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: S1W-00910

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 25 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher and further education students have fallen ill during their studies and been unable to continue with their course as a result, in 1998/9 and the previous three academic years.

Information is not collected centrally on further education or higher education students attending Further Education institutions who fall ill during their studies. However, this information is available for students in Higher Education Institutions, and is given in the table below. Information for 1998-99 is not yet available.Students do not continue with their studies for a variety of reasons which can be complex in nature. The information shown below is for the main reason cited by the student or presumed by the institution. Deceased students are not included with those who gave health reasons as the cause of leaving without completing the course.Students who left Higher Education Institutions in Scotland without Completing their Course¹ who gave 'Health² Problems' as the Reason for Leaving: 1995-96 to 1997-98

Academic Year	Post- graduate	First Degree	Sub Degree	Total HE	FE	TOTAL
1995-96	54	352	47	453	3	456
1996-97	59	298	81	438	2	440
1997-98	68	282	88	438	4	442

1 This information can only provide an indication of the reason cited or presumed for a student leaving.²Excludes 'death'.

Question reference: S1W-00911

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 24 August 1999

To ask the Presiding Officer who is responsible for the development of an equal opportunities policy for the Scottish Parliament.

The development of an equal opportunities policy for the Parliament is ultimately a matter for the Parliament itself.The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body recently endorsed the establishment of a Working Group, comprising Parliamentary officials and MSPs, to take forward consideration of this issue and to report in due course to the Corporate Body with a draft equal opportunities policy for the Parliament. Details of the Working Group, its membership and remit, will be published in "What's Happening in the Scottish Parliament".

Question reference: S1W-00053

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 June 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to resolve the growing problem of bed-blocking in Scotland's hospitals and what resources it intends to make available.

The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that Health Boards in Scotland continue to work with their local authority partners in addressing all avenues, including financial, to reduce delays in discharge from NHS care.Over and above the £800 million available to local authorities for community care this year, the NHS makes substantial transfers of resources to local authorities for community care. These totalled nearly £120 million in 1998-99. It is our intention that additional resources will transfer this year.

Question reference: S1W-00114

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
Current Status: Answered by Andrew Hardie on 23 June 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to pursue any further prosecutions in the case of Sunjit Singh Chhokar who was killed on 4 November 1998.

Following the trial of Ronnie Coulter, who was acquitted by a jury in March of this year of the murder of Surjit Singh Chhokar, Crown Counsel instructed that further enquiries be carried out to consider whether any other person or persons should be prosecuted for crimes committed against Mr Chhokar.The Procurator Fiscal at Hamilton has been conducting these enquiries on behalf of Crown Counsel and his report was submitted to Crown Office last week. The case is presently being considered by Crown Counsel and a decision as to any further proceedings is expected shortly.