Parliamentary questions

Jamie Hepburn

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

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on police officers and police force support staff were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available informationis shown in the following table.Assaults onPolice Officers and Staff, 1994 and 1995-96 to 2006-07<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=bottom>   </td> <td val…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on fire and rescue services’ staff were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This information isnot held centrally.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on Scottish Ambulance Service staff were reported in each year since 1990.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information isnot collected centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service began capturing informationon the numbers of incidents of violence and aggression towards staff in August 2004when it issued guidance to staff about the need to report such incidents. T…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on teachers in the workplace were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on thenumber of reported incidents of violence or antisocial behaviour were collectedcentrally between 1998-99 and 2002-03 only. The following table showing the breakdownby local authority was provided to the Education Committee in 2004.Fig…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on doctors in the workplace were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information isnot collected centrally in the form requested. However, with the development of the Scottish Workforce Information Statistical System (SWISS) this kind of informationwill be available in the future.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults on nurses in the workplace were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by NHS board area.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults were reported in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) police board area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The requested informationis shown in the following tables. The figures are for total crimes of assault, whichincludes serious assaults, minor assaults and – since 2005 – minor assaults of anemergency worker.Number of AssaultsRecorded by the Police, by …

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact any Scottish police force has had with Westminster’s Intelligence and Security Committee regarding the committee’s inquiry into allegations of extraordinary rendition.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter forScottish police forces. The information requested is not held centrally.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it or any of its agencies has had with Westminster’s Intelligence and Security Committee regarding the committee’s inquiry into allegations of extraordinary rendition.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Executive hashad no contact with The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) regarding it’sreport on rendition. Annex B of the report provides a list of witnesses and canbe found on the ISC website: <ahref="http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/intelligence…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the death rate was from cancer in each year since 1980.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3479on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence was of poverty in (a) 1960, (b) 1970, (c) 1980, (d) 1990, (e) 2000 and (f) the most recent year for which figures are available and what comparative information it has for (i) the United Kingdom as a whole, (ii) each EU member state and (iii) each OECD nation.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The incidence of povertyin Scotland each year since 1994-95 is published in Scottish Households BelowAverage Income 2005-06 – Revised (Bib. number 43209). Information onthe incidence of poverty in Scotland prior to 1994-95 is not held centrally.…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence is of heroin addiction, broken down by age group, and what comparative information it has for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: For estimated numbersof problem drug users (opiates and/or benzodiazepines only) in Scotland in 2000 and 2003, I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-3089 on 28 August 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliamen…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence is of alcoholism, broken down by age group, and what comparative information it has for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation.

Answer · Shona Robison: The numbers of patientsdischarged from Scottish general acute hospitals in 2005-06 and psychiatric hospitalsin 2004-05 with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence (ICD10 code F10.2) by age groupis given in the following table.Comparativei…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence is of cancer, broken down by age group, and what comparative information it has for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Irefer the member to the answer to question S3W-3483 on 4 September 2007. 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/wa.…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence is of obesity, broken down by age group, and what comparative information it has for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation.

Answer · Shona Robison: (1) Scottish Statistics (including comparisonswith English data):The most recent obesitystatistics for adults in Scotland are available from the Scottish Health Survey 2003.Comparisons with English figures are also available.</p…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

Answer · Shona Robison: The 1998 and 2003Scottish health surveys provide data on the amount of physical activity taken bychildren aged two to 15 in these years. These findings are summarised (page 99,table 4.1) in the survey report at the link below.<ahref="http://www.scotlan…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered reopening any parts of the former rail network, other than through those schemes presently being pursued, and, if so, which parts.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We keep the rail networkunder review and we are aware of a number of aspirations for reopening parts of the network, but have no plans beyond those schemes already being pursued.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to review any of the orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish AgriculturalWages Board normally reviews the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order on an annual basis. The next Order (Number 55) is due to come intoforce on 1 October 2007.

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many workers are covered by the orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The number of workers employed in agriculture covered by the Orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board is 24,924. This is made up of 13,500 full-time and 11,424 part-time and seasonal workers. (Economic Report On Scottish Agriculture-2007 Edition)<…

20 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the suicide rate, particularly among men aged between 15 and 44.

Answer · Shona Robison: Suicide preventionis a key aim of the Scottish Government’s action to improve mental health and wellbeing.The main delivery vehicle for this is Choose Life, the National Strategy and ActionPlan to Prevent Suicide. One of the priority groups for action is youn…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of dyslexia were identified in each year since 1980.

Answer · Adam Ingram: This information isnot currently held centrally.However, from 2006, the Scottish Executive annual pupilcensus started to change how it records additional support needs and included aspecific category to record pupils for whom dyslexia is reported as a …

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to ensure wider understanding in society of dyslexia.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmentrecognises that people with dyslexia can be covered by the definition of disabilityin the Disability Discrimination Act. While we have no plans at present for anyspecific initiatives to ensure wider understanding in society of dyslexia,…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are specific additional difficulties in meeting the needs of children and young people with dyslexia in relation to continuing professional development.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Through the nationalcontinuing professional development framework, the Scottish Executive expects allteachers to be able to recognise and know how to support pupils with additionalsupport needs, including dyslexia.In support of this,following recent ta…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the effectiveness of support for children with dyslexia and other learning support needs is reviewed and assessed.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Under theEducation (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, educationauthorities must keep under consideration the additional support needs of, andthe adequacy of additional support provided to, each child and young personwith additional support…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are taken to ensure that children with dyslexia are properly identified.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2930 on 27 August 2007. 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/wa.s…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether procedures for the identification of dyslexia are uniform across Scotland.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Dyslexia is a complexlearning difficulty affecting individuals in different ways and to varying degrees.Procedures for the identification of dyslexia are, therefore, not uniform acrossScotland.However, schools andteachers have access to a range of scre…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a uniform definition of dyslexia across Scotland.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There is no singleor commonly agreed definition of dyslexia across Scotland. However, the Scottish Executive is in the early stages of taking forwardwork to develop a working definition of dyslexia which can be readily understoodby parents and be of practical…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training were (a) known and (b) estimated to have a drugs problem in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Information on thenumber of people who are 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training andwho have a drug problem is not held centrally.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training by (a) local authority, (b) local enterprise company and (c) postcode area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The official sourcesfor those aged 16 to 19 not in employment, education or training are the LabourForce Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, in a researchreport carried out by the Training and Employment Research Unit of Glasgow Univ…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of people aged 16 to 19 and not in education, employment or training by socio-economic group in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The official sourcesfor estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 19 not in employment, educationor training are the Labour Force Survey and the Annual Population Survey. Table1 shows the estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 19 and not in employmen…