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: S3W-25385

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address mental health problems in black and ethnic minority communities and what funding has been allocated specifically to this issue.

Scottish Government funds health boards and local authorities to provide equal mental health services to all communities and groups within Scotland. In addition we fund a national and strategic race equality mental health programme within NHS Health Scotland to develop better understanding of, and to address the particular mental health needs of Scotland''s black and minority ethnic communities. £90,000 is provided each year from 2008 to 2011 to support projects, practitioners'' networks and initiatives designed to promote good practice and challenge issues and barriers. Within this programme the Scottish Government also funds two local projects within primary care mental health services (NHS Lothian and NHS Glasgow) to support black and minority ethnic communities. These projects will each receive £200,000 between 2008 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-25414

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the rate of suicide in Scotland given that it is higher than in England and Wales.

Since 2001-03 the suicide rate in Scotland has reduced by 10%. The Scottish Government is committed to reducing suicide in Scotland by 20% by 2013. The government''s commitment is supported by Choose Life, our 10 year strategic framework and action plan for suicide prevention which is hosted by NHS Health Scotland. NHS boards, local authorities and the voluntary sector are engaged in local activity in support of the target.

In addition, the NHS has a national target which is to increase workforce knowledge and skills in suicide prevention by ensuring that 50% of frontline primary care, accident and emergency, and mental health and substance misuse staff have been trained in suicide awareness or prevention by the end of 2010. The Scottish Government continues to fund the Scottish element of the UK Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness and undertakes research to improve our knowledge of the key factors underlying suicides including through the development of a confidential suicide register for Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-25288

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many calls were taken by NHS24 in relation to rotavirus infections in the last year for which figures are available.

Callers to NHS24 present their symptoms in the first instance. These are recorded and then assessed by clinical staff for onward referral to the relevant service, when required. Callers presenting with the potential symptoms of rotavirus would therefore not be diagnosed by NHS24 and, as such, there are no figures available as to the number of calls taken by the service in relation to this infection. Callers may present with one, or some, of the symptoms of rotavirus, for example diarrhoea, but it would be inaccurate to record these as rotavirus as they may be as a result of another illness or infection.

Question reference: S3W-24924

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were paid mileage as volunteer drivers or for using their own cars in connection with NHS business for 10,000 miles and above per annum, in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S3W-24923

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were paid mileage as volunteer drivers or for using their own cars in connection with NHS business in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S3W-24721

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the mortgage to shared equity scheme were received in the three months from March to May 2009 and how many were successful.

Applications for assistance are made to the Home Owners'' Support Fund, and it is only after initial checks have been carried out that it is determined whether an applicant will be considered for the mortgage to rent or mortgage to shared equity scheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W“24719 on 25 June 2009 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Question reference: S3W-24926

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims for equal pay are outstanding, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S3W-24925

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims for equal pay have been settled, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S3W-24719

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 25 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the mortgage to rent scheme were received in the three months from March to May 2009 and how many were successful.

Two hundred and fifty applications to the Home Owners'' Support Fund, which includes the mortgage to rent and mortgage to shared equity schemes, were received in the three months from March to May 2009 and one application has been successful so far. In addition, offer letters have been issued on a further nine cases and a further eight cases are at the conveyancing stage.

Of the 250 received, 112 were returned to the applicant or their money adviser because the application was incomplete.

Question reference: S3W-24879

Asked by: Cathy Jamieson, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24530 by Stewart Stevenson on 15 June 2009, whether it will list the date, location and attendees for each meeting on the proposed changes to rail services between Stranraer and Ayr.

The following details are provided relating to the date, location and attendees of meetings held:

Date	Location	Attendees	Meeting Title
27 June 2008	ScotRail HQ, Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ	J Yellowlees (ScotRail), Allan Comrie (SPT), Trond Haugen (Sestrans), Mike Cairns (Tactrans), Rab Dickson (Nestrans), Frank Roach (Hitrans), John Kitchen (Cumbria County Council), Robert Samson (Passenger focus), Andy Lightowler (ScotRail), Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), and Patrick Nyamurundira (ScotRail) Apologies were recorded for: Peter Williams (ScotRail), and John Nelson (Swestrans)	ScotRail''s Fourth Timetable Conference
17 December 2008	ScotRail HQ, Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ	J Yellowlees (ScotRail), John Nelson (Swestrans), Allan Comrie (SPT), Trond Haugen (Sestrans), Mike Cairns (Tactrans), Rab Dickson (Nestrans), Frank Roach (Hitrans), Robert Samson (Passenger focus), Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), John Kerr (ScotRail), William Murchison (ScotRail), and Des Bradley (ScotRail)	ScotRail''s Fifth Timetable Conference
20 May 2009	ScotRail HQ, Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ	Neil Sutton (ScotRail), Allan Comrie (SPT), Chris Day (Sestrans, Mike Cairns (Tactrans), Rab Dickson (Nestrans), John Nelson (Swestrans), Robert Samson (Passenger focus), John Kerr (ScotRail), Des Bradley (ScotRail), and J Yellowlees (ScotRail). Apologies were recorded for: Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), Frank Roach (Hitrans), Trond Haugen (Sestrans), John Kitchen (Cumbria County Council), and William Murchison (ScotRail).	ScotRail''s Sixth Timetable Conference
22 April 2009	Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHF	Alastair Matheson (Transport Scotland), Allan Brown (Transport Scotland), Richard Carr (Stranraer to Ayr Line Support Association), and David Taylor (Stranraer Chamber of Commerce)	Meeting at Request of SAYLSA
29 July 2008	Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHF	Alastair Matheson (Transport Scotland), Ivor Jones (Transport Scotland), Claire Keggie (Transport Scotland), Allan Brown (Transport Scotland), Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), Ian Harrison (ScotRail), Hamish Baillie (ScotRail), and Nigel Wunsch (Network Rail)	Transport Scotland, Service Development Group
28 October 2008	Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow. G4 OHF	Alastair Matheson (Transport Scotland), Allan Brown (Transport Scotland), Alan Marshall (Transport Scotland), Julian Heathcote (Transport Scotland), David Prescott (Transport Scotland), Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), and Nigel Wunsch (Network Rail)	Transport Scotland, Service Development Group
27 January 2009	Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHF	Alastair Matheson (Transport Scotland), Ivor Jones (Transport Scotland), Allan Brown (Transport Scotland), Alan Marshall (Transport Scotland), David Prescott (Transport Scotland), Stuart McKay (Transport Scotland), Jerry Farquharson (ScotRail), and Nigel Wunsch (Network Rail)	Transport Scotland, Service Development Group