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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-24054

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive where the in-patient mental health capacity that was to be provided by the secure unit at Dykebar Hospital has been accommodated.

Question reference: S3W-23825

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the strength was of Strathclyde police force in May 2008, broken down by division.

Question reference: S3W-23821

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the officer allocation was for each division in Strathclyde Police before the allocation model was recalculated in July 2008.

Police officer establishments are a matter for police authorities and chief constables.

The Scottish Government does not hold details of officer allocations at divisional level. Figures on the number of police officers per force are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis each quarter. The figures to 31 December 2008 were published on 3 March 2009 and are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838). On 31 December 2008 there were 7,955 police officers in Strathclyde Police.

Question reference: S3W-23826

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the strength is of Strathclyde police force, broken down by division.

Question reference: S3W-23824

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new recruits have been employed by Strathclyde Police since July 2008, broken down by division.

Police officer establishments are a matter for police authorities and chief constables.

The Scottish Government does not hold details of officer recruitment at divisional level.

Her Majesty''s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland collate force level annual figures on recruitment from Scottish Forces and these are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/Police/local/15403/Statistical.

Question reference: S3W-23283

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the incidents of Clostridium difficile since the outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital was identified in May 2008, broken down by hospital and showing the number of people infected and subsequent fatalities.

An incident of Clostridium difficile is defined by NHS boards as (a) two or more linked cases of the same strain of Clostridium difficile in the same clinical area (i.e. ward) or (b) where case numbers breach what is referred to as the statistical upper control limit for a specific clinical area. NHS board infection control teams ensure that all newly identified cases of Clostridium difficile are appropriately managed in relation to the prevention and control of infection.

The detail of all incidents of Clostridium difficile since May 2008, as provided by NHS boards using the definitions above, are presented in the following table. The dates of those incidents listed have not been included to preserve the anonymity of the patients concerned.

Board	Total Number of Incidents Per Board Area	Hospital	Numbers of Positive Cases Per Hospital	Deaths Where Clostridium Difficile Shown As
Board	Total Number of Incidents Per Board Area	Hospital	Numbers of Positive Cases Per Hospital	Primary Cause	Contributory Cause
Ayrshire and Arran	14	Ayr	3	-	1
			6	-	1
			4	1	-
			4	-	-
			3	-	-
			6	-	-
			3	-	-
		Ayrshire Central	3	-	-
		Biggart	4	1	-
		Crosshouse	3	-	-
			6	-	-
			5	-	-
		Davidson	4	-	-
		East Ayrshire Community	3	-	-
Borders	-	-	-	-	-
Dumfries and Galloway	1	Lochmaben	3	-	1
Fife	1	Queen Margaret	6	-	1
Forth Valley	-	-	-	-	-
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	4	Royal Alexandria	8	-	2
		Victoria Infirmary	5	-	3
		Gartnavel	6	1	1
		Gartnavel	5	-	-
Golden Jubilee	-	-	-	-	-
Grampian	1	Dr Gray''s Hospital	17*	1	1
Highland	1	Caithness	7	-	2
Lanarkshire	-	-	-	-	-
Lothian	-	-	-	-	-
Orkney	1	Balfour	6	-	2
Shetland	-	-	-	-	-
Tayside	3	Arbroath Infirmary	3	-	-
		Ninewells	11	-	-
		Perth Royal Infirmary	6	-	-
Western Isles	-	-	-	-	-
Total	26		140	4	15

Note: *This is a current outbreak and the number of cases may change from the figure provided.

Question reference: S3W-23494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 18 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic value is of golf tourism.

Question reference: S3W-23427

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether courts can stay debt recovery actions for up to 12 months for individuals experiencing debt problems.

There are a number of mechanisms available to individuals experiencing financial difficulties which, subject to sheriff approval, allow the repayment of debt without the threat of further legal action.

The sheriff may grant a time to pay direction or order under the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987, for a period that the sheriff considers reasonable, based on the individual''s circumstances. These times to pay directions or orders may last for more than 12 months, however, this period is subject to the sheriff''s discretion.

The sheriff may grant a time order for consumer contract debts, under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Time orders have slightly different criteria for sheriffs to consider before granting but otherwise are similar to time to pay directions and orders. Time orders may also last for more than 12 months at the sheriff''s discretion.

Where a creditor has petitioned for an individual''s bankruptcy, a sheriff may continue the petition for such period as he sees fit, if that individual has applied for a debt payment programme under the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

Question reference: S3W-23423

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns that planning for transition does not commence in sufficient time for young people with additional support needs leaving school, as set out in the code of practice for the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, planning for post-school transitions must begin at least one year prior to a child or young person leaving school.

If the parent of a child with additional support needs, or a young person with additional support needs, felt that transitional arrangements were necessary and the authority disagreed with this, the parent or young person could refer the case to dispute resolution. If the child or young person has a co-ordinated support plan, a case can be referred to the additional support needs tribunals for Scotland, regarding the level of provision being delivered during the child''s or young person''s last year at school.

Question reference: S3W-23426

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce provisions similar to those in the Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 to establish enforcement restriction orders.

It is not currently our intention to introduce provisions similar to those proposed in the Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

Scottish debtors have had access to provisions which offer them protection against enforcement of debt by their creditors, since the introduction of the Debt Arrangement Scheme in November 2004. While a debt is being paid under the Debt Arrangement Scheme creditors cannot petition for the debtor''s bankruptcy and cannot enforce diligence. The Debt Arrangement Scheme also provides a moratorium against diligence for up to six weeks if a debtor registers their intention to pay their debts under Debt Arrangement Scheme.

I intend to introduce regulations to improve access to the Debt Arrangement Scheme during this Parliament.