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: S3W-03081

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 28 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes to the current responsibilities of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are planned and whether any of its current responsibilities will (a) cease or (b) be reallocated to any other body in the public, private or third sector including Scottish Enterprise or the local authorities within the HIE area.

Our prime objectiveis to increase the rate of Scottish economic growth and to ensure that this is sustainable.As a component part of this we want to improve the efficiency and effectivenessof the delivery of economic development activity and we are looking at how the enterprisenetworks, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise, can contribute tothat. The results of this work once completed will be announced in due course.

Question reference: S3W-03079

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 28 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Enterprise about the local enterprise company structure.

Question reference: S3W-03077

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in terms of full university status for the University of the Highlands and Islands, it will look to the example of the University of Cumbria which gained university status from 1 August 2007.

The model which UHIMillennium Institute has based their applications for taught degree-awarding powersand university title on has distinctive characteristics which are different to anyother institution in the UK. Therefore it would not be straightforwardfor UHI Millennium Institute to use the University of Cumbria, or any other institution, as an example in gaining university title.

The power to grantconsent for the use of university title lies with the Privy Council under section49 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. UHI Millennium Institute’s applications are with the UK UniversitiesQuality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and its Advisory Committee onDegree Awarding Powers (ACDAP). The criteria applied by QAA to the University ofCumbria in assessing its suitability for university status will also be appliedto UHI Millennium Institute.

The Scottish Executivecontinues to support UHI Millennium Institute in its aspiration for university titleand officials are working closely with UHI Millennium Institute, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Quality Assurance Agencyand the Scottish Funding Council.

Question reference: S3W-01893

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 31 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make ferry services from the mainland to the Western Isles more affordable.

Question reference: S3W-01906

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the week that Victim Support Scotland is holding a conference to raise awareness of the impact of crime on young people, what new initiatives the Scottish Government will bring forward to support victims

The information requested isshown in the following tables:

(a) Influenza Uptake for 2006-07 (Patients 65 and Over) –All Scotland Summary

NHS Board	Patients over 65 years	Patients vaccinated	Percentage Achieved
Ayrshire and Arran	67,408	51,049	75.73%
Borders	19,301	15,174	78.62%
Dumfries and Galloway	29,953	22,611	75.49%
Fife	53,050	40,786	76.88%
Forth Valley	43,578	34,394	78.93%
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	183,077	135,979	74.27%
Grampian	69,778	52,357	75.03%
Highland	44,864	33,495	74.66%
Lanarkshire	81,195	58,336	71.85%
Lothian	89,032	69,082	77.59%
Orkney	1,862	1,385	74.38%
Shetland	227	171	75.33%
Tayside	71,693	53,386	74.46%
Western Isles	5,424	3,365	62.04%
All Scotland	760,442	571,570	75.16%

Note: Figures taken fromPractitioner Services Division claims for payment for vaccinating over 65’sunder the GMS contract. Figures exclude a small number of Section 17c andsalaried GP practices.

(b) Influenza Vaccination Uptake for 2006-07 (Patients SixMonths to 65 Years at Risk) to 31 January 2007

NHS Board	At Risk Population Identified	At Risk Patients Vaccinated	Percentage Achieved
Ayrshire and Arran	39,520	14,597	36.90%
Borders	7,780	2,869	36.90%
Dumfries and Galloway	13,545	5,004	36.90%
Fife	31,687	12,585	39.70%
Forth Valley	20,286	8,928	44.00%
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	108,691	40,870	37.60%
Grampian	36,422	14,979	41.10%
Highland	26,417	9,049	34.30%
Lanarkshire	40,411	14,406	35.60%
Lothian	59,076	21,266	36.00%
Orkney	842	589	70.00%
Shetland	1,429	541	37.90%
Tayside	23,699	9,141	38.60%
Western Isles	2,752	1,142	41.50%
Totals for Patients Identified	412,557	155,966	37.80%

Note: Figures taken from returnsmade to Health Protection Scotland by approximately 60% of GP practices.

Question reference: S3W-01503

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve access to NHS dentistry in Lochaber.

Question reference: S3W-01888

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007

Question reference: S3W-01886

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are working on detailed design work for dualling the A9.

Question reference: S3W-01890

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Highland Council over the adoption of the trunk link road in Inverness as an official trunk road.

My officials in TransportScotland have had regular discussion with HighlandCouncil representatives about their proposals for the B8082 Inverness Southern DistributorRoad (trunk link road), including the possibility of trunking the route. Formalwritten approaches were made earlier this year by the Chairman of Highland Council’sTransport, Environment and Community Services Committee and senior officers in HighlandCouncil asking about the possibility of trunking the route.

I shall await theoutcome of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) before taking any decisionon the issue of trunking and funding. The STPR will consider the need for alternativesto the existing trunk routes through Inverness as a strategic transport hub andthis will take account of the work undertaken by Highlands Council on the InvernessSouth Connectivity Study which includes the Inverness Southern Distributor Road.

Question reference: S3W-01891

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first approached by the Highland Council to request the adoption of the trunk link road in Inverness as a trunk road.