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-14590

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take any action following the Department of Health's guidance on the Carson review of standards for out-of-hours care and access to medicines.

Question reference: S2W-14592

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce a Scotland-wide out-of-hours formulary.

Question reference: S2W-14591

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued regarding out-of-hours access to medication.

Question reference: S2W-14617

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what new burdens were placed on NHS Grampian as part of its recent uplift in central funding and what the estimated cost is of these.

The recently announced increase in general allocations for NHS boards for 2005-06 takes account of pay and price pressures and increases in the cost of prescribed drugs. NHS Grampian received a general allocation of £547.91 million for 2005-06, an increase of 7% over the equivalent allocation for 2004-05. This level of funding, together with locally generated efficiency savings, will enable the board to continue to meet the health care needs of its resident population, taking account of pay and price pressures, including increases in the cost of prescribed drugs.

Question reference: S2W-14370

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue has been generated through speed cameras in the last three years, broken down by police force.

The information available, relating to paid fixed penalties collected by safety camera partnerships that have joined the Scottish Safety Camera Programme since it was first piloted in 2001-02, is shown in the following table. However, information is not held centrally on any fines that may have been levied in respect of any cameras not operated by partnerships.

Partnership	2001-02 £000	2002-03 £000	2003-04 £000
Strathclyde	861	1,670	3,454
Fife	-	422	619
North East	-	278,	1,013
Lothian and Borders	-	-	1,617
Tayside	-	-	388
Dumfries and Galloway	-	-	545

Notes:

1. Figures given are for partnerships from the date they joined the Safety Camera Programme. The figure for the Dumfries and Galloway Partnership in 2003-04has still to be finally audited. Northern joined the Programme in July 2004. Central Scotland is not currently part of the Programme. The partnerships in the table expanded or joined the Programme as indicated below.

2. In 2001-02, Strathclyde included only Glasgow City Council area.

3. In 2002-2003, Strathclyde expanded to cover four local authority areas; Fife joined the Programme in April 2002 and the North East Partnership joined in October 2002.

4. In 2003-2004, Strathclyde expanded to 12 local authority areas; Dumfries and Galloway joined the Programme in July 2003, Lothian and Borders in July 2003 and Tayside in July 2003.

Question reference: S2W-14368

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new beat officers have been recruited in the last three years, broken down by police force.

Decisions on the deployment of officers between community, response and other roles are operational matters for each Chief Constable and as such, this information is not held centrally. The number of police officers recruited over the last three years by force area is shown in the following table.

Force	31 March 2002	31 March 2003	31 March 2004
Central	16	49	40
Dumfries and Galloway	23	19	24
Fife	94	61	84
Grampian	56	67	125
Lothian and Borders	157	131	198
Northern	45	30	31
Strathclyde	312	446	415
Tayside	67	47	49
Total	770	850	966

Source: Annual Statistical Returns from forces to Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary.

Question reference: S2W-14155

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new Scottish Health Council will be appointed.

Question reference: S2W-14176

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all facilities supported or run by it meet the requirements of the new disabled access legislation and, if not, when the necessary work will be carried out and how much it will cost.

We take our responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) as an employer and service provider very seriously. Since October 2004, the DDA requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to the physical feature of their premises if it would otherwise be unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use their services. Reasonable adjustments depend on the circumstances and needs of the individual disabled person.

The Scottish Executive has been investing in accessibility improvements in itscore buildings since 1995. £400,000 has been committed in 2004-05 to essential projects to improve access and provide auxiliary aids for disabled people across the Executive’s core estate. Further improvements in these areas are planned for 2005-06.

As a service provider, employer, and Jobcentre Plus Disability Symbol User, the Executive has, and will, continue to make all necessary reasonable adjustments for disabled people and individual members of staff, in line with its obligations under the act.

Question reference: S2W-14156

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new Scottish Health Council will commence delivery of its remit.

Question reference: S2W-14160

Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 February 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive why the new Scottish Health Council will no longer provide advice and support for those seeking to complain to an NHS board.