- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 11 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all written questions are answered within 14 days.
Answer
The Executive makes every effort to give a substantive reply to all written questions within fourteen days. This may not be possible in some circumstances, for example where the necessary data takes some time to gather, in which case a holding reply is issued.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 11 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many written questions submitted between 6 May and 6 September received a reply, other than a holding answer, within (a) seven days, (b) fourteen days, (c) twenty one days, (d) twenty eight days, and (e) twenty eight days or more, and whether it considers that it is reasonable for MSPs to wait for periods substantially in excess of 14 days for answers to written questions.
Answer
This information is not readily available but could be provided by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). All efforts are made to ensure Members receive a response to Written Questions within fourteen days.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 8 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish local authorities have implemented a formal housing and council tax anti-fraud policy and which have adopted the Department of Social Security verification framework.
Answer
This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. The implementation of a formal housing and council tax anti-fraud policy or the adoption of the Department of Social Security (DSS) verification framework is a matter for individual councils to pursue.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish local authorities have yet to comply with the Code of Practice on Following the Public Pound.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not hold this information because monitoring compliance with the Code of Guidance on Funding External Bodies and Following the Public Pound is the responsibility of councils' external auditors appointed by the Accounts Commission for Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any assistance that it can give to Inverclyde Council to enable it to resolve the benefit issues identified by both external audit and the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate.
Answer
No. The Scottish Executive has not been approached by Inverclyde Council to give it any special assistance over this matter, nor do I think this would be appropriate.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total amount of money owed by local authorities in Scotland, in the current financial year, in respect of bills from contractors and suppliers after the date due for payment.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reform the system of payment for returning officers in local government, Scottish Parliament and general elections.
Answer
Local Authorities are responsible for returning officers' payments at local elections and we have no plans to change this.Matters relating to Parliamentary elections, including those to this Parliament, are reserved.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that 1998-99 audits of local authorities are completed to an acceptable standard and submitted by the due date of 30 June 2000.
Answer
The 30 June is the statutory deadline for the submission of unaudited accounts for the financial year 1999-2000. There is no statutory deadline for the completion of audits. The standard and completion of audits of local authority accounts is a matter for the Controller of Audit and we support his efforts to improve performance in this area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the five main causes of death for males and females in Scotland aged 35 or younger, for the years 1984-85 to 1998-99.
Answer
All deaths in Scotland are coded according to the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD9) which is promulgated by the World Health Organisation. As with all classifications, ICD9 tends to group minor categories and split up larger categories. Any choice of the 'five main causes' of death is therefore somewhat subjective. The table below gives information on causes or groups of causes that are considered to be appropriate to the age group of interest. As can be seen the 'five main causes' have varied over the period in question.
Deaths aged under 35, selected causes, by sex, Scotland | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Cause of death | ICD9 code | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
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Males | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Suicide (incl. 'undetermined') | E950 - E959, E980 - E989 | 161 | 167 | 191 | 188 | 219 | 188 | 236 | 213 | 251 | 291 | 255 | 250 | 256 | 282 | 268 |
Motor vehicle traffic accidents | E810 - E819 | 255 | 222 | 251 | 210 | 227 | 204 | 229 | 187 | 174 | 140 | 140 | 157 | 144 | 154 | 133 |
Drug dependence | 304 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 14 | 26 | 94 | 111 | 125 | 102 | 125 |
Perinatal conditions | 760 - 779 | 166 | 129 | 144 | 139 | 131 | 135 | 113 | 136 | 136 | 101 | 106 | 91 | 103 | 82 | 98 |
Congenital anomalies | 740 - 759 | 149 | 113 | 93 | 91 | 111 | 116 | 100 | 99 | 101 | 104 | 74 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 71 |
Homicide | E960 - E969 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 40 | 66 | 76 | 34 | 35 | 69 | 39 | 54 | 48 | 51 | 35 | 42 |
Sudden infant death syndrome | 798.0 | 82 | 87 | 99 | 87 | 77 | 85 | 86 | 62 | 45 | 37 | 31 | 25 | 30 | 34 | 19 |
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All causes | | 1397 | 1278 | 1344 | 1268 | 1371 | 1303 | 1320 | 1236 | 1252 | 1188 | 1212 | 1204 | 1223 | 1110 | 1151 |
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Females | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Suicide (incl. 'undetermined') | E950 - E959, E980 - E989 | 39 | 49 | 42 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 73 | 79 | 64 | 60 | 75 | 75 | 72 |
Perinatal conditions | 760 - 779 | 112 | 117 | 106 | 91 | 78 | 94 | 93 | 77 | 80 | 73 | 85 | 87 | 76 | 58 | 67 |
Congenital anomalies | 740 - 759 | 106 | 104 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 67 | 69 | 72 | 86 | 83 | 68 | 64 | 63 | 59 | 60 |
Motor vehicle traffic accidents | E810 - E819 | 79 | 72 | 62 | 65 | 54 | 68 | 53 | 72 | 65 | 35 | 40 | 57 | 39 | 41 | 43 |
Drug dependence | 304 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 20 | 27 |
Sudden infant death syndrome | 798.0 | 55 | 52 | 54 | 49 | 57 | 58 | 46 | 28 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 23 | 13 | 18 | 18 |
Breast cancer | 174 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
Homicide | E960 - E969 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 20 | 82 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 7 | 9 |
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All causes | | 769 | 754 | 652 | 656 | 609 | 711 | 613 | 637 | 621 | 651 | 565 | 597 | 569 | 515 | 531 |
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Notes 1 The method of collecting information on drug-related deaths was changed in 1994. This change significantly affected the number of deaths classified as drug dependence.2 The number of homicides was increased significantly in 1988 and 1989 by the Lockerbie incident, and to a lesser extent in 1996 by the Dunblane incident.3 Certain standard conventions have been followed in preparing the data in the table: the years given are calendar years; ages cover persons aged under 35 rather those aged 35 or younger; and deaths from an 'injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted' have been included with suicides.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reform the system of payment for returning officers in local government, Scottish Parliament and general elections.
Answer
Local Authorities are responsible for returning officers' payments at local elections and we have no plans to change this. Matters relating to Parliamentary elections, including those to this Parliament, are reserved.