Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-24425

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average audiology waiting time has been for neonates, broken down by NHS board, in each year since 1999.

This data is not currently held centrally, however plans are being taken forward to develop a data link within boards between the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) system and NHS audiology departments. Once diagnostic work has been carried out on a referred baby by the audiologist, that data would be recorded on the UNHS system. Over time, this should allow waiting times data to be extrapolated and reports to provide other data such as around the number of deaf children being identified within boards.

Question reference: S3W-24190

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many free-to-use cash machines there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Question reference: S3O-06986

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority schools in the north east are meeting the Scottish Government’s class size target of 18 pupils or fewer in primaries one to three.

Question reference: S3W-23653

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hoax emergency calls there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

The number of deliberate false alarms is given in the following table. The latest available published figures are for 2006.

Deliberate False Fire Alarms by FRS Area, Scotland, 1999 to 2006

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Central	477	459	399	421	376	321	334	355
Dumfries	157	73	82	80	52	44	41	47
Fife	603	627	486	432	423	361	226	158
Grampian	307	330	318	346	276	247	251	238
Highland and Islands	294	262	281	331	275	218	196	116
Lothian and Borders	1,425	1,265	1,253	1,173	1,247	1,136	1,110	897
Strathclyde	4,241	4,536	4,799	4,283	3,812	3,690	3,304	3,128
Tayside	509	529	487	468	393	333	300	337
Total	8,013	8,081	8,105	7,534	6,854	6,350	5,762	5,276

Source: Fire Statistics Scotland Bulletin.

Notes:

Includes late call, heat and smoke damage only incidents.

Figures are based upon sample data weighted to Fire and Rescue Service totals.

Estimates are not included for incidents occurring during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.

Includes fires where deliberate ignition is merely suspected.

Question reference: S3W-23652

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fires have been deliberately started in each year since 1999, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

The number of fires classified as deliberate by the fire and rescue services are given in the following tables. The latest available published figures are for 2006.

Deliberate Primary Fires in Scotland by Fire and Rescue Service Area, 1999 to 2006

Brigade Area	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Central	308	338	365	378	346	259	211	265
Dumfries	64	70	78	80	118	110	95	90
Fife	414	490	532	504	516	408	320	355
Grampian	480	500	513	579	544	367	413	379
Highland and Islands	127	120	131	111	127	92	96	88
Lothian and Borders	1,695	1,736	1,771	1,851	1,576	1,359	1,194	1,186
Strathclyde	4,924	4,954	4,777	4,409	4,129	3,572	3,181	3,131
Tayside	524	605	631	579	438	365	337	280
Total	8,536	8,813	8,798	8,491	7,794	6,532	5,847	5,774

Source: FDR1.

Notes:

Includes late call, heat and smoke damage only incidents.

Figures are based upon sample data data weighted to Fire and Rescue Service totals.

Estimates are not included for incidents occurring during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.

Includes fires where deliberate ignition is merely suspected.

Deliberate Secondary Fires in Scotland by Fire and Rescue Service Area, 1999 to 2006

Brigade Area	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Central	1,027	1,204	1,642	1,366	2,101	1,514	1,358	1,599
Dumfries	157	153	247	295	390	270	314	294
Fife	1,486	1,595	1,623	1,427	2,703	1,950	1,786	2,026
Grampian	1,221	1,245	1,466	1,481	2,162	1,273	1,507	1,404
Highland and Islands	316	347	528	463	578	325	313	341
Lothian and Borders	4,913	5,027	5,733	5,000	7,681	4,550	5,050	5,911
Strathclyde	15,010	17,866	20,288	15,814	23,922	16,330	16,471	11,761
Tayside	2,046	2,343	2,560	2,062	2,703	1,717	1,712	1,685
Total	26,176	29,780	34,087	27,908	42,240	27,929	28,511	25,021

Source: FDR3.

Notes:

Includes late call, heat and smoke damage only incidents

Figures are based upon sample data weighted to Fire and Rescue Service totals.

Estimates are not included for incidents occurring during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.

Includes fires where deliberate ignition is merely suspected.

Total Deliberate Fires in Scotland by Fire and Rescue Service Area, 1999 to 2006

Brigade Area	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Central	1,335	1,542	2,007	1,744	2,447	1,773	1,569	1,864
Dumfries	221	223	325	375	508	380	409	384
Fife	1,900	2,085	2,155	1,931	3,219	2,358	2,106	2,381
Grampian	1,701	1,745	1,979	2,060	2,706	1,640	1,920	1,783
Highland and Islands	443	467	659	574	705	417	409	429
Lothian and Borders	6,608	6,763	7,504	6,851	9,257	5,909	6,244	7,097
Strathclyde	19,934	22,820	25,065	20,223	28,051	19,902	19,652	14,892
Tayside	2,570	2,948	3,191	2,641	3,141	2,082	2,049	1,965
Total	34,712	38,593	42,885	36,399	50,034	34,461	34,358	30,795

Source: FDR1 and FDR3 Forms.

