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: S2W-12222

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11116 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 November 2004 regarding the hosting of the G8 summit, what the current circulation is in Scotland of the Official Journal of the European Union.

The Executive does not hold information regarding the circulation of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). However, OJEU is published on-line and can be accessed free of charge. Contract opportunities published in the Journal can also be accessed through a number of other sources including the European Information Centres, BiP Ltd and TendersDirect. Links to these organisations and OJEU are published on the Executive’s procurement website.

Question reference: S2W-12224

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11117 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 November 2004 regarding the hosting of the G8 summit, how many of the activities currently being considered will be held in the Perth and Kinross Council area.

Perth and Kinross Council is working with local partners to develop a programme of events linked to the G8 Summit that will take place throughout Perthshire between now and July 2005. The first of these, a reception to promote local trade links with Japan, took place after the successful rugby international at McDiarmid Park on 13 November 2004. The summit will offer real opportunities to promote local businesses, tourism and other attractions nationally and internationally.

In addition to the local programme, the Scottish Executive is working with a broad range of external partners to deliver activities around the summit, some of which will take place in Perthshire. It is at the discretion of other organisations to organise G8-related events.

Question reference: S2W-12425

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11033 by Mr Andy Kerr on 8 November 2004, how many allied health professionals were occupational therapists in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Section F gives details of Allied Health Professionals employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables F1 and F2 show the number of Occupational Therapists employed in each year since 1993, broken down by NHS Board area. Figures are presented as headcount and whole-time equivalent (WTE). WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2003.

Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the background notes document on the Workforce Statistics homepage at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Question reference: S2W-12432

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11759 by Rhona Brankin on 9 November 2004, what the number of carers over 18 is in each local authority area represented as a percentage of the local authority population.

The 2001 Census asked questions on unpaid care for the first time. The following table sets out the number of carers aged 18 and over, for each local authority area, irrespective of whether the person they care for lives with them. The numbers are slightly higher than those provided in response to S2W-11759, which provided figures for carers aged and 18 and over who are caring for others within the same household.

Percentage of Carers, Caring within the Same or Different Households, Aged 18 and Over by Local Authority Area

	All People 18 and Over	No of Carers Aged 18 and Over	Carers Aged 18 and Over as % of Population
All People 18+	3,963,147	464,737	11.73
Aberdeen City	172,872	16,303	9.43
Aberdeenshire	173,042	16,413	9.48
Angus	85,198	9,201	10.8
Argyll and Bute	71,968	8,238	11.45
Scottish Borders	84,125	8,886	10.56
Clackmannanshire	36,759	4,630	12.6
West Dunbartonshire	72,215	9,469	13.11
Dumfries and Galloway	116,212	13,589	11.69
Dundee City	116,303	13,485	11.59
East Ayrshire	93,239	11,959	12.83
East Dunbartonshire	83,129	11,241	13.52
East Lothian	69,168	8,575	12.4
East Renfrewshire	67,690	8,917	13.17
Edinburgh, City of	366,095	37,714	10.3
Falkirk	113,235	14,387	12.71
Fife	271,940	32,666	12.01
Glasgow City	457,459	54,303	11.87
Highland	162,449	17,781	10.95
Inverclyde	65,575	7,924	12.08
Midlothian	61,848	7,902	12.78
Moray	67,166	6,524	9.71
North Ayrshire	105,071	12,951	12.33
North Lanarkshire	246,683	32,014	12.98
Orkney Islands	14,895	1,635	10.98
Perth and Kinross	105,776	11,744	11.1
Renfrewshire	134,941	17,408	12.9
Shetland Islands	16,589	1,882	11.34
South Ayrshire	88,982	11,043	12.41
South Lanarkshire	234,352	30,781	13.13
Stirling	67,561	7,863	11.64
West Lothian	119,769	14,599	12.19
Eilean Siar	20,841	2,710	13.00

Question reference: S2W-12426

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS employees’ salaries will be reduced as a result of rebanding under Agenda for Change.

Question reference: S2W-12427

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dental practices have closed in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

The information is shown in the table below. Dental practices that ceased providing NHS general dental services for a temporary period only may be included in these figures. For comparison the number of dental practices in Scotland that have commenced providing NHS general dental services in the same period are also provided.

