Parliamentary questions

Jim Hume

1,310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on affordable housing capital projects in each spending review period since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15801 on 10 July 2013. 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/parliamentarybu…

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on housing in each spending review period since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15800 on 10 July 2013. 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/parliamentarybu…

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on capital projects in each spending review period since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15799 on 10 July 2013. 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/parliamentarybu…

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on affordable housing capital projects since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has spent a total of £5.2 billion on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in the financial years from 1999-00 to 2011-12. In real terms this is £5.8 billion at 2011-12 prices. The following table shows Scottish Government spend on …

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on housing since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Information relating to (a) can be found in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts. These published accounts date back to March 2002 and are available from the Scottish Government website by way of the following links: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications…

18 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has and (b) local authorities have spent on capital projects since 1999, in both cash and real terms.

13 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions of retailers there have been under the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010; how many were for offences related to the sale of tobacco (a) to under-18s and (b) while not registered on the Scottish Tobacco Retailers Register, and how many of these…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Three people were prosecuted in 2011-12 where the main offence was under the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010. (a) One was for offences under section 4(1) ‘sale of tobacco products to persons under 18’, and two were under section 6(1)…

3 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments at the Chalmers Dental Centre in Edinburgh have been cancelled due to a lack of equipment in the last six months.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS Lothian advises that no appointments at Chalmers Dental Centre have been cancelled due to a lack of equipment in the last six months.

3 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was late in returning dental equipment that it sterilised for (a) the Chalmers Dental Centre in Edinburgh and (b) other medical centres in 2012 and how many times it has been late in 2013.

Answer · Michael Matheson: (a) NHS Lothian has advised that there have been no reported late deliveries to Chalmers Dental Centre from the hospital sterilisation and decontamination unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. NHS Lothian confirms that there have been no incidents of lat…

3 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what dental centres have (a) all and (b) some of their equipment sterilised at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Answer · Michael Matheson: (a) NHS Lothian advises that the Edinburgh Dental Institute sends all equipment to the hospital sterilisation and decontamination unit (HSDU) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) to be sterilised. Instruments from St John’s Hospital dental unit clinics …

3 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the dental equipment used at the Chalmers Dental Centre in Edinburgh is sterilised on site.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS Lothian advises that dental equipment is not sterilised at the Chalmers Dental Centre. Handpieces are processed at a compliant Specialist Primary Care and Community Dental Service decontamination unit in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. All other items are processe…

3 Jun 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS supports people with heart disease.

23 May 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will safeguard local access to the justice system in rural areas.

20 May 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding raised by the public health supplement has been allocated to preventative spend initiatives.

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the 2012-13 Land Managers Options was allocated.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Land Managers’ Option Scheme expenditure for the financial year 2012-13 (covering the 2011-12 scheme year) was £10.3 million, which is 57% of the budget. The scheme year runs from 15 May to 14 May, with payments made annually in arrears.

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget for Land Managers Options entitlement was in 2012-13.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Land Managers’ Option Scheme budget for the financial year 2012-13 (covering the 2011-12 scheme year) was £18 million. The scheme year runs from 15 May to 14 May, with payments made annually in arrears.

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of farming businesses uses its full Land Managers Options entitlement.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The position is set out in the following table for the Land Managers’ Option Scheme year 2011-12:- Number of businesses eligible 21,611 Number of businesses that applied 11,571 53.5% Number of claims submitted 9,431 43.6% Number of businesses that cl…

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on plans in England for each older person to have a named individual responsible for all of their care needs and whether it has similar plans for Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: It is our understanding that the UK Government intends to pilot this scheme in a number of areas and are seeking integration “pioneers”. In Scotland, through the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill, we are establishing nationally agreed outcomes wi…

7 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have been reprimanded for poor hygiene practices in the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for individual NHS boards to consider any disciplinary measures in relation to NHS Staff who are not compliant with hand hygiene practices. Latest hand hygiene figures show that national hand hygiene com…

7 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reprimands have been issued to each NHS board for poor hygiene practices in the last four years.

Answer · Alex Neil: No formal reprimands have been issued by the Scottish Government to any NHS Board for poor hand hygiene compliance in the past four years. Infection prevention and control measures, including hand hygiene, are discussed when the Cabinet Secretary, Director G…

22 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to farmers adversely affected by the recent cold weather.

9 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many environmental impact assessments were carried out under the (a) Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, (b) Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000, (c) Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotlan…

Answer · Derek Mackay: The number of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) undertaken in respect of the above statutory EIA regimes is as follows: Year Forestry Electricity Works Agriculture Planning 1999 EIA Regulations1 2008 2 8 0 107 5 2009 1 17 1 113 3 2010…

9 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that an assessment is carried out on all projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of their nature, size or location.

Answer · Derek Mackay: There are statutory provisions in place which require that an Environmental Impact Assessment must be undertaken for certain projects likely to have a significant effect on the environment before a development consent can be granted. It is a matter for the co…

9 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) agriculture and (b) forestry projects there have been since 2008 in relation to which significant environmental effects occurred but no environmental impact assessment was required.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: a) We are not aware of any agriculture projects since 2008 where significant environmental effects occurred but no environmental impact assessment was required. The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture)(Scotland) Regulations 2006 came into force in S…

9 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that any significant environmental effects that may arise as a result of woodland expansion projects on agricultural land are adequately assessed and considered before development consent is issued.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Proposals for woodland expansion on agricultural land are considered under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The regulations provide a structured approach to evaluating environmental impacts to ensure that potential i…

9 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the (a) site and (b) cumulative environmental impacts for proposals for woodland expansion on agricultural land.

4 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) investigate further or (b) enable further research into the impact of distance from drainage features on peat in relation to the carbon calculator.

Answer · John Swinney: Yes, a project proposal which includes looking into this issue has been prepared by ClimateXChange. The proposal, including detailed scope and project timescales, is currently under consideration.

4 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue further guidance to accompany the carbon calculator to assist planning officers evaluate the values entered in the calculator.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are two active strands of work developing further guidance at the moment. These are: 1. To amend the sampling requirements so developers would use nationally derived estimates of bulk density and total carbon within the Carbon Calculator as default val…

14 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13200 by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2013, how many courses of the emergency contraceptive (a) ulipristal acetate and (b) levonorgestrel have been dispensed in each year since 2010-11, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The number of courses of treatment dispensed for a) ulipristal acetate and b) levonorgestrel since 2010-11 are as follows; Levonorgestrel 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 Quantity Dispensed Quantity Dispensed Quantity Dispensed NHS Ayrshire and Arran …

14 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13200 by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2013, what guidance it issues to NHS boards regarding the emergency contraceptive (a) ulipristal acetate and (b) levonorgestrel and whether it plans to review this.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS boards are expected to provide high quality sexual health services that are appropriate to the needs of their population and to the individual. This includes ensuring that the full range of contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception, is acce…