- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the health of families in East Dunbartonshire since 1997 by reducing (a) the incidence of (i) smoking, (ii) alcohol misuse and (iii) poor diet and (b) mortality rates from coronary heart disease.
Answer
(a)(i) Following publication of the White Paper "Smoking Kills" in 1998 the Scottish Executive allocated £1 million pounds per year to health boards across Scotland to provide smoking cessation support to priority groups. Additional Health Improvement Funding has also been available for smoking cessation services since 2001. Greater Glasgow NHS Board has allocated funding to two local health care co-operatives in the East Dunbartonshire area at Anniesland, Bearsden and Milngavie and Strathkelvin to establish intensive group support within the community. In Anniesland, Bearsden and Milngavie approximately 140 people have been successful in quitting smoking as a result of attending the service between 2001-03. In Strathkelvin 114 clients have been referred to the service since it commenced in January 2003.In addition to GP's, practice nurses and the intensive group support service, smoking cessation assistance is also offered at four pharmacies in the East Dunbartonshire area (two in Bishopbriggs and two in Kirkintilloch). Attendance rates are not currently available.Zyban has been available on prescription since June 2000 and nicotine replacement therapy since April 2001.(ii) The Executive's Plan for Action on alcohol problems, published in January, sets out a range of national and local measures to reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland. The plan requires Alcohol Action Teams, including the team covering East Dunbartonshire, to assess needs in their areas and produce local prevention, education and support and treatment strategies to address these by April 2003.(iii) In East Dunbartonshire work is on-going to ensure healthy options are available in primary schools as part of the school lunch. Starter packs have been produced for parents of primary 1 children which give information on healthy eating and a guide to healthy choices available in school. Greater Glasgow NHS Board has also given financial support to three breakfast clubs in the area. (b) The Scottish Cardiac Intervention Network Project Group will oversee the coronary heart disease element of the Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy and the introduction of new treatments that should help reduce mortality.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #0/10/10 million to help fund child care provision in disadvantaged areas, referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys, will be allocated to East Dunbartonshire in each year and to what projects it will be allocated.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31648 on 28 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found on:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the number of households and, in particular, households with children, living in temporary accommodation in the East Dunbartonshire Council area since 1997.
Answer
East Dunbartonshire Council was awarded £185,000 in 2000 to increase the availability of appropriate temporary accommodation for homeless families. In addition, in carrying out an assessment of homelessness, and in the development of a homelessness strategy the council will be considering whether there is a need for further temporary accommodation for families or other vulnerable groups. All councils are required to prepare homelessness strategies by March 2003.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the 62 New Community School projects are located in East Dunbartonshire.
Answer
Two of the New Community Schools pilot projects are located in East Dunbartonshire. One project covers St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch High School, Hillhead Primary School, St Flannan's Primary School and Meiklehill Nursery School. The other focuses on Campsie View School and Merkland School.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #0/15/15 million to be invested in tackling anti-social behaviour and other local initiatives, as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys, will be allocated to East Dunbartonshire in each year and to what projects it will be allocated.
Answer
The programmes to be supported under this package of funding are still being developed. Further announcements will be made shortly.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households with children have been in temporary accommodation in the East Dunbartonshire Council area in each year since 1997.
Answer
Information on households with children in temporary accommodation has been collected centrally since June 2000. Information is available on the position (numbers and proportions) within each local authority area at the end of June, September, December and March each year since 2000. This information has been published in various Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletins/Statistics Releases, as shown and which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
| Period | Table No. | Bulletin Ref. No. | Publication Date | Bib. Number |
| June 2000 - March 2001 | 22 | HSG/2001/4 | 27 Sep 2001 | 16396 |
| June 2001 | 28 | HSG/2001/6 | 18 Dec 2001 | 18220 |
| September 2001 | 23 | HSG/2002/1 | 26 March 2002 | 20348 |
| December 2001 and March 2002 | 13 | Stats Release | 24 Sep 2002 | 24382 |
These publications may also be found on the Published Data section of the Housing Statistics Branch Reference website (
www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref)
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the proportion of older people on low incomes in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency since 1997.
Answer
Since 1997, older people on low incomes in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency have benefited from increases to the Basic State Retirement Pension, the introduction of the Minimum Income Guarantee, the Winter Fuel Payment, and free TV licences for the over 75s. In addition, a range of Scottish Executive initiatives will increase levels of disposable income, including free off-peak bus travel, the Warm Deal, and the central heating programme, which is saving an average of £550 on bills.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to modernisation of the criminal law in respect of adult sexual activity with a child.
Answer
Sexual offences involving children and young people are contained in both common and statute law. We have no plans to change the law in this area although we will keep the position under review. In particular, as I said in the answer given to question S1W-31784 on 3 December 2002, we are considering whether a new offence of grooming is needed in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has also established a Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution. The group has considered a range of issues including the promotion of good practice and effective early intervention to prevent abuse and exploitation before it happens. The group plans to publish guidance early next year.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in providing every primary and secondary school with a broadband internet connection.
Answer
The 2001-02 Schools' ICT Survey (available on the internet at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00193-00.asp) indicated that 49% of secondary schools, 8% of primary schools and 13% of special schools had broadband internet connections of at least 2 Mbps.The formal procurement of pubic sector broadband in the two Pathfinder areas, South of Scotland and Highlands and Islands, is under way with the recent publication of contract notices for both projects in the European Journal. This should provide broadband connections to every school in the eight local authority areas that are participating in the Pathfinder Projects. The lessons learned from the pathfinder projects will inform detailed plans to get broadband connections to every school.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases are currently at avi'andum in each sheriff court district.
Answer
This information is provided in the following table.
| Grampian, Highland and Islands | South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway |
| Aberdeen | 14 | Airdrie | 0 |
| Kirkwall | 0 | Ayr | 5 |
| Banff | 1 | Dumfries | 2 |
| Fort William | 3 | Hamilton | 8 |
| Inverness | 5 | Kirkcudbright | 0 |
| Lerwick | 1 | Lanark | 2 |
| Elgin | 0 | Stranraer | 0 |
| Dingwall | 0 | Glasgow |
| Dornoch | 0 | Glasgow | 12 |
| Lochmaddy | 0 | Tayside, Central and Fife |
| Peterhead | 0 | Tayside |
| Portree | 0 | Arbroath | 0 |
| Stonehaven | 2 | Dundee | 3 |
| Stornoway | 1 | Forfar | 0 |
| Tain | 1 | Perth | 3 |
| Lothian and Borders | Central |
| Edinburgh | 1 | Alloa | 0 |
| Linlithgow | 1 | Falkirk | 1 |
| Haddington | 1 | Stirling | 3 |
| Peebles | 0 | Fife |
| Jedburgh | 2 | Cupar | 3 |
| Duns | 0 | Dunfermline | 0 |
| Selkirk | 1 | Kirkcaldy | 1 |
| North Strathclyde | | |
| Campbeltown | 0 | | |
| Dumbarton | 4 | | |
| Dunoon | 1 | | |
| Greenock | 2 | | |
| Kilmarnock | 2 | | |
| Oban | 1 | | |
| Paisley | 8 | | |
| Rothesay | 0 | | |
