Questions and answers

Question reference: S1W-22473

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers have visited Brussels in connection with European Union business since July 1999 and how long the visits were.

The information requested is given in the following table:

Date of visit	End date(if different)	Minister	Purpose
07/07/1999		Jack McConnell	Fact finding and Structural Funds visit
29/09/1999		Jack McConnell	Pre-Scotland week press briefing
11/10/1999	13/10/1999	Ross Finnie	Scotland Week
10/10/1999	13/10/1999	Donald Dewar	Scotland Week
10/10/1999	14/10/1999	Jack McConnell	Scotland Week
11/10/1999	12/10/1999	Peter Peacock	Scotland Week
13/10/1999		Sarah Boyack	Scotland Week
14/10/1999		Henry McLeish	Scotland Week
14/10/1999	15/10/1999	Rhona Brankin	Scotland Week
15/10/1999		Alasdair Morrison	Scotland Week
22/11/1999		John Home Robertson	Fisheries Council
13/12/1999	14/12/1999	Sarah Boyack	Environment Council
14/12/1999	15/12/1999	Ross Finnie	Agriculture Council
16/12/1999	17/12/1999	John Home Robertson	Fisheries Council
20/03/2000	21/03/2000	Ross Finnie	Agriculture Council
22/03/2000		Jack McConnell	Launch of Structural Funds Equal Opportunities Toolbox. Met with Commissioners Schrey and Barnier
27/03/2000		Sarah Boyack	Meeting with Commissioner de Palacio's Cabinet
27/03/2000		Jack McConnell	Meeting Francis Jacobs of the European Parliament and the Bavarian Regional Office
07/04/2000		Jim Wallace	Meeting with Commissioner Vitorino
09/05/2000		Ross Finnie	Attended Scottish Seafood Exhibition
09/05/2000		Alasdair Morrison	Attended Scottish Seafood Exhibition
05/06/2000	06/06/2000	Jack McConnell	Attended Structural Funds conference
12/07/2000		Jack McConnell	Delivered speech at Flanders Festival and attended CLRAE meeting in Brugge
18/09/2000		Susan Deacon	Meeting with Commissioner Byrne
17/11/2000		Rhona Brankin	Fisheries Council
20/11/2000	21/11/2000	Ross Finnie	Agriculture Council
29/11/2000	30/11/2000	Jim Wallace	Justice and Home Affairs Council
06/12/2000		Henry McLeish	Meeting with Commissioner Kinnock and meeting with Scottish MEPs
11/12/2000		Sam Galbraith	Opened Scotland in Europe Cultural Exhibition in Scotland House and met with Commissioner Wallstrom
14/12/2000	15/12/2000	Rhona Brankin	Fisheries Council
28/01/2001		Jack McConnell	Meeting Nigel Sheinwald and Swedish Representative Office
05/02/2001	06/02/2001	Sarah Boyack	Meeting with Commissioner de Palacio's Chef de Cabinet
05/02/2001		Angus Mackay	Meeting on Objective 2 Structural Funds
12/02/2001		Nicol Stephen	Education and Youth Council
26/02/2001	27/02/2001	Ross Finnie	Agricultural Council
08/03/2001		Sam Galbraith	Environment Council
08/03/2001		Alasdair Morrison	Columba Initative - Launch of the Strategic Plan
16/03/2001		Jack McConnell	Governance Hearing
24/04/2001	25/04/2001	Rhona Brankin	Hosted Forestry Seminar in Scotland House and attended Europe's premier Seafood Exhibition
21/05/2001	22/05/2001	Peter Peacock	Meeting of the Cohesion Fund countries on structural funds
28/05/2001		Henry McLeish	Signed Flanders Co-ordinated Initative
13/07/2001		Angus MacKay	Informal Council meeting on Regional Policy
19/09/2001	20/09/2001	Angus MacKay	Meeting with Commissioner Barnier and met with Scottish MEP's
09/10/2001	10/10/2001	Jack McConnell	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
09/10/2001	10/10/2001	Henry McLeish	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
09/10/2001	10/10/2001	Alasdair Morrison	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
10/10/2001	12/10/2001	Rhona Brankin	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
11/10/2001		Ross Finnie	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
16/10/2001		Angus MacKay	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
17/10/2001		Peter Peacock	Scotland Week: Attended a range of events
16/11/2001		Jim Wallace	Justice and Home Affairs Council
20/11/2001		Ross Finnie	Agriculture Council
17/12/2001	18/12/2001	Ross Finnie	Fisheries Council
29/01/2002	30/01/2002	Wendy Alexander	Attended Nordrhein Westfalen project launch
05/02/2002	07/02/2002	Nicol Stephen	Committee of the Regions Plenary

Question reference: S1W-23112

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the dedicated post of Fisheries Secretary in its Environment and Rural Affairs Department still exists and whether there have been any recent changes to the post's responsibilities.

