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: S1W-22220

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to reduce bed blocking in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Scotland as a whole.

On 9 January 2002, we announced a £20 million package for local authorities and NHSScotland to make a significant reduction in the number of patients experiencing delayed discharge from hospitals across Scotland. This is over and above the recurring £10 million already provided to local authorities for the purpose through their Grant Aided Expenditure settlements. Additionally, an expert group, led by NHSScotland Chief Executive, Trevor Jones, has been looking in detail at delayed discharge and the reasons for it. Next month, I will announce an Action Plan based on the work of this group, and including the distribution arrangements for the new resources, to help drive down the delayed discharge figures.

Question reference: S1W-21978

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20074 by Allan Wilson on 7 January 2002, what recent applications have been received from Renfrewshire Council concerning the implementation of flood prevention measures.

Question reference: S1W-21977

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21023 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 January 2002, what discussions have taken place with the appropriate legal authorities concerning the appointment of suitably qualified women lawyers to the positions of (a) sheriff and (b) Judge of the Supreme Court.

Question reference: S1W-21987

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of rape were reported in 2000; how many of these led to charges being laid against the alleged perpetrators; how many led to convictions, and what the average sentence was.

Question reference: S1W-20633

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been made available for the training of teachers in educational courses designed to tackle drug, alcohol and tobacco misuse.

Guidelines for initial teacher education courses in Scotland require that courses prepare teachers entering the profession to be responsive to the needs of all pupils in respect of health and general well being. The guidelines are not prescriptive and each training institution develops their own programme.It is the responsibility of local authorities, as employers, to ensure a wide range of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities is available for qualified teachers. This should include a range of activities that ensures teachers are well prepared to deal with such issues as drug, alcohol and tobacco misuse.Separately, training has been made available for primary teachers by Scotland Against Drugs, which is supported by the Scottish Executive. This will be extended to secondary school teachers in the next year with an additional financial contribution from the Executive. The final amount has yet to be agreed.

Question reference: S1W-20016

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what European Structural Fund grants have been made available to current projects in Renfrewshire and what the estimated (a) average and (b) total value is in (i) euros and (ii) pounds sterling of each such grant.

114 European Structural Funds grants have been made to current projects in Renfrewshire amounting to a total of £21,703,857, an average of £190,385 per project. This equates to approximately €34,726,171 at an average of €304,616 per project. As all grants are paid in sterling we have assumed an average rate of €1.6 to £1. A detailed list of current projects is shown in the following table.

