Parliamentary questions
Mr Bruce McFee
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken in the last year to address the increase in the average time period between plea and summary trial date in Paisley Sheriff Court from 2002-03 to 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In the last year the normal court programme has been altered by setting up additional summary trial courts during May, June and November 2003 and also during March, April and May 2004. The number of trials assigned for each trial court also increased from Nov…
22 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the increase in the average time period between plea and summary trial date in Paisley Sheriff Court from 2002-03 to 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The increase in the average time period is a result of an increased demand for the available trial slots in the normal court programme. The increase has come from a 10.3% increase in the number of new summary cases registered at Paisley and an increase in the…
20 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with public, private or regulatory organisations regarding the theft of power supplies in the last two years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The regulation of the energy markets is a reserved matter and the theft of power supplies is a matter for the regulator, Ofgem. Ofgem has recently stepped up its efforts to tackle the problem of energy theft, producing a discussion paper on the subject in Apr…
20 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions for theft of power supply there have been in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Theft of power supply is not a separate offence and any relevant cases cannot be identified separately from other convictions for theft in the data held centrally.</p>
8 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to improve the Roadhead Roundabout on the A737 near Lochwinnoch and what timescale is involved.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A scheme to provide a new roundabout at Roadhead on the A737 is included in the trunk road minor schemes programme. The design is being progressed and, subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, including land acquisition, tenders wil…
23 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be required to ratify any decision reached by NHS Argyll and Clyde as a result of its clinical strategy consultation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are required to submitproposals for major service change, including closure of existing premises, forministerial approval.</p>
23 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will intervene in the clinical strategy consultation process recently announced by NHS Argyll and Clyde.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We will give a view when proposalsare submitted. The Executive has strict guidelines on how consultation should becarried out and we look to NHS boards to take such work forward, listening and takingaccount of the views expressed by all stakeholders in formul…
23 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding for the education maintenance allowance (EMA) is resourced from its block grant or directly from HM Treasury and whether the guidelines for the allowance are established by it or the Treasury.
Answer · Jim Wallace: EMAs are funded directly from HM Treasury through Annual Managed Expenditure (AME).</p><p>The design of the EMA programme is common across the four administrations: England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.</p><p>As each devolved nation has responsibilit…
23 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has received from HM Treasury regarding the education maintenance allowance (EMA).
Answer · Jim Wallace: EMA Guidelines were tested and refined during the piloting process from 1999-2003 across the 56 pilot areas in England and four pilot areas in Scotland. </p><p>The design of the EMA programme is common across the four administrations: England, Wales, Northern…
15 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical options have been suggested to Renfrewshire Council in relation to works required on the bridge at Main Street, Lochwinnoch.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: At a meeting between officials in May 2002 Renfrewshire Council were asked to provide a business case outlining the importance of four bridges, including Lochwinnoch Bridge, in key locations in the area. There has been no detailed discussion of practical opti…
15 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what requests Renfrewshire Council has made to it in relation to funding for the bridge at Main Street, Lochwinnoch, and what funding proposals have been made.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Renfrewshire Council has written to ministers on a number of occasions seeking funding for works on several bridges in the area, and has met officials to discuss options for such works. However, the Executive has made it clear that funding of the maintenance …
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated in each local authority for the education maintenance allowance in each of the next five academic years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) is a demand led programme and as such all eligible students who apply will be funded.</p><p>EMA budgets are not broken down by local authority areas. Over the next three academic years expenditure across both school and…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in each local authority area will be eligible for the education maintenance allowance in the academic years (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Education Maintenance Allowances(EMAs) is a demand led programme and as such all eligible students who apply willbe funded.</p><p>We cannot anticipate how manyindividuals will be eligible at local authority level. This information is not heldcentrally. </p><p…
26 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms there will be to ensure that NHS boards contribute 50% of the care funding for hospices within two years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive monitors NHS boards’funding of adult voluntary hospices. We expect that boards and hospices will worktogether to ensure that the 50% target is met by all boards by the beginning offinancial year 2006-07, as indicated in Health Department Letter …
