Parliamentary questions

John Wilson

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

9 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards operate a consent form system for dealing with patients' MSPs.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boards that are responsible for patient care must operate a formal complaints procedure which is consistent with the relevant legislation and national guidance. Revised national guidance on ‘Handling and Learning from Feedback, Comments, Concerns and…

27 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the final ferries plan will contain a full costing of its proposals for each ferry (a) route and (b) service.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Final Ferries Plan will provide details of the final investment required and of how we will ensure that our funding priorities can be met over the period of the Ferries Plan.

27 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Transport Scotland appraisals of the routes in the draft ferries plan will (a) commence and (b) end and whether it will publish the guidance when the process has been completed.

Answer · Keith Brown: Preliminary work on the appraisal of routes has already started but the detailed work will only begin after we have fully considered responses received to the Draft Ferries Plan consultation. Appraisals will end in good time for the Final Ferries Plan to be p…

27 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a policy statement on the future procurement of ferries and, if so, when.

Answer · Keith Brown: As noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, we will publish a policy statement on our future approach to ferry service procurement. We will publish this paper in advance of the Final Ferries Plan later in 2012.

27 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the legislative changes required to establish a regulator of ferry services in Scotland and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Keith Brown: As noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, published on 21 December 2011, we are keeping the need for a Scottish Ferries Regulator under review and will explore what legislative provision would be involved. Further details will be made available in the Final Ferries…

18 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to local authorities regarding the recovery of community charge and council tax arrears.

28 Mar 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with local authorities on the issue of staff pay and conditions.

19 Mar 2012 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the impact will be of the UK budget on the people of Scotland.

7 Mar 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how well the Scottish Prison Service is performing against its key performance indicators.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions should apply to proposed housing developments where there has been a water vole colony.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Natural Heritage will advise planning authorities on any conditions required to ensure compliance with the species protection plan and any additional mitigation required to satisfy the licensing tests in the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regul…

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation, in line with England and Wales, to offer full protection to the water vole population.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has recently consulted on changes to Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including on whether or not water voles should receive full protection. The consultation closed on 11 January 2012. We expect to publish o…

9 Feb 2012 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what external and internal damage was caused to the parliamentary complex by the recent storms and what the financial implications are.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Two granite cladding panels were dislodged on the south elevation of Tower 1 due to high winds on 9 of December 2011 and a further four panels were removed as a precaution the same day. All six panels were reinstated the following day. A small section of fl…

11 Jan 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will take place.

11 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) best practice advice and (b) guidance the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland has issued to health authorities in relation to prostate cancer.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Guidance in the form of a Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack which supports the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme was issued to NHS boards (urologists, histopathologists, PSA testing laboratories) and all general practitioners in Scotland in 2009. T…

11 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have been attributed to prostate cancer in the last six years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As set out in the National Records of Scotland, the figure for the total amount of deaths in Scotland as a result of prostate cancer from 2005 to 2010 is 4,768. This information is available at the following link and under “Malignant neoplasm of prostate”: h…

11 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether screening for prostate cancer is standard practice for NHS boards.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is not standard practice for NHS boards to operate screening for prostate cancer. I would refer the member to my answer set out in S4W-04935 on 23 January 2012 which outlines the rationale for this. All answers to written parliamentary questions are avai…

11 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it gives to prostate cancer.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Cancer remains a top clinical priority for Scottish Government. Our cancer policy is generic in that its aims are to improve cancer services for all regardless of cancer type or whether a primary or secondary diagnosis. Better cancer Care, which was published…

11 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards operate prostate cancer screening initiatives.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards do not currently operate prostate cancer screening initiatives. Scottish Government takes advice on the introduction of population based screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee. The UK committee’s current evidence based advice…

21 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its cultural priorities are for 2012-13.

15 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which contractors have been approved to install replacement (a) boilers and (b) central heating systems under the warm homes initiative.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government's current initiative to provide replacement boilers and/or central heating systems is stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package (EAP). Scottish Gas have appointed the following contractors to provide replacement boilers and/or central h…

15 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the households that are entitled to replacement (a) boilers or (b) central heating systems under the warm homes initiative have not had these installed as, because of asbestos-related issues, the contractor has declined to proceed with the installation and what its position is…

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04626 on 12 January 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/parliamentaryb…

15 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the households that are entitled to replacement (a) boilers or (b) central heating systems under the warm homes initiative are yet to have these installed.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government's current initiative to provide replacement boilers and/or central heating systems is stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package (EAP). Scottish Gas have advised that the overall number of customers awaiting an installation (central heat…

13 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what green fuel grants are available to assist with the establishment of bio-diesel businesses.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government provides funding to assist businesses with, amongst other low carbon transport interventions, the use and production of sustainable biofuels, including biodiesel. The Energy Saving Trust currently promote the Scottish Government's Low…

13 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance and financial support is available to small businesses for developing green fuel technology.

Answer · Keith Brown: A range of assistance and financial support schemes operate at a Scottish and UK level for small businesses that wish to develop green fuel technology. Scottish Enterprise (SE) provide advice and access to financial support to SMEs to make contributions to t…

13 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the UK Government regarding exempting Scotland from legislation that requires the letting of rail passenger services as franchises.

Answer · Keith Brown: No.