John Pentland

1 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards must publish information on the (a) number and (b) nature of individual patient treatment requests and the outcomes of these.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are not expected to publish information on the number and nature of individual patient treatment requests (IPTR) and the outcomes. Due to the nature of these IPTR, the publishing of such information may lead to the identification of individual pat…

1 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any NHS boards have published a policy on dealing with individual patient treatment requests and, if so, which boards, where this can be accessed, and whether it has carried out a comparative review between each.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government issued guidance to boards on 17 March 2010 which set out the policy framework with regard to the introduction of newly licensed medicines and boards were asked to develop policies in accordance with the framework. This clarified that …

1 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards will meet to share good practice in relation to the management of individual patient treatment requests and, if so, when.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government guidance published on 13 February 2012 recognised the benefits of NHS boards meeting at least annually to share good practice in relation to IPTR management. The Scottish Government is not aware of any meeting that has been arranged by NH…

25 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it gives to the NHS regarding assessing patients’ needs for assistance with eating and drinking and ensuring that such assistance is provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is in the public domain and available on the following Healthcare Improvement Scotland website: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/programmes/patient_safety/improving_nutritional_care.aspx.

25 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it gives to the NHS regarding the timing of and intervals between meals and other refreshments provided for patients.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is already in the public domain and is available on the following Healthcare Improvement Scotland website: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/programmes/patient_safety/improving_nutritional_care.aspx.

3 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the value has been of Regional Selective Assistance (a) offers, (b) payments and (c) recoveries and how many (i) new jobs have been created and (ii) jobs have been safeguarded, in each year since 2006, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: RSA Accepted Offers (by Council Area for each of the calendar years 2007-11) The information is set out in the five tables which I have placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 54205). In relation to accepted offers please note: …

6 Jun 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards do not employ or contract pathologists in their own area who are qualified to conduct NHS or procurator fiscal post mortems.

16 May 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has received regarding charging management fees for non-UK EU students.

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would seek to incorporate transport policing into a single police service in a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The Scottish Government considers that there would be merit in incorporating the Scottish functions of the British Transport Police into the single Police Service of Scotland in due course.

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the British Transport Police regarding transport policing in a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of the British Transport Police and discuss a range of issues, including the Scottish Government’s view that there would be merit in incorporating the Scottish functions of the British Transport Poli…

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the British Transport Police regarding the Scottish Government's plans for a single police force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We have consulted, and continue to do so, with a wide range of stakeholders, including the British Transport Police (BTP), in the development of our plans for the Police Service of Scotland. This has included written consultation responses from the BTP, and m…

1 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom would have in the British Overseas Territories.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: On independence there would be a negotiated agreement between an independent Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom on all relevant interests, assets and liabilities.

1 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4W-06790 by John Swinney on 27 April 2012, whether the funding arrangement for 2013-14 in relation to the 10% reduction in council tax benefit will be extended to subsequent years and, if so, what the anticipated cost and division of funding will be bet…

Answer · John Swinney: No decisions have been made on support in future years. The UK Government’s abolition of Council Tax Benefit and 10% cut in support to help people meet their local taxation liabilities places a potentially significant new tax burden on 560,000 of the most vu…

11 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to address the rate of university students dropping out after their first year.

Answer · Angela Constance: There is no single reason why students fail to progress to second year and we are committed to supporting all young people to fulfil their potential. We are addressing through our Post 16 Reform programme how we can work with institutions to support every le…

4 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether contracts awarded for the Forth Replacement Crossing specify that all applications for employment should receive a response and what processes are in place to ensure that all applicants receive information about available employment.

Answer · Keith Brown: All Forth Replacement Crossing employment opportunities are required to be advertised in local job centres. Operation of the recruitment process is a matter for the contractors.

4 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff have been employed to work on the Forth Replacement Crossing and how many are (a) UK citizens and (b) resident in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: As of 10 February, the FRC project is directly employing 384 people on site of whom 286 (74%) have home addresses in Scotland. Information regarding citizenship is not held by Transport Scotland.

