Parliamentary questions

Campbell Martin

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

1 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug-related deaths have been recorded in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each year since 1995-96.

Answer · George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table. Drug-Related Deaths, North Ayrshire, 1996-2004<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> 1996</td> <td> 1997</td>…

1 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of crime involving the illegal importation, cultivation, supply or possession of drugs have been in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each year since 2002-03.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information on the number of these crimes recorded by the police is given in the following table. Number of Drug Crimes Recorded by the Police in North Ayrshire, 2002-03 and 2003-04<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead…

26 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has that directional and distance signage for West Kilbride on the A78 Three Towns Bypass is appropriate; what impact the absence of direction and distance signage for West Kilbride has on the ability of road users to find the village, and when it will erect direction and…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The signing exceeds national conventions and there is no record of road users experiencing difficulty in locating West Kilbride. There are no plans to add further signing.

23 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any employees from the private sector have been seconded to work within Executive departments; if so, who they are, what departments they have been working in and what has been the duration and purpose of any such secondments.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Since the year 2000 to date, 26 people from private sector organisations have been seconded to the Scottish Executive. The following table gives the names of the exporting organisations rather than the names of individuals, the departments they were seconded …

25 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any studies carried out to determine whether any specific illnesses or conditions in former UK services personnel, their children and grandchildren, could be related to radiation present at nuclear weapons tests carried out by Her Majesty's Government in the Pacifi…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Epidemiological studies carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board have found that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence in UK nuclear weapons test participants have continued to be similar to those in a matched control group.…

25 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many former UK services personnel are being treated by NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board area, for illnesses that may be connected with the patients having attended nuclear weapons tests carried out by Her Majesty's Government in the Pacific Ocean and at Maralinga in Australia be…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally. However, epidemiological studies carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board have found that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence in UK nuclear weapons test participants have continued…

17 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14677 by Mr Andy Kerr on 4 March 2005, which public agencies, representative bodies and tattooing and skin and body piercing businesses were consulted during its consultation on the possible tighter regulation of skin and body piercing and when it wi…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The list of stakeholders consulted about the possible tighter regulation of skin and body piercing is included in the analysis of responses document Regulation of Skin and Body Piercing – Analysis of Written Submissions to Consultation. An electronic v…

11 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many ex-armed services personnel have presented themselves to the NHS citing some form of illness as a result of service in the Gulf War of 1991 and, if it does not have such information, whether it will ensure that action is taken to collate such informatio…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of ex-armed services personnel who have presented themselves to the NHS citing some form of illness as a result of service in the Gulf War of 1991 is not held centrally. The Ministry of Defence is working with the Medical Rese…

23 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13123 by Mr Andy Kerr on 25 January 2005, who carried out the consultation referred to; who was consulted, and when it expects to bring into effect a Scotland-wide licensing regime monitored by local authority environmental health officers and suppor…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive undertook a consultation with stakeholders in public agencies, representative bodies, tattooing, and skin and body piercing businesses, about the possible tighter regulation of skin and body piercing to reduce the risk of transmission o…

23 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many directors of HABIA are from Scotland or represent Scottish-based companies or businesses, which companies such directors represent and how they are appointed.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This information is not available.

23 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether decisions taken by HABIA apply to Scotland and are binding on companies and businesses based in Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This information is not available.

31 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13283 by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2005, why West Kilbride was omitted from all directional informatory signage on the A78 Three Towns Bypass, other than that referred to in the answer and what action it will now take to ensure that West Kilbride i…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The present level of signing for West Kilbride, as described in the answer to question S2W-13283 on 24 January 2005, is considered appropriate.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility…

17 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it considers acceptable for a person to wait before receiving non-emergency treatment from an NHS dentist; how many people have not received treatment within this timescale in each of the last five years, and what action it is taking to ensure that people can receive such t…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Acceptable waiting times for non-emergency dental treatment are subject to individual patient needs and are dependent on a range of factors including patient age, previous dental disease levels and future risks, and existing levels of oral self care.No…

10 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why West Kilbride has been omitted from directional informatory signage on the A78 Three Towns Bypass and what action it will take to address the position.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: With effect from 19 January 2005, West Kilbride has been signed, both in terms of direction and distance, from the northern section of the new A78 Three Towns Bypass.

