- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources will be available to NHS boards to make up for time spent by consultant psychiatrists before the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.
Answer
Together with the record resources available to NHS boards additional funds have been allocated and announced to help deliver the provisions of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 as follows:
| | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| (£ Million) | 0.950 | 4.755 | 5.080 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
It is for NHS boards in consultation with their partners, to determine how best to use the resources available to them, including consideration of support for consultant psychiatrists.
We have commissioned a study into the operation of the tribunal, the tasks which different professional groups complete as part of the process and the time contributions made. The study will report in autumn 2006.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for a compulsory treatment order have not been heard by a tribunal panel because the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland was unable to provide a panel to hear the application, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
Since the establishment of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland there have been no cases where the tribunal has been unable to provide a panel to hear an application.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 21 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action it has taken to use the Tartan Day celebrations in New York to attract people, particularly expatriate Scots, to live and work in Scotland.
Answer
The 2006 Tartan Day programme will include a large number of events that will showcase Scotland as a place to visit, live and work. The Executive works with private, public and voluntary sector bodies in Scotland and in the USA to co-ordinate the programme.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy position is in respect of oversight of the use of DNA profiles exported from Scotland to the National DNA Database.
Answer
Management and oversight of the National DNA Database is a matter for the UK Government.
Scottish interests arerepresented on the National DNA Database Board by the Deputy Chief Constable ofTayside Police, Willie Bald, who is a member of the board.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of research projects which have been approved by the National DNA Database Board using DNA profiles or DNA samples collected in Scotland since 1995.
Answer
The Scottish Executive isaware of nine research projects that have been approved by the National DNADatabase Board. None of these will have used DNA samples collected by Scottishpolice forces as the National DNA Database does not hold such samples.Information is not held regarding how many of the projects used DNA profilescollected by Scottish police forces.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 6 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of research projects involving behavioural genetics which have been approved by the National DNA Database Board using DNA profiles or DNA samples collected in Scotland since 1995.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any such research projects.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with the statement by the Office of Fair Trading in paragraph 26 of its decision on the proposed acquisition of Ottakar’s book stores, published in December 2005, that there is “no evidence to suggest that Scotland should be looked at as a distinct geographic market” and, if so, what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22649 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it, or any of its agencies, made to the Competition Commission’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of Ottakar’s book stores by HMV/Waterstones.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22649 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it, or any of its agencies, made to the Office of Fair Trading’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of Ottakar’s book stores by HMV/Waterstones.
Answer
As I advised during the Ottaker’s takeover debate on 9 November 2005, competition policy, including that on mergers and takeovers, is a reserved issue. Not only is it reserved, but the United Kingdom Government has ceded mergers and takeover policy to the equally independent competition authorities: the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission, which operate free from Government interference.
The Enterprise Act 2002 means that ministers, both in Westminster and in Holyrood, are removed from competition decisions. We have no power to intervene in any takeover or merger, even if we were minded to do so. Mergers and takeovers are matters for the competition authorities to consider and make recommendations on—it is for them and them alone to decide.
Notwithstanding the constitutional position, my officials, at my instruction, notified OFT of the debate in the Scottish Parliament and also provide them with the link to the official report
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21465 by Tavish Scott on 19 December 2005, whether it considers that other organisations, such as the City of Edinburgh Council, should contribute to the costs of Phase 2 of the upgrade and refurbishment of Waverley Station and, if so, which organisations.
Answer
Whilst a number of options are being considered, further work is required and no decisions have been taken on Waverley Phase 2. Therefore, we would not expect any organisations, including our own to commit funding at this early stage.