Project	£ Grant Awarded
Objective 2 Western Scotland 1997-99 ERDF
First Business Programme	628,000
Renfrewshire Business Incubation Centre - Capital	1,438,012
Renfrewshire - Business Incubation Centre	238,500
International Development of SMEs	729,638
Phoenix Business Park, Paisley	1,047,044
Inchinnan Business Park - Decontamination/Site	337,050
West of Scotland Trade & Export Partnership	1,280,695
Gilmour St. Station, Paisley - Regeneration Ph.1	987,000
Paisley Town Centre Regeneration	2,137,500
Paisley Sheriff Court Streetscape	204,500
Paisley Visitor Information Project	134,735
Paisley Learning Centre - Ph. 2 Revenue	205,953
Barrhead Internet Café - Capital	30,000
Barrhead Internet Café - Revenue	173,086
Levern Valley Centre	58,191
Barrhead Regeneration Strategy: Levern	95,940
Levern Valley Partnership Support Team	50,483
Muriel Street, Barrhead - Business Area	280,400
Kingston Industrial Estate	178,800
Inverclyde Business Centre	142,597
Inverclyde Key Fund - Social Economy	165,000
Three Towns Community Learning Centre	230,936
Biotechnology Transfer Centre at Paisley	131,583
SME/University Partnership Access to Innovation & Technology	75,611
The eBusiness centre (eBc)	116,476
Graduates into Smaller Companies	38,399
Scottish Property Network (System Upgrade)	42,000
Objective 2 Western Scotland 2000-6 ERDF
Kelburn Development Area - Ph.1	470,800
Childcare First - Childcare Access Fund	35,000
Community Sustainability	79,850
Internationalisation Programme	66,421
Community Initiative - Urban Paisley
Community Support Programme	290,171
Partnership Learning Access Network	100,583
Social Inclusion Unit	667,227
Paisley Partnership Ph. 2	528,695
Community Support Programme Supplementary Action	88,638
SME Development Officer	81,894
Sustainable Communities Extension	68,493
Childcare Pilot Project	15,041
Partnership ICT Training Centre	30,723
Buddies for Learning	99,256
Integrated Childcare Development	188,000
Objective 2 Western Scotland 2000-6 ESF 1st round
Youthbuild (Paisley)	81,982
Gateway to Careers in Childcare	53,282
Objective 3 2000-6 (1st round of approvals)
Renfrewshire Council of Voluntary Services - Capacity Building	32,688
Renfrewshire Training and Staff Development Programme	226,324
Routes to Apprenticeships	13,373
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Entrepreneurship Programme	125,567
Kick Start	75,037
Choices for Women	62,226
Launchpad	49,111
Social Inclusion Service Sector Programmes	456,524
Social Inclusion Tourism Programmes	217,362
Social Inclusion ICT Programmes	427,536
Multimedia Programmes	100,723
Workforce Skills Programme	102,339
Social Inclusion Administration Programmes	399,354
Social Inclusion Care Sector Programmes	295,228
Social Inclusion Multi-Media Programmes	190,418
Renfrewshire Business Mentoring Club	72,189
Mentoring and Networking for New Businesses	42,366
Partnership Inclusion Project	17,925
Accessing Equal Opportunities	108,653
Re-skill for Employment	18,823
Training for Higher Level Skills and Improved Management	16,393
Supply Chain and Development	10,711
Raising the Competitiveness of SMEs	26,500
SME Research and Development Project	38,695
Renfrewshire Skillbuilder Project	65,120
IT Skills Development Programme	45,747
Skills Development for the Care Sector	17,238
Pre Vocational Skills	85,649
Technology Skills Programme	65,277
Developing the Community	50,432
Skills Development Programme	67,363
The Supervisor as Developer of the Workforce	61,942
Promotion of an Entrepreneurial Culture to the Youth of wider Renfrewshire	101,939
Inverclyde Call Centre Training	155,151
Administration Programmes	195,363
Service Sector Programmes	279,130
On-line Training and Development	68,112
Adapting to Change	123,103
Objective 3 2000-6 (2nd round)
Investment in Training and Skills	261,226
Employment Support Project (Young People)	64,110
Supporting Staff Development	90,216
Renfrewshire Council of Voluntary Services - Capacity Building 2	75,667
Launchpad (Older Unemployed)	18,354
Inverclyde Computer Training (ICT) for Women	49,929
Launchpad (SIP residents)	33,206
Delivering Targeted Training to Childcare Workers	19,186
Workforce Skills Programme	69,660
Tourism Programmes for SIP Areas	267,324
Scottish Colleges Biotechnology Programmes for Industry	64,106
Multimedia Programmes	46,359
Biotechnology Programmes	149,051
Care Sector Programmes for SIP Areas	122,194
ICT Programmes for SIP Areas	172,083
Care Sector Programmes	126,713
Business, Administration and Management Programmes for SIP Areas	173,427
Multimedia Programmes for SIP Areas	89,945
Service Sector Programmes for SIP Areas	185,208
Mentoring and Networking for New Businesses	36,254
Renfrewshire Business Mentoring Club	115,743
Technology Core Skills Development	101,834
On Line for e Marketing and Training	56,696
On Line Access to Learning	47,980
Business and Management for Women	64,009
Reskill 2001	26,824
Researching the Knowledge Economy	35,120
Management Development Programme	29,085
IT Skills Inclusion	70,687
Job Start Skills Development	143,295
The Supervisor as Developer of the Workforce	138,750
Improving Competitiveness - The Rule of Seven	127,800

Question reference: S1W-21022

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether children are given protection under the terms of the Human Rights Act 1998 in court proceedings concerning access and custody arrangements.

Question reference: S1W-21061

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to remove the toll charges from the Erskine Bridge while the Clyde Tunnel is being repaired in January 2002.

Question reference: S1W-20631

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce waiting times for services by allowing NHS primary care trusts to commission health services from other European Union member states.

Scottish NHS primary care trusts are not responsible for commissioning health services, and consequently we have no such plans. However, we have announced a number of waiting times targets which will help to reduce waiting in the NHS, and this remains our top priority. We are establishing a national waiting times unit to ensure that available capacity in the NHS in Scotland and spare capacity in the independent health care sector are used to best effect to reduce waiting for NHS patients. We have no immediate plans to purchase health care capacity outside Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-20432

Asked by: Trish Godman, MSP for West Renfrewshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 9 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next meeting of the British-Irish Council will take place; which country will host the meeting, and whether the issue of drug misuse will be on the agenda.

The next summit level meeting of the British-Irish Council will be hosted by Jersey in April 2002, and will focus on the issue of Knowledge Economy. Following that, we look forward to hosting a summit in Scotland in autumn 2002 on the subject of social inclusion, in conjunction with our colleagues in the National Assembly for WalesThe British-Irish Council held its second summit meeting in Dublin on 30 November. The main focus of that meeting was the issue of drugs misuse, and how co-operation in this area might be developed within the British-Irish Council. The meeting was a useful and constructive one. It is clear that the other council members share the Executive's commitment to protecting young people from the problems of drugs in our communities. There will be reports to future summits on the practical progress being made by members on tackling drugs matters together.