Parliamentary questions

Kezia Dugdale

1,684 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

30 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to invest more in support services for the drug and alcohol recovery community.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We announced in the recent Spending Review that we intend to maintain the overall Drugs budget (£31.9 million) and the Alcohol budget (£42.3 million) in 2012-15, subject to parliament’s approval of the draft Budget Bill.

30 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much is spent on (a) prevention, (b) treatment and support services and (c) relapse prevention/recovery support, as a proportion of its total expenditure on drug and alcohol services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In 2011-12, Scottish Government has provided earmarked funding of £31.9 million to tackle drugs, £28.6 million of which is allocated to NHS boards. This funding should be used to deliver prevention activity and recovery focussed treatment and support services…

30 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports the drug and alcohol recovery community.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Local recovery communities have a strong part to play in sustaining people’s recovery from drugs and alcohol. The Scottish Government supports recovery communities by providing funding to NHS boards for local drug and alcohol services and support. In 2011-12,…

30 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the projects that it funds which work directly with individuals recovering from addictions at risk of relapsing.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02472 on 26 September 2011. 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/parliament…

30 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a specific health improvement (HEAT) target to reduce drug-related deaths.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Health Improvement Efficiency Access Treatment (HEAT) targets reflect the agreed areas for specific accelerated improvement each year, contributing to progress towards delivery of the Scottish Government’s outcomes. Specifically in relation to drug-related d…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on (a) cycling and (b) cycle training being incorporated into PE lessons.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not collected centrally. It is for schools to determine, preferably in consultation with pupils, what to provide for young people in terms of physical education, physical activity and sport in ways which meet local needs and circumstances.…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the establishment of the Cycle Training Standards and Delivery Support Group, and what the expected outcomes of this group will be.

Answer · Michael Russell: The newly named Bikeability Scotland Delivery Group first met last September to formulate a delivery plan which was published by the end of the 2010. The plan includes four main outcomes: a 2.5 percentage points increase annually in the number of pupils rece…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) active schools coordinators and (b) road safety officers have been trained in each year since 2008, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not collected centrally.

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that cycle proficiency training should be mandatory for all schoolchildren.

Answer · Michael Russell: The provision of cycle proficiency training for schoolchildren, re-launched by Cycling Scotland earlier this year as Bikeability Scotland, is a valuable resource for all schools. Its provision is planned by a partnership of schools, police and local authority…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that cycle proficiency training for schoolchildren should be provided by trained members of teaching staff.

Answer · Michael Russell: Cycle training in schools is co-ordinated by the local authority and is provided by volunteers, teaching staff, Road Safety Officers, School Travel and Active Schools Coordinators all of whom have had cycle trainer training. In March 2011, Cycling Scotland l…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that cycle proficiency training for schoolchildren should be provided in school hours.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02335 on 15 September 2011. 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/parliament…

24 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to local authorities for the provision of cycle proficiency training to schoolchildren.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government provides grant funding to Cycling Scotland for the cycle training programme called Bikeability Scotland, which allows local authorities to make bids to Cycling Scotland for resources which enables more cycle training to take place. Ad…

17 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the legal authority to conduct Scotland-wide referenda and, if so, whether it would consider allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote in these.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has the legal authority to conduct Scotland-wide referendums. The government believes that the voting age should be reduced to 16 for all elections and referendums.

5 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the barriers to the increased use of public transport.

Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Transport Statistics (2010) show that rail and bus passenger journeys have increased over the last 10 years. However, further modal shift is required if we are to improve connectivity in a low carbon economy. Barriers to switching to public transpor…

5 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the development of smartcard technology across the public sector.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government believes that smartcard technology has a useful role to play in improving the delivery of public services. It is continuing to support the Customer First programme’s smartcard technology element in the shape of the multi-application Na…

5 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to encourage greater uptake of sustainable transport options.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is encouraging greater uptake of sustainable options through support and funding for a wide variety of initiatives, including the development of cycling and walking infrastructure; promotion of alternative means of transport via travel…

5 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports a single, unified smartcard system for use across the public transport system.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has provided Smart enabled Electronic Ticket Machines to the entire Scottish bus fleet, as part of its administration of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme, and has worked with First ScotRail on a trial of similar systems for the…

2 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what savings it expects to make in the current parliamentary session by adopting recommendations from the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to working with the wider public sector and the ICT industry to ensure that we can maximise efficiency and deliver an effective ICT infrastructure to support public service delivery. Estimates of savings will arise from th…

2 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a National Oversight Board as recommended in the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: Work is underway to establish national oversight and supporting governance arrangements.

2 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to respond to the Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: In the press release on 21 June 2011, which accompanied the review’s publication, I welcomed the review and confirmed that, along with the Public Procurement Reform Board, I will consider the findings. Further details of the government’s response will be issu…

1 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00101 by Alex Neil on 31 May 2011, what was discussed at the meeting in June 2011 and what actions it will take or changes in approach it will make as a result to progress the cause for a living wage.

Answer · Alex Neil: My officials, having had discussions with the London Olympic Delivery Authority on their approach to the living wage in the context of work on the main Olympic Games site, understand that the living wage does not form a part of the competitive tendering proce…

26 Jul 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the health care needs assessment on myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) will be implemented by NHS Lothian.

Answer · Michael Matheson: It is for individual NHS boards to plan and healthcare services to ensure that the needs of their local population are met. It is understood however, that NHS Lothian has started work on a revised pathway for ME-CFS based on the Scottish Good Practice Statem…