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-15520

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new cases of diabetes have been reported through the NHS in each of the last 25 years and, of these, how many have been reported in children.

Comprehensive data on the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes in Scotland is currently not available, other than for children with type 1 diabetes; see table.

New Cases of Type 1 Diabetes in Children: 1984-2003

Year	New Cases	Incidence Per 100,000
1984	231	22.7
1985	215	21.5
1986	202	20.6
1987	211	21.9
1988	214	22.4
1989	231	24.2
1990	219	22.9
1991	220	23.0
1992	251	26.0
1993	251	25.9
1994	236	24.3
1995	283	29.4
1996	252	26.4
1997	271	28.6
1998	273	29.0
1999	290	31.1
2000	287	31.2
2001	301	33.3
2002	294	33.0
2003	311	35.4

Source: Scottish Study Group for the Care of the Young Diabetic.

National estimates of the numbers of people consulting GPs for diabetes, since 1998, can be given based on the number of patients seen for the condition in general medical practices participating in PTI (Practice Team Information). PTI data are obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices whose population is broadly representative of the Scottish population in terms of age, sex, deprivation category and rural/urban mix.

The estimated number of new GP diagnoses of diabetes in Scotland, based on PTI data, is shown in the following table, for the years 1998–2003. The PTI estimated figures are likely to be an underestimate of the true number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes in Scotland as the estimates relate solely to persons who have consulted a GP concerning their diabetes. Patients who are managed entirely by secondary care services for their diabetes, or who are seen exclusively by the practice nurse, will not be counted.

Estimated Annual Number of Patients with a First GP Diagnosis of Diabetes in Children (15 Years and Under) and Persons of All Ages; Years Ending 31 December 1998–2003

Year	Estimated Number of First GP Diagnoses
	15 Years and Under	All Ages
1998	220	15,400
1999	300	12,400
2000	310	14,700
2001	210	15,500
2002	190	15,100
2003	250	14,400

Question reference: S2W-15571

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the staff turnover figures for each prison in each of the last six years.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Figures are not available before 2000.

	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05
Aberdeen	5	11	9	15	14
Barlinnie	32	38	28	32	31
Castle Huntly	4	1	2	4	1
Cornton Vale	20	24	16	19	17
Dumfries	6	7	9	7	9
Edinburgh	29	44	30	23	26
Glenochil	12	23	9	12	10
Greenock	14	10	12	12	9
Inverness	5	14	6	6	8
Low Moss	3	12	10	7	3
Noranside	3	3	4	1	1
Perth	17	30	25	18	24
Peterhead	17	31	12	9	12
Polmont	14	21	19	15	14
Shotts	14	35	14	19	23”

Question reference: S2W-15578

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the only investigation into the procedures for suicide watches in HM Prison Kilmarnock is the one being carried out internally by Premier Prison Services and, if so, why the Executive has not ordered an independent inquiry.

Question reference: S2W-15379

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to local authorities (a) has been in the last five years and (b) will be in the next five years to administer and process applications for eligibility for free school meals and whether such administration and processing costs have been included in any previous answers to questions on the cost of the free school meals programme.

The Scottish Executive provides local authorities with funding to administer their school meals service. Administrative costs vary between authorities depending on local priorities, with different authorities allocating different elements and amounts of expenditure to school meals. This information is not held centrally by the Executive.

The estimated total cost of free school meals for the last five years was as follows: £33.4 million in 1999-00; £29.3 million in 2000-01; £28.7 million in 2001-02; £27.5 million in 2002-03, and £29 million in 2003-04. The Executive does not make projections regarding the cost of free school meals for future years.

Question reference: S2W-15512

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether action should be taken in respect of any criminal activity within HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Question reference: S2W-15556

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the fatal accident inquiry into the death of James Barclay in HM Prison Kilmarnock in January 2002 did not report until March 2005 and what the reasons are for the length of time taken to report.

Question reference: S2W-15550

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the fairness of prison officers cited in the fatal accident inquiry report by Sheriff Colin McKay on the death of James Barclay in HM Prison Kilmarnock in January 2002 having been punished but Premier Prison Services having received no penalty for negligence.

Question reference: S2W-15555

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any guidelines on how long a fatal accident inquiry can, or should, take to report; if so, what the guidelines are, and, if not, what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Question reference: S2W-15513

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it prioritises resources between arrests for minor offences, such as crossing a double white line on a road, and police action in respect of falsification of information within a prison in relation to suicide watches.

Question reference: S2W-15572

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many officers have been dismissed for disciplinary offences in each prison in each of the last five years.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The figures shown in the table reflect dismissals in the establishments stated.

Establishment	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Aberdeen	0	0	0	0
Barlinnie	2	0	0	3
Castle Huntly	1	0	0	0
Cornton Vale	0	1	0	1
Dumfries	0	0	0	2
Edinburgh	0	1	1	0
Glenochil	0	0	0	0
Greenock	1	4	0	0
Inverness	0	0	0	0
Low Moss	1	1	0	0
Noranside	0	0	0	0
Perth	0	1	1	2
Peterhead	1	0	0	0
Polmont	3	0	0	0
Shotts	1	1	0	0”