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-13136

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 20 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many single people aged under 18 were homeless in each year from 1991-92 to 1999-2000.

The available information relates to applications to Scottish local authorities under the homeless persons legislation. The following table gives the number of such applications where an under-18 applicant was assessed by the local authority as being homeless. It should be noted that some of the applications recorded in each year will be from single persons who have applied more than once during the year. Information for 1999-00 is not yet available.

Applications Assessed as Homeless:
Scotland, 1991-92 to 1998-99
Year of application		Single¹ person households under 18
1991-92		1,700
1992-93		1,600
1993-94		1,700
1994-95		1,900
1995-96		2,000
1996-97		2,200
1997-98		2,100
1998-99		2,300
1. Figures are estimates based on around 92% of case returns received from local authorities. Estimates are made by grossing to the reported total number of applications and rounding to the nearest hundred. See the Scottish Executive publication HSG/2000/5 for more details.

Question reference: S1W-11930

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 19 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it plans to have with Glasgow City Council regarding their possible withdrawal from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in protest at the 2001-02 to 2003-04 local government settlement.

Question reference: S1W-11884

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 8 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the imposition of its efficiency saving targets has had on the number of nursing staff at senior grade and on the morale of nurses.

The Scottish Executive Health Department has not set any efficiency target for the National Health Service in Scotland. Health boards may set targets for their local Trusts and any adverse effects would be for local management to consider and address.However, Our National Health: a plan for action; a plan for change, published on 14 December, sets out a range of measures that will be taken to simplify the funding system to ensure resources are managed in as an efficient and effective way as possible. The plan also sets out our aims for working in partnership with staff, valuing and investing in their skills to help them perform and develop their full potential.

Question reference: S1W-11517

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make St Andrew's day a national holiday.

Question reference: S1W-10850

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 8 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist charities that have lost rates relief following decisions by the water authorities to end such relief.

Question reference: S1W-10849

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 8 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact this year's increase in water and sewerage rates has had on small voluntary organisations.

In the case of premises such as charity shops, offices and depots whose relief from water charges began to be phased out from 1 April 2000, the impact of increased charges and withdrawal is set out in the following table:

Year	Total Net Revenue
1999-2000	£2,223,596
2000-01	£3,160,163
Change	£936,567

The charges are being phased out over five years, and the costs above represent the impact of the first stage of withdrawal, which is 20% of total reliefs for the organisations concerned.

Question reference: S1W-11593

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to minimise any disruption to the Glasgow courts caused by recent industrial action by Unison.

Local authorities are responsible for the running of their respective district courts. The industrial action of UNISON arises out of a dispute between the relevant local authorities and UNISON on behalf of its members. The Procurator Fiscal sought where possible in law to expedite some summary cases by accelerating them to be dealt with before the industrial action. Some cases may be dealt with after the conclusion of the industrial action.

Question reference: S1W-12157

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11591 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 December 2000, what assessment it has made of the impact in Scotland of any proposed introduction across the United Kingdom of British Energy Saving Time.

Question reference: S1W-12065

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its intention to end the "postcode lottery of care" as described by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 14 December 2000 (Official Report, col.1039) will result in services being equally available in all health board areas and, if so, when this will be achieved.

Question reference: S1W-11850

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the number of student nurses who drop out of training colleges due to a perceived poor quality of clinical placements offered.

We have continually urged universities and NHS Trusts to work together to minimise the drop-out rate of student nurses and midwives, by addressing a range of issues including:

the preparation of the clinical mentors who support students during placements;

the timing, nature and support provided for students' early experiences of clinical placements;

course design to facilitate student progression through successive academic challenges and clinical experiences;

availability of student support services for nursing students.The discontinuation rate can most accurately be measured retrospectively, after each cohort has completed its programme of study. Figures calculated on this basis by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland, give evidence of an improvement over recent years.