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-05439

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 31 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote the importance of involving fathers in health, education and social work services.

Question reference: S3W-05438

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the implementation of the Gender Equality Duty at national and local levels includes fathers.

It is a matterfor individual public authorities to ensure they comply with the genderequality duty. While responsibility for providing support and guidance for the dutylies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Governmentworked with the Commission’s predecessor, the Equal Opportunities Commission,to support the implementation of the duty in Scotland including sectoralguidance, which encourages the involvement of fathers, and commissioning thegender audit of statistics to develop the evidence base for gender equality.

The ScottishGovernment recognises the important role of fathers in their children’s livesand has funded Children in Scotland’s Children, Fathers and FatherhoodProject to explore, promote and support the involvement of fathers in the careof their children. As part of this work, Children in Scotland organised a conference in June to consider the impact and opportunitiesfor fathers presented by the public sector gender equality duty.

Question reference: S3W-02052

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 26 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding the flying of flags on public buildings.

Question reference: S3W-01916

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Scottish Government has to ensure that housing repossession is used by lenders only as a last resort.

The requested informationis presented in the following table.

Number of Patients whoStayed in a Non-Obstetric, Non-Psychiatric Hospital Overnight on Christmas Day (seenote 2) in each Year Since 2000; by Health Board of Treatment (including GoldenJubilee national facility).

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Scotland	11,057	11,217	11,363	11,031	10,823	10,662
Argyll and Clyde	941	956	848	825	857	822
Ayrshire and Arran	749	775	720	747	779	766
Borders	231	290	271	268	246	285
Dumfries and Galloway	214	249	273	238	239	200
Fife	551	565	547	546	537	557
Forth Valley	468	476	487	465	488	475
Grampian	1,178	1,131	1,212	1,107	1,127	1,117
Greater Glasgow	2,413	2,385	2,559	2,549	2,302	2,348
Highland	486	464	541	547	521	506
Lanarkshire	985	1,140	1,107	1,091	1,032	1,020
Lothian	1,659	1,635	1,646	1,601	1,681	1,548
National Facility³	-	-	10	2	2	3
Orkney Islands	25	38	39	30	35	32
Shetland Islands	39	29	24	22	23	24
Tayside	1,014	980	989	897	877	867
Western Isles	104	104	90	96	77	92

Source: SMR01 linked database.

1. These statistics are derived from the linked databasecontaining linked discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01)records in Scotland.

2. Overnight on Christmas day is defined as being admittedto hospital on or before the 25 December and being discharged from hospital on orafter the 26 December in each year.

3. Golden Jubilee Hospital

4. Please note it is possible that a patient may appearin more than one year.

5. Figures in thesetables may not correspond exactly with figures released previously. This is becausedatabases are continually updated and corrected.

Question reference: S3W-01407

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 11 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-456 by Jim Mather on 8 June 2007, which members of the public and potential suppliers are being consulted on extending access to broadband technology.

The Executive hasnow completed its consultation events with both the industry and the public.

A consultation washeld on 8 May with potential broadband suppliers from across the UK. Two further consultation meetings took place on 18 Mayand 7 June with invited representatives from the larger clusters affected by thebroadband reach issue, which are known to the Executive. Further information onevent participants can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/BroadbandforScotland/SEBroadbandInitiatives/LatestNewsAnnouncements.

We are currently examiningthe consultation feedback. This will inform our policy approach to addressing thebroadband reach issue.

We will announce ourway forward in the coming months.

Question reference: S3W-01408

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 11 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-456 by Jim Mather on 8 June 2007, when the consultation on extending access to broadband technology will end.

Question reference: S3W-01012

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15 by Stewart Stevenson on 30 May 2007, whether the Minister is aware of the statement by Fiona Hyslop on 28 March 2007 that the SNP has made a public commitment to legislate for and fund the building of the Blackridge station (Official Report c. 33642) and whether he will now reconsider his answer.

Question reference: S3O-00435

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the providers of family support services regarding their services.

Question reference: S3W-00874

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to raise the age for purchasing alcohol at off-licence premises to 21.

Question reference: S3W-00873

Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to lift the ban on alcohol sales at football grounds.