- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what areas have been covered by current research into the causes of ME.
Answer
Current research on the causes of ME covers a wide range of possible risk factors, including genetic, viral, neurological, psychological, and environmental factors. Details of current publicly funded research into ME is available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre, (Bib. number 17404).
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wheelchairs and electrically powered indoor and outdoor chairs were provided by the NHS in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer
The Rehabilitation Technology Information Service (ReTIS), jointly funded by NHS boards, was established to provide a national information service in the field of Rehabilitation Technology (this includes the wheelchair and seating service). The information collected by ReTIS will be used to assist in the planning and management of services with the aim of improving performance. A copy of the ReTIS progress report published in August 2001 (Bib. number 20692) has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre together with an aggregated data service profile report for the wheelchair and seating service for the period April 2000 and March 2001 (Bib. number 20754).Further information on ReTIS can be obtained from its website at:
www.retis.scot.nhs.uk.
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget allocation was for the provision by the NHS of wheelchairs and electrically powered indoor and outdoor chairs in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Funding for the service was devolved to NHS boards from April 1996.
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used by the NHS in the allocation of wheelchairs and electrically powered indoor and outdoor chairs.
Answer
I have arranged for a full set of the criteria applied for the provision of wheelchairs by NHSScotland to be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20701).
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of traffic were experienced on the Forth Road Bridge in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001.
Answer
The levels of traffic experienced on the Forth Road Bridge, expressed as northbound traffic are as follows:
| 1997-98 | 10,538,940 |
| 1998-99 | 10,390,699 |
| 1999-2000 | 10,933,567 |
| 2000-01 | 11,084,253 |
| 2001-02 | 11,303,629 |
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what revenues were received from tolls charged on the Forth Road Bridge in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001.
Answer
The revenues received from the northbound toll on the Forth Road Bridge are:
| 1997-98 | £ 8, 823, 373 |
| 1998-99 | £ 8, 659, 142 |
| 1999-2000 | £ 9, 054, 918 |
| 2000-01 | £ 9, 150, 848 |
| 2001-02 | £ 9, 293, 592 |
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current projections are for volumes of traffic using the Forth Road Bridge in each of the next 10 years.
Answer
On the basis of projected growth of 3.5% per year over March 2001 traffic levels, projections for northbound traffic using the Forth Road Bridge are:
| 2002-03 | 11, 835, 000 |
| 2003-04 | 12, 250, 000 |
| 2004-05 | 12, 680, 000 |
| 2005-06 | 13, 125, 000 |
| 2006-07 | 13, 585, 000 |
| 2007-08 | 14, 060, 000 |
| 2008-09 | 14, 550, 000 |
| 2009-10 | 15, 060, 000 |
| 2010-11 | 15, 585, 000 |
| 2011-12 | 16, 135, 000 |
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the introduction of the Progress2Work pathfinder initiative will have on the delivery of the New Deal in Fife.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.Progress2work is part of a wider suite of work in the New Deal Next Phase aimed at the harder to help clients. It will target jobless people disadvantaged by drug misuse. Employment Service are about to issue the contract for specialist support services in Fife that will allow drugs misusers better access to the New Deal.Employment Service have also appointed an employment and drugs measures co-ordinator in Fife to develop and manage a local plan to help ensure the cohesion of services and to build local referral networks. These measures are aimed at helping individuals move towards engaging with the New Deal and improving their opportunities of getting a job.
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much government aid was used to attract direct foreign investment to (a) companies and (b) other organisations in the Fife Council area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer
Government aid, in the form of Regional Selective Assistance, was offered to inward investors locating in Fife in each of the three years from 1998 to 2001 as follows:
| Year | Assistance Offered (£m) |
| 1998 - 99 | 8 |
| 1999 - 2000 | 13 |
| 2000 - 01 | 8 |
- Asked by: Marilyn Livingstone, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in expanding the range of qualifications funded through the Skillseekers programme.
Answer
We accept the principle that Skillseekers should broaden its coverage, where the qualifications can support workplace competence and knowledge, and public funding for the qualifications is not already available. Over 80 qualifications outside Scottish Vocational Qualifications are already delivered as part of Skillseekers. £2 million will be spent over the next two years in developing new learning programmes for 16- 19-year-old employees.
