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-24794

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a reported drop in recruitment levels in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, resulting in a possible reduction from five battalions to three in five years, would have on the Scottish economy over that time period.

Question reference: S2W-24795

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a reported drop in recruitment levels in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, resulting in a possible reduction from five battalions to four within a year, would have on the Scottish economy over the same period.

Question reference: S2W-24544

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 18 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30754 by Mr Andy Kerr of 7 February 2003, what the cost was of each of its public information campaigns in each year since 2002-03, broken down into (a) press, (b) radio (by network), (c) TV (by region), (d) production, (e) ambient and (f) cinema advertising.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15204 on 12 April 2005 which details the reconciled spendfor 2003-04, to answers S2W-1857 and S2W-2481 for 2002-03 spend by department andcampaign and the answer to question S1W-26485 on 3 July 2002 providing informationon advertising spend by the Scottish Office/Scottish Executive Departments from1991-92 to 2001-02.Information on the Executive’sadvertising spend for 2004-05 by department and campaign can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/media/17963/adspend05.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Executive advertisingspend for 1 August 2004 to 31 March 2006 by campaign for Radio (by network) and TV (by region)is detailed in the following tables:

Radio by Network, 1 August 2004 to 31 March 2005

Campaign	SRH/ Emap	Gcap	First	GMG*	Impact	Kingdom	Saga	Opus	Awaz	NECR**
Alcohol		8,873
Anti-Social Behaviour	54,687	6,512		17,355	979			6,056		677
Broadband	208,570	26,034		67,253				30,053
Care	41,904	3,943							700
Children’s Charter	5,324
Child Protection on the Internet	13,295			15,107
Domestic Abuse	59,631						2,265
Drink Drive	42,424	7,062		11,187		1,549
Drug Drive	21,251	4,242		7,138		986
Drug Misuse	11,293	9,829
E-Coli	17,159
Flu	36,505
Health Service Recruitment/ NHS Careers	54,738	10,165		9,775
Organ Donation				13,076
Race	68,611	13,566		23,244		2,752	4,370
Travel Awareness	22,672	5,300				3,882	6,000
Young Driver	26,812	4,648		7,252		794
Total	684,876	100,174		171,387	979	9,963	12,635	36,109	700	677

Radio by Network 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006

Campaign	SRH/ Emap	Gcap	First	GMG*	Impact	Kingdom	Saga	Opus	Awaz	NECR**
Alcohol	38,871	7,692				2,254				383
Children’s Hearings	26,400	4,132		7,269			1,204
Domestic Abuse	38,223	8,842	661	15,138			2,904
Drug Misuse	71,573	63,277	403	6,875	2,613	1,766
Fire	29,238
Health Service Recruitment/ NHS Careers	38,282	6,183		10,502			5,495		585	735
Race	64,169	13,619	927	23,750		1,859	4,572		975
Road Safety (Drink Drive/Drug Drive)	40,190	7,119	227	11,913
Smoking	42,586	9,087	911	15,931		1,743
Teacher Recruitment	73,968	8,397		26,426
Volunteering	44,621			14,401
Total	508,121	128,348	3,129	132,205	2,613	7,622	14,175		1,560	1,118

Notes:

* Guardian Media Group.

** North East Community Radio.

TV by Region 1 August 2004 to 31 March 2005

Campaign	Setanta	SMG (Scottish/Grampian)	Border	C4 Scot	Five Scot
Broadband		66,391	6,052	108,937	44,957
Domestic Abuse				56,570	11,680
Drugs		46,300		31,000	23,673
Environment				62,906	16,239
Fire				59,955	9,720
Flu/Pneumoccal		81,088	7,392	30,240	1,226
Foolsspeed				103,864	44,249
Healthy Living		93,800	7,300	90,711	32,882
Race				54,651	37,773
Violence against Public Sector Workers		65,739	5,923	23,086	0
Total		353858	26,667	621,920	222 ,399

TV by Region, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006

Campaign	Setanta	SMG (Scottish/Grampian)	Border	C4 Scot	Five Scot
Alcohol		98,600		31,960	5,440
Domestic Abuse		57,420		18,612	3,168
Drugs		130,745		45,015	7,740
Fire		186,151		23,971	4,080
Flu/Pneumoccal		108,244		35,084	5,972
Smoking	8,000	147,592		46,233	8,076
Healthy Living		370,108		88,525	15,067
Health Service Recruitment/ NHS Careers		77,575		25,145	4,280
Race	17,500	211,344		66,097	11,560
Road Safety (Foolsspeed)		145,073		47,023	8,004
Sustainable Development/Environment		97,000
Violence against Public Sector Workers		77,575		25,145	4,280
Total	25,500	1,707,427		452,810	77,667

The information on spend forthe period November 2002 to 31 March 2003 is no longer held by our previous mediabuying agency. However, for the 2003-2004 prior to 31 July 2004 the information canobtained at cost from the agency.

Question reference: S2W-24499

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recently reported allegations anent plans to undermine the Wilson government in the 1960s, whether it holds any intelligence regarding potential subversive activity to undermine the democracy of Scotland by (a) senior British military officers and (b) the British Security Service and, if so, what that intelligence is.

Question reference: S2W-23778

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Reid on 30 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what contingency plans are in place should the debating chamber be temporarily unavailable.

The SPCB adopted contingencyplans for the loss of the Holyrood Chamber in September 2005, following areport by officials on alternative venues considered or used by the parliamentsince 1999. These plans address the implications of using various alternativevenues for meetings which would otherwise be held in the debating chamber.Contingency plans identify the facilities available at a number of them and thestaffing and other resources required to procure, set up and run meetings atthose alternative venues.

Question reference: S2W-24420

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the social and medical impact on vulnerable, frail and elderly people of the replacement of a meals-on-wheels service with a frozen-meals service.

Question reference: S2W-24421

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek views on the impact of replacing daily hot meals with frozen meals during its Strategy for an Ageing Population consultation.

Question reference: S2W-24419

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide a frozen-meals delivery service as standard to vulnerable, frail and elderly people.

Question reference: S2W-24281

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive which specific Executive policy or policies will lead to the eradication of child poverty by 2020.

We are working with the UK Governmentto tackle poverty in Scotland, taking forward activities at our own hand through ourClosing the Opportunity Gap approach.

Details of Scottish ExecutiveSpending on Initiatives Aimed at Eradicating Child Poverty was published on 22 July 2004 andcan be accessed at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/FOI/19260/poverty.

This includes on-going programmessuch as Working for Families and the Changing Children’s Services Fund.

The need for additional programmesto eradicate child poverty will be considered at the next and subsequent SpendingReviews.

Question reference: S2W-24292

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 29 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident will be revoked, in part or in whole.

I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that Chernobyl-related restrictions will continue until thereis no longer a risk of sheep which exceed the control level entering the foodchain.

Since1987, the number of restricted farms in Scotland has gradually reduced from 73 to 10 as of 10 February 2006. Radioactive levels continue to decline on the fewremaining restricted farms in Scotland; however environmental variability ofthese levels means it is not possible to specify when restrictions may beremoved.