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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: S1W-08926

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the possible economic and social impact on the West of Scotland should the Kingston Bridge be closed to traffic.

Question reference: S1W-08332

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities to ensure that all bridges are assessed to comply with EU regulations with regard to the introduction of higher gross weight lorries.

Question reference: S1W-08264

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recent Advocate General opinion that the European Court of Justice should annul EU Directive 98/43/EC on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, whether it is planning to introduce primary legislation banning tobacco advertising.

I refer to the answer I gave to question S1W-2746 on 24 November which outlines the Executive's position on banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship. The Advocate General's opinion is significant, but we await the judgement of the European Court of Justice which is expected later this year. We remain committed to introducing a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship and will consider all available options to bring this about, including primary legislation.

Question reference: S1W-08431

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 25 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive why the total number of premises inspected for fire prevention purposes by the fire service fell from 66,477 in 1994-95 to 55,709 in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-06503

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority's percentage share of Aggregate External Finance was from 1996-97 to 1999-2000 inclusive and what it will be in 2000-01.

Local authorities' percentage shares of Aggregate External Finance from 1996-97 to 2000-01 inclusive are shown in the following table:

Council	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01
Aberdeen City	3.7	3.7	3.5	3.5	3.6
Aberdeenshire	3.8	3.9	3.9	3.9	3.9
Angus	1.9	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
Argyll & Bute	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.0	2.0
Clackmannanshire	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9
Dumfries & Galloway	2.8	2.9	2.9	2.9	2.9
Dundee City	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.2
East Ayrshire	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.3
East Dunbartonshire	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.8	1.7
East Lothian	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
East Renfrewshire	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.4	1.4
Edinburgh, City of	7.5	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.7
Eilean Siar	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3
Falkirk	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.6
Fife	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3
Glasgow City	15.6	15.0	15.0	14.9	14.8
Highland	4.5	4.6	4.5	4.6	4.5
Inverclyde	1.9	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.8
Midlothian	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Moray	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6
North Ayrshire	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.7
North Lanarkshire	6.3	6.0	6.1	6.1	6.2
Orkney	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7
Perth & Kinross	2.2	2.2	2.3	2.3	2.3
Renfrewshire	3.3	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.3
Scottish Borders	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1
Shetland	0.9	1.1	1.1	1.0	1.0
South Ayrshire	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.1	2.0
South Lanarkshire	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.6
Stirling	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6
West Dunbartonshire	2.2	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
West Lothian	2.8	2.8	2.8	2.9	2.8

Question reference: S1W-08033

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates will be the cost of upgrading Glasgow's further education colleges to 21st century standards.

Question reference: S1W-07896

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths are attributed in each of the last three years for which figures are available to (a) smoking and (b) atmospheric pollution.

The information requested is not held centrally.

It is not possible to give precise figures on deaths resulting from tobacco use. However, it is estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke (figures taken from The UK Smoking Epidemic; deaths in 1995).

From estimates made for the United Kingdom as a whole by the Independent Expert Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, it is estimated that the number of deaths in Scotland brought forward by exposure to particulate, sulphur dioxide and ozone in ambient air is about 2,000 per year. This estimate is approximate because it does not take into account other pollutants or possible long-term effects on health and the figure in itself may be an underestimate.

Question reference: S1W-07361

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards establishing a national influen'a immunisation programme.

As previously announced, people aged 65 and over should now be offered influenza immunisation, rather than aged 75 and over as before. This expansion of immunisation will place a significant extra workload on general practice.

For winter 2000-01, we have agreed new financial arrangements with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee of the BMA to recognise the workload and to encourage better take up in the community.

GPs will receive payments ranging from £6 to £7.40 per dose administered to those aged 65 and over. The higher payments will be made to those who immunise the highest percentage of their eligible patients. GPs will also offer vaccination to the non-age related at risk groups. In addition, as part of the agreement the 1% abatement to GPs' capitation payments as part of the stock order scheme has been abolished.

Question reference: S1W-07147

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average selling price per council house sold to sitting tenants was for each local authority in the last years for which figures are available.

The information requested for 1998 (the latest year available) is detailed in the table below. This can also be found in table 13 of the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin Housing Trends in Scotland: Quarters Ending 30 June and 30 September 1999 (HSG/2000/2).Copies of this Bulletin are available from SPICe, and an electronic version can be found on the Scottish Executive Website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk.Information for earlier years can be found in bulletins HSG/1998/6, HSG/1997/7, and HSG/1997/3, all of which are available from SPICe.Summary Information on Right to Buy Sales of Public Authority Dwellings: 1998¹

Area	Number of Sales	Mean Selling Price (£)
SCOTLAND	14,101	15,169
Local Authority	13,592	15,190
Aberdeen City	804	18,111
Aberdeenshire	295	20,162
Angus	208	16,580
Argyll & Bute	169	15,717
Clackmannanshire	119	17,096
Dumfries & Galloway	366	15,360
Dundee City	321	12,857
East Ayrshire	435	12,685
East Dunbartonshire	149	18,606
East Lothian	203	19,919
East Renfrewshire	85	16,154
Edinburgh, City of	665	14,831
Eilean Siar	47	15,235
Falkirk	446	15,074
Fife	833	14,779
Glasgow City	1860	12,984
Highland	629	17,141
Inverclyde	405	11,580
Midlothian	191	19,233
Moray	120	19,077
North Ayrshire	341	13,633
North Lanarkshire	1456	14,631
Orkney	37	17,444
Perth & Kinross	249	17,280
Renfrewshire	506	13,953
Scottish Borders, The	159	15,061
Shetland	48	20,469
South Ayrshire	343	14,574
South Lanarkshire	1168	15,106
Stirling	164	17,844
West Dunbartonshire	275	14,815
West Lothian	496	16,506
Scottish Homes	509	14,597

Notes:

1. Includes Right to Buy, Rent to Mortgage, and voluntary sales.

Question reference: S1W-07365

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 13 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of women undergoing termination of pregnancy or giving birth were tested for chlamydia and how many had the disease in the last year for which figures are available.