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-19245

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the report of the study carried out by the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health in Finland which states that the mortality rate for women asociated with abortions is three times the rate for women associated with childbirth and what comparative figures it has for Scotland.

The Executive is aware of the existence of this study. All UK health departments are advised on issues relating to abortion by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which will take all good quality published studies into account in the next review of the college’s evidence-based good practice clinical guideline on the care of women seeking induced abortion.

Abortion, both medical and surgical, is a very safe procedure and deaths following abortion are extremely rare. In the UK it is a requirement that all maternal deaths should be subject to confidential enquiry and all health professionals have a duty to provide the information required. Reports on such enquiries are published on a UK basis.

The triennial report on Confidential Enquires into Maternal Deaths in the UK for the period 2000 to 2002, the last figures available, showed that three maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy were reported out of approximately 590,000 abortions performed. This works out at a rate of approximately five deaths per million abortions, compared with 53 deaths per million births.

Question reference: S2W-18522

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 9 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17992 by Mr Andy Kerr on 15 August 2005, why, in light of the mandatory requirement for NHS bodies to carry out trawl procedures, it did not give a positive response to the question.

Question reference: S2W-18481

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding each EU country has received for town-twinning support in each of the last five years and what proportion of the United Kingdom's share has been allocated to Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-18480

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what total sum has been available to all EU countries from the EU budget for town-twinning support in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S2W-18477

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish towns or cities have twinning links with other EU towns or cities.

Question reference: S2W-18478

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it has provided in each of the last five years to encourage links between Scottish and EU citizens through town-twinning arrangements

Question reference: S2W-18479

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding Scottish towns and cities have attracted in each of the last five years from EU funding available for encouraging contact through twinning arrangements and what proportion of sums paid to the United Kingdom as a whole this represents.

Question reference: S2W-18523

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17992 by Mr Andy Kerr on 15 August 2005, what monitoring of mandatory trawl procedures it undertakes.

In return for the operational independence holding bodies now have in respect of property transactions, they are monitored on their implementation of the procedures contained in the NHSScotland Property Transactions Handbook. The Scottish Executive does not undertake any monitoring of individual transactions including, for example, compliance with mandatory trawl procedures as this is a function of the audit process conducted within each holding body.

Audit Committees are responsible for the oversight of the internal audit programme and are responsible for reporting to health boards.

NHSScotland holding bodies are required to submit to the department annual monitoring reports which provide an overview of each holding body’s performance in managing property transactions completed that year and which highlight instances where the procedures detailed in the Property Transactions Handbook have not been followed. This would include instances where trawl procedures have not been undertaken in accordance with the handbook and if appropriate actions have not been agreed between the internal auditor and the board to remedy such a situation then the department would intercede to ensure that procedures are put in place to ensure compliance with the Property Transactions Handbook.

Question reference: S2W-17998

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is normal procedure for the NHS to include clawback clauses in contracts of sale of land or property.

It is not normal practice forclawback clauses to be included when concluding missives for the sale of surplusNHSScotland property.

However, in every disposal NHSScotlandbodies are required to consider, in the light of professional advice, whether clawback/rightof pre-emption or other provisions covering future change of use should be includedin the disposition as part of the terms of sale. Where the planning position isuncertain or enquiries regarding the planning consents likely to be granted havenot been satisfactorily resolved the use of such provisions must be considered.Advice from the property adviser and where appointed the independent valuerwill be critical in deciding what safeguards are put in place.

Question reference: S2W-18000

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the disposal of NHS land and property achieves full value.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual(SPFM), issued by Scottish ministers, provides guidance to the Scottish Executiveand other relevant bodies on the proper handlingof public funds, including property. The SPFM includes detailed guidance on thedisposal of surplus property and this guidance is replicated in the NHSScotlandProperty Transaction Handbook which is provided as a ready source of reference forall NHSScotland bodies.

NHSScotland bodies are free toconclude property transactions without reference to the Health Department unlessparticular circumstances require notification to and the approval of the AccountableOfficer. However, they are required to adhere to the guidance contained in thehandbook which includes not only the mandatory requirements with which bodies mustcomply but also guidance on best practice in managing property transactions.

One of the principal means bywhich the department ensures that full value is achieved is by the requirement fora property adviser, an appropriately qualified external adviser, to be appointedfor every transaction. The property adviser assumes overall responsibility for advisingon the non-legal aspects of a transaction. In major or potentially difficult transactionsan Independent Valuer must be appointed as a second source of independent professionaladvice.

It also places responsibilityon NHSScotland bodies for ensuring that on completion each transaction is duly certified.The purpose of certification is to ensure that the responsibility for property transactionsgiven to NHSScotland bodies is properly recognised and acted upon by bodies’chief executives who are ultimately responsible for the overall management of allproperty transactions.

Finally all transactions aresubject to monitoring as part of each body’s internal audit programme and completedreports are submitted to the Health Department for consideration. And any furtheraction deemed appropriate.