Parliamentary questions

Mr Bruce McFee

333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

10 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the bonus scheme for directors and senior management at Scottish Water.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive reviews withScottish Water annually the performance targets and arrangements for thescheme.

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many physiotherapy course places are available at universities for 2004-05 and how many students have applied for such places.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-6063 on 26 February 2004. All answers to writtenquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many physiotherapy course places were available at universities and how many applicants for such places there were in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Applications and acceptances to physiotherapy courses in Scottish Higher Education Institutions, 1998 to 2003, are included in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=563> <thead> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> <…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the full text of the advertisement for the post of Chief Investigating Officer of the Standards Commission for Scotland; where the post was advertised, and how many applications were received.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The advertisement for thepost of Chief Investigating Officer was published in The Scotsman, TheHerald, The Press and Journal, The Courier and DailyRecord. Seventy-one applications were received. A copy of the text isp…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any person who is a member of the Standards Commission for Scotland was invited to give any views in respect of those being considered for appointment as Chief Investigating Officer.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No member of the StandardsCommission for Scotland was invited to give any views in respect of thosebeing considered for appointment as Chief Investigating Officer.

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Investigating Officer (CIO) is part of the Standards Commission for Scotland and, if not, whether the CIO shares administrative support with the commission.

Answer · Tavish Scott: As set out in the EthicalStandards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, the Chief Investigating Officer and theStandards Commission for Scotland work together within the ethical standardsframework, but have separate statutory functions. To fulfil these fu…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been made to the Standards Commission for Scotland in each year since its inception on issues arising from the Model Code of Conduct for Members of Public Bodies, broken down by public body.

Answer · Tavish Scott: That is a matter for theStandards Commission for Scotland. This information is not held centrally. Informationon completed investigations made by the Chief Investigating Officer andhearings held by the Standards Commission on issues arising from the Model Cod…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been made to the Standards Commission for Scotland in each year since its inception on issues arising from the Code of Conduct for Councillors, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Tavish Scott: That is a matter for theStandards Commission for Scotland. This information is not held centrally. Informationon completed investigations made by the Chief Investigating Officer and hearingsheld by the Standards Commission on issues arising from the Code of C…

26 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations the First Minister has made to Historic Scotland in the last four months.

Answer · Frank McAveety: None. Historic Scotland isan agency within the Scottish Executive Education Department which is directly responsible toScottish ministers.

23 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the independent assessment and analysis group's report on the proposed selection of the site of the secure care centre for the west of Scotland will be published.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for theWest of Scotland Forensic Steering Group which has devolved responsibility fromthe four relevant NHS boards.

23 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and membership will be of the independent assessment and analysis group that will review the proposed selection of the site of the secure care centre for the west of Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: These are matters for the West of Scotland Forensic Steering Group which has devolved responsibility from the fourrelevant NHS boards.

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average completion time is for Scottish Water to repair a burst pipe in (a) Scotland, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Inverclyde.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water. I will ask the Chief Executive to write to you onthis matter.

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response time is for Scottish Water attending to a burst pipe in (a) Scotland (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Inverclyde.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water. I will ask the Chief Executive to write to you onthis matter.

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what standards customers should expect of Scottish Water in relation to repairing burst water pipes.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water. I will ask the Chief Executive to write to you onthis matter.

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce rules and regulations in relation to the exemption of students from jury service.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5254 on 26 January 2004.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…

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to re-examine the rules and regulations in relation to exemptions from jury service.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have no current plans todo so.Any person cited for juryservice may be excused by the clerk of court, if they show good reason forexcusal. The trial judge also has the power of excusal. A sympathetic viewwould generally be taken of requests for excus…

22 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS Argyll and Clyde received for the sale of the land and buildings of Broadstone Hospital in Port Glasgow.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHSArgyll and Clyde. The information requested is not held centrally.

22 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees who left NHS Argyll and Clyde have subsequently been re-employed as either direct employees or on job-specific contracts in each of the last five years and what the total cost has been of re-employing these staff, broken down by grade.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is notavailable centrally.

22 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees have left NHS Argyll and Clyde in each of the last five years, stating their position, and grade and reasons for leaving, and what the consequential annual saving were in salary expenditure, broken down by grade.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Limited information onleavers and joiners is available by comparing staff in post on each censusdate. Staff who appear in one census but not the next are presumed to have left.However if an employee joins and leaves NHSScotland between census points, theywill…

15 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Renfrewshire Council regarding requests for funding to repair the Bascule Bridge, Renfrew.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Renfrewshire Council havewritten to ministers and officials on a number of occasions seeking funding forworks on several bridges in the area, and have met officials to discusspractical options for such works.

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who would be responsible, under its agreement with Amey Highways Ltd, for initiating road and road junction upgrading schemes on the A737 and who would finance such upgrades.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Road and road junctionimprovements are usually identified in Route Strategy Studies, Accident Studiesor following a study of a discrete section of road/road junction. Any of thesestudies might be undertaken by Amey Highways Ltd although other agencies canalso…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Amey Highways Ltd will be upgrading junctions on the A737 or carrying out other works to improve the safety of that road.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Schemes to installroundabouts at the A737/A760 Roadhead Junction and the A737/B777 junction at Head Streeton the Beith Bypass are being progressed with a view to construction in 2004-05.Amey Highways is acting as agent for the Scottish Executive for the Roadh…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the access arrangements from the village of Howwood to the A737.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to upgrade the access arrangement from the village of Howwood tothe A737. However, Amey Highways has been commissioned to carry out an AccidentInvestigation and Prevention (AIP) study on the section of the A737 be…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents there have been on the A737 in each of the last five years and how many there have been on the section between Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch Roadhead roundabout.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The number of road accidentson the A737 in each of the last five years for which statistics are available (tothe end of 2002) is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> Fatal </td>…

10 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is for a patient requiring knee replacement surgery within NHS Greater Glasgow (a) in an NHS hospital and (b) on the NHS in a private hospital, broken down by 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 Greater Glasgow NHS Board area of residence, was 264 days. Due to da…

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether performance-related pay is being considered for Returning Officers and, if so, what the criteria would be for defining a successful election.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Local government electioncosts are met by local authorities. Performance-related pay for ReturningOfficers would therefore be a matter for individual councils. Funding ofparliamentary elections is a matter for the UK Government.

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether representations will be made to Her Majesty's Government about changing the system of funding elections.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive hasdevolved responsibility for matters relating to local government elections buthas no function in relation to the funding of parliamentary elections.

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will pursue any of the matters raised in the Electoral Commission's report Scottish Elections 2003 - The official report on the Scottish Parliament and local government elections 1 May 2003 directly with local authorities.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4313 on 8 December 2003.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendations in the Electoral Commission's report Scottish Elections 2003 - The official report on the Scottish Parliament and local government elections 1 May 2003.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We are currently consideringthe recommendations made by the Electoral Commission in respect of localgovernment elections and will respond to these in due course.

20 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what criteria a patient waiting to obtain knee replacement surgery within NHS Argyll and Clyde waits for the surgery to take place (a) in an NHS hospital and (b) on the NHS in a private hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The timing of a patient’s admission(whether to an NHS or contracted private sector hospital) for in-patient or daycase treatment is a matter for the clinical judgement of the relevantconsultant, based on the priority of individual cases. Patients are seen on …