4 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was informed of the transfer of the management of the Ravenscraig regeneration scheme to the Wilson Bowden headquarters in Leicestershire prior to this being publicly announced and, if so, what discussion it had with the firm on this matter.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government was not informed that the management of the Ravenscraig regeneration scheme would be transferred to the Wilson Bowden headquarters in Leicestershire prior to this being publicly announced.

4 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for the Ravenscraig regeneration scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government provisionally approved North Lanarkshire Council’s Ravenscraig Phase Two Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) project in March 2011. The project is now being taken forward as one of a limited number of TIF pilot schemes. Under TIF, the Scot…

7 Mar 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total actual reduction in CO2 tonnage has been from projects receiving grants from the Climate Challenge Fund.

29 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords have been fined for (a) failing to register and (b) not notifying local authorities of the appointment of an agent since 31 August 2011 and how much has been imposed in fines.

28 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on Rail 2014 - Public Consultation will be published.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05762 on 1 March 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/parliamentarybus…

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the evaluation of the bids for supplying steel for the Forth Replacement Crossing took account of carbon emissions associated with the bids and, if so, whether this included an analysis of emissions resulting from transportation of the steel and the manufacturing processes.

Answer · Keith Brown: Total carbon emissions were taken into account at the tender stage for the FRC Principal Contract. A similar assessment will be made following completion and if this shows that the cost associated with any total carbon emission is greater than FCBC’s tender e…

8 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether permitting or promoting payment to housing association board and committee members were intended consequences of the repeal of Schedule 7 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary to question S4F-00432 by the First Minister on 2 February 2012 (Official Report, c. 6045), what the value of the supply orders awarded for the principal contract for Forth Replacement Crossing project is and what the value is of supply or…

Answer · Keith Brown: As of 15 February 2012, about £20 million of supply orders have been awarded as part of the Principal Contract for the Forth Replacement Crossing. About £13 million of these orders were to Scottish companies.

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary to question S4F-00432 by the First Minister on 2 February 2012 (Official Report, c. 6045), what the value of the subcontracts awarded for the Forth Replacement Crossing project is and what the value is for subcontracts given to firms in S…

Answer · Keith Brown: Two hundred and twenty-two Scottish firms have so far benefitted from either sub contracts or supply orders associated with the Forth Crossing. The value of individual subcontracts and supply orders awarded is a matter for Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors.…

25 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its response to the report of the No-fault Compensation Review Group, what (a) progress has been made on how the scheme would work in practice and (b) further analysis of the cost implications has been carried out.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: My officials have been working with the researchers on further analysis around the cost estimates and hope to be in a position shortly to publish the research report. A public consultation on the review group recommendations to seek wider views and help in u…

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide (a) a list of all railway stations that are less than a mile from another station and (b) the reasons for each of these stations being included in or excluded from the list provided on Rail 2014 Consultation - FACT SHEET - 1.

Answer · Keith Brown: (a) Stations in Scotland on the same line and within one mile of another offering similar services: Airbles Alexandra Parade Anderston Anniesland Ardrossan Harbour Ardrossan South Beach Ardrossan Town Argyle Street Ashfield Barnhill Bearsden Bellg…

14 Dec 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Housing and Transport last met the Scottish Housing Regulator and what was discussed.

7 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has any discretion when considering applications for loans from applicants over 55. 

Answer · Michael Russell: SAAS has no discretion to award a loan to a student aged 55 or over at the start of a course of higher education. Students aged between 50 and 54 at the start of a course of higher education, and who intend to enter employment on graduation, can receive a st…

7 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of student loans not being available to applicants over 55, what impact this has on its target to increase access to further and higher education for 50 to 60-year-olds.

Answer · Michael Russell: There is no target as such and students who access further education are not eligible for loans. This government is committed to widening access and part of that includes recognising that older people will often do in later life that which they were unable t…