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: S2W-18131

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority houses have been sold to sitting tenants since 1979.

The numbers of local authority dwellings sold to sitting tenants since 1979 are accessible on-line through the data library in the publications and data section of the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref (sales to sitting tenants, table 1). More recent data can be found in the latest Housing Trends statistical bulletin which is also accessible on-line in the publications section.

Question reference: S2W-18204

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-rate for student (a) podiatrists, (b) dieticians, (c) occupational therapists, (d) speech and language therapists, (e) orthoptists, (f) physiotherapists, (g) radiographers, (h) prosthetists and orthotists and (i) art, drama and music therapists has been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S2W-17944

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of drug users currently within prison are expected to resume drug taking after release.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS does not have such information. But we know that about three quarters of men and over 80% women entering prison have an addictions problem and about half of prisoners return to prison within two years. The SPS has a comprehensive Addictions Policy which provides the basis for the positive work conducted with those offenders who have an addiction problem. Our joint national Throughcare Addictions Service will provide further support to enable prisoners on release to sustain a drug free lifestyle.

Question reference: S2W-18135

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations were cancelled within (a) seven days and (b) 24 hours of the appointment time in each year since 1999.

The information requested is not available from central statistical returns.

However, the available information on the numbers of cancellations to planned admission for in-patient/day case care or cancellation of planned operations following in-patient/day case admission was provided in response to questions S2W-16549, S2W-16664 and S2W-17976 answered on 31 May 2005, 01 June 2005 and 16 August 2005 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-18031

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures can be taken against (a) NHS organisations and (b) independent sector health providers which use recruitment agencies that are not included on the list of agencies compliant with the code of practice on international recruitment.

The Scottish Executive has consulted with NHSScotland on adoption and implementation of a Scottish Code of Practice. A partnership approach has been taken through the Human Resources Forum and agreement in principle was secured. Further consultation with human resource managers will take place shortly and the independent sector will be involved in discussions through existing networks. It is expected that a Scottish version of the code will be launched later this year.

Monitoring arrangements for the Scottish Code are still being finalised and options are being considered including utilising the current arrangements for the rest of the UK. To date no instances have been reported of NHSScotland recruiting outside the principles of the code.

Ramifications of non-compliance would be that a letter of caution would be issued by me as Minister for Health to the chief executive of the health board in breach of the code.

Question reference: S2W-18266

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards treat NHS patients for (a) knee replacement surgery, (b) cataract surgery, (c) hernia repair and (d) hip replacement surgery.

Question reference: S2W-18270

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have taken place for under age drinking in each year since 1990, broken down by police force area.

The available information is given in the following table.

Persons Proceeded Against for Under-Age Drinking^1,2, by Police Force Area,

1990-2003

Police Force	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Central	3	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	3
Dumfries and Galloway	2	1	4	0	2	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	0
Fife	4	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	2	5	0	2	1	6
Grampian	8	9	6	1	0	2	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0
Lothian and Borders	20	9	1	2	1	1	4	2	4	4	0	1	1	3
Northern	12	6	5	5	2	7	5	7	3	3	0	1	7	2
Strathclyde	12	13	6	15	9	17	81	163	176	136	93	127	96	187
Tayside	5	15	2	3	5	2	4	3	5	6	8	14	9	7
Scotland	66	53	26	27	21	30	96	177	193	156	102	147	121	208

Notes:

1. Where main offence.

2. Includes persons aged under 18 proceeded against for buying excisable liquor or consuming in a bar, or for contraventions of bye-laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in designated places.

Question reference: S2W-18273

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of police time was spent on front-line policing in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.

Question reference: S2W-18267

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for waiting times for (a) patients requiring an initial out-patient appointment with an eye specialist and (b) second and subsequent out-patient appointments.

All NHS boards are working to ensure that they meet the Executive’s target of a maximum waiting time of 26 weeks for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, following referral by a general medical/dental practitioner by 31 December 2005. This target, which applies to first outpatient appointments in the specialty of Ophthalmology, will be reduced to 18 weeks from the end of 2007.

No target has been set for second and subsequent outpatient appointments.

Question reference: S2W-18271

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.