- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent on the provision of CCTV facilities in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since January 2008 regarding its consultation on reviewing maternity services affecting Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.
Answer
Officials have regular discussions with boards on the arrangements for and timing of consultation exercises. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and officials have had regular discussions leading up to the launch on 27 March of the board''s consultation on proposed changes to maternity services in the Clyde area.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since January 2008 regarding the introduction of parking charges at hospitals.
Answer
Revised guidance on car park and arrangements for car park charging was issued on 18 January under the Scottish Government CEL 1 (2008). This revised guidance requires boards which have car parking schemes in place to review these schemes against the principles and criteria set out in the revised guidance and to provide a report to me by 30 June 2008. Once this further guidance has been considered, a full policy statement on the provision of car parking at NHSScotland facilities will be issued, together with proposals for updating the existing guidance.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 24 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase cultural links with Asturias.
Answer
We have no such plans at present. However, we would be glad to consider opportunities to engage with Asturias where these are in line with the objectives set out in the Scottish Government''s International Framework, which I published on 22 April 2008.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether car parking charges will not be introduced at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Vale of Leven Hospital or Royal Alexandra Hospital if all measures to manage car parking at these hospitals are undertaken by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and it is proved that charges are not justified at the hospitals which were not included in the original consultation exercise carried out by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer
It is a matter for NHS GreaterGlasgow and Clyde to determine in light of the revised guidance whethercharging is necessary and justified to manage the car parking space available atInverclyde Royal, Vale of Leven and Royal Alexandra hospitals.
In accordance with the revisedcar parking guidance published on 18 January 2008,through their travel plans NHS boards have a responsibility to work with local andregional partners to help to ensure good access to NHS sites for patients, carers,visitors and staff. At most NHS sites, car parking should be free of charge, however,NHS boards may make reasonable charges for car parking as part of a planned approachto facilitating access to sites and to cover the costs of car park provision.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when the new guidance regarding car parking charges at hospitals in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area will be published.
Answer
Revised guidance on hospitalcar park charging was published by the Scottish Government on 18 January 2008. A copyof the guidance is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will meet NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to discuss the NHS board¿s decision to press ahead with plans to abolish the community maternity units in Inverclyde Royal Hospital and the Vale of Leven Hospital despite one of the recommendations by the Independent Scrutiny Panel.
Answer
No decisions have been made.Any proposals the board makes to discontinue deliveries at the community maternityunits at the IRH and the Vale must still be subject to comprehensive public consultationand, ultimately, my decision.
I have been clear that I expectthe board to take full account of the Independent Scrutiny Panel’s report in agreeingits service options for consultation.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in Inverclyde will benefit from the proposed cut in business rates.
Answer
Based on the latest informationwe hold, 1,672 business properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less in Inverclydemay be eligible for relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme. The number ofeligible businesses will depend on a number of factors, including whether the combinedrateable value of an individual business’s properties exceeds £15,000.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 19 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Crown cases have fallen due to the failure of witnesses to appear in court in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court in the (a) West of Scotland and (b) Central Scotland parliamentary region.
Answer
The information requestedis not available as it is not held on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service(COPFS) database.
A number of measureshave already been or are being introduced in 2008 as part of the Summary JusticeReform programme to ensure that summary trials are not disrupted because of witnessesfailing to appear.
Firstly, in relationto obstructive witnesses, the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 will introduce new provisions to allow warrantsto be granted for obstructive witnesses, to release witnesses on bail until theygive evidence and to create a new offence of failing to appear as a witness whenon bail.
Secondly, in relationto witnesses who might feel intimidated, the 2007 act also provides a new standardbail condition that an accused on bail does not behave in a manner which causes,or is likely to cause, alarm or distress to witnesses. In considering whether ornot to oppose bail, the Procurator Fiscal will take into account and present tothe court any relevant information which suggests a risk of intimidation.
Any criminal behaviourinvolving intimidation of witnesses will be taken very seriously by COPFS.
Finally, to improvethe way in which witnesses are cited, COPFS launched the postal service of witnesscitations in October 2004. Postal citation is more convenient for a witness thanhaving a police officer attend at their door to deliver a witness citation by hand.
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 19 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many witnesses, claiming intimidation, have refused to give evidence on behalf of the Crown in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court in the (a) West of Scotland and (b) Central Scotland parliamentary region.
Answer
The information requestedis not held by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government is committed tomodernising the justice system to fully support victims and witnesses, to increasesupport and improve standards of treatment for vulnerable witnesses to help themparticipate in legal proceedings and give their best evidence.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is responsiveto the needs of intimidated witnesses and works closely with other agencies includingthe Witness Service and the Scottish Court Service to ensure that, where appropriate,special arrangements are in place for such witnesses including making particulararrangements for the witness to enter and leave from court via a staff door or waitingin area that is separate from the witness waiting room.
Following implementationof the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004, the Crown can apply for specialmeasures for adult vulnerable witnesses whose quality of evidence will be diminishedby fear or distress in connection with giving evidence at court to make it easierfor them to give their evidence.
