Parliamentary questions

Derek Brownlee

680 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

2 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time students live in chargeable dwellings as defined in section 72(6) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.

2 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated loss of local income tax revenue would be if full-time students were exempted from the tax.

Answer · John Swinney: As I said in the Local Government Finance debate on 2 October 2008 we are actively considering representations that full-time students should be exempt from paying local income tax. Once this process is complete, we shall provide further information on our pr…

4 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether statistics are available to show the number of prescriptions for diazepam being issued, with reference to the underlying condition being treated, nationally and at NHS board level.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS medicines usage data collected centrally relate to the number and cost of medicines dispensed in the community and do not include data on medicines dispensed in hospital or hospital-based clinics. Prescription data collected centrally are not patient-spec…

4 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for diazepam were issued in (a) NHS Borders, (b) NHS Dumfries and Galloway, (c) NHS Lanarkshire, (d) NHS Ayrshire and Arran and (d) NHS Lothian in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The flowing table shows the number of prescribed items for diazepam in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian for the financial years ending 31 March 2000 to 2008. The data given refer to prescription i…

4 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle problems associated with the misuse of prescription drugs.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of all medicines on the UK market, including concerns about misuse. The MHRA uses a variety of methods to collect information on the safety of prescription…

28 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its anticipated total cost of employers’ liability insurance is for 2008-09, broken down by directorate

Answer · John Swinney: Crown bodies are not bound by the Employers'' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 or the relevant Road Traffic Acts. The Scottish Government, therefore, is not statutorily required to insure the risks which may arise under those acts and does not seek e…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the policies set out in the timelines in Annex A of Delivering for Health (a) remain its policy and are (i) on time or have been implemented or (ii) behind schedule and (b) are no longer its policy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Delivering for Health has been superseded by the Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan published in December 2007. Copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44287). NHS CEL 20 2008 sets out the approach…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since May 2007 (a) ministers and (b) Scottish Government officials have met HM Treasury (i) ministers and (ii) officials.

Answer · John Swinney: Between May 2007 and June 2008, Scottish ministers have met with Treasury ministers on five occasions with the last meeting being between the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 1 April. During …

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what employment practice standards, beyond those set out in employment law, it applies through guidance or contractual provisions to non-governmental organisations providing services funded by government resources.

Answer · John Swinney: No additional employment practice standards, beyond those set out in employment law are applied to third sector non-governmental organisations providing services funded by government resources.

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated for affordable homes for rent in each year since 2003-04 in (a) Dumfries and Galloway, (b) Scottish Borders, (c) South Lanarkshire, (d) East Lothian and (e) South Ayrshire and how much will be allocated in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, also expressed in real…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The grant allocation at the beginning of each financial year is a single figure which includes provision for all relevant elements of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP). In addition to the provision of affordable housing for rent this includes…

11 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which reports on the third sector will be published in 2008, also giving an indicative timeframe for the publication of each report.

Answer · John Swinney: We expect to publish or support publication of a number of reports which relate specifically to the third sector during 2008. These include: · Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan, published 18 June 2008; · Health Case Studies…

11 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage variance was of actual spending from the final budget totals, as approved by the Parliament following the relevant autumn and spring revisions, in each year since 1999-2000.

Answer · John Swinney: Details are as follows: Percentage Variance of Outturn against Final Budgets1 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > Year </td> <td valign=top > %…

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S3W-940 by Jim Mather on 13 June 2007, when a determination will be made on the proposed Clyde wind farm.

Answer · Jim Mather: Following the public inquiry in 2006 we have been discussing the range of outstanding issues involved with interested parties. We intend to reach a determination on this application soon.

4 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13438 by Stewart Maxwell on 3 June 2008, what percentage of people were registered with an NHS dentist in each parliamentary constituency in the South of Scotland region in each of the last five years, broken down by age group.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is only available from March 2007. The tables present information as at March, June, September and December 2007. They do not represent the percentages of people in each parliamentary constituency who are registered. Registrations (n…

28 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent accident statistics, what actions it plans to take to improve road safety on the A76.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Accident statistics are reviewed annually across the entire trunk road network and this forms the basis for the identification of the annual programme of accident investigation and prevention (AIP) works that Transport Scotland carry out to reduce casualty nu…

28 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would be (a) competent and (b) necessary under the Scotland Act 1998 for the Parliament to legislate to give local authorities the power to reduce council tax for holders of any bonds issued by Scottish local authorities.

