Parliamentary questions
Mr Bruce McFee
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, or senior civil servants, have had with the management of Lenovo UK regarding job losses at its Greenock facility.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Officials at Scottish DevelopmentInternational and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire met with senior representativesof Lenovo in Scotland and in the US, where the company is headquartered, immediately followingthe announcement. They are working to encourage th…
13 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning was made aware of the job losses recently announced by Lenovo UK.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I was made aware of Lenovo’sintention to enter into a period of consultation with a view to reducing its workforceon 16 March 2006, which was the same day on which Lenovo informed its employees.</p>
13 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning’s letter to me of 8 June 2006 regarding job losses in Inverclyde, whether the aim to attract “over £300m of private investment, support over 2500 new jobs and create new business, education and learnin…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: No. The investment plans forInverclyde referred to in my previous correspondence with Mr McFee relate to proposalscurrently being developed by Riverside Inverclyde Urban Regeneration Company (URC).This includes early plans for the relocation of the James Watt…
6 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scottish central command to co-ordinate all services that may be needed in a national emergency can act independently of the UK Government.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Emergency planning is adevolved matter. The Scottish Executive works closely with all the relevantagencies in Scotland to ensure that we are collectively ready to managethe consequences of any emergency. The Executive also liaises closely with theUK Governmen…
6 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a central command location from where all services that may be needed in a national emergency are co-ordinated and, if so, where the location is and which services and other organisations are involved with it.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In an emergency the role of Scottishand UK ministers is to support and reinforce the efforts of local responders byprovision of advice, resources and, where necessary, co-ordination of combined nationalresponse. Further information can be found in the Civil C…
6 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information and control systems it has in place to deal with the warning, or occurrence, of a national emergency and how such systems feed into a command and control organisation.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The response to an emergencyis based on the principle of subsidiarity in which control of operations is exercisedat the lowest practical level and co-ordinated within the relevant Strategic Co-ordinatingGroup. The eight Strategic Co-ordinating Groups across S…
2 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or any of its agencies has the ability to receive and react to information that might come from fisheries protection or other vessels operating in its own or its Exclusive European Zone waters.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Fisheries ProtectionAgency (SFPA) has the ability to receive information from its own and other FisheryProtection vessels and fishing vessels operating either in Scottish waters or, inthe case of fishing vessels registered in Scotland, operating …
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Renfrewshire Council’s proposed sale of the Seedhill Playing Fields in Paisley meets the aims of Sport 21 2003-2007: The National Strategy for Sport - Shaping Scotland's Future and how a reduction in local sports facilities and green spaces helps to meet the objective of “a country wh…
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Local authorities are keypartners in ensuring that the objectives of Sport 21 are delivered. Developmentsat Seedhill playing fields are entirely a matter for Renfrewshire Council andit would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of this case a…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the completion date is for the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde haveadvised that they plan to submit the revised Outline Business Case for thisproject in October 2006. This will include a revised timetable for completionof this project.</p>
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding its capital plan.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive has given noadvice to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding its capital plan. Capital planning is a strategicissue for NHS boards. NHS boards are given a formula capital allocation and itis for them to prioritise theapplication of this capital…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the capital plan for NHS Argyll and Clyde is currently over-committed.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Argyll and Clydereceived a formula capital allocation of £15.647m in 2005-06. Of the totalcapital resources available £8.5 million was returned to the Health Departmentas a result of slippage on projects.</p><p>Following the dissolution ofNHS Argyll and C…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the capital plan for NHS Argyll and Clyde was over-committed at the time of transfer to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No, NHS Argyll and Clyde’scapital plan was not over-committed at the time of transfer to NHS GreaterGlasgow and Clyde. NHS Argyll and Clyde reported an underspend of£8.5 million in 2005-06. This has been apportioned in 2006-07 between NHSGreater Glasgow and C…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Renfrewshire Council in relation to the outcome of the financial bids for financing the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: None. This is an on-goingproject.</p>
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider paying compensation to Renfrewshire Council for its costs incurred as a result of the Executive not progressing the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. This is an on-goingproject.</p>
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Minister for Health and Community Care has in determining the outcome of the bids to fund the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Responsibility for strategicinvestment regarding the provision of property assets and capital planning areissues for NHS boards. NHS boards are given an annual capital allocation and itis for them to determine, based on their local knowledge and taking intoac…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the bids to fund the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew were (a) lodged and (b) determined.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to thequestions S2W-26394 and S2W-26397 answered on 14 June 2006. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swebsite the search facility for which can be at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow were informed that the financial bids to fund the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew had not been approved.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to questions S2W-26394 and S2W-26397 on 14 June 2006. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website thesearch facility for which can be at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the bids to fund the joint health and social work centre for Renfrew not being approved.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-26397 on 14 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">…
31 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been invested to date in developing a joint health and social work centre for Renfrew.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde haveadvised that to date, £122,448.25 has been invested in the development of theRenfrew Joint Project.</p>
16 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the criteria applied by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit in order to take the weight of public opinion into account in planning matters.
