Parliamentary questions

John Lamont

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

18 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support farming in the Scottish Borders.

Answer · Richard Lochhead : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0326-01.htm">http://www.sco…

12 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to encourage older people to take up teaching as a profession.

Answer · Keith Brown: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-01.htm">http://www.scot…

5 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when communities in the Scottish Borders will be able to apply for money from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Answer · John Swinney: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scott…

5 Mar 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had about the future of VisitScotland following the withdrawal of funding by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Answer · Alex Salmond: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scot…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the success of anti-knife crime campaigns was evaluated over the last five years, broken down by campaign.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21564 on 20 March 2009. 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/Apps2/…

4 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on anti-knife crime campaigns over the last five years, broken down by campaign.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The only knife crime communication campaign undertaken by the Scottish Government over the past five years ran between November 2006 and April 2007. £650,573 was spent on its delivery and the impact was evaluated by an independent organisation. However, over …

2 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS is of having an X-ray taken of a patient’s lung area, including clinical staff time.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The cost of taking an X-ray specifically of the patient''s lung area is not held centrally.

2 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS is of having a CT scan taken of a patient’s lung area, including clinical staff time.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of an attendance at an NHSScotland hospital for a CT scan in financial year 2007-08 was £115. No information is held centrally on the specific cost of a CT scan taken of the lung area. Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, year ende…

12 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has information on how many Scottish nationals are in prison abroad, broken down by country of imprisonment.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not available.

12 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new dentists would need to be deployed in Roxburgh and Berwickshire to deal with patients registered as waiting to see an NHS dentist.

Answer · Shona Robison : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0212-01.htm">http://www.scot…

11 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were in custody in each prison on 11 February 2009, broken down by local authority of residence at the time of reception in prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS do not record the home local authority of prisoners. The population as of 11 February 2009 is listed in the following table.…

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy to tackle depression.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to providing appropriate care and treatment to those who suffer from depression in line with national clinical guidelines. This is supported by work to put in place integrated care pathways for depression that meet the sta…

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that lifestyle advisors should be more involved in the treatment of depression.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are committed to supporting people with depression and we recognise that there is good evidence that people respond to a range of different treatments, including medication, therapies, or lifestyle changes, offered in a range of different ways and appropri…

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the treatment of depression and other mental health illnesses should, in the first instance, be treated by methods other than prescribed drugs.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our objective continues to provide the best and widest treatment options for the service user and clinician in each case. The treatment of depression and other mental illnesses should be based on a clinical assessment of needs and should include medication, t…

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the treatment of depression and other mental health illnesses should, in the first instance, focus on lifestyle changes rather than medication.

Answer · Shona Robison: No. Treatment of depression and other mental illnesses should be based on a clinical assessment of needs and should include medication, therapies, or lifestyle changes as appropriate to the circumstances of the individual.

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the proportion of patients prescribed antidepressant drugs in Scotland compared with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Shona Robison: We do not have information on the proportion of patients prescribed antidepressants in Scotland, nor is this available for the rest of the United Kingdom. We have a published target to reduce the levels of antidepressant prescribing in Scotland and a…

9 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were prescribed antidepressant drugs in the last 12 months.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The information currently available on prescribing of antidepressants can be found on the ISD website: <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/information-and-statistics.jsp?pContentID=3671&p_applic=CCC&amp…

6 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) design and (b) contractual capacity is for each prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The following table details the current design capacity, contracted places, additional available prisoner places and the total…

5 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rebuild cost is for each prison in the prison estate.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Government Infrastructure Investment Plan 2008, published in March 2008, provides details of the funding and planned i…

5 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the reopening of Reston railway station.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The provision of rail services to Reston and East Linton is not one of the priced options secured under the ScotRail franchise extension. However, the option to operate additional services between Edinburgh and Dunbar is part of the franchise extension consul…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals are in prison in Scotland.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: As of 25 February 2009 there were 293 foreign nationals in SPS custody. This equates to 3.7% of the total population.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were employed by the Forestry Commission Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) was created on 1 April 2003 as a result of the forestry devolution review. The following table shows the staff figures for FCS since that date. It is not possible to provide directly comparable figures prior to 2003, due to …

15 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many convicted prisoners have not received visitors in the last (a) six months, (b) year, (c) two years, (d) three years and (e) five years or more.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS does not currently hold this data. However, we have developed a national visits administration system which is currently being int…

15 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to Scottish Borders Council to develop public transport in Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

Answer · John Swinney: This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0115-01.htm">http://www.scottish.p…

13 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce legislation to deal with problems caused by garden fires.

Answer · Michael Russell: No. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-3243 on 5 September 2007. There is existing legislation allowing local authorities and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency within the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste (Scotland) Regu…

12 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it,or Transport Scotland, has had plans at any time since 1999 to construct a bypass around Selkirk on the A7.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No.

8 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to promote tourism in the Borders in 2009.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Borders is marketed by VisitScotland using the fantastic assets which it can offer its visitors. These include mountain biking and adventure sports, golf, touring, walking and other outdoors pursuits, food and drink, nature, local events, festiva…

6 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost would be of extending the national concessionary fares scheme to include all demand-responsive community transport.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is no Scottish Government estimate of the cost of including demand responsive community transport in the Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. Demand responsive transport that is a locally registered service can be included…

6 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where treated sewerage has been dumped in Scotland in the last 10 years.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not produce or treat sewage sludge, or regulate its disposal or recovery. Accordingly, information on exact locations where this disposal or recovery has taken place is not held centrally. This is a matter for the Scottish Environ…

6 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce guidelines on the permitted quantities of treated sewerage that can be dumped.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are parameters in the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, as amended, however as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is Scotland''s environmental regulator, the issuing of any guidelines on the limits would be a matter for SEPA.</…