John Lamont

28 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done on the costs to homeowners of registering a standard security after 1 April 2016 in cases where the property’s title is on the sasine register.

Answer · John Swinney: From 1 April 2016, the General Register of Sasines will be closed to new standard securities. That means that a person who owns land recorded in the sasine register must first voluntarily register their land in the land register so that the standard security …

11 May 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many single application forms for rural payments and services have been fully processed under the new information technology system.

10 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider changing the rules relating to the powers of sheriffs principal, allowing them to make courts share business on alternative weeks without public consultation or parliamentary approval.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Section 15 of the Sheriff Courts Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) as amended by section 47 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (‘the 2008 Act’) provides that it is the responsibility of the sheriff principal in each sheriffdom to secure the efficient dis…

10 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Court Service being able to require courts to share business on alternative weeks, reducing the number of locations at which criminal and civil business is dealt with, without public consultation or parliamentary approval.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24797 on 19 March 2015. 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/parliamentaryb…

7 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much extra funding it will provide to NHS Borders to implement the named persons provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: NHS Borders received £42,298 for additional health visitors this year (2014-15) to support the implementation of the named person provisions in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The named person will work closely with families and is the sin…

5 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting economic development in communities along the A7 south of Hawick.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government works closely with a wide range of partners, including Scottish Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Borders Council as partners in the South of Scotland Alliance, to create the right conditions necessary to support b…

3 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the occupancy rate has been for (a) acute and (b) non-acute wards in NHS Borders in each month since March 2014.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information is available for the average monthly occupancy rate of hospital beds. The following table shows average occupancy rate (%) for acute and non-acute specialties in NHS Borders for the months March to September 2014. Occupancy rate (%) for acute and…

22 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term private nursing home places NHS Borders has purchased in each month since April 2014.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Borders purchased the following care home places since April 2014. Month Care home places purchased April 2014 3 May 2014 3 December 2014 5 January 2015 13 February 2015 11 All these places were to reduce the delayed discharge levels. The 29 …

19 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been connected to the fishing industry in Berwickshire in each year since 1999.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The number of fishermen employed in Berwickshire fishing creeks is given in the following table: Total number of fishermen employed in Berwickshire 1999 to 2013   Burnmouth Cove Eyemouth St Abbs Total 1999 16 3 98 28 145 2000 17 2 149 16 18…

19 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting jobs in the fishing industry in Berwickshire.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government places a high importance on the fishing industry and the benefits it brings to local communities such as those in Berwickshire and has been working with other government agencies to provide assistance to help maintain and indeed create…

16 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out regarding what impact any increase in UK contributions to the EU following the update to Eurostat guidance on national statistical accounts might have on Barnett consequentials and how many infrastructure projects this might subsequently affect.

Answer · John Swinney: The Barnett formula allocates to Scotland a population share of changes in funding for comparable spending programmes in England. Comparability is the extent to which services delivered by UK Government departments correspond to services delivered by the devo…

16 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that work to build the new Kelso High School begins as soon as possible.

Answer · Angela Constance: Issues that are affecting certain infrastructure projects as a result of a change to European statistical accounts are being given top priority. The Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust are working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. I …

9 Feb 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met representatives of NHS Borders and what issues were discussed.

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the effect of closing community health services on acute services at central hospitals.

Answer · Shona Robison: We have not carried out any specific research on this issue. However, through our work on the integration of adult health and social care, and the development of the Integrated Resource Framework: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Health-and-Social-Co…

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of A&E referrals in NHS Borders has required a hospital bed in each year since 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on patients attending A&E who require a hospital bed is not collected. However, information on patients attending A&E at Borders General Hospital and were subsequently admitted to Borders General Hospital is available from April 2010, which is sho…

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of patients has been discharged within six months in each healthcare facility in NHS Borders in each year since 2007.   

Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the percentage of inpatient and day case patients discharged within six months of admission at each healthcare facility in NHS Borders for financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14. The specialty of geriatric long stay is included. Percent…

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the occupancy rate has been for acute wards in NHS Borders in each year since 2007.   

Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows average occupancy rate (%) for acute specialties in NHS Borders for financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14. Occupancy rate (%) for acute specialties in NHS Borders, financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14.   2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010…

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many acute presentations for (a) all and (b) older patients have been recorded in NHS Borders in each year since 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of hospital stays in acute specialties in NHS Borders for all patients and patients aged 65 and over for financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14. Number of inpatient and day case stays in acute specialties in NHS Borders for a…

6 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many beds for (a) all and (b) older patients have been available in NHS Borders in each year since 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the average number of available staffed beds for all acute medical specialties and geriatric long stay in NHS Borders for financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14. Older people may have a hospital stay for a variety of reasons and may stay…

3 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that Jedburgh and Selkirk sheriff courts are to hear cases on alternate weeks, and for what it reason it did not seek parliamentary approval before this change was introduced.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. This question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

15 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23804 by Shona Robison on 15 January 2015, if any changes to NHS services were not in line with the 2020 strategy, whether it has the power to intervene and, if so, whether it would do so.

Answer · Shona Robison: Ministers can consider proposals that are deemed to be a major service change under the Scottish Government guidance Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_04.pdf. I…

15 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines there are regarding the proximity of wind turbines to public roads, and whether it plans to review these in light of reports that, following storms, part of a turbine was found by a roadside near Stow.

Answer · Alex Neil: Paragraph 169 of Scottish Planning Policy (2014) indicates that proposals for energy infrastructure developments should consider impacts on trunk roads and road traffic. Scottish Government on-line planning advice for onshore wind turbines last updated in De…

5 Jan 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the role that community hospitals play in helping with the provision of local healthcare and freeing up beds in larger hospitals.

5 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many community hospitals have been closed in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: This information is not held centrally.

5 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its role would be in relation to any proposal by NHS Borders to close a community hospital.

Answer · Shona Robison: This is ultimately a matter for NHS Borders but I would expect any service redesign they propose to be in line with our 2020 vision for the future of health and social care.

5 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers community hospitals to be an important part of the provision of healthcare in rural areas.

Answer · Shona Robison: Community hospitals can play a vital role in the provision of healthcare in rural areas. Some are being developed to provide a range of services to the community, including step-up/down care, allowing people to receive important rehabilitation in a non-acute …

11 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many community hospitals have closed in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.

11 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports community hospitals.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government published the refreshed community hospital strategy in April 2012. This included a commitment that we would ‘support NHS Education for Scotland to develop a national network to facilitate education, sharing of good practice, exchange o…

8 Nov 2014 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Scottish Borders Council's decision not to allow the Jim Clark Rally to take place in 2015.

29 Oct 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of the recently announced Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on domestic and non-domestic property sales in the Scottish Borders.