Answer · Johann Lamont: We have no plans to change thecriteria by which the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) are requiredto take into account public opinion in planning matters. Paragraph 46 of <i>ScottishPlanning Policy 1: The Planning System</i> (Bib. number 25316…
8 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) dentistry graduates, (b) applicants to dental schools and (c) places available for dental students there have been in each dental school since 1999 and how many such graduates and applicants were (i) Scottish, (ii) English, (iii) Welsh, (iv) Northern Irish and (v) other natio…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following tables show thenumber of dentistry graduates in each year since 1999, broken down by institutionand domicile.</p><p>Information on the number ofapplicants to dental schools and the places available for dental students is notheld centrally.</p><p…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting times were, expressed in weeks, for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in a dental specialty for an Inverclyde child following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner in each of the last 20 quarters.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The requested information ispresented in the following table.</p><p>Table 1 – Median WaitingTimes in Weeks for a First Out-Patient Appointment Following Referral by aGeneral Medical or Dental Practitioner to Consultants in a Dental Specialty.Children (0 to 14…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Inverclyde children are currently waiting for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in a dental specialty following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The requested information isnot centrally available.</p>
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Inverclyde children were waiting for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in a dental specialty following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner and how many of these were referred to (a) Inverclyde Royal Hospital and (b) Glasgow Dental Hospital in each…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The requested information isnot centrally available.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what grounds a deferral application in respect of a student loan can be rejected.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: If a customer who has a mortgagestyle loan applies to defer repayments and the evidence supplied in support of theirapplication shows that they earn over the deferment income threshold then that applicationwill be rejected.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deferral applications have been rejected by the Student Loans Company in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: <b> </b></p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=78 valign=top> <p align=center>Year[1]</p> </td> <td width=151 valign=top> <p align=center>Total Scottish Deferment Applications Rejected</p> </td> </tr> </thead> …
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected monetary value will be of deferrals in respect of student loans for each of the next 10 years.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldby the Scottish Executive.</p><p>The concept of deferrals onlyapplies to mortgage style loans. As all borrowers have a different balance it isnot possible to project an overall monetary value.</p>
18 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have applied to have their loans deferred in each year since 1999 and what the monetary value has been of these deferrals.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: <b> </b></p><p>No. Deferring and Net Loan Balanceat 31 March</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=44 valign=top> <p align=center> </p> </td> <td width=99 valign=top> <p align=center>No. Deferring</p> <…
5 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the delivery of the Gourock interchange; when the work will commence, and whether it will make a ministerial statement on the matter.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I am meeting shortly with InverclydeCouncil, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the developer and Scottish Enterpriseto discuss progress on Gourock Interchange. I would hope to be able to make a statementon next steps following that meeting.</p>
3 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22292 and S2W-22944 by Nicol Stephen on 13 January and 31 March 2006, whether it will explain the anomaly between these answers and clarify whether the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning or representatives of the Executive have met or ha…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is no anomaly between theanswers given to the previous questions. The Scottish Executive is in regular contactwith the Student Loans Company on a range of issues. While neither the Executivenor the minister met with the SLC on these specific issues, Sco…