Notes:

Includes late call, heat and smoke damage only incidents.

Figures are based upon sample data data weighted to Fire and Rescue Service totals.

Estimates are not included for incidents occurring during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003

Includes fires where deliberate ignition is merely suspected.

Question reference: S3W-23651

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many second homes there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

The Scottish Government does not hold numbers of second homes and long-term empty properties at parliamentary constituency level. However, the numbers of second homes and long-term empty properties in Scotland for the years 2005 to 2008, broken down by local authority, are shown in the following tables.

Figures are as reported in the Council Tax Base returns for the relevant year. They include both second homes and long-term empty properties as some local authorities are unable to split between these two categories. Therefore care should be taken when looking at individual figures.

The introduction of legislation to allow local authorities to vary the level of discounts applied to second homes and long term empty properties from April 2005 prompted the collection of data on these properties. Prior to this, information was only collected on the number of properties receiving 25% discounts and the number receiving 50% discounts. Hence it is not possible to separately identify long-term empty properties and second homes prior to 2005.

Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties by Local Authority - 2008^1,2,3

	Number of Second Homes	Number of Long-Term Empty Properties	Total
Scotland	35,036	22,784	57,820
Aberdeen City	1,839	990	2,829
Aberdeenshire	1,274	1,639	2,913
Angus	429	1,357	1,786
Argyll and Bute	3,860	571	4,431
Clackmannanshire	338	-	338
Dumfries and Galloway	1,772	695	2,467
Dundee City	627	942	1,569
East Ayrshire	213	523	736
East Dunbartonshire	198	169	367
East Lothian	258	619	877
East Renfrewshire	101	240	341
Edinburgh, City of	3,926	2,393	6,319
Eilean Siar	862	301	1,163
Falkirk	530	374	904
Fife	3,631	1,483	5,114
Glasgow City	1,245	1,740	2,985
Highland	4,639	1,119	5,758
Inverclyde	216	763	979
Midlothian	156	64	220
Moray	577	753	1,330
North Ayrshire	1,551	1,013	2,564
North Lanarkshire	283	438	721
Orkney Islands	421	163	584
Perth and Kinross	1,727	577	2,304
Renfrewshire	1,198	-	1,198
Scottish Borders	1,049	1,111	2,160
Shetland Islands	147	399	546
South Ayrshire	661	309	970
South Lanarkshire	412	757	1,169
Stirling	669	176	845
West Dunbartonshire	144	397	541
West Lothian	83	709	792

Source: 2008 CTAXBASE return.

1. Figures represent the number of adjusted chargeable dwellings that are either 2nd homes or long-term empty properties.

2. Some councils are unable to split the number of 2nd homes and long-term empty properties, so individual figures should be interpreted with care.

3. Where councils have been unable to split the two categories, the combined total has been entered in the category indicated on their CTAXBASE return.

Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties by Local Authority - 2007^1,2,3

	Number of Second Homes	Number of Long-Term Empty Properties	Total
Scotland	35,057	20,328	55,385
Aberdeen City	1,552	1,207	2,759
Aberdeenshire	1,374	1,541	2,915
Angus	434	18	452
Argyll and Bute	3,781	590	4,371
Clackmannanshire	334	-	334
Dumfries and Galloway	1,736	673	2,409
Dundee City	462	1,114	1,576
East Ayrshire	154	593	747
East Dunbartonshire	168	185	353
East Lothian	238	560	798
East Renfrewshire	95	231	326
Edinburgh, City of	3,574	2,356	5,930
Eilean Siar	864	301	1,165
Falkirk	497	364	861
Fife	4,494	722	5,216
Glasgow City	1,066	1,501	2,567
Highland	4,754	999	5,753
Inverclyde	222	787	1,009
Midlothian	137	53	190
Moray	579	628	1,207
North Ayrshire	1,623	989	2,612
North Lanarkshire	284	508	792
Orkney Islands	367	161	528
Perth and Kinross	1,936	577	2,513
Renfrewshire	1,221	-	1,221
Scottish Borders	1,033	1,088	2,121
Shetland Islands	160	389	549
South Ayrshire	639	324	963
South Lanarkshire	443	520	963
Stirling	647	165	812
West Dunbartonshire	123	551	674
West Lothian	66	633	699

Source: 2007 CTAXBASE return.

Notes:

1. Figures represent the number of adjusted chargeable dwellings that are either 2nd homes or long-term empty properties

2. Some councils are unable to split the number of 2nd homes and long terms empty properties, so individual figures should be interpreted with care

3. Where councils have been unable to split the two categories, the combined total has been entered in the category indicated on their CTAXBASE return.

Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties by Local Authority - 2006^1,2,3

	Number of Second Homes	Number of Long-Term Empty Properties	Total
Scotland	36,167	16,656	52,823
Aberdeen City	1,701	1,177	2,878
Aberdeenshire	1,406	1,545	2,951
Angus	429	-	429
Argyll and Bute	3,655	573	4,228
Clackmannanshire	364	-	364
Dumfries and Galloway	1,746	686	2,432
Dundee City	1,495	-	1,495
East Ayrshire	153	480	633
East Dunbartonshire	146	173	319
East Lothian	246	547	793
East Renfrewshire	95	209	304
Edinburgh, City of	3,459	1,437	4,896
Eilean Siar	843	224	1,067
Falkirk	550	355	905
Fife	3,678	1,114	4,792
Glasgow City	1,041	1,245	2,286
Highland	5,835	-	5,835
Inverclyde	243	802	1,045
Midlothian	91	45	136
Moray	574	640	1,214
North Ayrshire	1,543	677	2,220
North Lanarkshire	319	721	1,040
Orkney Islands	369	181	550
Perth and Kinross	1,759	489	2,248
Renfrewshire	1,162	-	1,162
Scottish Borders	1,032	1,028	2,060
Shetland Islands	169	234	403
South Ayrshire	679	400	1,079
South Lanarkshire	561	428	989
Stirling	630	160	790
West Dunbartonshire	131	563	694
West Lothian	63	523	586

Source: 2006 CTAXBASE return

Notes:

1. Figures represent the number of adjusted chargeable dwellings that are either 2nd homes or long-term empty properties

2. Some councils are unable to split the number of 2nd homes and long-term empty properties, so individual figures should be interpreted with care

3. Where councils have been unable to split the two categories, the combined total has been entered in the category indicated on their CTAXBASE return.

Second Homes and Long Term Empty Properties by Local Authority - 2005^1,2,3

	Number of Second Homes	Number of Long-Term Empty Properties	Total
Scotland	39,842	15,313	55,155
Aberdeen City	2,081	626	2,707
Aberdeenshire	1,457	1,375	2,832
Angus	458	-	458
Argyll and Bute	3,414	392	3,806
Clackmannanshire	384	-	384
Dumfries and Galloway	1,705	708	2,413
Dundee City	1,458	-	1,458
East Ayrshire	151	425	576
East Dunbartonshire	329	-	329
East Lothian	276	589	865
East Renfrewshire	69	241	310
Edinburgh, City of	3,031	1,239	4,270
Eilean Siar	1,207	-	1,207
Falkirk	464	606	1,070
Fife	4,111	669	4,780
Glasgow City	-	4,571	4,571
Highland	5,850	-	5,850
Inverclyde	1,260	-	1,260
Midlothian	81	40	121
Moray	619	638	1,257
North Ayrshire	2,298	-	2,298
North Lanarkshire	375	608	983
Orkney Islands	286	293	579
Perth and Kinross	2,766	-	2,766
Renfrewshire	1,402	-	1,402
Scottish Borders	2,167	-	2,167
Shetland Islands	195	336	531
South Ayrshire	677	336	1,013
South Lanarkshire	535	511	1,046
Stirling	566	245	811
West Dunbartonshire	100	696	796
West Lothian	70	169	239

Source: 2005 CTAXBASE return.

1. Figures represent the number of adjusted chargeable dwellings that are either 2nd homes or long-term empty properties.

2. Some councils are unable to split the number of 2nd homes and long-term empty properties, so individual figures should be interpreted with care.

3. Where councils have been unable to split the two categories, the combined total has been entered in the category indicated on their CTAXBASE return.

Question reference: S3W-23654

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the cost has been of responding to deliberately started fires in each year since 1999, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

This information is not available to the level of detail requested. However, limited information is available in the report Economic Cost of Fire: Estimates for 2004 published by the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister in April 2006. Table 4.5 of the report indicates that the average response cost to deliberate fires across the UK were estimated to be £2,230. A copy of the full report is available on the website of CLG using the following link http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/fire/pdf/144524.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-23655

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the cost has been of responding to hoax emergency calls in each year since 1999, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

This information is not available to the level of detail requested. However, limited information is available in the report Economic Cost of Fire: Estimates for 2004 published by the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister in April 2006. The report indicates on page 36 that the average response cost of responding to a false alarm across the UK was estimated to be £1,970. A copy of the full report is available on the website of communities and local government using the following link. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/fire/pdf/144524.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-23375

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many newsagents there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Data which separately identify newsagents is not held centrally.

