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-32471

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2007
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 22 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many parents and children were supported by Sure Start Scotland through group or intensive provision in the Stirling local authority area in the last year for which information is available.

Question reference: S2W-32470

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2007
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 21 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it has allocated to the Stirling area under the Community Safety Award Programme.

Question reference: S2W-32287

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2007
Current Status: Answered by Des McNulty on 20 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to requiring local NHS boards to be statutory consultees for planning applications concerning large housing developments to enable the impact of such developments on local health services or facilities to be taken into account.

Some consideration has beengiven to whether health boards should be statutory consultees on planningapplications. But it was felt that any decision on this should be consideredfollowing the fundamental changes to the planning system as a result of thePlanning Etc (Scotland) Act 2006.

As part of these changes wewill be reviewing the list of statutory consultees on planning applications andwill consider whether it would be appropriate to add NHS boards to that listand, if so, on what sorts of proposals they should be consulted.

The appropriate time for NHSboards to be involved in considering the impact of large scale developmentproposals on the delivery of health care services is during the preparation ofdevelopment plans. These plans set the policy context within which individualplanning applications are determined and decisions must be made in accordancewith the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicateotherwise.

At present there is no listof statutory consultees whom the planning authority must approach in preparinga development plan. However, there are requirements to: consult suchauthorities and other bodies as the planning authority think appropriate;ensure people who may be expected to want to comment on the plan are aware thatthey are entitled to do so; hold public consultation exercises on drafts of theplan.

As part of the modernisationof planning we are considering what bodies might be made statutory consultees ondevelopment plans in future.

Question reference: S2W-32288

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2007
Current Status: Answered by Des McNulty on 20 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to requiring local authorities to seek the views of neighbouring local authorities when large housing developments are proposed which may impact on traffic in the neighbouring area moving to and from such developments.

Article 15(1)(a) of the Townand Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland)Order 1992 already requires planning authorities to consult with “any adjoiningplanning authority, where it appears to the planning authority that thedevelopment is likely to affect land in the district of that authority”.

We will be replacing the1992 order with a revised version as part of the modernisation of the planning systemand will consider whether we need to expand on this requirement.

When preparing thedevelopment plans for their area, planning authorities should be consultingwidely on their proposals and it is important that neighbouring authorities engagein this process where their interests may be affected. The new planning act willintroduce a specific requirement to send copies of proposed strategicdevelopment plans to neighbouring authorities.

Question reference: S2W-32059

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Des McNulty on 13 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority-owned homes in the Stirling local authority area are centrally heated as a result of the Executive’s central heating programme.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

Stirling Council did not participatein the central heating programme. However, during 2004-05, Stirling Council replaceda total of 15 partial heating systems with new full house central heating systemsthrough the Warm Deal programme. Twelve of these were done in the council’s ownstock with the remaining three carried out in the private sector.

Question reference: S2W-32063

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 13 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many in-patient and out-patient appointments and procedures there were in NHS Forth Valley in each year since 2000.

The information requested onthe number of in-patient and day case episodes, and new and return out-patient attendancesis shown in following table 1.

Table 1: Number ofIn-Patient and Day Case Episodes, and New and Return Out-Patient Attendances inNHS Forth Valley Board of Treatment for Years Ending 31 March 2000 to 2006

Year Ending 31 March:	In-Patients	Day Cases¹	New Out-Patients	Return Out-Patients
2000	34,136	17,049	65,443	175,515
2001	35,039	19,400	65,286	172,202
2002	34,284	21,538	63,235	166,058
2003	32,694	20,760	59,843	164,323
2004	34,956	10,494	64,656	158,291
2005	36,292	9,466	65,281	152,872
2006^P	36,088	8,670	60,349	136,145

^PProvisional.

Sources: SMR01 and ISD(S)1.

Note: 1. From April 2003, Forth Valley NHS Board ceased submissionof SMR01 data for patients attending the preliminary investigation treatment unitof the Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary (day bed unit). This wasin order to comply with Audit Scotland guidelines regarding recording of elective admissionsand waiting lists.

In addition, hospital activityis undertaken at nurse-led clinics. ISD Scotland have been working with NHSboards to capture this information. Initial findings are published as part of ISDScotland’s data development web pages at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4453.html.

Procedures are carried out withinNHSScotland in a wide range of settings dependent on a number of factors includingthe complexity of the operation and the clinical and personal needs of the patient.The following table 2 shows the number of procedures carried out on patients admittedas in-patients or day cases.

Procedures can also be performedin an out-patient setting. From April 2003, the national reporting of surgical activityin out-patients has been required and ISD has been working with NHS boards to developfull compliance nationally. At this stage only a proportion of boards have achievedextensive coverage and further work will be necessary before a complete accountof all out-patient surgical activity can be made. The provisional number of out-patientprocedures recorded in NHS Forth Valley in the year ended 31 March 2006was 3,322.

