- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what training it is providing Procurement Scotland in the reserved contracts procedure under regulation 7 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Answer
Procurement Scotland staff with a procurement role have attended over the last year, either a one day introduction or refresher course covering the application of the Regulations, including the provisions on reserved contracts.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing additional resources to NHS boards to address waiting times for infertility services that have been cited as being up to six years.
Answer
We are currently considering options for reducing waiting times in individual NHS board areas. We are aware that waiting times are long for this service and vary significantly between NHS boards, but the issues underlying these waiting times are complex and long standing.
Individual NHS boards have invested in this service to reduce waiting times in their area.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider establishing a national advisory council for infertility and assisted conception services.
Answer
We are currently considering options on infertility services in Scotland. The way in which stakeholders will be involved in the further development of policy is one of the issues we are considering.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 27 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it takes to process applications for (a) Disclosure Scotland and (b) enhanced Disclosure Scotland checks.
Answer
Disclosure Scotland provides three types of Disclosures: Basic, Standard and Enhanced. Two performance measures are used for turnaround times; one for basic applications, and one for Standard and Enhanced applications. Both are measured against a service level agreement target to issue 90% of correctly completed applications within 14 calendar days.
At 22 March 2009, 99% of Basic applications were issued within 14 days, with an average turnaround time of 8.7 days. At that same date, 87% of Standard and Enhanced applications were completed within 14 days, with an average time of 13.2 days. The combined turnaround time for all types of applications was 10.5 days, with 93% completed within 14 days.
The Disclosure Scotland website gives up-to-date information on the overall turnaround time at http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/news.htm.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 27 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new schools it has commissioned since May 2007.
Answer
Local authorities are continuing to commission schools using the record levels of capital funding made available by the Scottish Government. They are taking forward a £2 billion investment programme in schools which should see 250 new or refurbished schools built by 2011.
Since May 2007 authorities have signed off eight major PPP or NPD Government supported schools projects, which have seen construction work start on 49 new schools. The Scottish Government does not hold comprehensive or month by month lists of all individual contracts awarded by Councils for the construction of new schools. However, for illustrative purposes the contracts awarded for new school builds since May 2007 have included Kingspark Special School in Dundee, Seaview Primary in Monifieth, Cargenbridge, Troqueer and Lincluden Primaries in Dumfries and Galloway, Tinto and Govan Riverside Primaries in Glasgow and seven primary schools in South Lanarkshire.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to build any regional swimming pools that fit international competition standards in the next three years.
Answer
It is not for the Scottish Government to build swimming pools but, through sportscotland, the government will work with local authorities and Scottish Swimming to ensure that we have in place sufficient swimming pools to meet the needs of our emerging and talented swimmers.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there should be a swimming pool in every town with a population of more than 10,000.
Answer
It is for local authorities to determine the level of provision of swimming pools according to local needs and circumstances.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition of adequate provision is with regard to provision of facilities for recreational, sporting, cultural and social activities in the context of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
Answer
It is not for the Scottish Government to define what constitutes adequate provision of facilities. It is for local authorities to determine according to local needs and circumstances. Where sports facilities are concerned, sportscotland provide a range of advice and guidance on the planning and development of facilities and I would encourage local authorities and others to make use of this guidance where appropriate.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities about the maintenance and condition of swimming pools in each local authority area.
Answer
None. It is for the owners and operators of swimming pools to ensure that they have in place a robust maintenance regime to ensure they continue to operate in a safe and usable condition which meets reasonable customer needs.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has met (a) MEPs and (b) EU commissioners in Brussels since May 2007.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21826 on 23 March 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.
