Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-08570

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on patient transport costs will be of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08594

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3831 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 November 2003, whether there is now a case for a central review of maternity services to determine the cross-flow of patients between NHS boards as a result of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

As I indicated in my previousanswer, the overview report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (2002)states clearly the need for boards to take a regional approach to planning maternityservices and consideration of cross‑flow of patients from other board areasshould be part of this. To help facilitate regional planning in maternity services,the Executive has given each Regional Planning Group £50,000 (non‑recurrent)to fund a Regional Maternity Service Co‑ordinator.

The reconfiguration of maternityservices in Glasgow does not make a case for a central review of maternityservices to determine cross‑flow of patients across NHS boards in Scotland.

I have received an update fromNHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow on progress to address issueson the pattern of patient choice between Paisley and Glasgow. The two NHS boards will continue to monitor the choiceswomen are making over the coming months.

Question reference: S2W-08571

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to proposals for the closure of the Queen Mother's Hospital as part of the plans for reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08596

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs will be of consultants from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children working off-site as a result of the closure of the Queen Mother's Hospital as part of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08567

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that a range of options was adequately considered prior to the development of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08593

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3831 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 November 2003, whether it is satisfied that a regional approach to planning maternity provision has been made in respect of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

The report of the Expert Groupon Acute Maternity Services makes it clear that local planning and commissioningof maternity services should take place within a regional context. The Scottish Executive has provided £50,000 non‑recurrent funding to each of the regionsto fund a Regional Maternity Services Co‑ordinator. Greater Glasgow are inthe process of recruiting into this post.

In considering Greater Glasgow'sproposal for their re‑configuration of maternity services I will be lookingat the degree to which Greater Glasgow have taken a regional approach to maternityprovision.

Question reference: S2W-08591

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider further representations on the proposals for closing the Queen Mother's Hospital as part of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08592

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 June 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to reject proposals for the closure of the Queen Mother's Hospital as part of plans for the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S2W-08152

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 May 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it now proposes to take in light of Lord Bonomy's judgment in the Napier case.

Scotland has unacceptably high rates of imprisonment andreoffending. As part of our reform of the criminal justice system we aredetermined to reduce reoffending and invest to modernise the prison estate.This will reduce overcrowding and improve conditions in prisons.

Our prison reforms havealready resulted in real changes:

We have improved the basicconditions in which we expect offenders to tackle offending behaviour.

The Scottish Prison Service(SPS) has moved some long-term prisoners out of Barlinnie to reduceovercrowding.

Accommodation for male YoungOffenders has been consolidated in improved conditions at Polmont.

For those who still have toslop out at Barlinnie and Polmont, we have provided more time and betterfacilities to do so.

A new open prison unit forfemale offenders has been created at Cornton Vale.

We have improved the prisonregime and we are working to maintain these improvements at a time of recordprisoner numbers, for example through:

increased time out of cellat Barlinnie;

improved medical care acrossthe board, and

improved and expanded drugtreatment services.

The SPS has deliveredincreased numbers of programmes and approved activities to address offendingbehaviour, prepare for release and reduce reoffending.

Education provision has beenimproved and expanded across the board with the emphasis on literacy, numeracyand employability including acquiring recognised qualifications.

We have invested to improvethe fabric of the prison estate we inherited:

This has allowed SPS torefurbish two halls at Barlinnie, including the provision of toilets and powerin cells, with another hall due to reopen later this year.

Conditions in parts of LowMoss have been improved by installing cubicles in some dormitory accommodation.

Electric power has beeninstalled in cells in Peterhead, Perth and Polmont.

SPS has demolished very pooraccommodation at Glenochil.

The National InductionCentre for long-term prisoners based at Shotts has doubled in size.

Also at Shotts, A Hall hasbeen refurbished.

We have embarked on a majorprogramme to modernise the prison estate:

The SPS has created about500 modern places in two new houseblocks at Edinburgh and Polmont,investments totalling £35 million brought in on time and to budget.

Work is under way on similarnew houseblocks at Edinburgh and Glenochil, a total investment of £50 million.

We are committed to securing1,400 modern places in two new prisons.

The SPS has acquired landfor these two new prisons and has already secured planning permission for oneof them.

We are committed tocomprehensive redevelopment of four key sites, effectively creating four newprisons at Edinburgh, Glenochil, Perth, Polmont.

Through these investments,we are making real progress in ending slopping out:

In 2000, there were 1,900 slopping out places,

Now there are 700 fewer.

By the end of this year, we plan to eliminate, afurther 200.

I am determined to carrythrough this reform programme so that Scotland has modern prisons where staff can work withprisoners to reduce reoffending. I am therefore announcing today a package ofmeasures to accelerate our reforms to improve prison conditions and make moreeffective use of custody:

We now plan to remove afurther 550 slopping-out places by 2006.

We will create 200 newplaces by using rapid-build units on existing sites where the land andinfrastructure can best support the additional numbers.

We will use electronictagging to reduce the number of accused persons remanded in custody.

We will enhance thearrangements for home leave for long-term prisoners at the end of theirsentences to reintegrate them better into society.

We shall seek earlyintroduction of legislation to allow for home detention curfews underelectronic monitoring for prisoners nearing the end of their sentences.

These measures areconsistent with our overall vision for the criminal justice service in Scotlandwhich deals fairly and effectively with offenders and reduces reoffending byproviding robust and effective penalties, including community sentences.

I have also instructed the SPSto update its estates strategy to take account of our existing plans forcreating new and fully modernised prisons, the impact of the measures I amannouncing today and our wider reforms.

Having examined LordBonomy’s judgement in Napier against this background, we believe there aregrounds for appealing his conclusions. We shall therefore do so.

Question reference: S2O-02084

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 April 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for consideration of NHS Greater Glasgow's recommendation to close the Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow.