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-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-23106

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

To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have been funded by the New Futures Fund in each (a) constituency and (b) parliamentary region in each year since 1998, giving (i) the total amount of funding received by, (ii) the name of and (iii) the location of each such project.

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-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-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.