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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-21937

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 25 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to grow the social enterprise sector in the current economic climate; how it publicises funding available to people wishing to set up such enterprises, and how many social enterprise companies there are.

We want Scotland to lead in the development of an enterprising third sector, including social enterprises. To support this we have increased direct investment in the sector by 37% to £93.6 million between 2008 and 2011.

We have announced support for third sector organisations, and for individuals who want to start up a new social enterprise. Information on the Enterprise Fund (£12 million) and the Social Entrepreneurs Fund (£1 million) is available on the Scottish Government website and through intermediaries such as First Port, SCVO, and the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition.

There are no official statistics available on the number of social enterprises operating in Scotland because social enterprises do not have a separate legal status.

Question reference: S3F-01531

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Salmond on 12 March 2009

To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to the Scottish Information Commissioner’s call to extend the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to cover a wider range of organisations.

Question reference: S3O-06240

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider carrying out an economic impact assessment in relation to the support that it and other public bodies provide for football, in light of petition PE 1233 submitted by former Scotland coach Craig Brown regarding the creation of a Great Britain football team.

Question reference: S3W-20866

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency hospital readmissions there have been of people aged (a) 50 to 64, (b) 65 to 74 and (c) 75 and over in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Emergency Hospital Readmissions (Surgical Data) “ (Bib. number 47839) and Emergency Hospital Readmissions (Medical Data) “ (Bib. number 47840).

The tables show information on the number of emergency hospital admissions within 28 days of discharge by NHS board of treatment for people aged 50 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years and 75 years and over for calendar years 1999-2007. The information is presented separately for surgical and medical speciality groupings as the readmission rates can differ markedly between these two groups.

Question reference: S3W-20867

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11102 by Andy Kerr on 19 November 2004, whether it will provide the same information on hospital readmission rates in each year since 2004.

The following tables show the number of emergency hospital admissions within 28 days of discharge by age group for calendar years 2004-07. The information has been presented separately for surgical and medical specialty groupings as the readmission rates can differ markedly between these two groups.

Emergency admissions within 28 days will include cases that are readmissions for complications resulting from the original hospital stay but will also encompass cases completely unrelated to the previous discharge from hospital.

28 Day Readmission Rate following Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital, 2004-07

		2004	2005	2006	2007
0-14 years	Discharges	37,184	37,595	37,080	38,025
	Emergency Readmissions	1,446	1,411	1,337	1,445
	Percentage (%)	3.9	3.8	3.6	3.8
15-24 years	Discharges	44,498	44,659	45,691	46,797
	Emergency Readmissions	2,110	2,072	2,234	2,421
	Percentage (%)	4.7	4.6	4.9	5.2
25-44 years	Discharges	119,062	117,729	118,836	118,109
	Emergency Readmissions	5,875	5,582	6,125	6,578
	Percentage (%)	4.9	4.7	5.2	5.6
45-64 years	Discharges	136,227	140,578	147,752	150,246
	Emergency Readmissions	6,896	7,287	7,702	8,013
	Percentage (%)	5.1	5.2	5.2	5.3
65 and over	Discharges	155,351	159,097	166,190	170,256
	Emergency Readmissions	11,077	10,817	11,467	12,128
	Percentage (%)	7.1	6.8	6.9	7.1
All ages	Discharges	492,322	499,658	515,549	523,433
	Emergency Readmissions	27,404	27,169	28,865	30,585
	Percentage (%)	5.6	5.4	5.6	5.8

Source: ISD Scotland.

28 Day Readmission Rate following Discharge from a Medical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital, 2004-07

		2004	2005	2006	2007
0-14 years	Discharges	54,843	55,223	58,573	57,337
	Emergency Readmissions	5,962	5,933	6,399	6,494
	Percentage (%)	10.9	10.7	10.9	11.3
15-24 years	Discharges	19,721	19,925	21,497	22,659
	Emergency Readmissions	1,836	1,744	2,090	2,230
	Percentage (%)	9.3	8.8	9.7	9.8
25-44 years	Discharges	69,440	69,422	71,723	73,245
	Emergency Readmissions	5,827	5,746	6,384	7,290
	Percentage (%)	8.4	8.3	8.9	10.0
45-64 years	Discharges	144,502	146,085	152,036	154,159
	Emergency Readmissions	12,805	12,935	14,476	16,052
	Percentage (%)	8.9	8.9	9.5	10.4
65 and over	Discharges	191,061	193,836	202,126	207,691
	Emergency Readmissions	24,443	24,716	27,207	29,554
	Percentage (%)	12.8	12.8	13.5	14.2
All ages	Discharges	479,567	484,491	505,955	515,091
	Emergency Readmissions	50,873	51,074	56,556	61,620
	Percentage (%)	10.6	10.5	11.2	12.0

Source: ISD Scotland.

Question reference: S3O-06143

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 5 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses it has received to the National Conversation.

Question reference: S3W-20906

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards no longer use hyaluronan injections; on what basis these decisions were taken, and whether it considers that such injections should be available to patients irrespective of where they live.

It is not possible to identify from prescribing data available centrally which NHS boards no longer use hyaluronan injections. These data relate to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors and do not include products dispensed in hospitals or hospital-based clinics.

Ultimately the decision whether or not to prescribe a treatment for a patient is a matter for the clinical judgement of the patient''s doctor, informed by advice and evidence about the treatment.

Question reference: S3W-21336

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14927 by John Swinney on 29 July 2008, whether it now intends to legislate further to protect the status of common good assets.

Question reference: S3O-06032

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the effectiveness of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Question reference: S3O-05831

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether reported comments by an official spokesperson for the First Minister in relation to the Act of Settlement 1701 reflect Scottish Government policy and, if so, what representations it has made to the UK Government.