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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-29602

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8551 by Fergus Ewing on 25 January 2008, whether it considers that Inverness Sheriff Court continues to be fit for purpose.

Inverness Sheriff Court continues to be fit for purpose. The sheriff court accommodation has been progressively modernised over the years and although split over adjacent buildings, the current volume of court business is manageable within this three court complex.

I was able to view this progress during a recent visit to the sheriff court. In particular, I would like to place on record my appreciation for the work undertaken to improve the court experience for vulnerable witnesses including children.

Question reference: S3W-29599

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that all areas of Scotland enjoy an equitable share of the 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy.

The Scottish Government has been very clear that hosting the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games should provide a lasting legacy for the whole of Scotland. We set out how all of Scotland can benefit from hosting major events in the website A games legacy for Scotland which was launched on 1 September 2009. The plan incorporates four themes and 45 potential programmes which can be adapted to the particular needs of local communities. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/gameslegacy.

In implementing the plan we will continue to work closely with our key partners from private, public and third sectors to deliver on legacy ambitions. In particular we have worked closely with COSLA and local authorities to identify legacy leads to co-ordinate activity in local areas.

Specifically, all of Scotland will benefit from the £23.5 million funding in place to encourage people to get more active and involved in sport. The community sport hubs aspect of the legacy will help in bringing local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations. BIG Communities 2014 are also providing funding for local programmes aimed at improving grassroots support in local communities including at least nine in the Highlands.

In addition Young Scot is also working with local authorities in identifying legacy ambassadors showcasing the good work of our young people. Scottish Enterprise with HIE have also embarked on road shows to highlight the business opportunities stemming from both London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that the legacy for Scotland''s people and communities would benefit enormously from the return of £150 million from the UK Government to help fund London 2012. To this end we continue to press strongly for the return of these monies.

Question reference: S3W-29600

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to establishing a centre of sporting excellence in Inverness to aid the development of talented sportsmen and women in the Highlands and Islands disadvantaged due to the distances required to travel to access top class training facilities.

Question reference: S3W-29596

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how often the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation has met in the last year.

Question reference: S3W-29597

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what reports the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation has made to ministers in the last year.

Question reference: S3W-29598

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation to next report.

Question reference: S3W-29603

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it offers its staff the opportunity to donate blood at private or organised group sessions and whether such staff continue to be paid while taking time to donate blood.

Question reference: S3W-29291

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patient discharges were delayed in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Information on patients awaiting discharge in each census from October 2006 to October 2009 is shown in the following table. This shows those waiting six weeks and over. Six weeks (43 days or more), is the common period for discharge planning agreement timescales across Scotland and was the focus of the original target to reduce these to zero. This was achieved for the first time in April 2008.

Number of NHS Delayed Discharges Six Weeks and over by NHS Board from the October 2006 Census to the October 2009 Census

	2006	2007				2008				2009
	October	January	April	July	October	January	April	July	October	January	April	July	October
Scotland	679	606	233	423	425	316	-	44	91	79	-	55	94
Ayrshire and Arran	78	62	19	35	40	17	-	-	12	12	-	10	-
Borders	9	9	8	7	5	9	-	-	4	1	-	1	1
Dumfries and Galloway	3	2	-	2	1	1	-	-	4	-	-	-	-
Fife	37	34	17	61	87	52	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Forth Valley	53	48	29	21	15	17	-	6	9	-	-	-	1
Grampian	88	95	34	43	48	63	-	1	-	-	-	1	3
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	130	119	68	92	76	63	-	11	21	23	-	27	44
Highland	59	40	19	25	13	18	-	2	6	10	-	5	22
Lanarkshire	34	16	6	35	29	24	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
Lothian	119	118	16	45	55	31	-	12	27	26	-	8	12
Orkney	4	3	3	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
Shetland	-	2	2	6	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tayside	61	50	9	42	49	17	-	12	8	6	-	-	2
Western Isles	4	8	3	4	5	4	-	-	-	1	-	1	1

Source: ISD Scotland, Delayed Discharges Census.

Question reference: S3W-28941

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what benchmarks teachers will be encouraged to use to give parents feedback on their children’s progress and performance prior to the end of P4.

Teachers will apply the standards and expectations set out in the curriculum guidance and the strategic vision for assessment which my predecessor published on 24 September 2009 at all stages, including prior to the end of P4.

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/assessmentandachievement/index.asp.

More detailed guidance for practitioners on the assessment framework will be published in due course.

Question reference: S3W-28940

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers an assessment of pupils’ progress and ability prior to the end of P4 unnecessary.