Parliamentary questions
Mr Bruce McFee
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to local authorities about public private partnership projects where only one company has bid for a particular project.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The reasons andcircumstances relating to a project where there has only been one bid arespecific to that project and any advice given by the Executive must takeaccount of this and is commercially confidential. It is the responsibility of the local authority c…
19 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by each local authority on public private partnership bids, including preparatory work, in each year since 1999, detailing whether the projects were progressed.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information relating tohow much has been spent by each local authority on public private partnerships (PPP)bids is a matter for local authorities. This information is not held centrally.</p><p>Information on the currentstatus of PPP projects, including lo…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the costs, broken down by category, incurred by each returning officer for executing their statutory duties during the local authority and Scottish parliamentary elections on 1 May 2003.
Answer · Tavish Scott: <div class=Section1><p>This information is not heldcentrally.</p></div>
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments have been, or will be, made by (a) it and (b) local authorities to returning officers for executing their statutory duties at the local authority and Scottish parliamentary elections held on 1 May 2003.
Answer · Tavish Scott: <div class=Section1><p>The funding of Scottish parliamentaryelections is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland.The funding of local government elections is a matter for the relevant localauthority and there is no specific allocation made f…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether electoral law was fully complied with in the local authority elections, and Scottish parliamentary elections in respect of matters within its responsibility held on 1 May 2003; whether any reports of malpractice and maladministration have been received concerning the elections and…
Answer · Tavish Scott: <div class=Section1><p>Compliance with law is a matterfor the courts. Scottish parliamentary elections are a matter for the Secretaryof State for Scotland. The Scottish Executive has not received reports ofmalpractice and maladministration in respect of the l…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the evaluation process into the local government elections held on 1 May 2003 will be completed and published.
Answer · Tavish Scott: <div class=Section1><p>The Scottish Executive hasasked the Electoral Commission to undertake an evaluation of the local governmentelections held on 1 May 2003. The commission expects to publish its report whenit publishes its statutory report on the elections…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the maternity services review was in each NHS board in respect of (a) designing and carrying out the review and (b) the consultation process, broken down into expenditure categories such as salaries and transport.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors it estimates will become consultants in (a) gynaecology, (b) obstetrics and (c) paediatrics in each of the next five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The table shows the number of specialistregistrars in obstetrics and gynaecologyand paediatrics, in post inNHSScotland at 30 September 2002, expected to completeCertificate of Specialist Training (CCST), in each of the next five years. CCSTholders are eligibl…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors in each of the last two years have been studying to become consultants in the NHS in (a) gynaecology, (b) obstetrics and (c) paediatrics.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number ofspecialist registrars in obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics, in postin NHSScotland as at 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2001, are given in the table. These numbers reflect thetotal number of individuals who were undertaking higher sp…
8 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) gynaecologists, (b) obstetricians and (c) paediatricians have qualified as consultants in the NHS in each year since 1995.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The specific informationon an individual’s progress to a consultant post in Scotland is not collected centrally by ISD Scotland. </p><p class=NormalArial>Informationis collected on the number of doctors in higher specialist training in obstetricsand gynaecolo…
7 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to attract consultants to the NHS from other parts of the UK and abroad in each year since May 1997; what success it has had in attracting such consultants, and in what disciplines it has attracted them.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1108 on 4 August 2003.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sea…
6 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much council tax was collected by each local authority in each of the last five years and what percentage this represented of council tax due.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Data on the income received by each local authority from council tax for each year (excluding reliefs and rebates) and the percentage this represents of counciltax due in each year (the “in-year collection rate”) are given in Tables 1 and 2. Figures for 2002-…
29 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on the option submitted by Argyll and Clyde NHS Board, if the option of centralising maternity services is agreed on 29 July 2003 at the meeting at Dykebar Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to answer given to the question S2W-1696 on 26 August 2003. 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/w…
29 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on the options submitted by NHS boards proposing the closure of consultant-led maternity units.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As with any proposals for significant service change or closure approved by NHSboards, I would only make a decision on whether to endorse the preferred option or not following careful consideration of the relevant local review. </p><p>In the case of maternity…
23 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the New Housing Partnership programme in Renfrewshire has been since the programme's inception, broken down by expenditure category.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Information on the New Housing Partnership funding received by Renfrewshire Council since 1997 is set out as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=557><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="BOTTOM"><P>£371,000</TD><TD WIDTH="83%" VALIGN="BOTTOM"><P>To …
10 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, and plans to have, with the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Confederation of British Industry (Scotland) and the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland regarding the progress of the European agency workers directive.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Employment and industrial relations matters are reserved to Her Majesty's Government. The Scottish Executive has no powers in relation to the proposed agency workers directive.