20 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation exists regarding the registration and monitoring of tattooing and body piercing establishments and whether such legislation covers all establishments which offer such services, including hairdressers, beauty therapy outlets and women's accessories stores; what qualifi…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Tattooing, body piercing and other beauty treatments, invasive or non-invasive, are currently regulated by two main pieces of legislation, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969. There is also some local legislation.<…

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the issue of affordable housing on the Isle of Arran and when such action will result in there being sufficient affordable housing on the island.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:As part of a substantially increased programme of funding for affordable housing in rural areas, Communities Scotland will invest £1.580 mill…

1 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was made aware that approximately 81,000 cubic metres of soil at the site of the Hunterston A nuclear power station had been polluted by radioactive contamination; if so, when it was made aware and by whom; whether the exact volume and level of contamination is known and whethe…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Any radioactively contaminated land on the Hunterston A site is the result of historic incidents, mainly in the 1970s. The contamination has been widely known about since these incidents, and the Executive was aware of the existence of the contamination. …

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for the installation of a central heating system, from application to completion of all measures, under its central heating programme and whether it considers such a timescale to be acceptable.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The average waiting time from receipt of a completed application through to installation of the new heating system is five months. This in…

23 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total cost was of the security wall that runs between the MSP block at Holyrood and the private residential accommodation off Reid's Close; whether the security wall would have any effect in stopping an attack on the Parliament launched from any floor of the r…

Answer · George Reid: The exact cost of the Reid’sClose section of the boundary wall is not readily available, as it forms partof a larger works package, but the latest estimated cost we have to hand is £374,000,excluding VAT. It would not be prudent tocomment on the effect…

22 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is acceptable that a patient referred for treatment at the maxillofacial clinic at Crosshouse Hospital has an average waiting period of 18 months before being seen; what the reasons are for such a waiting time; what specific actions are being taken to reduce this waiting time;…

Answer · Andy Kerr: I believe 18 months is an unacceptable length of time for a patient to wait for a routine out-patient appointment. That is why the Executive has set the national target to reduce the waiting time for all first out-patient appointments with a consultant to a m…

20 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the main beach at Largs continuing not to reach European bathing water standards, why the reasons were not successfully addressed after previously not reaching the standards; and what steps it will now take to address outstanding issues and ensure that in future t…

Answer · Allan Wilson: Largs main beach is not a designated bathing water under the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) and there is no statutory requirement for it to meet the standards of that directive.Diffuse pollution and overflows from the sewage system, both resulti…

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the use of snares; whether it will introduce legislation to ban the use of snares, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I set out the Executive’s position on snaring in the Parliament on 5 May 2004 during the Stage 3 proceedings of the (now) Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.I made it clear that where snares are used, they must be set, monitored and maintained in …

10 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many marketing graduates from Scottish universities have been successful in securing employment in Scotland after graduation in the current year.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The latest year for which information is currently available on the first destination of graduates from Scottish universities is 2001-02. In that year an estimated 45 per cent of marketing graduates were in permanent employment in Scotland six months after gr…

10 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new graduates from Scottish universities have not found employment in Scotland in their chosen fields; how this figure compares with previous years, and what specific proposals it has to ensure that Scottish graduates can secure employment in their chosen fields in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The relationship between subject of study and the occupation and industry in which graduates are subsequently employed is complicated, with many students choosing to work in areas apparently unrelated to their subject of study. Any estimate based on existing …

9 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools (a) operate with fewer teachers than required to ensure that every class is led by a qualified teacher, (b) rely on supply teachers to ensure that classes and courses are not cancelled and (c) are experiencing problems recruiting and retaining (i) full-time and (ii) suppl…

Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally. The employment and deployment of teachers in publicly funded schools is a matter for local authorities (LAs).To teach in a LA school a teacher must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Sco…

29 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a method for the treatment of existing nuclear waste other than storage and whether the current arrangements would allow it to support a planning application for the creation of any new nuclear power station.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Low-level waste can be disposedof to the engineered facility at Drigg operated by British Nuclear Fuels. For higher activityradioactive waste the current policy is that it will be stored, after any necessarytreatment, until a long-term waste management option…

29 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to upgrade the A737 trunk road to allow a dual carriageway link from Howwood, Renfrewshire to Dalry, Ayrshire; what the current status is of any plans to create a by-pass around Dalry, and whether it has any plans to connect the Three Towns By-pass to the A737.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has no currentplans to dual the A737 between Howwood and Dalry, nor to construct any direct connectionbetween the A737 and the A78 Three Towns By-pass. On 28 June, I announced a fullstudy into the road problems at Dalry including proposal…

29 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for ensuring that any disused non-coal mines do not represent a danger to the public in respect of any possible subsidence of land located above disused shafts and what funding is available to make safe such disused non-coal mines.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No one body is responsible fordisused non-coal mines, and no specific funding is earmarked for making such minessafe. Responsibility concerning possible subsidence is dependent on the particularcircumstances of the mining rights or of the land ownership.

29 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people there are with atherosclerosis; what the most effective recognised treatment is and whether a cure exists and, if not, what research is currently being carried out into finding a cure or to develop a drug that would be capable of allowing constricted arteries to regain the…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Atherosclerosis affects manypeople in varying degrees, and prevalence and severity increase with age. It generallyremains undiagnosed until it is of a severity to cause symptoms. The severity andrate of progression will be determined by both genetic and lifes…

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a scheme similar to the business rate relief scheme could be applied to water charges levied on businesses by Scottish Water and whether the Executive would consider introducing such a scheme as a means of assisting small businesses in meeting water charges.

Answer · Ross Finnie: For 2004-05, a low user tarifffor those customers who are metered and who have minimal water use is available.This is benefiting many small business.