchasing and (b) advice and support services as part of the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11, broken down by local authority
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has made new funding of £4.5 million over three years (2008-09 to 2010-11) available to Scottish local authorities for the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme. The allocation made to each local authority is intended broadly to…
10 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take forward an initiative similar to that announced by the UK Government of a cancer drugs fund aimed at giving patients access to new medicines.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is aware that the Department of Health plans to publish later in the year, a consultation on establishing a cancer drugs fund from April 2011 and that interim funding will be made available for cancer drugs via clinically led panels in…
1 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will draw up a list of possible sites for a National Roman Centre.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to create a National Roman Centre nor has it plans to commission the research that would be needed to support the development of such a list. The current priority is to work, through Historic Scotland, with local…
1 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote Roman history in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish ministers promote the Romans in Scotland in a variety of ways. Recognising the importance of the monuments themselves, through Historic Scotland, they have scheduled 238 Roman sites in Scotland as nationally important, 18 of which are currently in th…
12 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the views of the local community are taken into account when reaching a decision on the Muthill Conservation Area Rationalisation Scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: SSE submitted the Muthill rationalisation scheme to Scottish Ministers on 29 April 2010. Since then it has been subject to consultation with Perth and Kinross Council, and their response to me also reflects the views of all community councils in those areas r…
12 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision on the Muthill Conservation Area Rationalisation Scheme relating to the Beauly to Denny power line.
Answer · Jim Mather: Views from consultees on the various Beauly to Denny rationalisation schemes have been sought and received. A decision on the Muthill Conservation Area Rationalisation Scheme will follow shortly.</b></p>