Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns about the operation of a points system for applications for housing by housing associations.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Ms Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The Housing (Scotland) Act1987 establishes statutory requirements in relation to the allocation of housesby Registered Social Landlords. Lan…
11 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics it has with regard to the shortage of housing in the rental and owner-occupier sectors in rural areas, particularly for local people seeking to purchase or rent property in their area for the first time.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive housing statistics branch gathers information from councils on numbers of vacant council houses and lettings; and on numbers on and changes in local authority housing lists. Communities Scotland gathers information from housing associat…
5 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding policies in other European nations with regard to local people purchasing or renting rural properties in their local area and how such information may be used to inform its policy-making processes.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Through the Land Reform (Scotland) Act2003 the Executive has promoted sustainable development throughout rural Scotland, diversityin land ownership and the involvement of local communities in decisions that affecttheir futures. The proposals in the act were i…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of those infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products have died since the publication of the Health and Community Care Committee's 17th Report 2001 (Session 1) Report on Hepatitis C (SP Paper 398).
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what process will be established for representation at appeals when a claim is rejected by the Skipton Trust and whether assistance will be provided with such representation and, if so, what form this will take.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: An appeals process will be establishedbut this is still under discussion.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the General Medical Council was consulted with regard to the forms for application to the Skipton Trust.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The General Medical Council wasnot consulted.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance will be given to claimants in completing the forms for application to the Skipton Trust.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Officials are working with patientgroup representatives to ensure that the applications forms are user friendly andfit for purpose. Comprehensive guidance will be provided with the application formand the Skipton Fund will operate a telephone helpline.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Skipton Trust will be configured and who will be appointed as its trustees and by what selection process.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Skipton Fund was incorporatedas a company limited by guarantee on 25 March 2004.No substantive appointments have as yet been made.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-849 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 April 2004 (Official Report, c 7931-7932), how many meetings have been held to discuss the application forms; when and where such meetings took place; who chaired the meetings; who was invited to attend the meetings and…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There have been a number of meetingsbetween officials of the four UK administrations since the announcement of the schemein August 2003 concerning fundamental aspects that have a bearing on the applicationforms. Draft application forms prepared by the Macfarl…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to encourage and recruit more specialised social workers for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: More social workers are beingtrained. There was a 25% increase in qualifying social workers in 2003, and thesenumbers will increase by a further 33% over the next two years. The Social WorkServices Inspectorate is significantly increasing investment in traini…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in training in deaf awareness for social workers there will be when single shared assessment is fully implemented and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 comes into force.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Sensory Impairment ActionPlan, launched in January 2004 recognises the importance of improving training forstaff who provide services for people with a sensory impairment, including thosewho are deaf or hard of hearing, and the Scottish Executive is now t…
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialised social workers there are for deaf and hard of hearing people, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available for a Scottish equivalent of the Department for Education and Skills' Early Support Pilot Programme.
Answer · Euan Robson: We are not at this time making specific funding available in this way.</p><p>I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-7978 on 18 May 2004, for how we are tackling the parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility …
4 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what best practices it is learning from the Department for Education and Skills' Early Support Pilot Programme and how these are informing processes and services in Scotland.
