Carolyn Leckie

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether any of the police officers involved in the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes had been deployed in Scotland for the G8 summit.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The deployment of police officersand police resources is an operational matter for the relevant chief constable.</p>

23 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the costs per unit for telephone calls made by prisoners in each of Scotlands prisons and what information it has on how these unit costs compare with those in prisons in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish PrisonService (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS has one charging rateas set out as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Type of …

23 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SW2-17245 by Cathy Jamieson on 22 June 2005, whether there are any weeks in the year where prisoners are not required to work and whether any particular arrangements apply to long-term prisoners.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>No. It is customary for a modified regime to apply at Christmas and New Year. Any such provisions apply to both long term and short-term p…

22 Jun 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S2W-17331 by George Reid on 21 June 2005 and in the event of any G8 leaders and/or their supporting delegations visiting the Parliament, whether they would be required to produce any identification such as a utility bill.

Answer · George Reid: Heads of State and their supporting delegations would not require ID.</p>

22 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17244 by Cathy Jamieson on 22 June 2005, whether the removal of kettles and televisions in cases of sickness would meet the disciplinary or the anti-intimidation criteria.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish PrisonService to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>No.</p>

15 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to assign secondary healthcare budgets to community health partnerships.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards are establishing CommunityHealth Partnerships as committees or sub committees of NHS boards with devolvedresponsibility for a range of functions and services as outlined in their schemeof establishment.</p><p>The Scottish Excutive providesNHS board…

15 Jun 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any of the G8 leaders and supporting delegations will be visiting the Parliament and, if so, whether they will be required to produce any identification such as a utility bill in order to gain access to the Parliament building, in light of the recent announcemen…

Answer · George Reid: In the interests of securityit would not be prudent to comment on the G8 leaders’ movements.</p>

10 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out a cost analysis of the implementation of the Kerr reports recommendations and, if so, whether it will place it in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Andy Kerr: An Economics Commentary on the main themes of the Kerr report was prepared by Dr. Andrew Walker of the University of Glasgow. This can be found with the Kerr report’s supporting papers at <ahref="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/nationalframework/Reports.htm"…

10 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to prisons on the management of long-term prisoners in relation to the proportion of the year that these prisoners must spend participating in (a) work parties and (b) the formal prison regime.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The law specifies that all convictedprisoners must work and regime activities are classified as work. The SPS has nofixed policy on t…

10 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it would be appropriate to remove standard electrical equipment from prison cells.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>It would be appropriate to removestandard electrical equipment from prison cells where such equipment is unsafe orwhere its continued…

10 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied in defining a healthy option on prison menus.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>There are currently no standardcriteria applied in defining a healthy option on prison menus. Local catering managerswill take into account…

10 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what standards it requires from Reliance when escorting prisoners to hospital appointments, investigations and treatments.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The terms of the contract are available on the SPS website at <a href="http://www.sps.gov.uk/">www.sps.gov.uk</a>.</p>

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has made in respect of the percentage of the NHS budget to be allocated to the private healthcare sector in the next five years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive continues to be committed to maximising the use of the NHS but making use of the independent health care sector where appropriate. As stated in <i>Fair to All, Personal to Each</i> the Executive will negotiate contracts with the independent heal…

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input private sector organisations and individuals had into the Kerr report.

Answer · Andy Kerr: <i>Building a Health Service Fit for the Future</i> is the product of the collective effort of over two hundred individuals who sat on Professor Kerr’s national advisory group or one of the group’s work-streams, as listed in Appendix 2 of the Kerr report. Non…

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of all meetings and consultations about the future of the NHS that it has had with the private healthcare sector, including the names of organisations and individuals involved.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive have had no meetings or discussions with the independent health care sector about the future of the NHS. The National Waiting Times Unit has had meetings and discussions with a number of independent healthcare providers about possible additional…

31 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what formulae it will use when calculating tariffs for NHS treatments and procedures.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive intend to introduce tariffs for activity where patients from one Board area are treated in another, on a phased basis, from 2005-06. These tariffs will also be used to benchmark costs within health boards. Work is underway to consider the method…

