Parliamentary questions
Mark McDonald
261 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the procedures for testing people for dementia.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is responsible for providing and reviewing clinical guidelines for the NHS in Scotland. SIGN guideline 86 on the management of patients with dementia, published in 2006, includes guidance on screening, a…
5 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last reviewed the procedures for testing people for dementia.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is responsible for providing and reviewing clinical guidelines for the NHS in Scotland. SIGN guideline 86 on the management of patients with dementia, published in 2006, includes guidance on screening, a…
16 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with train operators and British Transport Police regarding passenger behaviour.
3 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road fatalities occurred on (a) A, (b) B, (c) C and (d) unclassified roads in each police force area in each year since 1999, showing percentage changes in each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of people killed in accidents by police force and the type of road involved. Casualties by Police Force and Type of Road, 1999 to 2010 Type of Road Percent Change A Roads B Roads C Roads Unclassified A…
3 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female road fatalities of people aged (i) under-17, (ii) 18 to 25, (iii) 26 to 40, (iv) 41 to 64 and (v) over 65 have been recorded in each police force area in each year since 1999, showing percentage changes in each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of people killed in accidents by police force, gender and age group. Male Percentage changes 16 and under 17-25 26-40 41-64 65+ 16 and under 17-25 26-40 41-64 65+ Northern 1999 3 9 10 4 1 …
3 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road accidents have been recorded in each police force area in each year since 1999, showing percentage changes in each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of accidents where someone has been killed or injured in road accidents by police force. Severity Percent Change Fatal Other Severity Fatal Other Severity Northern 1999 35 874 2000 41 …
3 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road fatalities have been as a result of a seatbelt not being worn in each police force area in each year since 1999, showing percentage changes in each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Government using the Stats 19 statistical report form. The Stats 19 returns do not collect any information about whether or not seat belts were worn.
3 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) arrested for, (b) charged with and (c) convicted of driving under the influence of (i) drink and (ii) drugs in each year since 1999, broken down by police force area and showing percentage changes in each year.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the table titled Police recorded crime and court proceedings for driving under the influence of drink or drugs in each year since 1999-2000, by police force a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Inf…
2 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors are taken into consideration when allocating funding from the proceeds of crime.
31 Aug 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to provide non-domiciled UK students with free university education.
9 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance there is on the application of herbicides to tackle Japanese knotweed adjacent to waterways.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The range of herbicides available for use is restricted where the plant grows near a watercourse. Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) should always be consulted by operators planning to apply herbicides by any means in or near water for any purpos…
9 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties can be applied for a failure by an owner of land to control the spread of Japanese knotweed.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Japanese knotweed is listed on Part II of Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence (under Section 14 of that Act) for any person to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild. The offence is punishable in most cases …
9 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to local authorities on the management of Japanese knotweed in their programmes of grounds maintenance.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Executive has not specifically issued guidance to local authorities on the management of Japanese knotweed. There is a wide range of information and advice readily available online regarding the management and disposal of Japanese knotweed. The…
9 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what obligations owners of land are subject in order to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Japanese knotweed is listed on Part II of Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence (under Section 14 of that act) for any person to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild. Japanese knotweed and the soil containi…
1 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what authority is responsible for licensing and regulating the sale of alcohol on trains.
Answer · Keith Brown: The 2005 Licensing (Scotland) Act governs the sale of alcohol in Scotland including on trains. Railway vehicles engaged on journeys are exempt from the requirement for a premises licence under the Act, although they do have to comply with certain other requir…
30 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned home births there were in each NHS board area in each year since 1999
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not held centrally.
30 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the provision of support for women who suffer still-birth or miscarriage was last reviewed and whether there are any plans to conduct a review in the future.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A small short-life Stillbirth Sub-Group of the Maternity Services Action Group met for the first time in February 2011 and will consider as part of its role and remit, issues pertinent to stillbirth, including support, improvements in bereavement care and res…
30 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is offered to NHS boards regarding the provision of support for women who suffer still-birth or miscarriage.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Refreshed Framework for Maternity Care was launched in January 2011 to ensure that maternity services maximise their contribution to ensuring the best possible health outcomes for mother and baby. Care should be individualised to a woman’s needs and women…
29 Jun 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek international investment to support the dairy sector.
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under the age of 16 have been registered as a carer for an adult relative in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is no formal register of young carers. The 2001 Census identified 16,701 children and young people in Scotland who were providing unpaid care. However young carers are sometimes difficult to identify and other studies suggest that there could be betwee…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued in relation to the provision of health facilities in new developments via the planning gain mechanism.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Planning gain or developer contributions are generally obtained through the use of legal agreements called planning obligations. The Scottish Government has not issued specific guidance regarding the provision of health facilities but guidance on the use of s…