Parliamentary questions
George Foulkes
1,927 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have the power to issue bonds for capital projects outwith their geographic boundaries.
Answer · John Swinney: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 gives local authorities the power to borrow money for specific purposes. This includes capital expenditure projects, or lending to other local authorities for capital expenditure projects. They are permitted to raise t…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have the power to band together to issue Scottish municipal bonds.
Answer · John Swinney: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 gives local authorities the power to borrow money through a variety of means, including by the issue of bonds, for purposes for which they have a statutory borrowing power. The act also allows two or more local authori…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have the power to issue bonds.
Answer · John Swinney: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 gives local authorities the power to borrow money for specific purposes. They are permitted to raise the money through a variety of means, including bonds.</p>
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have received any legal advice from special advisers in respect of (a) the Scottish Futures Trust, (b) local income tax, (c) firearms or (d) any other issue.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13671 on 13 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its special advisers give legal advice to ministers.
Answer · John Swinney: Special advisers provide policy advice, not legal advice. The role of a special adviser is to help ministers on matters where the work of government and the work of the party overlap and it would be inappropriate for permanent civil servants to become involve…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and which of its special advisers have legal qualifications.
Answer · John Swinney: Two of the current Special Advisers, Professor Sir Neil MacCormick and Duncan Hamilton, have legal qualifications.</p>
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of home help provision was per 100,000 people over the age of 65 in each local authority area in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08.
Answer · Shona Robison: The following table provides information on the number of people over aged 65 who receive care at home and the rate per 100,000 for each local authority in 2006 and 2007. Care at home includes both personal and non-personal care services. Over the past decade…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated percentage payment rate of council tax was for each local authority area in 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: These figures are due for publication on 25 June 2008 in <i >2007-08 Council Tax Collection Statistics</i>. They are therefore currently subject to National Statistics pre-release protocol. They will be available after this date at the following website:</p> …
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people volunteered for organ donation in each month of 2007-08 and what plans it has to continue the campaign to encourage organ donation.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of new registrations on the NHS Organ Donor Register on a UK basis for each of the months between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008, by calendar month of registration, are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it estimates are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease; what services are available in each NHS board area for the treatment and care of Alzheimer’s disease, and what plans it has to improve such services.
Answer · Shona Robison: Alzheimer Scotland figures indicate there are at least 59,000 people with dementia. The General Practice Quality & Outcomes Framework guidance advises that Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50-75% of cases of dementia.</p> <p >Dementia is a national prior…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were screened for (a) breast, (b) cervical, (c) bowel, (d) prostate and (e) testicular cancer in each NHS board area in 2007-08.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not yet available for 2007-2008. Information on the number of people that were screened prior to 2007-08 is available on the Information Services Division website:</p> <p align=left >(a) Breast screening – 2005-06</p> <p align…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area have their own kitchens for cooking school dinners.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13039 by Kenny McAskill on 21 May 2008, whether it will consider collecting information centrally about the ages of children in Scottish prisons.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The Scottish Prison Service currently collects information on the ages of children confined in Scottish prisons on its prisoner record dat…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the consequences of an independent Scotland, within the EU, withdrawing from the Common Fisheries Policy.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Common Fisheries Policy has worked against the interests of Scottish Fishermen. As an independent country we would pursue fisheries policies that would return control of fisheries to Scotland and that best suited the Scottish marine environment and Scotti…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children had school meals in each local authority area on a specific date in 2007-08 and how this compares with the same date in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Results of the February 2008 survey of school meals are due to be published later this month. These statistics are published annually on the Scottish Government website and are available using the following link:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/T…
29 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13039 by Bruce Crawford on 22 May 2008, how many of the seven Bills introduced since May 2007 had a degree of work or preparation under way by civil servants prior to May 2007.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The seven bills were informed by advice prepared by civil servants since May 2007. I am unable to comment on exchanges that civil servants may or may not have had with ministers in the previous administration.</p>
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers met members of City of Edinburgh Council education committee to discuss the school building programme; who was present, and which schools were discussed.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and I last met Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the Convener of Education, Children and Families, on 27 September 2007, accompanied by other elected members and appropriate officials. Discussion covered a…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new (a) primary and (b) secondary schools it expects to have agreed contracts for construction for each local authority during the financial year 2008-09 and how this compares with 2007-08.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Local authorities are responsible for decisions on capital investment in school buildings. The Scottish Government does not hold comprehensive information about the timing of local authorities’ entering into school construction contracts, although some detail…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers are expected to retire in 2008 and how this compares with (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise. That exercise estimates the number of teachers leaving each year but does not differentiate between retirals and other reasons for leaving. The estimated number leaving in the …
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers are expected for the new academic year 2008-09.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13205 on 4 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers are expected to graduate in 2008 and how this compares with (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The numbers of students graduating from teacher training in 2006 and 2007 are available at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/18093809/110">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/18093809/110</a>.</p> <p >Comparable figures are…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected (a) revenue and (b) capital underspend or overspend is for each local authority for the financial year 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: Although responsibility for financial control rests with each local authority, the Scottish Government collects revenue budget and outturn information from each local authority but the provisional outturn information is not yet available for 2007-08.</p> <p …
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected underspend or overspend is for each health authority for 2007-08.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Based on draft annual accounts submitted by each health board, the 2007-08 projected end year position is show below. Final accounts will be submitted by 30 June 2008.</p> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > …
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what underspend or overspend is projected for each directorate for the financial year 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: Details of the end year financial position are currently being finalised. I will announce provisional outturn for the Scottish Government when figures become available.</p>
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are made for transport for Scottish ministers when travelling in other parts of the United Kingdom; on which occasion each minister, including the First Minister, made use of these arrangements since May 2007 and what cost has been incurred.
Answer · John Swinney: The information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member and place a copy of the letter in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45741) as soon as the information is available.</p>
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offices are allocated to the First Minister; where they are located, and how many private office staff are based in each location.
Answer · John Swinney: There are three offices allocated to the First Minister.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=163 valign=top > <p align=center >Office Base</p> </td> <td width=183 valign=top > <p align=center >St…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where each (a) Cabinet Secretary and (b) Minister has their principal office base; how many staff there are in each private office, and how many are based in the (i) Parliament and (ii) ministerial office.
Answer · John Swinney: The information requested is listed in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=230 valign=top > <p align=center >Office</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >Principal Base</p…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many days have been lost through sickness in each directorate of the Scottish Executive in each month of 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the number of sick days in each Directorate-General in each month from June 2007, which is the month the new Scottish Government structure was introduced, to March 2008, which is the most recent month for which we have complete figur…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much extra it will cost the relevant NHS boards for keeping open the accident and emergency units at (a) Ayr and (b) Monklands hospitals and what adjustments have been made to NHS board services as a result.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In my parliamentary statement on 27 February 2008 regarding the future of accident and emergency (A&E) services in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, I outlined the estimated additional costs likely to be incurred by both boards in maintaining A&E units at Ay…
22 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been achieved through efficiency savings in its central expenditure for each directorate in the financial year 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7948 on 8 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.searc…