Parliamentary questions
Richard Baker
2,136 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in 2012 on the Aberdeen Crossrail project.
Answer · Keith Brown: Elements of Aberdeen Crossrail will be delivered through the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements Project. Phase one, which I announced on 21 June 2012, will provide enhanced commuter services into each city and new railway stations at Dalcross (near Inver…
1 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported decreasing number of hospital beds in NHS Grampian.
Answer · Alex Neil: It is for NHS boards to plan the bed configuration they require to meet local needs, following relevant national policies. ISD Acute Activity statistics published in September 2012 show the changing pattern of care nationally continues with shorter hospital …
1 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage a gender balance on nursing courses in the north east, in light of the report in The Press and Journal of 1 October 2012 that only one in 10 Scottish student nurses are male.
Answer · Alex Neil: Under the wider recruitment and retention project hosted by NHS Education for Scotland (NES), work has been undertaken with a broad range of NHS boards and universities to develop resources that promote positive messages of nursing for both female and male nu…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to promote road safety in the north east.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09955 on 24 October 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/parliamentar…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to prevent road accidents in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 provides strategic direction at a national level through eight national priorities for road safety in Scotland, which are being delivered through 96 commitments. This is supported through our Road Safety Strategic Part…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been provided to (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council to tackle flooding problems in each of the last five years.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: From 2007, a number of previous specific grants, including specific flood funding, were rolled up into the capital grant which is now payable to authorities as a General Capital Grant. The funding commitment made by the Scottish Government, for projects which…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council to improve flood prevention measures.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Flood protection schemes are primarily a matter for local authorities, however the Scottish Government is committed to supporting work that helps protect the people of Scotland from the effects of flooding. To that end, the Scottish Government introduced the…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public sector savings are scheduled for 2012-13 as a result of the implementation of the recommendations in the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: I will set out for the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee at the end of the financial year 2012-13 progress in achieving the efficiencies and improvements in value for money as recommended in John McClelland's review and taken forward in our action plan …
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been an impact on budget allocations for future and continuing ICT programmes as a result of the introduction of new strategies recommended by the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: In setting out the government's spending plans, I confirmed my expectation that public sector organisations must demonstrate how they will contribute to the potential savings in the McClelland Review. Our national strategy, Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commenced new technical and procurement plans as recommended by the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland and, if so, when.
Answer · John Swinney: Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services confirms that we have set up a cross public sector Technical and Design Board which is currently drafting the High Level Operating Framework for consultation in October/November 2012. A procurement action…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has suspended or amended decisions on high-value ICT projects in light of the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland and, if so, how many.
Answer · John Swinney: Where a project has been suspended or amended this can be expected to reflect a range of considerations that go beyond issues addressed in the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland. However, assurance sought of projects will include is…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proportion of public sector ICT spend that should be awarded to external contractors.
Answer · John Swinney: Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services sets out our approach to workforce capacity and to procurement where we wish to maximise value from existing national procurement frameworks and explore opportunities for new national frameworks and contr…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public sector ICT savings will be made through service redesign.
Answer · John Swinney: Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services sets out the public sector’s commitment to a “digital first” approach to service delivery and to a national project to establish a single point of services, i.e. information and transactions. We expect pu…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what savings are anticipated and over what timescale as a result of the implementation of the recommendations of the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services sets out our early actions including the delivery of a measurements and benefits framework to evidence progress against Digital Public Service developments. We will update progress on at least an annual b…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what savings there have been as a result of the implementation of the recommendations of the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: The McClelland Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland confirms that savings on external spend could begin in the year 2012-13. Scotland's Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services sets out our strategy for delivering on the review and…
24 Sep 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in establishing an energy academy.
17 Sep 2012 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to delay the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service.
12 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the adult population in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Scotland has been registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last five years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Information on dental registrations is published on the ISD website and can be viewed by following the following links: NHS General Dental Service Registrations by Administrative Area and Age Group, quarters ending 30 June 2010- http://www.isdscotland.org/H…
12 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress NHS Grampian is making in providing access to NHS dentistry services.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Responsibility for the overall provision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Grampian. Since 2008, NHS Grampian has attracted new dentists to the area to establish new NHS dental practices or to purchase or extend existing NHS dental practices …
12 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many houses housing associations have built in Aberdeen city in each of the last four years.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: In the period from 2008 to 2011, 317 houses have been built by housing associations within Aberdeen City. Houses Built 2008-11 Year No. of Houses Built 2008-09 33 2009-10 60 2010-11 224 2011-12 Not Yet Published
12 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in providing affordable housing in the north east.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: In May this year, three-year resource planning assumptions (through to March 2015) were issued to all local authorities. This will enable each council to take the lead in devising a locally led programme of social and affordable housing developments, based on…
3 Sep 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with CalMac regarding the future of ferry services.
9 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) local and (b) national (i) recruitment, (ii) training and (iii) apprenticeship targets have been set for each of the Scottish Futures Trust's established hub programmes, also broken down by project.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Each hub bidder proposes specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) during the hub procurement process, including targets for recruitment and training opportunities. Each hub territory has different project specific objectives based on those proposed by the s…
9 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) recruitment, (b) training and (c) apprenticeship targets have been set for the Scottish Futures Trust's proposed south west hub programme, also broken down by (i) project and (ii) the programme's alliance community partnerships that have received preferred bidder status.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As the South West hub territory is still in the final bidding process and has not yet reached contract signature, the content of the preferred bidder’s offering has to remain commercially confidential at this stage. Specific details in relation to this territ…
30 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to a report in The Telegraph on 30 July 2012 that it is to hold “constitutional reform FOI seminars”, what the cost of developing and delivering these seminars is, also broken down by the cost of (a) developing content, (b) delivering the seminars and (c) staff time of those att…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08937 on 2 October 2012. 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/parliamentarybu…
30 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to a report in The Telegraph on 30 July 2012 that it is to hold “constitutional reform FOI seminars”, which (a) officials, (b) special advisers and (c) ministers were involved in (i) developing content for, (ii) delivering and (iii) attending the seminars.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08937 and S4W-08938 on 2 October 2012. 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/p…
30 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to a report in The Telegraph on 30 July 2012 that it is to hold “constitutional reform FOI seminars”, on what dates and at what times the seminars will take place; how long they will last, and who will attend.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08937 on 2 October 2012. 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/parliamentarybu…
30 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to a report in The Telegraph on 30 July 2012 that it is to hold “constitutional reform FOI seminars”, whether it will make the content and all related materials of these seminars public.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The “constitutional reform FOI seminars” referred to in the Telegraph report are in fact the same as the routine FOI training sessions which are delivered regularly by the Scottish Government’s FOI Unit to government staff who handle FOI requests, not just th…
15 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been classed as living in poverty in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire in each of the last three years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government publishes figures annually on the levels of child poverty in Scotland. This information can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/06/7976. The figures are based on information from the Family Resources Survey (FRS…
15 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response time is for an ambulance in the NHS Grampian area.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Average ambulance response times (in minutes) for the last five years across the NHS Grampian area are set out in the following table. Year Category A All Emergency 2007-08 7.1 8.1 2008-09 6.8 7.6 2009-10 6.8 8.0 2010-11 6.6 8.4 2011-12 6.8 …