However, the number of outlets in Scotland whose main business activity is Retail sale by confectioners, tobacconists and newsagents (CTNs) is shown in the table below from 1999 to 2008 by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

Parliamentary Constituency	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Aberdeen Central	20	20	20	25	25	20	20	20	20	20
Aberdeen North	10	10	10	15	10	10	10	10	10	10
Aberdeen South	10	10	15	15	15	15	15	10	10	15
Airdrie and Shotts	10	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15
Angus	5	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	15	15
Argyll and Bute	10	15	15	15	15	20	15	20	15	15
Ayr	15	15	20	20	20	15	15	20	20	15
Banff and Buchan	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	10	10	10	15	10	10	10	10	10	15
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley	10	10	15	15	10	10	10	10	10	15
Central Fife	15	20	20	20	20	15	15	15	10	10
Clydebank and Milngavie	15	15	20	20	15	15	15	15	15	15
Clydesdale	15	10	10	10	15	15	15	10	15	15
Coatbridge and Chryston	10	10	15	15	10	10	10	10	15	15
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	5	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Cunninghame North	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	25
Cunninghame South	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	5	10
Dumbarton	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	20	20	25
Dumfries	5	5	5	10	10	10	10	15	15	15
Dundee East	15	20	20	25	30	30	30	25	30	30
Dundee West	25	25	30	35	35	35	35	30	30	35
Dunfermline East	10	10	10	10	15	15	15	15	15	10
Dunfermline West	15	20	25	25	25	20	20	20	15	15
East Kilbride	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	10
East Lothian	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Eastwood	20	15	20	25	20	20	20	20	20	25
Edinburgh Central	40	50	45	40	40	35	40	40	40	40
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	20	20	25	20	20	20	20	20	25	25
Edinburgh North and Leith	25	35	35	35	40	40	40	40	40	40
Edinburgh Pentlands	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Edinburgh South	25	25	30	30	25	25	25	20	20	25
Edinburgh West	10	15	20	20	15	20	15	15	20	15
Falkirk East	10	15	15	15	15	20	15	15	15	15
Falkirk West	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	20
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	5	5	5	5	5	5	10	10	10	10
Glasgow Anniesland	10	10	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15
Glasgow Baillieston	15	15	15	15	10	10	10	10	10	10
Glasgow Cathcart	15	20	15	20	25	25	20	25	30	25
Glasgow Govan	25	25	25	30	30	30	35	30	35	35
Glasgow Kelvin	55	60	65	75	75	65	70	65	65	70
Glasgow Maryhill	15	15	15	15	15	15	20	20	20	20
Glasgow Pollok	15	20	20	20	15	15	20	15	20	20
Glasgow Rutherglen	15	15	15	20	15	15	15	20	20	15
Glasgow Shettleston	25	30	25	35	35	45	40	35	35	40
Glasgow Springburn	15	20	20	20	20	25	25	20	25	25
Gordon	10	15	15	10	10	5	5	5	10	10
Greenock and Inverclyde	10	15	10	15	10	20	15	15	15	15
Hamilton North and Bellshill	5	5	5	10	10	10	10	10	15	15
Hamilton South	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	10
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	10	10	10	15	15	10	10	15	15	20
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	10	15	15	15	15	10	15	15	15	20
Kirkcaldy	20	15	20	25	20	25	25	20	15	10
Linlithgow	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
Livingston	10	10	20	15	15	15	15	15	10	15
Midlothian	10	10	10	10	15	15	15	15	20	20
Moray	10	5	5	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Motherwell and Wishaw	15	15	15	20	15	20	20	20	20	20
North East Fife	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
North Tayside	10	15	15	20	20	20	15	15	15	20
Ochil	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	15
Orkney & Shetland	0	0	0	5	5	10	10	10	10	15
Paisley North	5	5	10	10	10	25	30	25	25	25
Paisley South	15	20	25	25	25	20	20	25	25	25
Perth	20	20	20	25	25	10	10	10	10	10
Ross, Skye and Inverness West	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	15	15	15
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	10	10	10	15	15	0	0	0	0	0
Stirling	10	15	20	15	15	15	15	15	15	20
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	10	10	10	15	15	15	15	15	15	15
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale	5	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	15
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	10	5	10	10	10	5	5	5	5	5
West Renfrewshire	10	15	15	20	15	15	20	15	15	15
Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Scotland	980	1,065	1,160	1,265	1,220	1,205	1,225	1,205	1,230	1,295

Source: Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) which is maintained by the Office for National Statistics.

Question reference: S3W-22590

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the law surrounding representation in court so that individuals in civil cases are given equal access to legal representation as those in criminal cases.

We have recently made significant improvements to the financial eligibility rules for civil legal aid which should help ensure that a million more Scots have access to subsidised legal representation.

There are important distinctions in the way in which publicly funded legal representation is provided in civil and criminal cases which take account of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and of differences between civil and criminal procedure.

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