- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 13 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the cancellation of the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile system would have on the Scottish budget.
Answer
Cancellation of the Trident nuclear missile system would create an opportunity to spend a significant sum of public money on other public spending priorities. Scotland would be entitled to the consequentials if there were any increases to comparable spending programmes such as health or education resulting from the savings created by the cancellation.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive following the announcement on 14 April 2010 on the provision of an additional £10 million for sustainable transport initiatives in 2010-11, when details on how this funding is to be allocated will be published.
Answer
As announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, the additional funding will support a range of sustainable transport initiatives, including a green bus fund, provision for the development of low carbon vehicles and cycling infrastructure. Further details will be available by early June 2010.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make a submission to the EU consultation on sport policy.
Answer
The Scottish Government will be responding to the EU consultation on sport policy. The UK Government is co-ordinating the response.
However, Sport is a devolved responsibility and Scotland is recognised as having a different approach and the Scottish Government will ensure that the interests of Scottish Sport are represented in any UK wide response to the consultation. That makes it even more important for us to feed into the development of any UK-wide response to the consultation. We are actively engaged with the UK Government on how Scotland can help shape the UK position.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure the success of its India plan.
Answer
The government''s India plan sets out three clear objectives consistent with the government''s international framework; to attract talented people in India to Scotland, to bring a sharp economic growth focus to the promotion of Scotland in India and to enhance Scotland''s reputation with communities here and in India. I have given a commitment to provide the European and External Relations Committee with an annual update on the progress measured in the four key areas of the plan “ education and science, trade and investment, cultural links and tourism. This will include an update against each of the action points for the government and analysis of performance management information gathered as part of government''s activities.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 March 2010
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems were installed from (a) May 2007 to April 2008 and (b) May 2008 to April 2009 and have been installed from May 2009 to date, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) parliamentary constituency.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital funds are being made available to NHS boards and Special Health Boards in 2010-11.
Answer
NHS boards have been given a formula capital allocation of £279 million for 2010‘11.
Details of NHS boards formula allocations together with Special Board minor works allocations for the period 2010-11 are as follows:
| NHS Board | 2010-11 £ Million |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 18.472 |
| Borders | 5.196 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 7.769 |
| Fife | 15.655 |
| Forth Valley | 12.515 |
| Grampian | 25.256 |
| Greater Glasgow | 83.887 |
| Highland | 16.014 |
| Lanarkshire | 25.398 |
| Lothian | 44.331 |
| Orkney | 0.770 |
| Shetland | 0.873 |
| Tayside | 21.226 |
| Western Isles | 1.638 |
| Total | 279.000 |
| Special Health Board | £ Million |
| Scottish Ambulance Service | 19.338 |
| National Services Scotland | 6.308 |
| NHS 24 | 1.319 |
| The State Hospitals Board for Scotland | 39.181 |
| National Waiting Times Centre | 7.054 |
| NHS Education for Scotland | 0.000 |
| NHS Health Scotland | 0.290 |
| NHS Quality Improvement Scotland | 0.250 |
| Total | =SUM(ABOVE) 73.740 |
In addition boards will receive allocations for initiatives such as primary care modernisation, medical equipment and radiotherapy equipment.
The total health net capital budget for 2010-11 is £557.4 million.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what body has responsibility for the regulation of railways in Scotland.
Answer
The Office of Rail Regulation is the independent safety and economic regulator for the rail network across Great Britain.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 18 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of HM Revenue and Customs.
Answer
Scottish Government officials are in contact with HM Revenue and Customs as a matter of routine. The most recent ministerial meeting at which HMRC was represented was a meeting involving the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism held on 22 February 2010.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being provided to encourage bus operators to purchase hybrid buses.
Answer
As part of the recently announced £740 million three year funding package for the Scottish bus industry, incentives will be provided for Low Carbon Vehicles (LCVs), including hybrid buses, within the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). These vehicles will receive grant at twice the normal rate. The Scottish Government has also provided grant of £1 million to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) for the purchase of low carbon vehicles. This is currently out to tender.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 2011 census will contain questions on an individual’s health and finances and, if so, what the reasons are for including such questions.
Answer
We will shortly be asking Parliament to approve the draft Census (Scotland) Order which will set out the proposed 2011 census questions. In line with
Scotland''s Census 2011: A Government Statement, laid before Parliament in December 2008 (Bib. number 47152), we will be recommending that the census asks the same two questions as the last census about an individual''s health (health over the last 12 months and long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits daily activities or work). We will also be recommending a new question about whether an individual has a long-term health condition (such as deafness) and a question about the total income of the household (but not individual incomes).
Information relating to general health provides a good indication of the demand for health services, while also contributing to the monitoring of delivery of health care and the assessment of progress towards better population health. It is also an important variable in analyses of deprivation. The question on long-term health problems or disabilities provides the only measure of disability in small areas and contributes to policy development on improving healthy life expectancy. It also helps allocate resources for the care of elderly people. The new question on health conditions will enable more specific policy and service planning and provision than has been previously been possible in relation not only to health services but also to social justice and housing. It will potentially be used in the development and monitoring of policies for tackling inequality and social exclusion, as well as in analyses of the effect of different conditions on the likelihood of economic activity. It also has potential for use in matching reported conditions with take up of services. Household income information will provide a measure of deprivation and affluence for small geographic areas. This in turn will provide a useful indication of living standards and allow identification of areas of poverty. Such data will inform decisions about resource allocation and service delivery as well as identifying areas in need of investment. Analysis of income data alongside other census information will allow better understanding of the characteristics of people with differing levels of income. It may also provide a more detailed insight into the need for affordable housing, the relationship between disability and poverty, the reasons for differences in financial welfare across Scotland and the links between take up of benefits and social inclusion.
