Parliamentary questions
Mr Bruce McFee
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is for a patient requiring knee replacement surgery within NHS Argyll and Clyde (a) in an NHS hospital and (b) on the NHS in a private hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Provisional information forthe year ended 30 September 2003 shows that the median waiting time for knee jointreplacement surgery (undertaken in NHS and contracted private sector hospitals)in Argyll and Clyde NHS board area of residence, was 243 days. Due to d…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3551 by Mr Tom McCabe on 17 November 2003, how many letters about the proposed West of Scotland Secure Care Centre it has received; where such letters were sent from; what the key points raised in the letters were, and what action it will take in rel…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As of Tuesday 25 November,the Health Department had received a total of 159 letters about the proposedWest of Scotland Secure Care Centre. One hundred and twelve letters had beenreceived from the Paisley area and 47 from locations in Lanarkshire. Theletters r…
17 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it offers assistance for the installation of solid fuel central heating systems in homes and, if so, what grants are available.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>We do offer assistance forthe installation of solid fuel central heating systems. Central heating isprovided free of charge to all t…
17 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities and housing associations regarding offering solid fuel central heating systems to tenants.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>No recent guidance has beenissued to local authorities and housing associations in relation to offeringsolid fuel central heating sy…
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications are required of those conducting tests, excluding MOT certification, on taxis and private hire vehicles.
Answer · Tavish Scott: It is for local authoritiesto ensure that all staff employed by them are appropriately qualified andtrained to carry out any tests required. In the event that the testing functionis contracted to a third party it would be for the licensing authority tosatisfy…
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities carry out their own (a) tests and (b) MOT certification on (i) taxis and (ii) private hire vehicles.
Answer · Tavish Scott: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what standard vehicles used as (a) taxis and (b) private hire vehicles are currently tested, excluding MOT certification.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The provisions contained in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 allow individual licensing authorities to determine the standard of fitness of taxis and private hire cars operating in their area over and above those required by general road traffic legis…
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the age at which a vehicle being used as (a) a taxi and (b) a private hire vehicle requires an MOT certificate.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Under section 47 of the RoadTraffic Act 1988, taxis require an MOT Certificate after one year from the dateof first registration, and annually thereafter. In the case of private hirecars an MOT Certificate is required three years from the date of firstregistr…
22 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents there were on Renfrewshire roads in each of the last five years and how many of these required the assistance of a fire service road rescue unit.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Data about injury roadaccidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover onlyaccidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover “damageonly” accidents…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to expand CCTV systems in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Community SafetyPartnership Award Programme, introduced on 1 April 2002, makes £4 million perannum available to local authority-led Community Safety Partnerships to assistthem in identifying and addressing local community safety priorities which caninclud…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when further capital and revenue resources will be made available to expand public CCTV systems in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3557. 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_wa" targ…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the West of Scotland Secure Care Centre consultation process.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Health Department hasreceived a number of letters about the proposed West of Scotland Secure CareCentre. These have been forwarded to the West of Scotland Secure Care CentreSteering Group so that the comments can be recorded and considered under the on-go…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions and performance measures are likely to be set in respect of the Renfrewshire Council proposed public private partnership schools project.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In submitting an outline businesscase in consideration of funding, Renfrewshire Council agreed to abide to theconditions of funding set out in Scottish Executive Education Department CircularNo 8/2001. These conditions covered key issues such as that the proj…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify timescales and details of progress for all existing public private partnership schools projects where contracts have not yet been concluded.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on publicprivate partnership projects within Scotland, including those schools projects that have not yetreached financial close, can be found on the project list on the financial partnershipsunit’s website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/fp…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Renfrewshire Council to conclude the public private partnership contract for Renfrewshire schools.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The procurement is welladvanced. Detailed aspects of the procurement, such as timetable, are mattersfor Renfrewshire Council.</p>