Table 2: Total Number ofProcedures Performed in Acute Specialties in NHS Forth Valley Boardof Treatment for Years Ending 31 March 2000 to 2006

Year Ending 31 March:	In-Patients	Day Cases¹
2000	15,736	17,953
2001	16,111	20,150
2002	18,901	22,595
2003	24,169	21,871
2004	22,000	11,405
2005	21,300	10,283
2006^P	19,333	9,412

^PProvisional.

Source: SMR01.

Note: 1. From April 2003, ForthValley NHS Board ceased submission of SMR01 data for patients attending the preliminaryinvestigation treatment unit of the Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary (day bed unit). This wasin order to comply with Audit Scotland guidelines regarding recording of elective admissionsand waiting lists.

Question reference: S2W-32047

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been distributed by it in the last four years with respect to flood management schemes and associated projects, broken down by local authority area.

The following table sets outthe funds that have been distributed with respect to flood management schemes, brokendown by local authority area, for the current and last three financial years. Thereare no projects associated with the flood management schemes beyond the funded schemesthemselves.

Local Authority Name	2003-04 (£000)	2004-05 (£000)	2005-06 (£000)	2006-07 (£000)
Aberdeen City		243
Aberdeenshire	33
Argyll and Bute	175	589	569
Dumfries and Galloway		384	254	20
East Ayrshire	2,132	1,556	1,486	*2,680
East Dunbartonshire			1,970	60
Edinburgh City			2,431	*1,807
Fife				*966
Glasgow City				*2,127
Inverclyde	16
Moray		1,097	479	*528
North Ayrshire	275	70
Perth and Kinross	1,714	745		1,092
Renfrewshire	70	234
South Lanarkshire				*521
West Lothian		565		203
Total Grant Paid	4,415	5,483	7189	*10,004

Note: *Includes expected grantclaims still to be submitted by the local authority

Question reference: S2W-32025

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of mothers in the NHS Forth Valley area were recorded at their six to eight week review as breastfeeding in each year since 1999.

The information requested isshown in the following table:

NHS Forth Valley – Breastfeeding at the 6-8 Week Review by Year ofBirth:

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
No of Reviews¹	2,782	2,701	2,523	2,585	2,636	2,863	2,793
%age Breastfed²	30.8	32.0	31.6	32.3	32.5	30.8	34.2

Notes:

1. Excludes reviews where breastfeedinginformation is not valid.

2. Exclusively breastfed or fedmixed breast and bottle.

Question reference: S2W-32061

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 12 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what dedicated funding has been made available to Stirling Council to tackle antisocial behaviour in each year since 2003.

Dedicated funding has been madeavailable to local authorities to tackle antisocial behaviour since 2004-05, followingthe introduction of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act2004. The funding made available to Stirling Council is detailed in the followingtable.

Local Authority	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	Total (£)
Stirling	369,000	409,400	480,000	519,000	1,777,400

Question reference: S2W-32058

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 12 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the home local authority areas of Scottish students studying at the University of Stirling.

The following table lists thehome domicile of students studying at the University of Stirling in academic year 2005-06. This is the latest year forwhich information is available.

Home Domicile of Students atUniversity of Stirling 2005-06

	Postgraduate	Undergraduate	Total
City of Aberdeen	15	30	45
Aberdeenshire	25	100	125
Angus	15	45	60
Argyll and Bute	15	110	125
Clackmannanshire	45	365	410
Dumfries and Galloway	25	130	155
City of Dundee	20	25	45
East Ayrshire	25	65	90
East Dunbartonshire	25	125	150
East Lothian	10	70	80
East Renfrewshire	20	55	75
City of Edinburgh	80	285	360
Falkirk	75	725	805
Fife	65	400	465
City of Glasgow	110	175	285
Highland	25	545	570
Inverclyde	20	20	35
Midlothian	10	40	50
Moray	5	125	135
North Ayrshire	30	75	105
North Lanarkshire	75	300	375
Orkney Islands	5	20	25
Perth and Kinross	40	185	225
Renfrewshire	20	80	100
Scottish Borders	10	125	135
Shetland Islands	5	30	35
South Ayrshire	20	70	90
South Lanarkshire	40	135	180
Stirling	155	595	750
West Dunbartonshire	10	40	50
West Lothian	70	265	330
Eilean Siar	0	115	115
Scotland region unknown	50	165	215
Total Scottish Domiciled	1,160	5,635	6,795
England	140	655	795
Wales	5	15	25
Northern Ireland	15	265	280
Channel Islands & Isle of Man	5	10	15
Total UK Domiciled	1,325	6,580	7,910
Other EU	135	190	325
Non EU Europe	15	30	45
Africa	55	10	70
Asia	375	60	440
Australasia	0	0	5
Middle East	25	5	35
North America	45	15	55
South America	10	0	10
Total	1,980	6,895	8,885

Source: Higher Education StatisticsAgency.

Note: All numbers have been roundedto the nearest 5.