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-32381

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2002
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what limits there are on the use of (a) non-road and (b) road heavy-duty diesel engines.

New diesel engines for use both in road vehicles and non-road equipment have to comply with mandatory emission standards specified in European Directives as part of the type approval process. In addition, on-road heavy goods vehicles have to pass an annual roadworthiness inspection. This inspection includes a smoke test as a check that their engines are properly maintained. There are no similar inspections for non-road machinery.

Question reference: S1W-31814

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 3 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether airlines seeking to develop international routes are eligible for regional selective assistance (RSA).

All RSA applications are assessed on their individual merits, against the criteria of the scheme. It is not therefore possible to generalise on the eligibility of particular types of projects, such as described above.However, the First Minister announced recently the establishment of an Interim Route Development Fund to invest in new European and UK air routes which provide significant benefit to Scotland in terms of business links, inward investment and in-bound tourism. Details of the scheme are still being worked up by Executive officials in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and airport operators.

Question reference: S1W-31815

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 3 December 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive which airports are located in areas covered by regional selective assistance.

Of the Scottish airports which are licensed for scheduled passenger traffic, the following are located, wholly or in part, in the assisted areas of Scotland:Kirkwall, Orkney Sumburgh, Shetland Stornoway, Western Isles Barra, Western Isles Benbecula, Western Isles Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute Eday, Orkney Fair Isle, Shetland Tiree, Argyll and Bute Islay, Argyll and Bute Wick, Caithness Westray, Orkney Papa Westray, Orkney Stronsay, Orkney Sanday, Orkney North Ronaldsay, Orkney Tingwall, Shetland Out Skerries, Shetland Foula, Shetland Papa Stour, Shetland Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, PrestwickGlasgow International Airport, Paisley Inverness Airport, near Nairn Dundee Airport, Dundee.

Question reference: S1W-31562

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to set up the Thistle Travel Card scheme; how the scheme is being monitored; what part travel companies played in developing the scheme, and what information about the scheme has been issued to public transport operators.

The Executive awarded ENABLE £50,000 in start-up costs to take forward the Thistle Travel Card Scheme last year. ENABLE is monitoring the impact of the scheme and the Executive is in close touch with them on this.ENABLE worked with a consortium of charities, local authorities and transport companies throughout Scotland in developing the scheme, and has issued transport companies with guidelines on the scheme for distribution to all their transport staff.

Question reference: S1W-31563

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what checks and balances are in place to ensure that bus operators run the concessionary travel scheme correctly and by what means the scheme will be monitored.

The Executive works jointly with other partners through the Concessionary Fares Working Group to oversee implementation of free local off-peak bus travel through existing schemes, which are administered by local authorities in partnership with bus operators.A research report has been commissioned by the Executive to monitor travel behaviour both before and after the enhancements came into force in order to accurately gauge their impact.

Question reference: S1W-31297

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been admitted to acute psychiatric beds in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

It is not possible to determine, from national sources, patients who were treated specifically in beds allocated for acute care. The following table shows the total number of individuals who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital or unit, excluding patients admitted to the specialty of Psychiatry of Old Age, on at least one occasion during the year specified. It is likely that some of the patients included in the table will have been admitted for reasons other than for acute care. The figures for year ending March 2002 are not yet available.Patients Admitted to Mental Illness Hospitals or Psychiatric Units in Scotland; April 1997 to March 2001¹; all Psychiatric Specialties Excluding Psychiatry of Old Age²

Health Board of Residence³	Year Ending 31 March
Health Board of Residence³	1998	1999	2000	2001^P
Scotland	15,069	15,195	14,978	14,692
Argyll and Clyde	1,671	1,637	1,654	1,598
Ayrshire and Arran	1,266	1,239	1,165	1,115
Borders	307	308	298	301
Dumfries and Galloway	506	467	428	472
Fife	908	918	865	801
Forth Valley	700	691	608	646
Grampian	1,182	1,320	1,243	1,224
Greater Glasgow	2,826	2,861	2,925	2,913
Highland	662	713	717	819
Lanarkshire	1,328	1,360	1,438	1,489
Lothian	2,252	2,249	2,260	1,983
Tayside	1,371	1,424	1,331	1,271
Island Boards	159	87	138	144

Notes:^PProvisional1. Analysis based on year of admission.2. Specialties included are general psychiatry, child psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and learning disability; individuals admitted to the specialty of Psychiatry of Old Age within the four-year period are excluded.3. Health board of residence is that at the time of admission.

Question reference: S1W-31296

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychiatric patients have been admitted to pass beds in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S1W-31299

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any national grievance procedures that NHS boards and trusts need to follow when dealing with representations made by trade unions over the closure of a hospital ward.

NHS boards and trusts have a duty to work in partnership with staff and to consult them on issues that affect them in their working lives. All NHSScotland employers are required to have grievance policies and procedures in place to address employee concerns. National guidance on dealing with employee concerns is set out in the Partnership Information Network Guideline entitled Dealing with employee concerns.

Question reference: S1W-31298

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what process should be followed by NHS boards and trusts prior to the closure of a hospital ward.

Consultation and Public Involvement - Draft Interim Guidance was issued to NHSScotland in May. Central to the guidance is the need to involve patients and the public at an early stage of service change proposals, and in a modern, transparent and productive way. While the interim guidance is subject to a consultation process at present, NHS boards are expected to be able to clearly demonstrate that they have followed these principles for service change proposals.

Question reference: S1W-31257

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2002
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 November 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has allocated money to NHS boards for the implementation of positive appraisals of new drugs by the Scottish Medicine Consortium.