Gavin Brown

22 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people charged with assault to injury have received a direct measure since 1 April 2008.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: <i> This PQ 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/sor0122-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

22 Jan 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what conclusions the Scottish Government has reached on its ongoing review of the structure and operations of Scottish Water.

Answer · Alex Salmond: <i> This PQ 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/sor0122-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19144 by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2009, how many households have been in temporary accommodation in the Lothians at the end of each quarter since April 2007, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is available from table 38 of the detailed homelessness tables published on the Scottish Government website on 29 September 2008. The tables can be accessed at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes of being drunk and disorderly have been recorded against people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 in the Lothians region in each month since January 2008, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of crimes recorded by the police is reported on an annual basis and it is not possible to provide information on a monthly basis. This data is returned in an aggregate format containing no information on individuals, meaning we canno…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9185 by John Swinney on 19 February 2008, for what reason the January 2009 edition of the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser’s Economic Pocket Databank does not contain figures for public expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Answer · John Swinney: The Economic Pocket Databank presents the latest information on the performance of the Scottish economy, along with a selection of comparator economies. Statistics on Scottish public expenditure as a percentage of GDP are released separately in the Government…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9184 by John Swinney on 19 February 2008, what public expenditure is as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Answer · John Swinney: The Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) publication, published in June 2008, contains three estimates of the public expenditure to GDP ratio for Scotland in 2006-07. The estimates are 49.9% GDP excluding North Sea revenue, 48.8% GDP if a per ca…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of student debt was among graduates from universities and colleges in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by university and college.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Student Loans Company (SLC) cannot distinguish whether a student enters repayment of their loan because they have graduated or because they have left higher education (HE) without graduating. The table below therefore shows the average student loan debt f…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of graduates from universities and colleges in the Lothians region entered full-time employment within (a) six and (b) 12 months of graduating in each of the last five years, broken down by university and college.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are seven higher education institutions in the Lothians region (including the Scottish campus of Open University) and six Scottish colleges, detailed below.</p> <p >Information on graduate destinations 12 months after graduating is not held centrally.<…

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people caught by police with (a) knives and (b) other weapons in the Lothians region were (i) repeat and (ii) first-time offenders in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table , knives cannot be identified separately from other types of weapons.</p> <p >Persons¹ with a Charge Proved in 2002-03 to 2006-07 for Possession of a Knife or Offensive Weapon²: …

13 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people offered a direct measure in each month since January 2007 had at the time of the offer (a) one or more previous convictions or (b) previously been offered a direct measure, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: Case records in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service''s case management database do not contain any electronically searchable information about previous offending history or other reported cases involving the same accused. As a result, it is not pos…

13 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of motorists caught drink driving represents (a) repeat and (b) first-time offenders in each local authority area in the Lothians in the most recent year for which information is available.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Figures for drink driving convictions alone are not available. The following table provides information relating to drink or drug driving convictions.</p> <p >Persons¹ with a Charge Proved during 2006-07 for Drink/Drug Driving Related Offences<sup…

13 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of motorists caught drug driving represents (a) repeat and (b) first-time offenders in each local authority area in the Lothians in the most recent year for which information is available.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Figures for driving convictions involving drugs alone are not available. For data on drink/drug driving offences I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19666 on 22 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Par…

17 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have been in temporary accommodation in the Lothians in each month since March 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: This information is not held centrally. The national homelessness statistics system records a snapshot of numbers of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter, rather than on a monthly basis. From 1 April 2007, the system also records h…

17 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on upgrading each trunk road in the Lothians in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details of expenditure on upgrading each trunk road in the Lothians in each year since 1999 are shown in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=608 > <thead> <tr > <td width=50 valign=top > <p >Route</p> </td…

17 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents there have been on each trunk road in the Lothians since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of fatal and non-fatal accidents on each trunk road in the Lothians, broken down by local authority area, is shown in the following tables.</p> <p >All Lothian Trunk Roads Accidents by YearŽ/ŽSeverityŽ</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpaddi…

