- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how the NHS assesses the efficacy of electronic physiotherapy aids.
Answer
Medical devices are regulated in the UK by the Medical Devices Regulations and enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK Competent Authority. It is deemed that European Conformity marked medical devices are fit for purpose and all questions regarding the efficacy of medical devices are brought to the attention of the MHRA.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards on the purchase of electronic physiotherapy aids.
Answer
Health Facilities Scotland published a safety warning, which included advice on the purchase of physiotherapy equipment, on 29 September 2007. Safety Action Notice SAN (SC) 06/44 Physiotherapy ultrasound machines: calibration of acoustic power / intensity, advised that “Before procuring new devices, manufacturers and suppliers should be required to provide evidence that their products are built and tested to relevant standards.”
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rents have been per square metre for business premises in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (b) Scotland in each year since 1999.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by Scottish Government and it is not possible to obtain this information from external sources as no one calculates average rents per square metre for business premises.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies registered in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (b) Scotland went into liquidation in each year since 1999.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
The official insolvency statistics, published by the Insolvency Service, are the most comprehensive record of the number of corporate and individual insolvencies. However, these figures are only published at a Scotland level.
The following table presents figures for insolvencies in Scotland from 1998 to 2007.
| Year | Individuals | Companies |
| Total | Sequestrations | Protected Trust Deeds | Compulsory Liquidations | Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations | Total |
| 1998 | 4,465 | 3,016 | 1,449 | 338 | 228 | 566 |
| 1999 | 5,339 | 3,195 | 2,144 | 364 | 208 | 572 |
| 2000 | 5,766 | 2,965 | 2,801 | 344 | 239 | 583 |
| 2001 | 6,827 | 3,048 | 3,779 | 378 | 224 | 602 |
| 2002 | 8,389 | 3,215 | 5,174 | 556 | 232 | 788 |
| 2003 | 8,780 | 3,328 | 5,452 | 436 | 195 | 631 |
| 2004 | 9,321 | 3,297 | 6,024 | 431 | 190 | 621 |
| 2005 | 11,846 | 4,965 | 6,881 | 420 | 149 | 569 |
| 2006 | 13,638 | 5,430 | 8,208 | 416 | 133 | 549 |
| 2007 | 13,814 | 6,219 | 7,595 | 439 | 100 | 539 |
Source: The Insolvency Service
Note: Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), an agency of the Scottish Government, is responsible for administering the process of personal bankruptcy and recording corporate insolvencies in Scotland. Further information about insolvency in Scotland can be found on the AiB website at www.aib.gov.uk.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the business rate poundage has been in each year since 1999.
Answer
The following table shows the business rate poundage in each year since 1999:
| Year | Rate Poundage |
| 1999-2000 | 48.9p |
| 2000-01 | 45.8p |
| 2001-02 | 47.0p |
| 2002-03 | 47.8p |
| 2003-04 | 47.8p |
| 2004-05 | 48.8p |
| 2005-06 | 46.1p |
| 2006-07 | 44.9p |
| 2007-08 | 44.1p |
| 2008-09 | 45.8p |
Notes:
1. A poundage supplement has been payable since 2003-04 in respect of business properties with a rateable value which exceeds a prescribed threshold. In 2008-09, the supplement is 0.4p on rateable values above £29,000.
2. Some non-domestic properties are exempt from business rates, while others may be eligible for reliefs such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme, available for subjects with a rateable value of £15,000 or less.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 1 May 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money Scottish Enterprise has invested in Ayrshire in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency since May 1999.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 1 May 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what inward investment and new international companies Scottish Enterprise has attracted to the East Ayrshire travel to work area since May 1999.
Answer
Scottish Development International (SDI), the international trade and investment arm of the Scottish Government, has been involved in attracting 14 inward investment projects from 12 companies headquartered outside Scotland to the East Ayrshire travel to work area since May 1999.
Of the companies detailed below, our records indicate that E&M Manufacturing Ltd, First Choice Retail Ltd, Merchants Ltd and Dalglen (No. 823) Ltd are new to the area since May 1999.
Not all investments proceed as projects are sometimes scaled down or abandoned. All projects recorded by SDI as inward investment successes are subject to change depending on future economic conditions and other factors affecting the businesses concerned.
| Company | Type of Business | Type of Project | Location | Country of Ownership |
| 1999-2000 |
| 1.EandM Manufacturing Ltd | Textiles | New | Cumnock | Saudi Arabia |
| 2.First Choice Retail Ltd | Business services | New | Kilmarnock | England |
| 3.United Distillers and Vintners Ltd | Food and drink | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | England |
| 2000-01 |
| 4.Federal Mogul Eurofriction Ltd | Manufacturing | New | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 5.Merchants Ltd | Business Services | New | Kilmarnock | South Africa |
| 2001-02 |
| 6.Glacier Vandervell | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 2002-03 | | | | |
| 7.E&M Manufacturing Ltd | Textiles | Existing “ expansion | Cumnock | Saudi Arabia |
| 8.Glenfield Valves Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | Denmark |
| 9.Vesuvius UK Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ safeguarding | Newmilns | England |
| 2004-05 |
| 10.AlternativeSMT Limited | Electronics | Existing “ expansion | Cumnock | England |
| 11.Dana Spicer Ltd | Manufacturing | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | USA |
| 12.Merchants Ltd | Business services | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | South Africa |
| 2006-07 |
| 13.Dalglen (No. 823) Ltd | Business services | New | Kilmarnock | England |
| 2007-08 |
| 14.Food Partners Ltd | Food and drink | Existing “ expansion | Kilmarnock | England |
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 30 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-303 and S3W-8837 by Tom McCabe on 4 June 2003 and by Shona Robison on 5 February 2008 respectively, what progress has been made since June 2003 in compiling a Scotland-wide database of diagnoses of autistic spectrum disorder at NHS board or local authority level.
Answer
The Scottish Government has recently published guidance for commissioners of services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The guidance states that local authorities and health boards should work in partnership to identify and keep a record of people with ASD in their area.
Information about the number of children with ASD in education is available from the pupil census, Pupils in Scotland, and should be used to plan future demand on services. Pupils in Scotland, 2007 is on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/25145216/0.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 30 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all MMR vaccines used by the NHS, showing the date of (a) their first use in vaccination programmes and (b) withdrawal from use of any vaccines, together with the reasons for such withdrawal.
Answer
The Department of Health purchases stocks of the MMR vaccine under the national childhood vaccine contract to meet the needs of the entire UK vaccination programme.
Combined MMR vaccines were first introduced into the routine childhood immunisation programme in 1988. At that time, the vaccines used were Pluserix and MMR II. Immravax was used from 1989. Pluserix and Immravax were withdrawn from use in September 1992 following confirmation that the rate of aseptic meningitis associated with these vaccines was higher than that of other available MMR vaccines. Priorix was used in the routine programme from 1997.
Priorix and MMRII are currently used in the immunisation programme.
- Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 29 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to amending the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.
Answer
The Scottish Government is considering what amendments to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 may be required. Further information will be available in due course.
