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-07148

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many neonatal intensive care units there are in each health board.

Information is collected centrally about neonatal facilities, not specifically about neonatal intensive care units; babies requiring intensive care are normally treated in such facilities. The following table shows the average number of staffed beds in neonatal facilities for each NHS Hospital in Scotland:

	Average available staffed beds
Aberdeen Maternity Hospital	40
Ayrshire Central & Maternity Hospital	25
Bellshill Maternity Hospital	34
Cresswell Maternity Hospital	12
Dr Gray's Hospital	4
Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary	12
Forth Park Hospital	20
Inverclyde Royal Hospital	7
Law Hospital	10
Ninewells Hospital	24
Perth Royal Infirmary	10
Queen Mother's Hospital	29
Raigmore Hospital	20
Royal Alexandra Hospital	12
Royal Maternity Hospital, Glasgow	33
Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion	45
Southern General Hospital	16
St John's Hospital at Howden	14
Stirling Royal Infirmary	5
Vale of Leven District General Hospital	8
Scotland	380

Source: ISD Scotland [Form ISD(S)1].

Notes:

Figures are as at 31 March 2000 and are provisional.

Excludes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.

Question reference: S1W-07151

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve outcomes for babies born prematurely.

The Public Health White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland addresses some of the antecedent causes of low birth weight and prematurity including smoking.

The Scottish Executive together with the Scottish Programme for Clinical Effectiveness in Reproductive Health (SPCERH) the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives is taking forward a number of studies into issues around prematurity. These include: the Scottish Still Births and Infant Deaths survey to look at the incidence and any antecedent causes of prematurity and the Confidential Enquiry into Sudden Deaths of Infants study into babies born at 27 and 28 weeks. SPCERH have produced guidelines on the management of pre-term foetus, pre-eclampsia and non-proteinuria hypertension, all of which can be associated with premature delivery.

The Chief Nursing Officer is chairing a Maternity Services Reference Group which is looking at the development of a National Services Framework for the delivery of maternity services in Scotland and this will look at all aspects of maternity care and will report in autumn 2000.

Question reference: S1W-07360

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make people travelling abroad on business or holiday pay the full cost of necessary vaccinations.

Question reference: S1W-07150

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what mortality and morbidity rates are for infants born prematurely, by health board, for the last years for which figures are available.

The table below shows the mortality rates for infants born prematurely. Information on morbidity for all pre-term infants is not available from current data sources.

	Pre-term Livebirths^{1, 2}			Pre-term Infant Deaths^{1, 2}			Pre-term Infant Death Rates ^{1 2 3}
Health Board of Residence	1996	1997	1998	1996	1997	1998	1996	1997	1998
Argyll and Clyde	330	338	339	24	16	18	72.7	47.3	53.1
Ayrshire and Arran	292	304	261	13	10	10	44.5	32.9	38.3
Borders	72	74	66	2	3	5	*	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	107	90	85	8	3	3	*	*	*
Fife	260	256	298	15	10	8	57.7	39.1	*
Forth valley	196	193	208	14	8	13	71.4	*	62.5
Grampian	385	386	433	13	16	25	33.8	41.5	57.7
Greater Glasgow	801	832	815	47	38	34	58.7	45.7	41.7
Highland	128	161	163	7	4	9	*	*	*
Lanarkshire	475	446	446	32	27	15	67.4	60.5	33.6
Lothian	656	646	563	31	21	30	47.3	32.5	53.3
Orkney	8	10	8	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shetland	16	21	18	0	0	1	0	0	*
Tayside	303	307	305	10	6	12	33	*	39.3
Western Isles	10	9	13	0	0	0	0	0	0
Scotland	4,039	4,073	4,021	216	162	183	53.5	39.8	45.5

Notes.

1. Pre-term is defined as less than 37 weeks gestation.

2. Infant deaths are live-born who die within the first year of life.

3. Rate per 1,000 pre-term live births.

* Rates are not shown for less than 10 deaths

Question reference: S1W-07146

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5914 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 May 2000, why Glasgow City Council's share of capital investment in council housing fell from 21.7% of Scotland's total in 1996-97 to 15.1% in 1999-2000.

Question reference: S1W-05994

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive why it will not introduce water and sewerage rebates for people on low incomes.

Question reference: S1W-07680

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether whole life asset management rather than just road maintenance is required to link communities effectively and promote social and economic development.

Question reference: S1W-07681

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider revising flood defence legislation to take account of river catchment areas rather than local authority boundaries.

The Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 provides for local authorities to take measures for the prevention or mitigation of flooding of non-agricultural land in their area. The Act already allows for the exercise of these powers by a local authority to take place on land outwith their area. There are therefore no restrictions now to prevent local authorities working together on a catchment basis.

In addition, guidance contained within National Planning Policy Guideline 7 advocates wide consultation and encourages the creation of Flood Appraisal Groups. A number of such groups have been formed, some based on catchment considerations rather than local authority boundaries.

Question reference: S1W-07739

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to eliminate any constraints on small business growth.

The Scottish Executive is committed to creating a culture of enterprise and a sustainable business environment with higher levels of productivity and employment. Working with our economic development agencies we have a range of policies and measures in place to provide new and existing small businesses with the support they need to develop and grow.

These include the £12 million Business Growth Fund which provides loan funding to businesses unable to access finance from established sources; Business Mentoring Scotland - a new scheme designed to provide firms with growth potential with the benefits of an experienced business mentor; and the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit established to ensure that the regulatory environment is alert to small firms needs. In addition, our Small Business Consultative Group ensures direct and continuing dialogue between the Scottish Executive and the small business community.

But we want to do more to support the small business community. We are determined to improve the quality and consistency of support to small business by providing easier access to a new, improved and more consistent range of services. I plan to announce details soon.

Question reference: S1W-07737

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 22 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has carried out into any impact on the number of rough sleepers which the removal of benefit for 16 and 17-year-olds may have had.

No specific assessment has been undertaken. The Homelessness Task Force, which I chair, is taking a wide-ranging look at the underlying nature and causes of homelessness and as part of our programme of work we will be considering youth homelessness and benefit issues. Responsibility for the payment of benefit is a matter for the Department of Social Security, which is represented on the task force.