17 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for drug rehabilitation services in NHS Lothian, broken down by hospital.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Information on the average waiting time of clients for drug treatment interventions at hospital level is not held centrally. </p> <p >A national waiting times information framework was implemented in April 2004 to enable Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs)…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what agency is responsible for collating and publishing fire accident statistics where the cause has been attributed to electrical safety failure.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin, <i >Fire Statistics Scotland</i>, provides a detailed overview of Scottish fire statistics. The detail includes fires by cause one of which is Faulty Appliance and leads. The latest bulletin, <i >Fire Statistics S…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatalities have occurred as a result of fires that can be attributed to electrical safety failures in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) hospital.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information is not available in the format requested. The Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin, <i >Fire Statistics Scotland</i>, provides a detailed overview of Scottish fire statistics. The detail includes at table 11 Casualties from accidental fire…

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been admitted to hospital following fires that can be attributed to electrical safety failures in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) hospital.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

12 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many house fires can be attributed to electrical safety failures in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information is not available in the format requested. The Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin, <i >Fire Statistics Scotland</i>, provides a detailed overview of Scottish fire statistics. The detail includes at table 10 (a). Fires in dwellings and oth…

11 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, how many people were unemployed in the Lothians region at the end of each of the last 12 months, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.</p> <p >Table 1 shows the number of unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in each local authority …

11 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7367 by John Swinney on 11 December 2007, what the most recent figures are for long-term unemployment in the Lothians region, broken down by local authority (a) area and (b) ward.

Answer · John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.</p> <p >(a) Table 1 shows the number of long-term unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in each lo…

9 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle the number of attacks on staff at hospitals in the Lothians.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Scotland employers, the trade unions and professions are committed through the Staff Governance Standard to providing staff with a safe and secure environment. Violent and aggressive behaviour towards staff is completely unacceptable and is addressed in a…

9 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors explain an increase in the number of referrals to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration in the Lothians.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The number of referrals made to the Children''s Reporter in 2007-08 has fallen in all of the local authority areas which make up the Lothians electoral region in whole or in part (City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian).</p> <p >There …

3 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17933 by Shona Robison on 2 December 2008, what action it is taking to increase the number of NHS Lothian stroke patients admitted to specialist units within 24 hours.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We continue to urge all NHS boards, including NHS Lothian, to make progress to achieve the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland clinical standard that 70% of all patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of stroke are admitted to a stroke unit within 24 hour…

3 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Lothians region were charged with fraud in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. As statistics on persons charged by the police are not collected centrally, the number of persons proceeded against in Scottish courts has been provided instead.</p> <p >Persons Proceeded Against in …

26 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accident and emergency vehicles have been in use by NHS Lothian in each of the last five years, broken down by type of vehicle.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Ambulance Service vehicle numbers are recorded by operating division. The total numbers of all categories of accident and emergency vehicles for the South East operating division, which comprises NHS Lothian and NHS Borders is set out in the followin…

26 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17731 by Maureen Watt on 20 November 2008, what action is being taken to tackle the number of pupils being suspended for alcohol-related issues from schools in the Lothians region, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Maureen Watt: At a strategic level, the Scottish Government published a discussion paper in June, setting out a wide ranging set of actions and proposals to tackle alcohol misuse amongst young people and the wider population.</p> <p >Action includes supporting schools an…

21 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, for each assault that resulted in a direct measure being issued by procurators fiscal, whether it will list the (a) type and (b) severity of the assault in each month since January 2007, broken down by sheriff court.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The following tables show the number of charges reported to each Procurator Fiscal Office since April 2007 where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure. Information for periods…

21 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17512 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 November 2008, how many off-licences in the Lothians that were found to have sold alcohol to under-18s had further tests to determine whether they continued to do so, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. It is common practice for the police to retest any premises which fails a test purchase. However, this is an operational decision taken by the relevant police force.</p>