Parliamentary questions
Eleanor Scott
233 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the effect of reduced ferry fares for island residents on businesses located on the islands.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive willbegin later this year, a review of fares structures as part of a broader reviewof the affordability of public transport. The review will aim to identify scopefor rationalising a complex structure and aligning fares more closely with…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the criteria for eligibility for grants for rural petrol stations should be relaxed in cases where the petrol station is the only one on an island.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Rural Petrol Stations Grant Schemeis administered on behalf of the Scottish Executive by Highlands andIslands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise through their networks of local enterprisecompanies (LECs). LECs have discretion to relax certain eligibility …
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to ensure that an island does not lose its only petrol station.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Rural Petrol Stations Grant Schemecan help rural petrol stations with the capital costs of upgrading, provided thatthe station satisfies the scheme’s eligibility criteria, which include acondition that the station must be economically viable in the long t…
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage more deaf people to train as teachers of deaf children.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive is committedto having 53,000 full-time teachers in our schools by September 2007. It is opento anyone with the appropriate academic qualifications, and who is considering acareer in teaching, to apply for entry to courses of Initial Tea…
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether teachers of deaf pupils trained through the competency route will be able to have their qualifications recognised in other parts of the United Kingdom or in other European countries.
Answer · Robert Brown: It is a matter for employersin other parts of the United Kingdom or Europe to consider whether they recognisethe qualifications held by teachers of deaf pupils trained through the competencyroute.</p>
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that teachers of deaf pupils who are trained by their employers will engage with issues that may challenge these employers, for example by looking critically at the concept of inclusion and what it means in practice for deaf children.
Answer · Robert Brown: Irrespective of where they aretrained, all teachers should be able to engage in a constructive dialogue with theiremployers about learning and teaching.</p>
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how teachers of deaf and hearing impaired pupils will find out about a range of methods to teach deaf children if they stay in their local authority to acquire competencies without attending a Teacher of the Deaf course.
Answer · Robert Brown: This is a matter for local authoritiesto address. They can, if they wish, arrange for teachers to have learning experiencesoutwith their own authority. Informationrelating to a wide range of professional development experiences can be found onthe national reg…
7 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that employing authorities have the skills and knowledge to assess whether teachers who have not attended a recognised Teacher of the Deaf course but are employed to teach deaf or hearing impaired pupils have acquired the necessary competencies.
Answer · Robert Brown: It is a matter for employingauthorities to ensure that teachers’ skills and competencies are updated and thata Continuous Professional Development programme is in place. Head teachers and seniormanagers in schools support and enhance teachers’ skills through …
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed community casualty unit in Cumbernauld will have facilities to handle emergency chest conditions, such as asthma attacks.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The appropriate response toemergency conditions, such as acute asthma attacks, is a 999 emergency call tothe Scottish Ambulance Service, which will bring an emergency response. The communitycasualty unit in Cumbernauld will not be configured to receive such c…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what services will be offered at the proposed community casualty unit in Cumbernauld.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The servicesthat the Cumbernauld Community Casualty Unit (and the similar units in Lanarkand at Monklands, Wishaw General and Hairmyres Hospitals) will provide, include treatment for:</p><p>cuts andabrasions </p><p>minor burns </p><p>simple fractures </p><p>m…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of proposed works to improve the accident and emergency units at Wishaw and Hairmyres hospitals compares with the estimated cost of upgrading the accident and emergency unit at Monklands Hospital if it were to be retained.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Lanarkshire consideredoptions within its A Picture of Health strategy in the context of the totalityof emergency services for all Lanarkshire residents. In particular the boardlooked at a range of criteria relating to the selection of two emergency caresi…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether accident and emergency services at Wishaw and Hairmyres hospitals will be improved before the accident and emergency unit at Monklands Hospital closes.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31979 on 9 March 2007. All answersto 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/webapp/wa.se…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the accident and emergency unit at Monklands Hospital will remain open until the accident and emergency unit opens at the new Larbert hospital.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes. When I approved NHSLanarkshire’s service change proposals on 21 August 2006,I made clear that new and replacement services must be in place before existingservices are discontinued. This stipulation was accepted in the board chair’sreply on 11 September …
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Larbert hospital will have a maternity unit that can deal with bleeding during pregnancy.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is for the NHS board to ensurethat the maternity service provided meets local needs and that all staff have theskills to manage obstetric and neonatal emergencies.</p><p>NHS Forth Valley will continueto provide a full range of community and in-patient mate…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for opening the accident and emergency unit at the new Larbert hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Services at the new hospitalat Larbert, including the accident and emergency unit, are due to be phased intothe new facility starting in late 2009.</p><p>A Community Hospital willbe developed on the existing Stirling Royal Site which will potentially providel…