Question reference: S1W-22945

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 5 March 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer what plans the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has to celebrate the Parliament's visit to Aberdeen and to maximise the involvement of the people of the north east.

The first day of the visit will be marked by an address to the Parliament by Her Majesty The Queen. During the three days that the Parliament will sit in Aberdeen, a full programme of business will be taken which will enable local people to observe proceedings live in the chamber and in adjacent lecture theatres. A number of the Parliament's committees are also planning activities such as fact-finding visits and civic participation events.In addition, our educational visits programme will be located in Aberdeen for the week as will the retail outlet. Special events will be co-ordinated on-site at King's College, including information and displays about the Holyrood building. A full programme of outreach events is planned involving local partner libraries, other community organisations and educational venues.

Question reference: S1W-22941

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 5 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to celebrate the Parliament's visit to Aberdeen and to maximise the involvement of the people of the north east.

Question reference: S1W-20837

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 March 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive by how much, and by what percentage, each health board budget increased in each of the past five years (a) in total and (b) per capita and what the cumulative increase was over this period.

Details are as follows:

Health Board	1996-97 Total Budget Increase (£ 000)	1996-97 Total Budget Increase %	1996-97 Per Capita Increase (£)	1996-97 Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	20,297	6.0	51	6.6
Ayrshire & Arran	12,074	4.3	33	4.5
Borders	4,955	5.7	47	5.8
Dumfries & Galloway	8,848	7.3	62	7.6
Fife	10,249	4.0	34	4.7
Forth Valley	3,534	1.7	11	1.5
Grampian	19,974	5.2	40	5.5
Greater Glasgow	25,625	3.2	31	3.6
Highland	7,144	4.1	33	3.9
Lanarkshire	21,907	5.6	40	5.7
Lothian	20,410	3.5	23	3.0
Orkney	660	3.6	37	4.0
Shetland	577	2.8	28	3.2
Tayside	24,902	7.4	68	7.9
Western Isles*	-1,325	-3.9	-39	-3.3

* Adjustment to capital charges allocation/payments between 1995-96 and 1996-97 distorts annual changes although this had no impact on the level of disposable income available to the Board.

Health Board	1997-98 Total Budget Increase (£ 000)	1997-98 Total Budget Increase %	1997-98 Per Capita Increase (£)	1997-98 Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	13,876	3.9	35	4.2
Ayrshire & Arran	19,245	6.6	51	6.6
Borders	4,089	4.5	38	4.4
Dumfries & Galloway	5,212	4.0	37	4.2
Fife	13,406	4.1	40	5.3
Forth Valley	11,582	5.5	39	5.1
Grampian	17,916	4.4	38	5.0
Greater Glasgow	42,708	5.2	52	5.7
Highland	9,667	5.4	47	5.4
Lanarkshire	27,290	6.6	48	6.5
Lothian	35,640	5.9	42	5.3
Orkney	1,352	7.1	66	6.9
Shetland	1,615	7.7	70	7.7
Tayside	9,834	2.7	28	3.0
Western Isles	2,387	7.3	110	9.7

Health Board	1998-99 Total Budget Increase (£ 000)	1998-99 Total Budget Increase %	1998-99 Per Capita Increase £	1998-99 Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	16,641	4.5	44	5.1
Ayrshire & Arran	13,615	4.4	39	4.7
Borders	4,482	4.7	41	4.6
Dumfries & Galloway	6,067	4.5	41	4.5
Fife	8,230	3.0	22	2.8
Forth Valley	11,586	5.2	41	5.2
Grampian	16,071	3.8	36	4.4
Greater Glasgow	10,627	1.2	5	0.6
Highland	6,295	3.3	32	3.5
Lanarkshire	18,815	4.3	35	4.4
Lothian	25,605	4.0	31	3.8
Orkney	1,871	9.2	111	10.8
Shetland	1,540	6.9	72	7.4
Tayside	18,241	4.9	53	5.6
Western Isles	1,165	3.3	55	4.4

Health Board	1999-00 Total Budget Increase (£ 000)	1999-00 Total Budget Increase %	1999-00 Per Capita Increase (£)	1999-00 Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	6,867	1.8	19	2.1
Ayrshire & Arran	9,906	3.0	28	3.3
Borders	1,363	1.4	12	1.3
Dumfries & Galloway	6,368	4.5	47	4.9
Fife	8,928	3.1	25	3.0
Forth Valley	8,020	3.4	23	2.8
Grampian	6,318	1.4	12	1.4
Greater Glasgow	33,023	3.8	42	4.4
Highland	450	0.2	1	0.1
Lanarkshire	14,338	3.1	23	2.8
Lothian	11,461	1.7	9	1.1
Orkney**	-1,135	-5.1	-61	-5.3
Shetland	687	2.9	38	3.6
Tayside	5,357	1.4	18	1.8
Western Isles	545	1.5	38	2.9

** Adjustment to the method of funding the Scottish Ambulance Service and a reducing in the level of non-recurring bridging finance from 1998-99 to 1999-2000 distorts annual changes although this had no impact on the level of disposable income available to the Board.

