- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S1W-8880, S1W-8892 and S1W-8893 by Henry McLeish on 16 August 2000, how much public money has been expended to date on refurbishment, training and other support in respect of the proposed call centre at Claridge Mill, Selkirk.
Answer
The Scottish Enterprise Borders Annual Report 2000 states that £670,000 has been spent on the refurbishment and training costs at Claridge Mill, Selkirk.Since then, Scottish Enterprise Borders has assisted the company to recruit and train individuals who have been affected by large redundancies by providing training for three individuals, up to a total cost of £7,020. Scottish Enterprise Borders has also contributed 50% funding for training, assessing and testing 11 of the call centre employees who are currently working to acquire their European Computer Driving Licence, at a cost of £3,000.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any drop in tourist income and, if so, what the drop was, expressed as a figure and as a percentage, in (a) Scotland and (b) each tourist board area between (i) 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and (ii) the equivalent period in 2000-01 and 2001-02 to date.
Answer
The information requested in respect of Scotland will be available shortly. The information requested with regard to Area Tourist Board areas is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what current and future target waiting times it has set for an appointment with an audiologist.
Answer
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change sets out the Executive's commitment to ensuring that the patient's journey through the NHS is as swift and responsive as possible, and includes a number of waiting times targets in the priority areas of cancer and coronary heart disease. Although I have no present plans to set national waiting times targets for audiology, reducing waiting is a key priority for NHS Boards and they are currently developing local waiting time standards to reflect local clinical priorities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was made available for tourism promotion (a) in Scotland and (b) to each area tourist board in (i)1999-2000 (ii) 2000-01 and (iii) 2001-02 to date.
Answer
VisitScotland is the national organisation with the remit to promote Scotland as a tourist destination. Its marketing budget for the last three years is as follows:
1999-2000 | £8 million |
2000-01 | £9.5 million |
2001-02 | £18 million |
Information on Area Tourist Boards marketing budgets is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of social work services was to the Scottish Prison Service in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) to date in the current financial year in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms at current prices.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The cost to SPS of Social Work services was:
| | (i) | (ii) |
(a) | £1.9 million | £2.0 million |
(b) | £2.0 million | £2.1 million |
(c) | £2.1 million | £2.1 million |
(d) | Figures not available |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general practitioners provided a medical service in each prison in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:Prior to November 2000 medical services were provided through a variety of contractual arrangements. The number of GPs was variable and not recorded. Since November 2000 medical services have been provided under contract to provide a specified service.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms at current prices of providing general practitioner services to prisons in (i) 1998-99, (ii) 1999-2000 and (iii) 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:On account of the variety of arrangements in place prior to 2000-01 exact costs are not available. Annual costs are estimated to have been about £1.3 million.In November 2000, a single contract was awarded for the provision of medical services to SPS, the costs of which are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether 50 inmates at Glenochil Young Offenders Institution have been decanted to the young offenders institutions at Dumfries and Polmont due to staff shortages as a result of the new staff attendance system and, if so, what action it plans to take, and when, to address this situation.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:A number of young offenders were relocated not as a result of the new staff attendance system, whose effects are beneficial, but as part of the normal operational management of SPS to free up staff for deployment elsewhere.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published.
Answer
It is expected that the consultation paper on the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published early in the New Year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE 1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, whether it is on target to provide a free nursery place for all three-year-olds whose parents want it by April 2002.
Answer
We are currently on target to achieve this commitment. Some local authorities have already reached the necessary level of provision. Our efforts will now be focused on discussions with those authorities that may have the greatest difficulty in reaching the target.
