- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17849 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 1 October 2001, whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government to establish why figures on defence research contract expenditure in Scotland are not available.
Answer
Defence Research contract expenditure in Scotland is not available because the Ministry of Defence's Defence Analytical Services Agency does not calculate the breakdown of research and development (R&D) spending on a regional basis. Due to the increasingly complex nature of the sub-contracting and partnering arrangements that permeate defence expenditure in this field, it is not possible to provide authoritative data on the regional breakdown of R&D spending without disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18216 by Iain Gray on 1 October 2001, whether any of the emergency exercises involving nuclear accidents related to nuclear waste travelling by road or rail and, if so, when and where they took place.
Answer
There was a multi-agency table-top exercise on 14 June 2000 at the Scottish Police College which postulated an accident involving a train carrying nuclear waste.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence on the long-term future of Glencorse Barracks.
Answer
No. Discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are conducted on a confidential basis.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 15 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for a tonsillectomy at (a) Vale of Leven Hospital and (b) Royal Alexandra Hospital in the period 1 January 2001 to 31 August 2001.
Answer
Provisional figures for the year ending 31 March 2001 show that the median waiting times for tonsillectomies at Vale of Leven Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital were 161 days and 55 days respectively.
Waiting times for routine tonsillectomy operations have increased in recent months due to the need for these procedures to be undertaken with single-use, disposable instruments.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18001 by Iain Gray on 25 September 2001, whether it will detail the purpose and nature of each exercise and the numbers of civilians and/or service personnel involved.
Answer
All nuclear exercises postulate either a threat or actual release of radiation, not that this is deemed likely to occur, but because it provides the best test of procedures amongst the widest range of participants. Large numbers of civilian and service personnel are involved throughout the exercise programme, but as these "players" are taking part from a wide range of organisations at dispersed locations across Scotland, the actual numbers taking part are not readily available.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17702 by Rhona Brankin on 19 September 2001, whether it will name the groups and individuals consulted on the matter of formal decision-making powers for fisheries regional management committees.
Answer
I have had numerous such discussions and consultations. Normally this subject would be discussed as part of a wider agenda. Records are not held that would enable a precise response to the question.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18058 by Iain Gray on 25 September 2001, whether it has any plans to record biographical information for all prisoners.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
Yes, the SPS records essential biographical information on prisoners including date of birth, address, next of kin name, address and relationship, and if available, present employment. SPS is currently reviewing its computerised prisoner record system to take account of future needs.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children identified as having Waardenburg Syndrome have a Record of Needs, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not available centrally. A minority of children with Waardenburg's Syndrome have serious hearing problems, and they would be treated in the same way as children who have hearing loss from other causes. Apart from hearing loss, children with this rare genetic condition do not usually have particular health problems.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of Waardenburg syndrome have been identified in each health board area in each of the last five years, specifying the ages at which cases have been identified.
Answer
The information is not available centrally.
- Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 4 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that all answers to parliamentary questions and letters from MSPs are detailed, informed and transparent and that the minimum constraints on providing information are imposed.
Answer
In answering parliamentary questions and letters from MSPs, ministers have regard to the Scottish Ministerial Code, which provides that ministers should be as open as possible with the Parliament, and to the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information.
