Chamber and committees

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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-02493

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-160 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 September 2003, how many vacancies there were for consultant (a) radiologists and (b) radiographers in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Information available fromvacancy surveys conducted by ISD Scotland in each of the last four years forwhich there is information, respectively for consultant radiologists and forradiographers, is as follows.

Table 1: Number ofConsultant Radiologist Vacancies (Headcount), as at 30 September

	1999		2000		2001		2002
	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies
Scotland	217	18	224	19	223	20	235	25
Argyll and Clyde	13	-	13	-	15	2	15	2
Ayrshire and Arran	11	1	12	-	13	1	15	4
Borders	5	-	5	-	5	-	5	1
Dumfries and Galloway	4	1	4	-	5	1	5	1
Fife	12	4	17	8	12	5	9	4
Forth Valley	9	4	8	4	6	1	9	2
Grampian	22	2	22	2	23	2	22	-
Greater Glasgow	47	1	48	-	50	2	57	5
Highland	7	-	7	-	6	-	11	2
Lanarkshire	21	2	23	2	24	3	21	1
Lothian	40	1	41	1	41	2	41	2
Orkney	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Shetland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tayside	25	2	24	1	24	1	25	-
Western Isles	1	-	1	1	-	-	1	1
Golden Jubilee Nat Hospital	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Source: ISD M (4), ISD Scotland.

Notes:

1. Table 1 includes honoraryappointments.

2. Comprises clinicalradiology and nuclear medicine.

3. The vacancy figuresrelate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

Table 2: QualifiedRadiographer Vacancies (Whole Time Equivalent), as at 31 March

	2000		2001		2002		2003
	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies	Establishment	Vacancies
Scotland	1,066.9	26.7	1,197.4	50.2	1,237.7	69.2	1,409.9	137.0
Argyll and Clyde	82.3	1.0	71.5	2.4	82.4	7.0	82.9	2.3
Ayrshire and Arran	71.3	1.8	70.3	2.0	71.4	2.0	75.1	2.5
Borders	17.4	1.0	17.4	-	16.3	1.0	20.0	1.0
Dumfries and Galloway	23.1	1.4	22.9	3.5	24.6	2.0	23.4	5.0
Fife	53.0	3.5	51.8	2.0	49.2	1.0	58.3	9.7
Forth Valley	46.7	2.0	45.8	1.0	48.8	-	52.2	1.0
Grampian	123.4	2.0	145.4	6.5	140.9	1.0	184.3	7.0
Greater Glasgow	202.2	5.0	306.0	18.3	333.2	31.4	396.0	65.7
Highland	29.0	1.0	48.8	1.5	46.9	0.7	56.0	3.6
Lanarkshire	95.6	2.0	100	3.0	105.3	4.0	114.0	10.5
Lothian	204.9	5.0	197.7	-	207.4	10.0	225.8	17.2
Orkney	2.3	-	3.4	-	2.6	1.0	3.9	1.0
Shetland	4.0	1.0	6.4	2.0	5.0	1.6	5.4	9.5
Tayside	106.0	-	103.2	8.0	98.1	6.5	96.4	-
Western Isles	5.8	-	6.8	-	5.8	-	6.7	-
Golden Jubilee National Hospital	-	-	-	-	-	-	9.7	1.0

Source: ISD (M).

Notes:

1. Response rate: 2000(94%), 2001 (98%), 2002 (97%), 2003 (100%).

2. The vacancy figuresrelate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

Question reference: S2W-02853

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to reverse the increase in the number of student nurses discontinuing their course, as referred to in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.

There are a number of reasonswhy student nurses leave their course, including deciding that nursing is not forthem. The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) is working with highereducation institutions to reduce the drop-out rate to an agreed level and to strengthenstudent support systems. As a result, institutions are reporting improved attritionrates for each of the three-year nurse education programmes.

We have also taken steps to addressattrition by improving the financial support available to students and the Nursingand Midwifery Student Bursary has increased by 21% since 1998. In addition, theSEHD and higher education institutions are also developing proposals for distancelearning and flexible access to courses to make sure that as many of our committedstudents as possible complete their training and go on to work in NHSScotland.

Question reference: S2W-02846

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1659 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether ambulatory oxygen cylinders are now available on GP prescription and, if not, when it now anticipates such cylinders being made available on prescription.

GP prescribing of portable oxygenwill be introduced on April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designed toensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in place to meetthe needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.

In the meantime, a study is tobe undertaken to consider the possible benefit to patients of alternative or additionalmethods of supply and distribution of portable oxygen. Additionally, considerationis to be given to the possible benefits of making conservation devices availableon the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-02842

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote the Pass Plus scheme for novice drivers.

Question reference: S2O-00525

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the Borders economy.

Question reference: S2W-02638

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, whether the Waverley railway partnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.

Question reference: S2W-02637

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, what criteria will be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.

Question reference: S2W-02640

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the business case for the Borders railway must reflect inflationary factors such as construction costs and, if so, how such costs will be calculated.

Question reference: S2W-02725

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1576 by Ms Margaret Curran on 13 August 2003, who, in addition to the Scottish Police Federation, responded to its plans for community wardens and whether it will place a copy of any such responses in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S2W-02727

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24699 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May 2002, what the role of a community warden will be and whether it will be different from that of a neighbourhood warden.