Parliamentary questions
Gavin Brown
1,064 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the representation that other parts of the United Kingdom have at the World Business Angels Association conference being held in Beijing.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has no information on attendees at this event but is aware that the event presented another opportunity for LINC Scotland and the Scottish Angel Network to broadcast their success to a wider international audience.</p>
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representation Scotland has at the World Business Angels Association conference being held in Beijing.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government understands that the Executive Director of LINC Scotland attended this event.</p>
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the World Business Angels Association conference being held in Beijing.
Answer · Jim Mather: Although we have had no formal approach from the organisers, the Scottish Government was aware this event was taking place on 5 to 6 December 2009.</p>
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish the minutes of the last meeting of the Small Business Consultative Group.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29749 on 11 January 2010. 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…
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what matters were discussed at the last meeting of the Small Business Consultative Group.
Answer · Jim Mather: The minutes of the last meeting of the Small Business Consultative Group on 11 May 2009 have been published on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed through the following link:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industr…
26 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS prescriptions for antibiotics were dispensed in NHS Lothian in each year since 1999, broken down by antibiotic.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is provided in the following table. The data show the number of prescribed items for antibiotics dispensed in NHS Lothian in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2009. Th…
26 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were unemployed in the Lothians region at the end of each month since November 2008, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · John Swinney: Monthly estimates of unemployment at local authority level are available from the claimant count. This gives the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits and is published monthly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The claimant count n…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school pupils in the Lothians region have been sent home from school as a result of alcohol misuse in each of the last five years.
Answer · Michael Russell: In the annual national statistics report on exclusions, published on 26 January 2009, it was recorded that there were five or less cases of primary school pupils being temporarily excluded from Lothian primary schools during the school year 2007-08 as a resul…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school pupils in the Lothians region have received hospital treatment as a result of alcohol misuse in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of patients aged 12 years or under, admitted to acute hospitals with a diagnosis of alcohol misuse, resident in the NHS Lothian area 2003-04 to 2007-08 is shown in the following table. </p> <p >Number of Patients Discharged from General Acute Hosp…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average fine was for possessing (a) heroin, (b) cocaine, (c) ecstasy, (d) cannabis and (e) amphetamines in the Lothians region in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sheriff court.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.</p> <p >Average (Mean) Fine (£) for Possession of Selected Drugs<sup>1</sup>, by Sheriff Court 1999-2000 to 2007-08<sup>2</sup></p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > …
23 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for (a) sibutramine and (b) orlisat have been dispensed to individuals aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 21, (c) 22 to 30 and (d) over 30 in the NHS Lothian area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is not possible to identify from the information collected centrally, medicines dispensed to patients broken down by the age categories requested.</p> <p >Data on the number of prescribed items for sibutramine and orlistat dispensed to patients aged under…
23 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of handling an offensive weapon in the Lothian and Borders police force area were aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 21, (c) 22 to 30 and (d) over 30 at the time of the offence in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.</p> <p >Persons With a Charge Proved in the Lothian and Borders Police Force Area, for Handling Offensive Weapons<sup>1, 3</sup> by Age, 1998-99 to 2007-08</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpad…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Small Business Consultative Group will next meet.
Answer · Jim Mather: The next meeting of the Small Business Consultative Group is scheduled to take place in 2010.</p>
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how frequently the Small Business Consultative Group should meet.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29140, on 2 December 2009. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, for which the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Small Business Consultative Group last met.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29140, on 2 December 2009. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, for which the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group have taken place in 2009
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29140, on 2 December 2009. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, for which the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group took place in 2008.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29140, on 2 December 2009. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, for which the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group took place in 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29140, on 2 December 2009. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, for which the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
19 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group took place in 2006.
Answer · Jim Mather: Details of meetings of the Small Business Consultative Group (SBCG) between 2006 and 2009 are listed in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Year</p> </td> <td valign=top >…
18 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with racism in the Lothians region in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area and manner of disposal.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government Court Proceedings database, which is derived from data held on the criminal history system, does not hold information on the number of people charged.</p> <p >The unit of analysis used to derive these data is persons proceeded against…
18 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of racism have been recorded in the Lothians region in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is given in Table 2 on page 12 of the statistical bulletin <i >Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland 2004-05 to 2007-08,</i> published by the Scottish Government in March 2009, copies of which are available in the Scott…
18 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of handling an offensive weapon in the Lothians region in each of the last five years were aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 21, (c) 22 to 30 and (d) over 30 at the time of the offence.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table:</p> <p >Persons with a charge proved in the Lothians Region<sup>4</sup> for Handling Offensive Weapons<sup>1,3</sup> by Age, 2003-04 to 2007-08</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <…
10 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital emergency admissions were recorded for (a) diabetic ketoacidosis and (b) hypoglycaemic coma in (i) NHS Lothian and (ii) Scotland-wide in each of the last five years, broken down by (A) age and (B) gender.
Answer · Shona Robison: Table 1 below shows the number of emergency admissions recorded for diabetic ketoacidosis without coma for the last five years, by age and gender, for NHS Lothian and Scottish residents. Equivalent data on diabetic comas are shown in table 2. </p> <p >Table…
10 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost to prescribe (a) sibutramine and (b) orlisat in the NHS Lothian area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The answer is given in the following table. The gross ingredient costs (GIC) given relate to items prescribed in NHS Lothian and dispensed by community pharmacists or dispensing doctors anywhere in the UK. The costs shown do not include medicines dispensed in…
4 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the publication of its Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2007-08 statistical bulletin, what firearms were used by those offenders who committed (a) homicide, (b) attempted murder, (c) serious assault, (d) robbery, (e) vandalism, (f) reckless conduc…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table:</p> <p >Crimes and offences<sup> </sup>recorded by Lothian and Borders police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used by crime/offence type and main firearm used, in financial year 2007-08.<…
4 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of its Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2008-09 statistical bulletin, what firearms were used by those offenders who committed (a) homicide, (b) attempted murder, (c) serious assault, (d) robbery, (e) vandalism, (f) reckless conduct wi…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table:</p> <p >Crimes and offences recorded by Lothian and Borders police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used by crime/offence type and main firearm used, in financial year 2008-09.</p> <p >Ma…
4 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of its Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2008-09 statistical bulletin, what action it will take to tackle the increase in the number of attempted murders involving firearms in the Lothians and Borders police force area from one in 2007-…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The official statistics, published on 27 October by Scotland''s Chief Statistician, show that there was an overall fall in firearms offences of 17% for Scotland. I am confident that Lothian and Borders police are taking appropriate action to tackle the misuse…
4 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of its Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2008-09 statistical bulletin, what disposals were issued to those offenders who committed (a) homicide, (b) attempted murder, (c) serious assault, (d) robbery, (e) vandalism, (f) reckless conduct…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The statistics in this bulletin are derived from returns submitted by police forces in Scotland in respect of crimes and offences recorded by them in which a firearm is alleged to have been used. It is not possible to identify from these returns how many of t…
3 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions police have been called into schools in the Lothians region to deal with incidents impacting on (a) teachers and staff and (b) pupils in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.</p>
3 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times urinary tract infections have been detected in hospitals in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) hospital and (b) age group of patient.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The requested information is not centrally available.</p> <p >There are no mandatory national surveillance systems for urinary tract infections occurring in hospitals in NHSScotland.</p>