Answer · Euan Robson: We will publish an IntegratedEarly Years Strategy later this year and we will consider any lessons when theyemerge from the Early Support Pilot Programme.</p>
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Royal National Institute of the Blind's report, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, what steps will be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the 64% of blind or partially-sighted people who currently do not h…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has recently worked with the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB),Deafblind Scotland, the Scottish Council on Deafness and sensory impairedpeople to produce a Sensory Impairment Action Plan. This document contains a seriesof rec…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to reduce the figure of 77% of blind or partially-sighted people who live alone and are in poverty, as referred to in the Royal National Institute of the Blind's report, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Although welfare benefits area reserved matter, the Executive is committed to improving the services for blindand partially sighted people in Scotland and has recently launched its Eye Care Review which willpromote better integration of services within the NH…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Royal National Institute of the Blind's report, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, what targets have been set for eye health and community care services for people with sight loss and what date has been set for suc…
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7896 on 12 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Royal National Institute of the Blind's report, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, what steps will be taken to ensure that local authorities respond comprehensively to the needs of blind and partially-sighted peopl…
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7896 on 12 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Royal National Institute of the Blind's report, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, what steps will be taken to increase the number of rehabilitation officers for blind and partially-sighted people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7896 given on 12 May 2004. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the report by the Royal National Institute of the Blind, Unseen: Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, what steps will be taken to introduce guidance on early referral for people diagnosed with sight loss to ensure greater take-u…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has launched anEye Care Review in order to improve services for blind and partially sighted peoplein Scotland and to promote better integration of services withinthe NHS, and between the NHS and other agencies. The review will examine the existi…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to address any under-reporting of partial sight, in light of the statement that such under-reporting “has led to very misleading registration figures and the erroneous assumption amongst planners of care services that sight loss is a low-incidence disability&…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive is currently undertakinga review of the certification and registration of visual impairment in Scotland witha view to improving the registration process.</p>
28 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the combined sheriff court and police station in Peebles will be operational.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Iunderstand that discussions are continuing between the Scottish Borders Council,the Scottish Court Service and Lothian and BordersPolice around the plans for the new joint facility. Once these are successfullyconcluded, I am advised that building work would …
19 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to instruct NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to undertake research into treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome with a view to providing guidelines into the most effective forms of treatment and care, in light of the report by the 25% ME …
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to S2W-7584 on 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa"…
19 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to instruct NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) to carry out a study into GP attitudes and practice with regard to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, with particular emphasis on the production of guidelines on the use of home visits…
Answer · Tom McCabe: It is for NHS QIS itself to deviseits own work programme and set priorities within it. The National Institute forClinical Excellence, the English equivalent body to NHS QIS, has agreed to developgood practice clinical guidelines for the care of people with C…
19 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to improve access to allowances and assistance for carers of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, in light of the report by the 25% ME Group, Severely Affected ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) Analysis Report on Questionnaire Issued Januar…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Community Care and Health(Scotland) Act 2002 gives significant new rights for carers, including an assessment,at any time, of their own support needs, independent of the needs of the personfor whom they are caring. NHS boards and local authorities are req…
19 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27527 by Mr Frank McAveety on 8 August 2002 and the report by the 25% ME Group, Severely Affected ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) Analysis Report on Questionnaire Issued January 2004 - Analysis Report, published on 1 March 2004, what steps will now be…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has no plans toissue specific new guidelines for local authorities about the provision of socialservices to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or anyother chronic illness. Guidance on the assessment of needs and care …
14 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Borders Railway to be operational.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Subject to the successful passage of the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill, the promoters of the Borders Railway estimate that it could be operational by 2008.</p>
1 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many care homes have closed in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02, (c) 2002-03 and (d) 2003 to date, broken down by local authority area, in light the report in The Herald on 1 April 2004 on care home closures.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Table 1 shows the total number of residential care homes for older people and nursing homes which opened and closed in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02. Note that some homes were dual registered and will be counted in both columns.</p><p>Table 1</p><table border=1…
1 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered reviewing its guidance on NHS responsibility for continuing health care contained in MEL (1996) 22 and whether these guidelines are prescriptive or allow for variation of practice between NHS boards.
Answer · Tom McCabe: NHS bodies are expected to ensurethat their policies, eligibility criteria and protocols for decisions on the provisionof health services to meet continuing care health needs are consistent with ManagementExecutive Letter (1996) 22.</p><p>That guidance, howev…
29 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2901 by Sarah Boyack on 14 December 1999, what changes or measures have been implemented to date as a result of Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The first three year review of the GB road safety strategy <i>Tomorrow’s Roads – safer</i> <i>for everyone</i>was published on 7 April. The review reports that considerable research has beenundertaken by the Department for Transport to increase understanding …