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-00888

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 5 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25808 by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006, what plans it now has to introduce a convention to prevent the Special Branch carrying out electronic surveillance of MSPs and whether it will hold discussions with the UK Government and the security services on extending the Wilson Doctrine to cover MSPs in a similar way to MPs.

Scottishministers have no role in authorising general covert surveillance. They do havethe specific power to authorise interception of communications for the purpose of the prevention or detection of serious crime. Authorisation of interception warrantsfor matters of national security and for the purpose of safeguarding the economicwellbeing of the United Kingdom remains the responsibility of UK Secretaries of State.

The Scottish Governmenthas no plans to seek to extend the Wilson Doctrine to cover MSPs, nor to introducea convention to prevent police Special Branches carrying out covert surveillancein circumstances which meet the strict tests of necessity and proportionality requiredby law.

Question reference: S3W-01247

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many NHS staff currently on special leave with pay and serving with the Territorial Army or reserves have been away from work for (a) one to three weeks, (b) one to three months, (c) six to nine months and (d) a year of more in each year since 2001.

Question reference: S3W-01251

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be allocated for the provision of independent advice and support services by NHS boards in partnership with local citizens advice bureaux, broken down by board.

Question reference: S3W-01246

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many NHS staff are currently on special leave with pay and serving with the Territorial Army or reserves and how many staff were on such leave on the same date in the previous eight years.

Question reference: S3W-01244

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many recruitment visits there have been to hospitals by the British armed forces in each year since 1999, broken down by hospital.

Question reference: S3W-01245

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, what NHS Scotland’s annual costs have been since 1999 to cover for staff on special leave with pay who were performing civic and public duties with the Territorial Army or reserves.

Question reference: S3W-00965

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission research into the connection between drivers’ sleepiness or falling asleep at the wheel and road traffic accidents.

Question reference: S3W-00966

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of research undertaken by police in Leicester regarding the connection between road traffic accidents and sleepiness.

Question reference: S3W-01003

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending access to free personal care to the estimated 1,350 to 1,650 people under the age of 65 suffering from dementia.

The free personalcare policy was introduced to benefit people aged 65 and over, and the governmentis focusing its attention on addressing implementation issues arising from thispolicy. There are no current plans to extend this general provision to other caregroups. For people under the age of 65, two forms of support are provided. Nursingcare payments are available to care home residents who fully fund their care homecosts, and people who have dementia or any other degenerative illness who requirecare, and who live in their own homes, can claim Disability Living Allowance.

Question reference: S3W-00967

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 22 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the Transport Research Laboratory’s survey of lorry drivers at service stations with regard to the connection between weight and sleep disorders including sleep apnoea.