Parliamentary questions

Stewart Maxwell

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

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14229 by Nicol Stephen on 14 February 2005, when the findings of the feasibility study into the Glasgow Crossrail link, due to be published in mid-June 2005, will be published.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) commissioned Scott Wilson railway consultants to undertake a feasibility study of Glasgow Crossrail. I understand that Scott Wilson have now reported their findings to SPT for consideration. The report will then require t…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the commitment in the Partnership Agreement to increase the apprenticeship programme to 30,000 places, how many places there have been on the apprenticeship programme in each of the last three years.

Answer · Allan Wilson:  1. The Partnership Agreementcommitment of achieving 30,000 modern apprenticeship (MA) places by 2006, was achievedtwo years early and announced in May 2004.2. The number of MAs in trainingat the end of March in the last three years …

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of schools have been integrated community schools in each of the last three years.

Answer · Peter Peacock: According to reports from local authorities, the percentage of schools that have adopted the integrated community schooling approach in the last three years is as follows: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of schools have been involved in Enterprise in Education in each of the last three years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The review of Education for Work and Enterprise (Determined to Succeed, or DtS) published in December 2003 concluded, among other things, that young people’s access to enterprise in education across Scotland was limited and variable. In our subsequent …

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of transferring data from NHS Argyll and Clyde to NHS Highland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18400 on 31 August 2005. 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…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of transferring data from NHS Argyll and Clyde to NHS Greater Glasgow.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This will be a matter for the newly configured NHS board to consider. Current NHS IT infrastructure would enable such changes if required and reduce the length and cost of such an exercise, the need for which would need to be assessed locally in the light of …

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that an exercise needs to be undertaken to determine which data currently residing on NHS Argyll and Clyde's IT systems are to be held by NHS Greater Glasgow and which by NHS Highland; whether such an exercise will be undertaken and, if so, when it will be initiated, …

Answer · Andy Kerr: This will be a matter for the newly configured health boards to consider. In general, hospital systems or departmental systems such as laboratory or radiology systems only hold data for patients treated within these settings. Where it is necessary to share in…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the IT systems used by NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Highland are compatible.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18397 on 29 August 2005. 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…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the IT systems used by NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow are compatible.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Although these two NHS boards do not use exactly the same set of IT systems they have similar uses and features and are compatible. Common information standards are in place, they report on the same basis for national statistics and they are interfaced to a c…

11 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which IT systems are used by each NHS board.

Answer · Andy Kerr: All NHS boards use national systems as follows: Payroll, SCI Store (clinical information repository), CHI (Community Health Index), National Screening Systems, SCI Gateway (clinical communication). Full details of all other systems used by all health b…

3 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reopen the security fund for places of worship, closed in 2002, in light of recent reports of places of worship being attacked and a greater number of people being racially abused and physically assaulted.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Nearly 60 separate awards with a total value of £1 million were made across Scotland in response to police concerns about security arrangements at places of worship following 11 September 2001. Those security improvements remain in place. Police forces across…

3 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect places of worship from sectarian and racially-motivated attacks.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have made it clear that racist attacks on individuals, organisations, premises or groups will not be tolerated in Scotland. The police will continue to monitor the situation and are fully prepared and ready to respond.

3 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to improve the security of people of all races and faiths, in light of reports of a recent upsurge in racist attacks throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The police are committed to doing all they can to allay community fears by close liaison with communities themselves, by explaining their procedures for tackling racial incidents, by encouraging those affected to report attacks (including via third-party repo…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14170 by Tavish Scott on 25 February 2005, why details of enhancements to the General Register Office for Scotland website were not published with the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends and when details of these enhancements, and…

Answer · George Lyon: It was not possible to publish details of the enhancements to the General Register Office for Scotland website along with the annual review as the review of the statistical information on the website had not then been completed. Following the completion of th…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people have visited Scotland from (a) Australia, (b) Belgium, (c) Canada, (d) Denmark, (e) Finland, (f) France, (g) Germany, (h) the Republic of Ireland, (i) Italy, (j) Japan, (k) the Netherlands, (l) New Zealand, (m) Norway, (n) Spain, (o) Sweden and (…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Information on the numbers of overseas visitors to Scotland is available at <a href="http://www.scotexchange.net/know_your_market/tourism_today/overseas_markets.htm">http://www.scotexchange.net/know_your_market/tourism_today/overseas_markets.htm</a>. N…

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS boards have now put in place a falls assessment service, as recommended in the report, Adding Life To Years, and, if not, which NHS boards have still to implement such a service.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We do not routinely collect informationabout falls assessment services operated by individual NHS boards.

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S2W-17065 by Mr Andy Kerr on 13 June 2005, whether all DEXA scans are reported and, if not, from which scanners are scans produced but not reported.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have a physiotherapy programme in place for patients diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18177 on 18 August 2005. 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…

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have set up an osteoporosis service.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of health care services is, in the first instance, a matter for NHS boards. All NHS boards are expected to provide suitable services for people with osteoporosis. To help them they are able to draw on a Scottish Needs Assessment Pro…

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many osteoporosis consultants there are in each NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Centrally held information on consultants can provide a breakdown by specialty only and does not allow the identification of posts attached to specific diagnoses. Osteoporosis is a condition that may be treated by a number of medical specialties, including; r…

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dedicated osteoporosis nurses there are in each NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: At 10 February 2005, there were three osteoporosis specialist nurses in NHSScotland, all within NHS Greater Glasgow.

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10002 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 September 2004, whether it now has a strategy for reducing the incidence of osteoporosis and, if not, whether it intends to develop such a strategy.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive continues to promotehealthy living in Scotland and thereby impact upon modifiable risk factors for osteoporosissuch as poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise. The Executive does not have a strategyexclusive to osteoporosis and has no current pl…

23 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what amount was billed by Scottish Water and its predecessor organisations for non-domestic water and waste water services prior to 2003-04 but has not yet been collected.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17559 on 19 July 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

23 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what amount Scottish Water billed for non-domestic water and waste water services in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 and how much of this money has not yet been collected.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water. Therefore I have asked the Chief Executive of Scottish Water to write to you with the information that you have requested.

22 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17065 by Mr Andy Kerr on 13 June 2005, on how many days per week each DEXA scanner listed is utilised.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Dietary Target to increase the average non-sugar carbohydrate consumption by 25% by 2005 has been met.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available as yet, however, progress is being made as follows. The Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) will be publishing a report this autumn reviewing the progress made by 2003 towards the Scottish Diet Action Plan targets. Du…

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Dietary Target to ensure that oily fish consumption doubles to 88 grams per week by 2005 has been met.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available as yet, however progress is being made as follows. The Scottish Health Survey 2003, which will be published later this year, will contain qualitative information on the consumption of oily fish. The Food Standard…

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Dietary Target for 2005 to ensure that white fish consumption remained stable has been met.

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Dietary Target to ensure that the average intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars in children reduces by half by 2005 has been met.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available as yet, however progress is being made as follows. The Scottish Health Survey 2003 which will be published later this year, will contain qualitative information on the consumption of high sugar containing foods in child…

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Dietary Target to ensure that the average intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars in adults did not increase by 2005 has been met.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available as yet, however progress is being made as follows. The Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) will be publishing a report this autumn reviewing the progress made by 2003 towards the Scottish Diet Action Plan targets. Due…