Section E – Written questions lodged on 26 October 2009

Questions marked with a triangle (Δ) are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.

Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an "R".

S3W-28357 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the NHS Information Services Division census on delayed discharges, showing 55 delayed discharges of more than six weeks as at July 2009, how much funding is given to NHS boards and local authorities to help them meet the target to reduce such discharges to zero.

S3W-28358 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the NHS Information Services Division census on delayed discharges, showing 55 delayed discharges of more than six weeks as at July 2009, what action it is taking to tackle the increase in such discharges since the census in April 2009.

S3W-28359 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the NHS Information Services Division census on delayed discharges, what action it is taking to help the 13 local authorities that, in July 2009 had, patients whose discharge was delayed for more than six weeks, to meet the target to reduce such discharges to zero.

S3W-28360 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the NHS Information Services Division census on delayed discharges, what action it is taking to help the eight NHS boards that, in July 2009 had, patients whose discharge had been delayed for more than six weeks, to meet the target to reduce such discharges to zero.

S3W-28361 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the NHS Information Services Division July 2009 census on delayed discharges, what consideration it has given to addressing the causes of delays identified in the census, including lack of available care home places and pressures in meeting costs of such placements.

S3W-28362 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that pressure on NHS boards and local authorities to achieve the zero delayed discharge target causes more people to be placed in care homes rather than in non-institutional services and limits options for allocating funds to community alternatives and, if so, how this issue can be addressed.

S3W-28363 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 29, (c) 30 to 49 and (d) 50 and over have been diagnosed with permanent tinnitus in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

S3W-28364 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of patients regaining consciousness during surgery have been recorded over the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

S3W-28365 Ross Finnie: To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for (a) sibutramine and (b) orlisat have been dispensed to individuals aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18 and (iii) over 18 in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

S3W-28366 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the amount generated for the local economy by the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park in each year since its designation.

S3W-28367 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the amount generated for the local economy by the Pentland Hills Regional Park in each year since its designation.

S3W-28368 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the amount generated for the local economy by the Lomond Hills Regional Park in each year since its designation.

S3W-28369 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the amount generated for the local economy by the Loch Lomond Regional Park in each year since its designation.

S3W-28370 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what support exists for disabled entrepreneurs.

S3W-28371 Jamie Hepburn: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the rate of closures of businesses operated by disabled people as opposed to that of businesses overall.

S3W-28372 Robert Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive how the ruling of the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice that, in setting minimum prices for tobacco products, Austria, Ireland and France have breached EU competition rules impacts on Scottish Government plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and how it affects its argument that minimum pricing will not distort the market or breach competition rules.

S3W-28373 Robert Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the European Court of Justice’s assessment that, in meeting public health objectives, taxation and excise duties are preferable to setting minimum prices for tobacco products as they may adequately achieve these objectives while safeguarding the principle of free formation of price; whether it considers this assessment to be relevant to alcohol products, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

S3W-28374 Robert Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the ruling of the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice in relation to minimum prices for tobacco products, whether it considers that setting a minimum price for alcohol will distort the market in a way that limits competition and is to the detriment of products with a less established market share than established brands, new and imported products.

S3W-28375 Robert Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive, given the uncertainty regarding the legality of its proposals for minimum pricing for alcohol, on what basis it considers minimum pricing for alcohol to be legal.

S3W-28376 Robert Brown: To ask the Scottish Executive, given the uncertainty regarding the legality of its proposals for minimum pricing for alcohol, on what basis it disputes that minimum pricing for alcohol distorts the market and breaches competition rules.

S3W-28377 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26534 by Adam Ingram on 10 September 2009, when its response to the recommendations of the short-life working group on clothing grants will be published.

S3W-28378 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra weeks of respite care each local authority provided in 2008-09.

S3W-28379 Johann Lamont: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it achieved its aim of providing 2,000 extra weeks of respite care in 2008-09.

S3W-28380 Jeremy Purvis: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was carried out of the possibility of funding the Glasgow Airport Rail Link by alternative means, including the non-profit distributing model.

S3W-28381 Jeremy Purvis: To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Glasgow Airport Rail Link was not deemed suitable for construction under the non-profit distributing model.

S3W-28382 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent newspaper reports, whether it has made a decision on the proposed Beauly to Denny power line upgrade.

S3W-28383 Aileen Campbell: To ask the Scottish Executive what authorities have responsibility for maintaining records of common land.

S3W-28384 Aileen Campbell: To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to help local communities identify and develop areas of common land.

S3W-28385 Aileen Campbell: To ask the Scottish Executive what rights and responsibilities are attached to common land.

S3W-28386 Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic noise complaints were made in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

S3W-28387 Bill Butler: To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been returned to it by NHS boards since 2008 in respect of the Healthy Living Centre Transition Fund, broken down by (a) amount, (b) NHS board and (c) date of payment.

S3W-28388 Mary Mulligan: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of evidence that banks are refusing to provide a mortgage because of a lack of confidence in a Home Report.

S3W-28389 Mary Mulligan: To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Council of Mortgage Lenders regarding the Home Report since its introduction.