Parliamentary questions
Margaret McDougall
364 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many families live in (a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord housing that falls below the Scottish Housing Quality Standard in (i) Scotland and (ii) North Ayrshire.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides the following data on the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) for the period 2007-09. Number of Houses that Fall Below the SHQS Scottish Local Authorities 263,000 Scottish Registered Social Land…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in creating modern apprenticeships in (a) Scotland and (b) North Ayrshire.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: In 2010-11, the Scottish Government supported 21,561 modern apprenticeship new starts. We have committed to offer 25,000 modern apprenticeship opportunities in 2011-12. In 2010-11, the Scottish Government, through Skills Development Scotland, supported 532 a…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it is undertaking to reduce the number of unemployed women.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Employment is a matter reserved to the UK Government which now delivers the majority of its employment services via the single Work Programme which incorporates Jobcentre Plus and contracted support. The Scottish Government’s approach is to focus employabili…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what areas in the west of Scotland will be targeted by Community Jobs Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: Community Jobs Scotland will provide a total of 2,000 training opportunities across all 32 local authorities in Scotland. The geographical allocation of training opportunities in each of the local authorities is linked to the levels of youth unemployment in e…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical measures it will consider taking to reduce North Ayrshire’s youth unemployment rate.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Encouraging young people to stay in learning post-16 is the best way to ensure their long-term employability. We continue to work with North Ayrshire Community Planning Partners, led by North Ayrshire Council, to consider options to address unemployment, incl…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00685 by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011, what further practical measures it will consider to attract employment to North Ayrshire.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government is working with North Ayrshire Community Planning Partners, led by North Ayrshire Council, to consider options to address unemployment in the area. The recently published Economic Development and Regeneration Strategy and Action Plan will …
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether North Ayrshire will be made a priority area in terms of job creation.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government is continuing to support North Ayrshire Council to identify opportunities to attract employment to the area. Officials are working with North Ayrshire Community Planning Partners, led by North Ayrshire Council, to consider options to addre…
1 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding (a) job creation, (b) implementation of the Work Programme and (c) boosting growth in Scotland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues relating to creating employment opportunities, the Work Programme and economic growth. By way of example, John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment an…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans NHS Ayrshire and Arran has to replace Beith Health Centre in North Ayrshire.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran currently have no plans to replace the Beith Health Centre but all property and accommodation issues are periodically reviewed in conformity with the board’s estate strategy.
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what ministerial visits to general medical practices have been carried out in the North Ayrshire Council area since 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Information requested is not routinely recorded and therefore not held in the format requested. Systems were put in place on 8 March 2010 to collect this information more easily and we have provided this information in the following table. Minister Date…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been set aside for investment in multipurpose primary care facilities by NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran and (b) Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran has earmarked expenditure of £6 million for investment in primary and community care premises over the period 2011-12 to 2012-13. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has earmarked expenditure of £13 million for investment in multipurpose pri…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans NHS Ayrshire and Arran has to modernise its estate in 2011-12.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Board approved its Capital Investment Plan at a meeting on Wednesday 23 March 2011. Included in the capital programme for the year are the following projects: Provision of new Dental facilities in East Ayrshire Community Hospital Pl…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of how much has been spent on primary care procurement by NHS Ayrshire and Arran in 2011-12.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has NHS Ayrshire and Arran set aside for capital investment in 2011-12.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Board Ayrshire and Arran received an initial formula capital allocation of £5.292 million from Scottish Government for investment in 2011-12. The board plans to supplement formula capital funded investment by drawing down banked funds and revenue funding …
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS Ayrshire and Arran plans to spend on procurement in 2011-2012.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which minister has responsibility for NHS procurement.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I have overall Cabinet responsibility for the NHS in Scotland. Accountability for service delivery in the NHS including the procurement function rests with the Chief Executive and Accountable Officer for the NHS in Scotland.
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what ministerial-level meetings have been held with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to discuss the board's estate.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran has not participated in any ministerial-level meetings to discuss the estate.
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many frontline staff have left NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde through (a) redundancy, (b) ending of temporary contracts and (c) retirement.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland’s Information Services Division collects data on overall staff numbers joining and leaving the service. This can be found at the following web address - http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2011-06-28/Turnover%20-%20June%…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures the NHS is taking to tackle the effects of unemployment in (a) health and (b) mental health services.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government’s Health Works strategy, published in 2009, recognises the very important links between employment and health and wellbeing. We are working with NHS boards across Scotland to support improved partnership working with employability ser…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it, or any of its agencies, has undertaken to tackle social deprivation in the west of Scotland since 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A vast range of initiatives aimed at tackling poverty and inequalities have been developed by the Scottish Government and its partners since 2007. There have been a significant number of targeted approaches undertaken in the West of Scotland across a range of…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average life expectancy is for (a) men and (b) women in the west of Scotland, broken down by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation data zone.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Life expectancy at birth in the West Scotland Scottish Parliamentary Region is 74.8 years for men 80.0 years for women In the Region’s 15 per cent most deprived data zones, life expectancy at birth is 67.5 years for men 75.5 years for women In the Regi…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review NHS Ayrshire and Arran's eligibility for island adjustment funding, as stipulated by the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee formula.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula recommends different need for funding based on the geographic composition of the territorial NHS Boards. Currently, NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s NRAC target funding allocation is influenced by the fact th…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it takes (a) social deprivation and (b) unemployment into account when allocating funding to NHS boards.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The general revenue allocations to the NHS territorial boards are informed by the use of the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula. The formula has four stages, assessing need for funding on the basis of a board’s: Population Age …
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many frontline staff have left NHS Ayrshire and Arran through (a) redundancy, (b) ending of temporary contracts and (c) retirement.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland’s Information Services Division collects data on overall staff numbers joining and leaving the service. This can be found at the following web address - http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2011-06-28/Turnover%20-%20June%…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran and (b) Greater Glasgow and Clyde are taking to promote preventative healthcare.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A key way in which NHS Boards promote preventative healthcare is through their work on health improvement. NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, along with all other territorial Boards, are required to deliver a range of key health improve…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it, or any of its agencies, has undertaken to tackle health inequalities in the west of Scotland since 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government’s approach to tackling health inequalities was set out in Equally Well, the Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities, which was published in 2008. A key feature of Equally Well was the recognition that the only way t…
9 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Skills Development Scotland supports job creation in North Ayrshire.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Skills Development Scotland works with a number of partners, including local community planning partnerships to support the effective development and delivery of skills provision to meet the needs of local employers. Starting in 2010-11, Skills Development S…
9 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) discussions, (b) correspondence and (c) meetings it has had with Angus Council regarding the location of GlaxoSmithKline's proposed new plant.
Answer · John Swinney: At this time, the Scottish Government has not yet had discussions, correspondence or meetings with Angus Council regarding the location of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) proposed new plant. However, when the criteria for the site selection process is released by GSK…
9 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Scottish Development International is taking to encourage GlaxoSmithKline to locate its proposed new plant in Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Development International (SDI) has been advised by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that the selection process and timelines will be shared by the company in early July 2011. Whilst this is awaited, SDI is collating general materials to support a Scottish prop…
9 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) discussions, (b) correspondence and (c) meetings it has had with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills regarding the location of GlaxoSmithKline's proposed new plant.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not had discussions, correspondence or meetings with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills regarding the location of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) proposed new plant. However, when the criteria for the site selection process …