Health Board	2000-01 Total Budget Increase (£ 000)	2000-01 Total Budget Increase %	2000-01 Per Capita Increase (£)	2000-01 Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	32,794	8.3	82	8.9
Ayrshire & Arran	26,538	7.9	74	8.2
Borders	5,133	5.1	44	4.6
Dumfries & Galloway	5,659	3.9	46	4.6
Fife	19,434	6.6	53	6.2
Forth Valley	19,131	7.9	68	7.8
Grampian	33,079	7.4	66	7.8
Greater Glasgow	68,168	7.5	77	7.7
Highland	13,729	7.0	66	7.0
Lanarkshire	36,546	7.7	66	7.8
Lothian	45,981	6.8	53	6.1
Orkney	1,587	7.5	88	8.2
Shetland	2,396	9.7	121	11.2
Tayside	26,797	6.8	77	7.6
Western Isles	3,210	8.7	137	10.2

Health Board	1996-97 to 2000-01 Cumulative Budget Increase (£ 000)	1996-97 to 2000-01 Cumulative Budget Increase %	1996-97 to 2000-01 Cumulative Per Capita Increase £	1996-97 to 2000-01 Cumulative Per Capita Increase %
Argyll & Clyde	90,475	26.9	231	29.7
Ayrshire & Arran	81,378	28.9	226	30.2
Borders	20,022	23.2	182	22.4
Dumfries & Galloway	32,154	26.7	232	28.5
Fife	60,247	23.7	174	24.1
Forth Valley	53,853	26.1	183	24.2
Grampian	93,358	24.1	191	26.3
Greater Glasgow	180,151	22.7	207	23.8
Highland	37,285	21.5	178	21.4
Lanarkshire	118,896	30.4	211	30.2
Lothian	139,097	23.7	159	20.7
Orkney	4,335	23.6	241	26.1
Shetland	6,815	33.6	329	37.5
Tayside	85,131	25.3	243	28.5
Western Isles	5,982	17.5	301	25.5

Note: 1. Total budget includes recurring and non-recurring Hospital and Community Health revenue allocations and demand led Family Health Services expenditure.2. Per capita has been calculated using the mid year estimates of population for each year.

Question reference: S1O-04721

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to tackle delayed discharges in the NHS.

On 9 January 2002, we announced a £20 million package for local authorities and NHSScotland to make a significant reduction in the number of patients experiencing delayed discharge from hospitals across Scotland. This is over and above the £10 million already provided to local authorities for the purpose through their Grant Aided Expenditure settlements. Additionally, an expert group, led by NHSScotland Chief Executive Trevor Jones, has been looking in detail at delayed discharge and the reasons for it. Next month, I will announce an action plan based on the work of this group, and including the distribution arrangements for the new resources, to help drive down the delayed discharge figures.

Question reference: S1W-22499

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many official speeches have been made outwith the Parliament in (a) Scotland and (b) elsewhere concerning Europe and external relations by (i) the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice and (ii) former ministers with responsibility for Europe and external relations; what the subject matter of any such speech was; where any such speeches were delivered, and whether dates and locations have been arranged for any future speeches.

Scottish ministers have made speeches in full or in part concerning Europe and external relations on a very wide range of occasions. Major speeches outwith Parliament concentrating on Europe and external relations have included those listed in the following table:

Date	Minister	Subject	Location
08/12/1999	Donald Dewar	William & Mary Lecture - Scotland and Europe	Leiden, Netherlands
22/11/2000	Jim Wallace	Globalisation and Legislative Regions	Barcelona, Spain
04/12/2000	Jack McConnell	Scotland in Europe	Centre for Scottish Public Policy, Edinburgh
06/04/2001	Henry McLeish	Scotland and the US	Washington Press Club, USA
09/05/2001	Jack McConnell	EU Enlargement	Edinburgh
24/09/2001	Jack McConnell	Jean Monnet Centre Conference - Future of Europe	Edinburgh
09/10/2001	Jack McConnell	Scotland Week - Future of Europe	Brussels

Ministers will continue to give such speeches at a range of events. I will set out the Executive's current priorities on external relations in a forthcoming appearance before the European Committee, the date of which is to be arranged.

Question reference: S1W-22474

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have been requested to take the lead on behalf of the United Kingdom at meetings of the Council of Ministers since July 1999.

Question reference: S1W-22471

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has held with UKRep since July 1999.

Question reference: S1W-22494

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits it has received from UKRep since July 1999 and how many members of UKRep were present during each visit.

Chamber and committees