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-15184

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which persons or bodies it has designated as Scottish public authorities under section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S2W-15183

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to include offices or organisations not currently listed.

Question reference: S2W-15187

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which PPP/PFI operators it considers are providing a service that could be considered to be a function of a Scottish public authority, as defined in section 3 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S2W-15185

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to designate any persons or bodies as Scottish public authorities under Section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S2W-15186

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will designate Premier Custodial Group Ltd, as operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock, as a Scottish public authority under section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S2W-15775

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 6 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-283 by Cathy Jamieson on 4 June 2003, what issues might arise in designating the operator of HM Prison Kilmarnock as a public authority under section 5 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, given its position that such designation would not constitute prison legislation altering the costs incurred by the contractor.

Question reference: S2W-16211

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available for employers in respect of provision for learning English as a second language.

The majority of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision in Scotland, as elsewhere, is learner-centred. However, we recognise the benefits to employers of a highly skilled and flexible workforce, which includes fluent communication skills and improving English language skills where appropriate. There are a number of examples of provision which is closely linked to specific employers or sectors, such as work shadowing and “into work” programmes.

Recent research on ESOL provision in Scotland, commissioned by the Scottish Executive, highlighted the merits of such close working between ESOL practitioners, employers and others. The research notes examples of successful schemes involving colleges, the Enterprise Networks, local authorities, Jobcentre Plus, and racial equality councils, and including funding from a number of sources, such as local enterprise companies, European Structural Funds and the Scottish Executive.

A forthcoming consultation paper will set out a draft ESOL strategy for Scotland. Implicit in the paper’s vision and principles will be the need for provision which supports learners into, and within, the workplace.

Question reference: S2W-16068

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female alcohol-related deaths there have been in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board.

The information requested is given in the following table.

Alcohol related deaths ¹, by health board area and sex, 1997- 2003

NHS Board Area	Sex	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Scotland	Male	600	634	711	791	861	924	947
	Female	251	278	302	338	358	397	395
Argyll and Clyde	Male	79	75	81	102	102	122	121
	Female	23	36	28	32	42	33	35
Ayrshire and Arran	Male	57	34	39	51	52	57	65
	Female	29	19	24	26	24	29	29
Borders	Male	3	7	5	6	6	7	5
	Female	3	2	4	2	7	7	6
Dumfries and Galloway	Male	8	9	8	8	16	11	16
	Female	6	9	2	9	5	11	9
Fife	Male	16	23	31	48	37	47	31
	Female	6	13	15	17	13	21	21
Forth Valley	Male	25	20	27	31	34	35	36
	Female	11	11	12	19	17	18	18
Grampian	Male	36	44	47	58	67	50	56
	Female	12	12	21	22	21	23	19
Greater Glasgow	Male	172	198	218	222	250	267	261
	Female	73	73	72	83	97	104	109
Highland	Male	29	27	26	40	28	35	30
	Female	9	5	13	17	15	22	18
Lanarkshire	Male	52	75	88	81	83	93	108
	Female	28	37	34	29	35	56	45
Lothian	Male	83	73	91	95	114	127	126
	Female	30	40	44	61	56	44	46
Orkney	Male	3	2	2	5	7	3	5
	Female					1	1	1
Shetland	Male	1	2	1	1	4	1	1
	Female	3	1			1		1
Tayside	Male	34	40	42	40	59	61	78
	Female	17	20	31	21	23	27	33
Western Isles	Male	2	5	5	3	2	8	8
	Female	1		2		1	1	5

¹ Causes of death included:

a) Mentaland behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol

b)Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

c)Alcoholic liver disease

Our Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems published in 2002set out an integrated programme of preventative work,, education, treatment,protection and controls all designed to change Scotland's drinking cultures. This Plan is currently being updatedand will be submitted for approval by the new Ministerial Working Group onAlcohol.

Key initiatives detailed in the new Plan to combatalcohol-related deaths include:

· Additionalfunding (circ £5m p.a.) for alcohol treatment services across Scotland

· Work with NHSQuality Improvement Scotland to better implement SIGN guidelines and therecommendations of the recent HTBs assessment to improve service quality

· Improvedinformation systems and an alcohol research programme

· Enhancedcommunication and education programmes providing better information on thehealth effects of alcohol

These will supplement existing developments at national andlocal level, including:

· The provisionsin the new licensing bill to tackle underage and binge drinking

· Work with thepolice and other agencies to support designed "safe" places to helpshort term recovery

· Training for barstaff through Servewise and training for medical and other practitionersthrough STRADA

· Drinkline telephone service for advice on alcohol problems.

Question reference: S2W-16095

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what performance-related revenue deductions have been incurred by HM Prison Kilmarnock's operator under its contract in each quarter of the prison's operation.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:Relevant information up toYear 5, Quarter 3 were in my answer to S2W-7756 answered on 7 May 2004. Allanswers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Subsequent information is:

Year 5, Quarter 4: £16,239

Year 6, Quarter 1: Nil

Year 6, Quarter 2: £5,738

Year 6, Quarter 3: Nil

Year 6, Quarter 4: Nil.

Question reference: S2W-16107

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the progress of the operation of the contract for HM Prison Kilmarnock in comparison with the financial projection contained in Schedule P to Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock.