Parliamentary questions
John Swinburne
208 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be put in place to ensure the safety of pupils travelling to Blantyre, should it decide to close Earnock High School, Hamilton.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It is not appropriate tospeculate on a ministerial decision which has yet to be taken.</p>
8 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the future of Earnock High School, Hamilton.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I hope to be in a positionto announce a decision shortly.</p>
7 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation paper on its national concessionary travel scheme for elderly and disabled people will be issued; how the consultation paper will be distributed, and to whom.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The consultation paper onconcessionary travel will be issued as soon as practicable. It will bedistributed by post to key stakeholders, including groups representing olderpeople.</p>
7 Jan 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to national bus companies regarding the delivery of the concessionary travel scheme across local authority boundaries.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Discussionshave taken place with key stakeholders including bus operators on theconcessionary fares commitments outlined in <i>A</i> <i>Partnership for aBetter Scotland</i>. These commitments include delivery of concessionary travelacross local authority boun…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S2F-412 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 December 2003, what steps it is taking to ensure the delivery of quality bus services and the implementation of quality bus contracts.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A range of measures is inplace and planned to encourage quality bus services. These measures include:</p><p>The toolkit of optionscontained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 for local transport authorities torevitalise local bus services. This toolkit incl…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will undertake a review of the funding formula, and practice of bus operators, under its local concessionary travel scheme and whether the findings of the review will be taken into account when developing its national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: As part of theimplementation of the partnership agreement commitments on concessionarytravel, discussions are taking place with key stakeholders on the financialarrangements and re-imbursement mechanisms. Research and analysis will berequired to support these…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the delivery of its proposed national concessionary travel scheme for older people is estimated to cost and how this estimate was calculated.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Firm estimates of the costof the proposed national free off-peak bus concessionary travel scheme forolder people and people with disabilities will be developed in light of the discussionswhich are taking place with key stakeholders on the technical questions …
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the shortfall in funding of Strathclyde Transport Authority's local concessionary scheme given that the original allocation took account of the share of the population of retirement age.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: We are currently consideringthe claim for additional funding submitted by the Strathclyde Concessionary TravelScheme Joint Committee. The claim was submitted under arrangements agreed at anearlier stage with COSLA. Those arrangements were agreed because it wa…
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to stop the practice of senior citi'ens having to leave Scottish Citylink buses at Harthill to wait for another bus without shelter, when travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow under its current concessionary travel scheme.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I am concerned about thispractice and have asked officials to raise the issue with the Confederation ofPassenger Transport and the operator concerned.</p>
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it currently ensures that claims for journeys made under its local concessionary travel scheme are accurate.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Expenditure on concessionarytravel schemes is covered by the contractual arrangements between localtransport authorities and transport operators for the 16 local concessionarytravel schemes throughout Scotland. As with all local authority expenditure it iscov…
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many free trips were made under the local concessionary travel scheme in each concessionary scheme area in each year of the scheme to date and how these figures compare with its estimates of the number of trips prior to delivery of the scheme.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested isnot held centrally. Details of scheme usage relate to the contractualarrangements for the 16 local concessionary travel schemes throughout Scotland andare between the local transport authorities and the transport operators. Wewill …
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the pensioner population has been in each local authority in each year since 1995.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Registrar General’smid-year population estimates give the following pensioner population (men 65+/women 60+) in each local authority area since 1995.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align…
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent on concessionary travel fares in each year since 1995.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested isas follows.</p><p> </p><p>Concessionary Fares Net<sup>1</sup> Revenue Expenditure</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=627> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=center>1996-97</p> </td> <td>…
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a scheme of national bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for older people, as it plans for younger people in accordance with the Transport Act 1985 and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-1613 on 20 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any underspend of the total amount budgeted across the three sectors of its central heating programme since its inception and, if so, how much such underspend is.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The resources allocated tothe programme for 2001-02 and 2002-03 have been spent on the central heating programmeand other energy efficie…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent during the central heating programme on (a) printing, publishing and distributing all information materials, (b) advertising and promotion and (c) administration and whether these expenses were included in the original figure of #350 million identified for deliver…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>The administration,advertising and promotional activity surrounding the central heating programme,including all other auxiliary activit…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3164 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003, whether it will provide details of the concerns received about the specifics of eligibility for assistance and about detailed aspects of the implementation of the central heating programme.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>The central heating programmeis a major programme of work and, from time to time, concerns are receivedabout various aspects of eligibi…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3162 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003, what further measures Communities Scotland is considering for scrutinising the effectiveness of the delivery of the central heating programme.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotlandkeeps the effectiveness of the programme under constant review and is currentlyconsidering the introduction of an i…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research evidence on fuel poverty it used to inform its eligibility criteria for its central heating programme.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>The Executive usedinformation from the Scottish House Condition Survey 1996 to inform theeligibility criteria for the central heating p…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) local authority and (b) housing association households have had central heating installed under its central heating programme to date and how many installations are in the process of completion.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>As at October 2003, localauthorities had installed 9,702 systems and housing associations had installed2,938. In 2003-04 local authorit…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-987 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 30 June 2003, how many private sector central heating installations have been completed since 31 May 2003 and how many installations are in the process of completion.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>Since 31 May 2003 4,953installations have been completed. In the private sector Eaga Partnership willcomplete around 10,200 installatio…
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the eligibility criteria for its central heating programme in order to enable greater uptake by the end of 2005.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The programme is kept underconstant review. In the private sector, the central heating programme will beexpanded to include the over 80s with partial or inefficient systems from April2004.</p>
9 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made for free central heating installations under its central heating programme; how many applications have been approved, and how many installations have been carried out to date, broken down into local authority, housing association and private sector pr…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>In the private sector EagaPartnership have received 24,799 qualifying applications up until November2003. Of those 19,500 have been ass…
27 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has intervened, or plans to intervene, in the position of Help the Aged which is considering redundancies in its Scottish office and the withdrawal of certain services to senior citi'ens in Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Help the Aged is anindependent UK voluntary organisation and as such must makefinancial decisions in light of its business needs.</p>
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of influen'a in senior citi'ens have been reported this winter in each NHS board area and how many such cases have resulted in deaths.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Centre forInfection and Environmental Health publishes a weekly report on influenzatrends in Scotland, based on information provided by a network ofgeneral practitioners and specialist laboratories. They do not normally containdetailed informatio…
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address influen'a in senior citi'ens.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Everyone aged 65 years andover is eligible for free influenza vaccination.</p><p>In order tomaximise uptake, the Executive implemented a multi-faceted publicity campaignwhich included television and press advertisements, public information postersand leaflets…
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many myalgic encephalomyelitis consultants are employed by each NHS board and whether this number is sufficient to meet the demand for services.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The management of myalgicencephalomyelitis does not fall to a recognised medical specialty. As such, itis not possible to identify a specific number of consultants employed by eachNHS board to treat this disease.</p><p>Those clinicians who areinvolved in trea…
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to develop a definitive diagnostic test to identify myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive does not carryout research directly but may support research carried out by the NHS oracademic institutions. The Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish ExecutiveHealth Department would be happy to consider good quality proposals forresearch int…
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many diagnosed cases there are of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Answer · Tom McCabe: Exact information is notavailable centrally. Information from samples of GP records in practices acrossScotland whose population is nationally representative suggests thatapproximately 7,200 patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis were seen by GPs inthe year …
26 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to undertake a comprehensive study of the health of schoolchildren and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive hasno plans to undertake a comprehensive study of the health of school children. the Scottish Executive already commissions the Scottish Health Survey and the ScottishSchools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS), both …