10 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, and plans to have, with the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the progress of the European agency workers directive.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the proposed agency workers directive.
10 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with the employment agency Adecco prior to, and since, the termination on 4 July 2003 of employees' contracts working in the Sanmina facility in Greenock.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive officials keep in close contact with Sanmina SCI directly on a number of matters. However, officials have had no contact with Adecco regarding employee contracts at Sanmina SCI.
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on implementing the new contract for NHS consultants.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Talks between the Scottish Executive and British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland to agree a set ofterms and conditions for a new consultants’ contract in Scotlandhave been on-going for the past six months. They have made good progress andare nearing comple…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for NHS consultants there are in each discipline, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on the number of consultant vacancies in each specialty group and each NHS board area is available in table B17 on the ISD website at:<P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/Workforce/workforce_statistics.htm">http://www.show.sc…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to attract consultants from other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad; what success it has had in attracting such consultants to the NHS, and in what disciplines it has attracted them.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: launched the concept of "Careers for Health" at the HR Conference in May 2003. This will co-ordinate national campaigns on recruitment for all professionals, including consultants ensuring effective promotion of careers in the NHSScotland. It will e…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used to determine any need for additional ambulance provision in relation to the decision to withdraw emergency and complex major surgery from the Vale of Leven Hospital from 1 October 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: While this is primarily an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Argyll and Clyde, I know that the Scottish Ambulance Service continually monitors its performance to ensure patients' needs are met efficiently and effectively. Where the…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place with the Scottish Ambulance Service about any need for additional ambulance provision in relation to the decision to withdraw emergency and complex major surgery from the Vale of Leven Hospital from 1 October 2003 before the decision was announced.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: While this is primarily an operational matter for both NHS Argyll and Clyde and the Scottish Ambulance Service, I know both parties have been and continue to be in discussion about how to best address the implications of the contingency plans at the Vale of L…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate any reduction in the level of locally provided services at the Vale of Leven Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1103 on 14 July 2003. 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/web…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first became aware of the decision by Argyll and Clyde NHS Board to withdraw emergency and complex major surgery from the Vale of Leven Hospital from 1 October 2003 and which other agencies were consulted about the decision.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I was made aware of the decision to engage the contingency plans at the Vale of Leven Hospital shortly after it was made at the meeting of Argyll and Clyde NHS Board on 12 May.<P>NHS Argyll and Clyde NHS Board are currently working on a new clinical services …
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the events leading to the decision by Argyll and Clyde NHS Board to withdraw emergency and major complex surgery from the Vale of Leven Hospital from 1 October 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: While this is primarily a matter for NHS Argyll and Clyde, I am aware of the board's decision to engage the contingency plans for surgical services at the Vale of Leven Hospital. I understand that this decision was not taken lightly and was necessary to prese…
28 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering extending the right to apply for an anti-social behaviour order (ABSOs) to organisations other than local authorities and, if so, which organisations are under consideration.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive extended the power to apply for ASBOs to registered social landlords in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003. This provision will be commenced shortly. <P>We will consult on proposals for inclusion in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill before th…
28 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have refused to use anti-social behaviour orders.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Section 19 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 gave local authorities the power to apply for anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs). Following an audit undertaken by the Sociable Neighbourhood National Co-ordinator, our understanding is that no local authorities…
28 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been applied for by each local authority in each year since their introduction and, of these, how many were granted.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced by section 19 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and came into effect in April 1999. Information on the number of ASBOs applied for by each local authority in the periods 1 December 1999 to 30 November 2000…
20 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the role of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in granting permission to the former West of Scotland Water Authority to discharge sewage into the Kilbarchan Burn.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Under the Control of Pollution Act (1974), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is obliged to advertise its intention to consent discharges. At this time, the public has an opportunity to make representations to SEPA about the proposed discharge consent…