11 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteers have worked in the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16463 on 18 May 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/wa…

11 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteers are working in NHS hospitals, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Andy Kerr: While NHS boards are expected to develop and operate policies and procedures which maximise the contribution of volunteers, the information requested is not available centrally.</p>

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15738 by Nicol Stephen on 26 April 2005, why the Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995 demanding subscription does not apply to the Assignation Statement in respect of the Skye Bridge tolls, given that the act came into force two months before …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Section 2 of the Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995 provides that certain categories of documents specified in section 1(2) of that act require to be subscribed in order to be valid. The Skye Bridge Assignation Statement does not fall into any of the…

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Lord Eassie's opinion in Robbie the Pict v. Miller Civil Engineering 1999 SCLR Notes 749 questioning the validity of the memorandum proferred as the written consent of the Secretary of State to Miller Civil Engineering Ltd demanding tolls, whether the Executive will take any …

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Opinion of Lord Eassie referred to does not cast any doubt on the legality of the Skye Bridge tolling regime. The decision to end tolling followed detailed negotiations with Skye Bridge Limited. The agreement did not involve a change in the law, and does …

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the letter of 27 November 1995 from the Crown Office on the assignation statement in relation to the Skye Bridge which indicated that it was aware that the assignation statement to license toll charging to a third party was not a final or made document, whether the Executive …

Answer · Colin Boyd: The assignation statement contains all of the information required by statute.</p>

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8363 by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000 where it stated that the assignation statement relating to the Skye crossing toll order is not a probative document, whether the Lord Advocate will exercise his powers under section 188 of the Criminal Procedure (…

Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer to the answer given to question S2W-15741 on 26 April 2005. The fact that the assignation statement is not a probative document does not form a basis upon which I could exercise my powers under section 188 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995…

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of information in the letter of 6 November 1995 from the Crown Office on the Skye Bridge toll order that criminal prosecution was being developed at a time when Lord Rodger of Earlsferry was Lord Advocate, whether the present Lord Advocate will exercise his powers under section …

Answer · Colin Boyd: There is no basis for me to exercise my powers under section 188 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.</p>

10 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the letter of 6 November 1995 from the Crown Office on the Skye Bridge toll order which indicates that the Crown Office was aware that the order was not published subordinate legislation, why it proceeded with criminal prosecutions of members of the public for alleged non-com…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The High Court of Justiciary has confirmed the validity of the Statutory Order which introduced the Toll Order relating to the Skye Bridge. The letter referred to formed part of normal investigation into a pending criminal prosecution.</p>

3 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what standards are set for primary medical services with regard to the booking of appointments in a timescale suitable to the patient.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific standards have been set for timescales for appointments in primary medical services. It is for each primary medical services practice to establish appropriate access arrangements in accordance with local circumstances. Access to primary medical se…

3 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is available to GPs regarding the booking of GP appointments in a timescale suitable to the patient.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Access to GPs is dependent on a number of factors including the patient’s clinical need. It is for each practice to ensure that it has arrangements in place to provide access to an appropriate health care professional within an appropriate timescale. The Scot…

28 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of "services" in Part 5 of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill and whether it intends to lodge an amendment to insert a definition of "services" at stage 2 of the bill.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Part 5 of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill contains references to ”services” in sections 25, 28, 29 and 31.</p> <p>The reference to “services” in section 25 is in the context of the meaning of “independent health care service” as set out in…

27 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake an independent review of the warm deal initiative in relation to oil-fired heating systems.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The central heating programme will be completed by the end of March 2006. We have no plans to commission an independent review but will take…

27 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the relative costs of different makes of oil-fired central heating boilers under its warm deal initiative.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>Eaga Partnership, who administer the central heating programme on behalf of the Scottish Executive, have responsibility to source suppliers …

26 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of meals consumed by prisoners was in each prison in each of the last five years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>“The information requested is not available.”</p>