The Number of Dental Practices in Scotland that Ceased Providing NHS General Dental Services¹; Year Ending March

NHS Board Area	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Ayrshire and Arran	2	3	4	0	0
Borders	0	0	0	0	1
Argyll and Clyde	0	0	2	0	1
Fife	0	0	2	1	1
Greater Glasgow	2	2	4	4	2
Highland	3	4	1	3	2
Lanarkshire	1	0	1	1	0
Grampian	0	0	2	1	3
Orkney	0	0	1	0	1
Lothian	2	3	2	3	5
Tayside	2	2	1	2	6
Forth Valley	0	1	0	2	0
Western Isles	2	0	0	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	0	2	0	0	0
Shetland	0	1	0	2	0
Scotland	14	18	20	19	22

Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Note: 1. Some dental practices may cease providing NHS general dental services permanently, while some may do so only temporarily.

The Number of Dental Practices in Scotland that Began Providing NHS General Dental Services¹; Year Ending March

NHS Board Area	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Ayrshire and Arran	4	0	1	1	0
Borders	1	0	2	1	1
Argyll and Clyde	2	1	0	2	8
Fife	0	0	0	2	0
Greater Glasgow	2	1	3	3	4
Highland	2	3	3	2	7
Lanarkshire	1	2	1	4	0
Grampian	1	0	2	0	3
Orkney	1	0	0	0	1
Lothian	1	4	1	3	3
Tayside	2	1	2	4	3
Forth Valley	1	1	2	0	0
Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	4	2	0	0	0
Shetland	1	1	2	2	1
Scotland	23	16	19	24	31

Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Note: 1. Some dental practices may cease providing NHS general dental services permanently, while some may do so only temporarily.

Question reference: S2W-12433

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11806 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 November 2004, what mechanisms are being used to keep businesses informed of procurement and sponsorship opportunities.

The Scottish Executive and its agencies are working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who are responsible for procurement and sponsorship issues, to promote the interests of local businesses. The Scottish Executive is also liaising closely with the main business representative organisations and are also working closely with Perth and Kinross Council to help them prepare for the summit. In addition, the Enterprise Networks are working at national and local level to provide information and assistance to Scottish business on the G8 Summit as planning for the summit progresses.

Question reference: S2W-12431

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11684 by Mr Tom McCabe on 8 November 2004, how much funding was allocated to each local authority under the quality of life fund in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

The table below shows the allocation of Quality of Life funding to local authorities for the years 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Local Authority	(a) 2002-03 Allocation £95m	(b) 2003-04 Allocation £50m
Aberdeen, City	3.581	1.877
Aberdeenshire	4.009	2.112
Angus	2.026	1.067
Argyll and Bute	1.807	0.952
Clackmannanshire	0.862	0.454
Dumfries and Galloway	2.832	1.495
Dundee	2.900	1.524
East Ayrshire	2.227	1.169
East Dunbartonshire	1.879	0.990
East Lothian	1.544	0.822
East Renfrewshire	1.572	0.827
Edinburgh, City	7.552	3.987
Eilean Siar	0.834	0.431
Falkirk	2.496	1.320
Fife	6.264	3.311
Glasgow	12.511	6.526
Highland	4.277	2.240
Inverclyde	1.645	0.866
Midlothian	1.445	0.757
Moray	1.543	0.816
North Ayrshire	2.570	1.355
North Lanarkshire	5.883	3.103
Orkney	0.571	0.296
Perth and Kinross	2.415	1.280
Renfrewshire	3.185	1.692
Scottish Borders	2.050	1.083
Shetland	0.740	0.385
South Ayrshire	2.058	1.085
South Lanarkshire	5.473	2.879
Stirling	1.587	0.840
West Dunbartonshire	1.911	1.006
West Lothian	2.751	1.453

Question reference: S2W-12225

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11118 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 November 2004 regarding the hosting of the G8 summit, what extra funding is available to Tayside Police to assist in managing the summit.

Additional funding will be made available to Tayside Police in connection with policing the G8 Summit in 2005 and a group involving representatives from UK Government departments, Tayside Police and the Executive has been set up to monitor and assess the additional policing costs incurred. That group’s conclusions will inform the level of additional funding provided. However, at this stage it is too early to say what the amount of this extra funding will be.

Question reference: S2W-12220

Asked by: Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 26 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects of VisitScotland’s marketing strategy are specifically designed to maximise the tourism opportunities afforded by the hosting of the G8 Summit at Gleneagles in 2005.

A VisitScotland team is working to maximise the benefits which will arise for Scotland from our hosting the G8 Summit at Gleneagles, and VisitScotland is also contributing to the Executive’s own planning for the event. The aim is touse the substantial media presence at the G8 summit to demonstrate to the worldScotland’s capability to successfully host the biggest and most prestigious globalconferences, and to showcase all that Scotland has to offer as a must-visit destination for visitors to our country.