Answer · John Swinney: It would be competent to draw up subordinate legislation to give local authorities the power to reduce council tax for holders of bonds issued by that local authority. The authority for this is drawn from section 80 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, r…

28 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which legislative provisions prohibit (a) it and (b) other organisations in the public sector in Scotland not classed as local authorities from borrowing money.

Answer · John Swinney: There is a wide range of legislative provisions which form the legal foundation of public bodies in Scotland. Section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 establishes the powers of Scottish ministers and does not give them, or the bodies directly controlled by them su…

22 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people were registered with an NHS dentist in each NHS board area in the South of Scotland region in each of the last five years, broken down by age group.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is only available from March 2007. The table presents information as at March, June, September and December 2007. Percentage of People Registered with an NHS Dentist; by Age Group in the South of Scotland Region1</sup…

22 May 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest figures are for the percentage uptake by pensioners, and the Scottish population as a whole, of council tax benefit amongst those eligible.

Answer · John Swinney: The Department for Work and Pensions publish figures on the take-up of council tax benefit, but do not break these figures down by area. Their website indicates that between 54 and 60% of eligible pensioners across the UK receive council tax benefit, compared…

21 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which concepts were “parked” at (a) stage 1 and (b) stage 2 of the shortlisting in the options appraisal process for the Scottish Futures Trust, as outlined in Chapter 6 of Taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: As part of the development of the Scottish Futures Trust, a wide range of concepts was developed. The main concepts which were “parked” at stages 1 and 2 of the shortlisting in the options appraisal process for the Scottish Futures Trust, as outlined in Chapt…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents occurred on each trunk road in 2007, broken down by driver age group.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Accident data held by Transport Scotland only covers those accidents resulting in injury or death. The following table shows the number of drivers involved in injury accidents on each trunk road in 2007, broken down by driver age group. Th…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on upgrading each trunk road in 2007-08.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Expenditure on trunk road upgrading in 2007-08 by route is shown in the following table. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=59 valign=top > Route </td> <td width=77 valign=top > …

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents there have been on each trunk road since 2007 and how many involved fatalities.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Accident data held by Transport Scotland only covers those accidents resulting in injury or death. The following table shows the number of injury accidents that have occurred on each trunk road in 2007 including the number of fatal accidents and fata…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the (a) increase in the personal allowance, and (b) decrease in the threshold for the higher rate of income tax would reduce the projected yield for local income tax for 2008-09.

Answer · John Swinney: At this stage, it is not clear whether the change announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 13 May will be for more than a single year. It will be necessary to see what the Chancellor does later this year and in future budgets in case the personal allow…

2 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were admitted to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary to be treated for drug misuse in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on patients treated for drug misuse in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in 2007-08 is not currently available. Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary with a drug misuse diagnosi…

2 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were admitted to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary to be treated for excessive alcohol consumption in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (vi) 2007-08.

Answer · Shona Robison: Table 1 sets out the number of patients discharged from Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary with an alcohol-related diagnosis between 2003-04 and 2006-07 (the latest year for which information is available), for people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 1…

23 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10895 by John Swinney on 19 March 2008, how much an increase in the UK income tax personal allowance of (a) £100, (b) £200 and (c) £500 would reduce the projected yield from local income tax for (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Answer · John Swinney: The estimated change in the local income tax yield caused by adjusting individuals'' personal income tax allowances is shown in table 1. Table 1 “ Estimated Change in Local Income Tax Yield <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead…

22 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the New Southern Hospital in Glasgow will be procured using the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12137 on 22 April 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…

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people lived in accommodation falling within paragraph 18 of Schedule 1 to the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997 as amended, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people lived in accommodation falling within paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 to the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997 as amended, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.