Cathy Jamieson

3 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change the way in which (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards are able to dispose of buildings.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: New regulations on local authority disposal of land (including buildings) came into force on 1 June 2010. A copy of the regulations can be found on the Scottish Government website at:</p> <p >http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/26124543/5.</p> <…

3 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change how (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards are permitted to use capital receipts from the sale of buildings.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans to change how local authorities are permitted to use capital receipts from the sale of buildings.</p> <p >Capital receipts that have been already identified in financial plans as being required to support projects with an approved Outline …

3 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of changing the qualification criteria for Educational Maintenance Allowance on pupils in the former coalfield areas.

Answer · Keith Brown: No such assessment has been made. Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available throughout Scotland and is not geographically targeted. EMA Is a means tested allowance based on household income. This is the fairest way to ensure we are targeting our most…

3 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for Educational Maintenance Allowance were refused in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally, but may be held by East and South Ayrshire Councils who administer the Education Maintenance Allowance programme.</b></p>

1 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36991 by Alex Neil on 27 October 2010, whether it plans to collect information centrally on how many homes have residual current devices and what the reason is for its position on this matter.

Answer · Alex Neil: The content of the Scottish House Condition Survey, which would be the most appropriate source for collecting information on residual current devices, is regularly reviewed. The next scheduled review of data collected by the Scottish House Condition Survey wi…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has taken to tackle rural fuel poverty in areas without access to the gas network.

Answer · Alex Neil: From April 2009, with the introduction of the Energy Assistance Package, we have for the first time included solid wall insulation and air source heat pumps in the measures available through the fuel poverty programme. We have raised the maximum grant for ind…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out research regarding fuel poverty and rural communities without access to the gas network.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) is the largest single housing research project in Scotland. The survey samples around 3,000 households each year and provides key statistics about the occupied housing stock in Scotland. The survey consists of two pa…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to the Scottish Driving Assessment Service in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Driving Assessment Service is part funded by NHS Lothian. Match funding has been provided in each of the last five years by the (then) Scottish Government Transport Directorate. This is as follows:</p> <p align=left >2006-07:  £79,000.00</p> <…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many referrals have been made to the Scottish Driving Assessment Service in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of referrals made to the Scottish Driving Assessment Service in each of the last five years is as follows:</p> <p >2005-06: 1,250</p> <p >2006-07: 1,269</p> <p >2007-08: 1,292</p> <p >2008-09: 1,274</p> <p >2009-10: 1,285</p>

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for the Scottish Driving Assessment Service.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Driving Assessment Service holds clinics at its base, the South East Mobility and Rehabilitation (SMART) Centre in Edinburgh, and also, using a mobile unit, at six locations across Scotland - Aberdeen, Dumfries, Dundee, Inverness, Irvine and Pais…

26 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to develop the Stranraer-Glasgow rail route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Stena Line is due to re-locate from Stranraer to new facilities at Cairnryan in late autumn 2011. This has provided opportunities to improve rail provision to better match local needs. As a result Transport Scotland has asked Scotrail to work on improving the…

21 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to private home owners in receipt of benefits to make necessary repairs to their homes.

Answer · Alex Neil: Owners are responsible for repairing and maintaining their property but local authorities have broad discretionary powers to provide assistance. Assistance can be provided through advice and guidance, practical help or by financial assistance by way of grants…

21 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were received for an educational maintenance allowance in the academic year 2009-10 in (a) South Ayrshire and (b) East Ayrshire.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally. Local authorities are responsible for administering the Education Maintenance Allowance programme. South and East Ayrshire Councils may hold this information.</b></p>

21 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people qualified for an educational maintenance allowance in the academic year 2009-10 in (a) South Ayrshire and (b) East Ayrshire.

Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the number of students on the educational maintenance allowance scheme in the 2009-10 academic year will be published by the Scottish Government on 15 December 2010.</p>

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacant posts there are for clinicians able to provide specialist opinion and treatment for back conditions, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on vacancies for clinicians able to provide specialist opinion and treatment for back conditions in NHS Scotland is not specifically held. However, information on consultant vacancies by specialty is collected by National Services Scotland, Inform…

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address difficulties experienced by patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran who are awaiting treatment for non-complex back surgery and lumbar spine degeneration.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Access Support team within the Scottish Government are working closely with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to agree arrangements for the treatment of patients who are currently awaiting treatment and to ensure that demand for this service can be appropriately met…

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it became aware of the decision by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde not to allow access to specialist opinion and treatment to patients from NHS Ayrshire and Arran in the area of non-complex back surgery and lumbar spine degeneration.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We were advised of this situation in June by both NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Ayrshire and Arran and are working with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to put in place alternative arrangements.</b></p>

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils are being required to pay for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Keith Brown: The information is not collected centrally.</p>

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether East Ayrshire Council’s policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools is a barrier to pupils from low-income families.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government''s position is that it understands that East Ayrshire Council is fulfilling its statutory duties and/or exercising its discretion as permitted under the terms of section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.</p>

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have a policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not collected centrally.</p>

23 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding its policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools.

Answer · Keith Brown: The provision of school transport is statutorily, a matter for local authority consideration and decision. The Scottish Government has not had discussions with East Ayrshire Council on its policies.</b></p>

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what ministerial visits there have been to the South of Scotland region since May 2007, broken down by (a) year, (b) constituency, and (c) minister

Answer · John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as this is available. A copy of the response will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 51763).</p>

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when all prison health services will be transferred to the NHS.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >The National Programme Board for Prisoners'' Healthcare are preparing for the transfer which is scheduled for autumn 2011.</p>

1 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teaching graduates qualified from Scottish institutions in each of the last five years

Answer · Michael Russell: The following table shows how many people at Scottish higher education institutions qualified from teaching courses that lead to qualified teacher status (QTS) or to registration as a school teacher with the General Teaching Council for Scotland in each of th…

27 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for an MRI scan, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not collected centrally. Latest published figures for 30 June 2010, showed that no patient had waited more than four weeks for a MRI scan, two weeks shorter than the current waiting time standard.</b></p>

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to discuss improving the services available to people with Huntington's disease in South West Scotland with (a) NHS Ayrshire and Arran, (b) South Ayrshire Council and (c) East Ayrshire Council and, if so, when it expects hold these discussions.

Answer · Shona Robison: No such meetings are scheduled at present, but the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has indicated to the Scottish Huntington''s Association her continued interest in issues relating to Huntington''s disease.</b></p> <p >The Scottish Government Heal…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve services for people with Huntington's disease in South West Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: We have indicated our strong support for the implementation of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland''s clinical standards for neurological health services, published in January. To encourage that process, we are offering funding of around £550,000 in total to the…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support services are available to people with Huntington's disease in South West Scotland. 

Answer · Shona Robison: In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, a Huntington''s disease (HD) management clinic is led by a consultant liaison psychiatrist, and a HD specialist nurse service is provided by the Scottish Huntington''s Association. The board has developed a care pathway for those wi…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Scottish Huntington’s Association and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing spoke at the Scottish Huntington''s Association annual family conference on 2 November 2009, and met a small group of families living with Huntington''s disease immediately before the conference. The event gave t…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have Huntington’s disease, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally.</b></p> <p >We are aware the Scottish Huntington''s Association believes there are between 600 and 900 people in Scotland with the disease. The upper end of that range would suggest a prevalence higher than th…