23 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Stirling Royal Infirmary is due to close.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The majority of services providedat Stirling Royal Infirmary will transfer to the new acute hospital to be builtat Larbert. Services are due to be phased into the new hospital starting in late2009.</p><p>A community hospital will bedeveloped on the existing S…
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30653 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 January 2007, whether it will await the evaluation of the new model of community nursing in the pilot areas before rolling out the model elsewhere.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions on whether to rollout the model more widely will be made once the two year development project acrossfour board areas is completed.</p>
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30653 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 January 2007, whether it considers that a two-year pilot will be sufficient to assess the effects of the change to the new model of community nursing.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In the first instance we arelooking at progress over two years in the development sites. If the model is rolledout more widely further evaluation will take place on an on-going basis.</p>
15 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30653 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 January 2007, what outcome measures it will use to assess the effectiveness of the new model of community nursing in the pilot NHS board areas.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The impact of the new modelwill be independently evaluated. The evaluation will measure not only nurses’contribution to meeting the aims of Delivering for Health, but also theexperiences of individuals, families, communities, nurses and professionalcolleagues…
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for the slaughter of genetically modified chickens and disposal of their carcases.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The genetically modifiedchickens at the Roslin Institute are dispatched by methods approved by the HomeOffice. The carcases are treated as clinical waste and are incinerated by aspecialist contractor.</p>
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that genetically modified chickens, their eggs or any part thereof do not enter the food chain.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by theFood Standards Agency that the sale of foods and food ingredients derived from geneticallymodified chickens falls under the EC Regulation on Genetically Modified Food andFeed (1829/2003). This means that any food product derived from GM chi…
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish data gathering equipment such as monitoring buoys or tidal measuring stations west of the Outer Hebrides.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Tidal measuring stations at keylocations in the Outer Hebrides would improve understanding of the coastal processesand performance of the Storm Tide Forecasting Service model, on which flood watchand flood warning alerts are based.</p><p>The Scottish Environm…
11 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop an early warning system to forewarn coastal communities of potential storm and flood events.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Following the coastal floodingexperienced around Scotland in January 2005, the Scottish Environment ProtectionAgency (SEPA) was asked by the Scottish Executive if a national solution could bedeveloped to provide a general early alert of coastal flooding.</p><…
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in increasing the range of services provided by optometrists, in line with the Kerr report principle that care should be provided where possible in the patient’s own locality.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The new NHS eye examination whichwas introduced in April 2006 allows for the management of a wide range of commonconditions in the community and promotes optometrists/ophthalmic medical practitionersas the first point of contact for eye problems. The new NHS …
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will publicise the fact that the free eye examination is concerned with assessing eye health and not merely the need for glasses.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30735 on 29 January 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will advertise the availability of free eye examinations to vulnerable groups such as elderly people, those in deprived areas or those with medical conditions that can cause eye problems.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We are currently working withHealth Rights Information Scotland to produce a leaflet advising patients of thenew NHS eye examination. It is intended that this leaflet will be made availablethrough a number of sources.</p>
21 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the uptake and effectiveness of universal free eye examinations.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A range of information is beingcollected on the new NHS eye examination which will allow us to monitor both uptakeand effectiveness. Initial analysis indicates that around 729,360 NHS eye examinationswere undertaken between 1 April and 30 September 2006 compa…
13 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the Department of Trade and Industry’s Appropriate Assessment of the 24th Oil and Gas Licensing Round will ensure that oil licensing adjacent to the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation will not be in breach of the EU Habitats Directive and what representa…
Answer · Allan Wilson: In accordance with Article 6of the Habitats Directive, the Department for Trade and Industry as the competentauthority, must satisfy themselves that any exploration licence issued under the24th licensing round will not have an adverse effect on the integrity …
13 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is planning to institute an eradication programme for New Zealand flatworms.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has noplans to institute an eradication programme for New Zealand flatworms.</p><p>Current action in relation toNew Zealand flatworm focuses on preventing its spread. The ScottishExecutive and the Department for Environment, Food and Ru…
13 Dec 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken on the effect of New Zealand flatworms on agriculture and horticulture.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30532 on 15 January 2007. 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/…