Parliamentary questions
Margaret Mitchell
550 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dental practices there have been in the East Kilbride constituency in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested isprovided in the following table.</p><p>Number of NHS DentalPractices in East Kilbride Parliamentary Constituency<sup>1</sup>; at 31 March</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=52 valign=bottom> <p align=c…
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of adults registered with NHS dentists in the East Kilbride constituency has fallen between 2005 and 2006.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: General dental practitionersare independent contractors who are free to choose whether to join the dental listof an NHS board and whether to provide NHS dental treatment to each individual patient.Patient registrations can be withdrawn for a number of reasons…
14 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff who have had their posts evaluated and downgraded have been given a job at a lower pay level in each year since 2000.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>We do not hold information onindividuals’ progression after the evaluation of a role.</p>
14 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff who have had their posts evaluated and downgraded have not been given pay protection in each year since 2000.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS does not hold data onthis. Generally staff would move on to pay protection unless they were assignedto another role at their …
14 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff have had their posts evaluated and downgraded in each year since 2000.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>There have been 230 job evaluationswithin this period.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p…
30 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many victims of knife attacks have been (a) treated in accident and emergency departments and (b) admitted to hospital in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Routinely collected informationon attendances at accident and emergency departments does not allow the identificationof victims of knife attacks.</p><p>Centrally held information onhospital admissions does not explicitly identify knife attack victims. However…
27 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-29652 and S2W-29653 by Cathy Jamieson on 21 and 17 November 2006 respectively, what the reasons are for charges for drink and drug driving offences not proceeding after being recorded by the police and how many charges for such offences were marked…
Answer · Elish Angiolini: Before taking action on any matterreported by the police, the Procurator Fiscal must be satisfied that the circumstancesreported to him or her disclose a crime known to the law of Scotland andthat there is sufficient admissible and reliable evidence.</p><p>Th…
23 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of possession of crystal methamphetamine since 2001.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table.</p><p>Persons with a Charge Provedin Scottish Courts for Possession of Methylamphetamine<sup>1</sup>, 2001-02 to 2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=71 va…
23 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with possession of crystal methamphetamine since 2001.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table.</p><p>Persons Proceeded Against inScottish Courts for Possession of Methylamphetamine<sup>1</sup>, 2001-02 to 2004-05</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=71 valig…
23 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to include prescribing rates of new treatments for psoriatic arthritis in its programme of public annual reviews of local NHS boards.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Medicines Consortium(SMC) conducts rapid assessments soon after their launch of the costs and benefitsof medicines such as etanercept, an anti-tumour necrosis factor drug, which hasbeen shown in clinical trials to offer a new option for people wi…
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been against prisoners for violent attacks on Scottish Prison Service staff in each year since 1997.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Prosecution is a matter for theCrown Office Procurator Fiscals Office who do not routinely inform the SPS of suchcases.</p>
14 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of drugs has been seized from each prison in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001, (f) 2002, (g) 2003, (h) 2004, (i) 2005 and (j) 2006.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The information requested isnot available as SPS pass suspected substances and packages to the police.</p>
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to inform parents of any dispute in respect of a Care Commission inspection report during the period between the lodging of the complaint and the decision by the Commission and, ultimately, by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman about whether the complaint sh…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29816 on 24 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are taken to notify private nurseries of new regulations.
Answer · Robert Brown: It is the responsibility of privatenurseries to ensure that they are aware of existing and new regulations that affecttheir business. However, the Scottish Executive is in close touch with relevantumbrella bodies who can often assist in disseminating informat…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints in (a) total and (b) respect of early years establishments have been received by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman regarding the Care Commission and what the outcomes of these complaints were.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Public ServicesOmbudsman (SPSO) is a Parliamentary Body, not a Scottish Executive sponsored body.The Scottish Executive is not responsible for the operation of the ombudsman anddoes not hold information on complaints related to its work. A reques…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that the Care Commission and, ultimately, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman undertake timely investigations of complaints regarding nursery inspection reports.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Care Commission carries outits functions within the framework of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act2001 and its associated regulations, taking account of the National Care Standards.Inspection methodology and the handling of complaints are operational …
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Care Commission applies when setting charges for providers of care services for elderly people.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Ministers are responsible underthe Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 for setting maximum regulatory fees. Underthe act the Care Commission is responsible for fixing fees within these maxima,having regard to its reasonable expenses in carrying out its fun…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Care Commission has raised in fees from providers of care services for elderly people in each year since its formation, broken down by category of service.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The amount raised in fees fromproviders of care services for elderly people is an operational matter for the CareCommission. The commission can be contacted at:</p><p>The Care Commission</p><p>Compass House</p><p>11 Riverside Drive</p><p>Dundee DD1 4NY</p><p>…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any literature or best practice guidance on the role of carer co-ordinators in NHS hospitals.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards are currently developingCarer Information Strategies. These will come into force from April 2007 onwards.Strategies will specify how boards, in partnership with local authorities and thevoluntary sector, propose to identify and support carers in th…
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS hospitals employ carer co-ordinators on an (a) part-time and (b) full-time basis.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many illegal immigrants granted bail in a Scottish court have broken their bail conditions in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot available from the statistics collected centrally on convictions for breachof bail as these do not include information on whether the offender was an illegalimmigrant.</p>
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many illegal immigrants granted bail in a Scottish court have absconded in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot available from the statistics collected centrally on convictions for theoffence of bail absconding as these do not include information on whether theoffender was an illegal immigrant.</p>
13 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people arrested for illegal immigration have been granted bail in a Scottish court in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Illegal immigrants are not broughtbefore a court but are dealt with by the Nationality and Immigration Directoratewhich is part of the Home Office. The statistics collected centrally on bail ordersdo not include information on whether the accused was an illeg…
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied in testing for drug driving at the side of the road.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Policy and legislation on drivingwhilst under the influence of drugs is reserved. The police have powers under theRoad Traffic Act 1988, as amended by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003to require suspects to provide samples for roadside testing for th…
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of drug driving in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) age group and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Figures for driving convictionsinvolving drugs alone are not available. However, the number of persons with a chargeproved for drink or drug driving offences in the years 1999-2000 to 2004-05 is givenin the following table.</p><p>Persons a ChargeProved for Dr…
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been arrested for drug driving in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) age group and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number ofarrests made by the police is not held centrally, only the number of crimes recorded.Furthermore, figures for driving offencesinvolving drugs alone are not available. Finally,no information about the age of the accused is held cent…
7 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been stopped for suspected drink or drug driving in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) age group and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This Information is not heldcentrally.</p>
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been referred to the appeal court in each of the last five years as a result of a wrongful conviction or charge arising from serious default on the part of a member of a police force or some other public authority.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29453 on 15 November 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been referred to the appeal court in each of the last five years as a result of new or newly discovered facts that show, beyond reasonable doubt, that there has been a miscarriage of justice.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In Scotland thetest for the court to consider in any appeal against conviction and/or sentencein both summary and solemn proceedings is whether there has been a miscarriage ofjustice. Data held on appeals cannot provide statistics in the requested format.Grou…
1 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been referred to the appeal court on the grounds of an alleged misdirection of a jury by a judge when summing-up in each of the last five years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Court Service.</p>