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the public private partnership proposals for Renfrewshire schools.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No representations have beenreceived by the Executive from Renfrewshire Council. The council submitted an outlinebusiness case for approval of funding for a schools public private partnership project.Provisional funding was awarded and the council is proceedi…
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public private partnership contractors have been penalised for any failure to comply with contractual agreements.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on whether any publicprivate partnership contractors have been penalised for any failure to complywith contractual agreements is not collated by the Scottish Executive.</p>
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the financial status of (a) existing operators of and b) bidders for public private partnership/private finance initiative contracts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive recommended guidance for publicprivate partnership projects states that any public sector client undertaking apublic private partnership project should complete comprehensive reviews ofpotential bidders. This will be carried out by advisers…
9 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-1941, lodged on 8 August 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1941 on 21 october 2003 All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-307 by Ross Finnie on 4 June 2003, whether it will publish any evidence presented at, and minutes of, meetings between it and Her Majesty's Government on an alleged breach of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3157 on 30 October 2003.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-307 by Ross Finnie on 4 June 2003, what the outcome was of the discussions between it and Her Majesty's Government regarding an alleged breach of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive; how many meetings it had with Her Majesty's Government on the…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The alleged breach of theUrban Waste Water Treatment Directive being referred to concerns sewagedischarges into the Kilbarchan Burn.</p><p>Following discussions withthe Scottish Executive, referred to in question S2W-307, Her Majesty’sGovernment responded to …
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has issued orders to Scottish Water under regulation 14 of the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994; what the reasons were for issuing the orders; what locations were involved, and what the outcomes were in each case.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has issued onedefault order to Scottish Water under regulation 14 of the 1994 regulations.</p><p>The order was issued becauseone of the previous water authorities had failed to comply with a number ofcompletion dates given in previous undertakin…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it next plans to meet representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and what issues will be discussed.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is in daily contact with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ona range of issues relating to the protection of Scotland’s environment.</p>
10 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) running costs and (b) staffing costs of the Financial Partnerships Unit have been for each year since 1997 and how many staff have been employed within the unit in each of these years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: TheFinancial Partnerships Unit (FPU) was established in December 2002. Prior to thisthe costs of the Private Finance Unit were budgeted for as part of a larger financedivision and separate figures for the unit are not readily available. The estimatedrunning c…
8 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding Renfrewshire Council's proposed restructuring of promoted posts for teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We have received two representationsregarding the proposed restructuring of promoted posts for teachers inRenfrewshire. Both representations related to proposed reductions in the numberof Principal Teachers in Paisley Grammar School.</p>
8 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposals of Renfrewshire Council to reduce the number of promoted posts for teachers accord with the McCrone agreement.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The agreement <i>A Teaching Professionfor the 21st Century</i> does not prescribe levels of staffing. Within the frameworkprovided by the agreement, it is for local authorities to decide what levels ofstaffing best suits their local needs.</p>
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual costs of neighbourhood wardens are and how many such wardens there are, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive’s funding programme to extend Community Wardens across Scotlanddoes not come into operation until April 2004. The Executive currently fundsthe warden scheme in Renfrewshire, through the Better Neighbourhood ServicesFund. Excluding start…
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities whose public private partnership financial advisors may also be advising commercial bidders for such projects.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Treasury Taskforce TechnicalNote No. 3, <i>How to Appoint and Manage Advisers</i>,<i> </i>provides guidanceto assist public bodies to procure the right advisory support at the right time.The guidance includes asking advisors to respond in writing to a ser…
3 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the strategy for social inclusion partnership (SIP) areas and whether this review will be published.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Our plans to review thestrategy for SIPs were set out in the Community Regeneration Statement lastyear and re-affirmed in the Partnership Agreement earlier this year. We intendto integrate SIPs with Community Planning Partnerships (CPP) and recentlyissued gui…
25 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in producing further educational material on the 1820 Martyrs, as referred to by the Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in the debate on the 1820 Martyrs in the Parliament on 5 September 2001 (Official Report, c 2263).
Answer · Peter Peacock: In his response to Mrs MargaretEwing, Mr Nicol Stephen, the then Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and ExternalAffairs noted the importance of relevant materials on Scottish history, including,if appropriate, material on the 1820 Martyrs. Such material is…