21 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been provided for public bodies on considering ethical issues in procurement policies.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The<i>Scottish Public Finance Manual</i> states that the highest standards of purchasingethics such as honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity must be observedby purchasers in all dealings with suppliers and potential suppliers.</p><p>It is standard …
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding the operation of 20 mph 'ones around schools.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive wroteto local authorities on 26 September 2003 informing them of additionalfunding provision up to £27 million between 2003 and 2006 for 20 mph speedlimits around schools and related safety projects. The letter referred to guidance,Circ…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public private partnership or private finance initiative contracts have been challenged in the courts.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is not awareof any challenges to Scottish PPP projects.</p>
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many asthma patients there were in each NHS board area in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is not held centrally in the form requested. The following table gives an estimate of the number of asthma patients seen by GPs in the last five years, based on the activity of sample practices. It should be noted, however, that over these yea…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what projects each local authority has spent its better neighbourhood fund allocations.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Details of the projectssupported through each local authority’s Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF)programme are included within the BNSF fund second annual reports. These areavailable on the web at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/DD/H3/…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to COSLA regarding the nursery nurses' pay claim since the nurses began indefinite industrial action.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Executive has regulardialogue with COSLA on a number of topical issues.</p>
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being offered to encourage the creation of new charities.
Answer · Margaret Curran: As part of our work to supportthe charity sector, draft legislation is currently being prepared to improve theregulatory framework for charities. This will simplify the process of obtainingcharitable status; establish a statutory register of charities operat…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what council housing stock transfers are currently being progressed and which councils have indicated that they do not wish to participate in wholesale transfer.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Western Isles, Argyll and Bute, Inverclydeand Stirling Councils are developing whole transfer proposals and East Dunbartonshire, City of Edinburgh and Fife Councils are progressing partial transfers.Other councils will be considering the future of their housi…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Renfrewshire Council regarding the council's plans for its housing stock.
Answer · Margaret Curran: There have been a number ofmeetings with the council on the options open to the council for improving andmaintaining its stock and we understand that the council is currentlyconsidering its position in light of the requirement to produce, by April 2005,a deli…
11 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6141 by Allan Wilson on 9 March 2004, what views and proposals it will make to Scottish Water regarding the bonus scheme for directors and senior management.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive requires thatthe performance targets set are robust, challenging and relate to ScottishWater’s targets for financial performance, drinking water quality, customerservice and environmental compliance.</p>
4 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the powers conferred under section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 have never been exercised.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Sections 15 to 17 of theLocal Government and Housing Act 1989 would place a duty on local authoritiesto ensure that the political balance on council committees reflects thepolitical balance on the council itself. This section has not been brought intoforce in…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to, or received from, the European Union about PPP/PFI procurement processes and what representations it has received from other organisations or individuals about such procurement processes.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive has notreceived any representations from the European Commission about PPP procurementprocesses in Scotland. Nor is the Executive aware of any such representationsmade to it recently from other organisations.</p>
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account it has taken of any legal challenges to PFI/PPP in England, particularly in relation to EU regulations.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The legal challenges by the EuropeanCommission to two English PPP projects, which both related to the use of thenegotiated procedure, have been resolved following discussion between the UK and theCommission. Our approach, as is the case in England, is that in…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that PPP/PFI deals comply with EU procurement directives.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Compliance with the ECpublic procurement directives is the responsibility of individual contractingauthorities. Failure to comply may result in legal proceedings being brought,either by the European Commission or by an aggrieved competitor under theremedies p…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what external scrutiny there has been of Renfrewshire Council's schools PPP tendering procedures.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is the responsibility of the procuring client, Renfrewshire Council in this instance, in any contract toensure that correct tendering procedures are followed. The project is subjectto external audit just as any other procedure would be.</p>
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often the Standards Commission for Scotland has met COSLA and what issues have been discussed at each meeting.
Answer · Tavish Scott: That is a matter for theStandards Commission for Scotland. This information is not held centrally.</p>