Parliamentary questions
Stewart Maxwell
854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many drivers were arrested and charged in each of the last five years for driving under the influence of illegal drugs, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
6 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to specify levels of concentration of drugs, both legal and illegal, that would impair driving ability.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Legislation on drugs and driving is the responsibility of the UK Government. I understand that the UK Government has no plans to specify such levels.</p>
6 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to introduce drug testing kits for drivers.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Legislation relating to drugs and driving is the responsibility of the UK Government. Section 107 of and Schedule 7 to the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 provide powers for the police to require specimens for roadside screening for the presence of dru…
15 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what types of transport have been used for patient travel by each NHS board since 1999, giving the cost and percentage of usage of each type of transport in each year.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.</p>
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8162 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 May 2004, whether there is still funding available from the sum referred to in the answer for security improvements to places of worship and what plans it has to make further funding directly available to places of worshi…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The funding referred to inthe answer given to question S2W-8162 was made available as one off funding in thelight of the events of 11 September 2001. All monies were allocated in 2002 and the fund wasclosed to further applications. The Community Safety Partne…
12 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to use saliva swabs to determine the effect of passive smoking on people who work in bars and restaurants where smoking is permitted in some or all areas within the establishment.
Answer · Tom McCabe: None.</p>
12 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to ensure that every person who requires drugs for fertility treatment receives a fair and equal service across Scotland and that best practice in this area amongst NHS boards becomes normal practice in all boards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The report of ExpertAdvisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS) was published inFebruary 2000. This report provides a robust evidence base for the managementand delivery of infertility services in NHS Scotland.</p><p>One of the principaloutcom…
12 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-1992 by Cathy Jamieson on 22 April 2004, whether funding will be made directly available to places of worship for security improvements.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Since 2001-02, the Scottish Executive has approved grants totalling just over £1 million to improve securityat sites of ethnic community worship,including at 44 mosques, synagogues and temples.Additional funding is also being provided to Scottish police force…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have waited to be assessed to determine if they would benefit from beta interferon or glatiramer acetate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in each year since 1998, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally. The question of whether an individual patient might benefit from treatmentwith beta interferon or glatiramer acetate is a matter for the clinical judgementof the specialist concerned, informed by advice and evidence abou…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been prescribed beta interferon or glatiramer acetate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in each year since 1998, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is not held centrally in the form requested. The information available to the Executive, which was collected on an informal basis, is given in the table. The information is given on a national basis in order not to disclose information that ma…
14 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that Loch Katrine remains one of Scotland's most desirable fishing areas.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Loch Katrine, the main raw water source for Glasgow’s drinking water supply, is owned by Scottish Water. It is for Scottish Water to determine how best to managesport and leisure interests on the loch consistent with it fulfilling itsprimary function.</p>
14 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of heightened international tensions and the continuing threat of terrorist attacks, whether funding will be made available, or other additional measures taken, such as increased police patrols, to improve security for places of worship.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Policeroutinely monitor security for places of worship and the need for additionalsecurity at these and other sites is kept under constant review, in light ofcurrent threat levels and intelligence. Additional funding is being provided tothe police for sec…
7 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fire fatalities there have been in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many were the result of fires identified as being caused by cigarettes, broken down by fire brigade area.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested, takenfrom the most recently published statistics, is set out in the following tables</p><p>Table 1 Fatalities fromFires<sup>1</sup> by Brigade Area, Scotland, 1999-2002</p><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding…
7 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost has been of dealing with fires in each year since 1999 and, of this, what the cost has been of dealing with fires identified as being caused by cigarettes, broken down by fire brigade area.
Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
7 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fires have been dealt with in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many have been identified as being caused by cigarettes, broken down by fire brigade area.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested, takenfrom the most recently published statistics, is set out in the following tables:</p><p>Table 1 Fires<sup>1,2</sup> byBrigade Area, Scotland, 1999-2002</p><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=602>…
7 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to make all cigarettes sold in Scotland self-extinguishing, similar to that introduced by the Canadian government.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the specification of product safety.</p>
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5706 by Allan Wilson on 12 February 2004, why the cost to charities of the withdrawal of relief on water and wastewater charges for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is an operational matter for Scottish Water, given that such information was provided in the answe…
Answer · Allan Wilson: For the record and avoidanceof doubt, question S1W-10849 was answered on 8 February 2001in respect of Scottish Water’s three predecessor authorities. These authoritiesremained in existence until 1 April 2002 on which date their functions transferred toScottis…
11 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools offer classics at (a) standard and (b) higher grade, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The term “classics” is used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to refer to classical studies, Latin and classical Greek. All publicly funded secondary schools in Scotland are approved by the SQA to offer national qualifications courses in these su…
11 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools there are under each local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested isgiven in table 40 of the statistical bulletin published by the EducationDepartment in August 2003. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29040).</p>
23 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to Scottish Water is for 2002-03 and 2003-04 of non-standard tariff agreements that do not appear on the Scheme of Charges.
Answer · Allan Wilson: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water.</p>
23 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to charities is of the withdrawal of relief on water and wastewater charges for 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The impact on charities of the withdrawal of relief needs to be considered in conjunction with theexemption scheme for charities which meet certain eligibility criteria. Thedetail of this is an operational matter for Scottish Water.</p>
14 Jan 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what immediate measures it is taking to lower the number of smoke-related deaths.
Answer · Tom McCabe: On 13January the Scottish Executive launched ABreath of Fresh Air for Scotland, the first ever action plan on tobacco controldesigned specifically for Scotland. The plan sets out a range of action in theareas of prevention and education, a further £4 million …
7 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the population of each deprivation quintile is in each NHS board area, expressed as a percentage of total board area population, in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Populations for eachdeprivation quintile based on the Carstairs Index of Deprivation are onlyavailable for Census years. Results relating to 2001 are provided in the followingtable. These results are provisional.</p><p>Census Populations by CarstairsDeprivati…
31 Dec 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current annual level of GP registrars is adequate.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive and NHS Education for Scotland have recently reviewed the numberof GP registrars and have arranged for the numbers to be maintained at 280.</p>
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4176 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, how many neonatal cots were available in neonatal units in each hospital in 2002-03, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4990 on 19 January 2004.All answers to parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sear…
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4177 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, what the average running cost has been of a neonatal cot in the Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board area in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isgiven in table 1, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 30610).</p>
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4177 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, what the average running cost has been of a neonatal cot in the Forth Valley NHS Board area in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isgiven in table 1, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 30610).</p>
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4177 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, what the average running cost has been of a neonatal cot in the Tayside NHS Board area in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isgiven in table 1, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 30610).</p>
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4177 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, what the average running cost has been of a neonatal cot in the Lothian NHS Board area in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isgiven in table 1, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 30610).</p>
22 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4177 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2003, what the average running cost has been of a neonatal cot in the Grampian NHS Board area in each year since 1998-99.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isgiven in table 1, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 30610).</p>