Questions and answers

Question reference: S2W-18922

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of community ownership it uses in respect of community-owned housing.

I would refer the member to the definition which was given to the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee in September 2000 by the then Minister for Communities, Wendy Alexander.

Community ownership is a way of empowering tenants, maximising the total resources available for investment in public sector housing and securing additional benefits for the wider community. Community ownership would normally result from the transfer of existing public sector rented housing to alternative community landlords at a price which reflects the value of the stock and under arrangements which ensure that:

The housing is owned by a non-profit-making body on which there is tenant, local authority and community representation;

There is effective tenant involvement in key decisions;

Housing is available, and continues to be available, to be let at affordable rents to those in housing need, including the homeless and other vulnerable groups, and

There are guarantees for transferring tenants regarding rent increases, tenancy rights and repairs and improvements to the stock.

I believe that definition is still relevant today.

Question reference: S2W-18639

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 15 March 2005, what the 40 capital projects referred to in the answer are.

The 40 major projects referred to in the reply to S2W-14458 are:

30 trunk road construction projects

One railway project (Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link)

Seven IT – enabled business change projects for the Executive (including e-RDM, e-HR, systems integration and server maintenance)

One building project for Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency at Gartcosh

One estate development project at Jordanhill School

Details of the projects and ministerial responsibility are included in the following table:

Programme/Project	Ministerial Responsibility
Trunk Roads
A9 Crubenmore Extension	Enterprise And Lifelong Learning
M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 1) Low Wood	“
M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 2) Auchenkilns -Haggs	“
M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 3) Moodiesburn Bypass	“
A876 Kincardine Bridge	“
A90 Balmedie - Tipperty	“
A68 Pathhead –Tynehead Junction	“
A75 Dunragit Re-Alignment	“
A75 Hardgrove - Kinmount	“
A90 Glendoik Interchange	“
A90 Kinfauns Interchange	“
M74 Raith Interchange	“
M8 Baillieston – Newhouse and Associated Development	“
A77 Symington And Bogend Toll	“
A9 Ballinluig Junction	“
A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass	“
A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route	“
M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh	“
M74 Completion	“
A80 Auchenkilns Junction	“
M8 Whitecart Viaduct	“
A898 Erkine Bridge –All Phases	“
A830arisaig to Loch Nan Uham	“
M8 Kingston Bridge Stobcross On Ramp	“
M74 Raith Bridge	“
A96 Coachford Climbing Lane	“
A9 Helmsdale Phase 1	“
A77 Dutch House to Bog End Toll (Inc Symington)	“
A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy Carriageway Widening	“
A9 Helmsdale Phase 2	“
Rail
Airdrie Bathgate Rail Link	Transport
It
Systems Integration	Finance and Public Service Reform
Supply Of ICT Contractors	“
Server Maintenance	“
Electronic Records and Document Management	“
Electronic Human Resources	“
Ssi Broadband	Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
Scottish Schools Digital Network	Education and Young People
Building
Project For Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency At Gartcosh	Justice
Estate Development
Project at Jordanhill School	Education and Young People

Question reference: S2W-18640

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 15 March 2005, which minister is responsible for each of the 40 capital projects referred to in the answer.

Question reference: S2W-18632

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many video installations in private properties for the purposes of surveillance at the request of the police there have been in the last full year for which figures are available and how many prosecutions have resulted, broken down by police force area.

Question reference: S2W-18635

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources and facilities were made available to schools and teachers to teach the vocationally-based Highers and Advanced Highers that are now being withdrawn.

The Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that the SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of National Courses. This letter will explain how the SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Question reference: S2W-18637

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the subjects previously offered in the vocationally based Highers and Advanced Highers now being withdrawn will be taught within any other Higher or Advanced Highers offered in schools.

The Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that the SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of National Courses. This letter will explain how the SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Question reference: S2W-18918

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sexually-transmitted disease clinics there are in the NHS Lanarkshire area, giving (a) staffing levels, (b) consulting hours per week and (c) average waiting time for an appointment.

Question reference: S2W-18920

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sexually-transmitted disease clinics there are in each NHS board area, giving (a) staffing levels, (b) consulting hours per week and (c) average waiting time for an appointment and (d) the ratio of consulting hours to head of population.

Question reference: S2W-18914

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that the six-month waiting time target for in-patient and day care treatment to be implemented from December 2005 will be achieved by orthopaedic departments.

NHS board chairs have assured me at the recent annual review meetings that they will deliver the six months waiting times commitment for in-patient and day case treatment by December 2005.

NHSScotland has made excellent progress in reducing waiting times for orthopaedic surgery. The latest figures show than on 30 June 2005, only 670 patients with a guarantee had waited more than six months for in-patient or day case orthopaedic treatment. This is a 64% reduction on the position on 30 June 2004. These figures clearly show that our policies of increasing NHS capacity and using the independent health care sector are working and providing significant benefits for patients.

Question reference: S2W-18915

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthopaedic surgeons are employed and how many vacancies there are in each NHS board area.

NHS Scotland employed 146.6WTE (whole-time equivalent) Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery Consultants at September 2004. This represents an increase of 10.6WTE consultants since September 1999. The vacancy rate for vacancies over six months has remained stable over 2003 and 2004 and is at 4.3% of the establishment.

Information on orthopaedic consultant staff in post and vacancies in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Section B gives details of all medical and dental staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables B11 and B12 show the WTE and headcount number of trauma and orthopaedic consultant staff in post and vacancies broken down by NHS board area. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

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