Fiona McLeod

26 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4328 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 10 March 2000, when the Football Partnership will make its report publicly available, whether the Partnership met again on 24 March and whether a statement was issued thereafter.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Football Partnership did meet on the 24 March and a Scottish Executive News Release reporting the outcome of the meeting was issued that day. The News Release also provided details of how the paper containing the detailed proposals considered by the partn…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned a feasibility study into the possibility and desirability of building the People's Libraries Network on a broadband width system and, if a study has been undertaken, what the study's findings and recommendations were and which recommendations it intends to impl…

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive has commissioned a feasibility study into integrated broadband communications for Scottish schools which will also inform consideration of broadband communications in relation to other educational networks including the Public Library Network.

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the voluntary organisations and charities to which it has allocated grants in 2000-01 and what amount of grant was applied for and awarded in each case.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive is developing a database of direct and indirect grants to voluntary organisations. A copy of the database will be sent to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre as soon as possible and I will write to the Member to inform her when this has b…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are set for the award of grants by it to voluntary organisations and charities and whether these vary from year to year.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: A Guide to Scottish Executive Grants for the Voluntary Sector was published on 24 July, giving information on Executive schemes for 2001-02, including information on the criteria for each scheme. Copies have been placed with the Scottish Parliament Informatio…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what process and timetable is set by it for grant allocation to voluntary organisations and charities and in particular what the process is, including closing dates applied to different parts of the timetable, for grant allocation in 2000-01.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: A Guide to Scottish Executive Grants for the Voluntary Sector was published on 24 July, giving information on Executive schemes for 2001-02. Copies have been placed with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Closing dates for applications to the various…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many treatment programmes are available in Scotland which address volatile substance abuse and how many of these it funds.

Answer · Angus MacKay: According to the Scottish Drugs Forum's <I>Directory of Specialist Helping Agencies</I>, there are approximately 85 treatment services available in Scotland which address volatile substance abuse. The Scottish Executive does not directly fund any of these ser…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many corporate action plans of drug action teams in Scotland refer to volatile substance abuse and what action drug action teams will be taking to address volatile substance abuse.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Following on from last year's planning cycle with the Drug Action Teams, seven out of the 22 specifically refer to volatile substance abuse in their corporate action plans.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Volatile substance abuse is seen as a high priority by the Executive…

25 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many referrals were made to Children's Panels in Scotland for each of the last five years on the grounds of volatile substance abuse.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: eferrals under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 Section 52(2)(k) - &quot;has misused a volatile substance by deliberately inhaling its vapour, other than for medical purposes&quot; and its predecessor, the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 Section 32(2)(gg) wer…

21 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which universities and/or colleges offer a degree course in play work with children and how many places are available on each course.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No universities or colleges in Scotland offer degree courses in play work with children.

20 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any responses received to its request in paragraph 5.27 of Aiming for Excellence for views "on the case for allowing local authorities to enter into arrangements with private fostering agencies, and whether such agencies should be subject to inspection and registra…

Answer · Iain Gray: Responses to the White Paper <I>Aiming for Excellence</I> are available in the Scottish Executive library and SPICe. Responses received on this issue were taken into account in developing the policy set out in the position paper <I>The Way Forward for Care </…

20 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for initiatives to support families in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000 and (d) 2000-01 and whether it will list these initiatives.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive is committed to building a Scotland in which every family is able to support itself and where every child has the best possible start in life.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is not possible to identify separately all funding which benefits famili…

19 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 1999-2000, and how much will be spent in 2000-01, on promoting golf tourism by the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Tourist Board and area tourist boards.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive does not itself spend money on the promotion of golf tourism. Spend by the Scottish Tourist Board (STB) and the Area Tourist Boards is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=612><TR><TD WIDTH="63%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp…

19 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 1999-2000, and how much will be spent in 2000-01, on academic research into sport and sport-related issues in Scotland by Scottish universities.

Answer · Henry McLeish: This information is not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Research Councils and their operations are reserved.

19 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 1999-2000, and how much will be spent in 2000-01, on academic research into tourism and tourism-related issues in Scotland by Scottish universities.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This information is not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Research Councils and their operations are reserved.

13 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7005 by Susan Deacon on 22 June 2000, how many (a) paediatrics, (b) child and adolescent psychiatry, (c) paediatric surgery and (d) community child health consultants are currently employed in each health board area, and what the recommended staffing…

Answer · Susan Deacon: A detailed breakdown of the whole time equivalent of consultants in post for the selected specialties by health board area is shown in the attached table. The table should be read in conjunction with the notes below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Assessment of staffing r…

6 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations and individuals it invited to submit views on supporter involvement in football after the publication of New Mutualism - A Golden Goal and whether copies of responses received have been or will be made available to MSPs.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: We invited views from the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Football League, the Scottish Professional Footballers Association and the Scottish Federation of Football Supporters.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Copies of responses are…

5 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people started midwifery training in (a) 1997; (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 and what promotion of midwifery training takes place in order to attract trainees.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Commencements to midwifery programmes for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000 are shown in the table below.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT=19><P>Year</TD><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="MIDDLE" HEIGHT=19><P AL…

5 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much is being spent on the campaign to increase the numbers of mothers who breastfeed and how it intends to evaluate the success or otherwise of the campaign.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS) was actively involved in promoting Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which ran from 14-20 May 2000. For this financial year HEBS has allocated £30,000 to produce materials for Breastfeeding Awareness Week and also to…

5 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to health authorities on the appropriate number of women and babies to be in the care of any one midwife.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Currently our policy in Scotland for the care of women who are pregnant or who are in labour is not focused on ratios of women to midwives but on creating a climate which encourages the full involvement of the woman in the planning of her care and in exercisi…

5 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many mothers breastfed their babies in (a) 1997; (b) 1998 and (c) 1999, and what the target is for 2000.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to the long-term aim set in 1994 of 50% of women breastfeeding their babies at six weeks, by 2005.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">No breastfeeding target has been set for 2000. However, information on previous years' breastfeeding rates…

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to doctors and other medical staff on the administration of vaccines for mumps and rubella after a child has been vaccinated for measles separately.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive has issued no guidance on the administration of vaccines for mumps and rubella after a child has been vaccinated for measles separately.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Single antigen measles vaccine is not a licensed product in the UK and its administration …

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to health boards and NHS Trusts on the length of time between a vacancy in midwifery staff arising and it being filled.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The recruitment of NHS in Scotland staff is a matter for local employers and no guidance is issued by the Scottish Executive Health Department on the length of time between vacancies arising and being filled.

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to spend any of the additional allocation or underspend in the health budget on creating more midwifery posts.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are no plans to ring-fence moneys for midwifery posts. However, each health board and Trust will be able to take decisions on local demand for midwives.

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many colleges and universities currently offer a course in midwifery and how many students are currently enrolled on these courses.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Seven institutions in Scotland offer pre-registration midwifery diploma courses. The details are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Five institutions offer both a three-year and an 18 month shortened pre-registration course in midwifery. These are:<P ALIGN="JUSTIF…

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many midwifery students graduated last year and how many found full-time permanent employment (a) in Scotland, (b) elsewhere in the UK and (c) outwith the UK.

Answer · Susan Deacon: During 1999-2000, a total of 191 students in Scotland successfully completed courses leading to registration as a midwife.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Information on the employment status of these students is not held centrally.

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many midwives are currently employed broken down by health board and NHS Trust.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The latest information available centrally on numbers of midwives employed in the NHS in Scotland by Health Board and Trust is shown in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=531><TR><TD WIDTH="75%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=4 HEIGHT=16><P></TD>…

26 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will have a director on the board of the subsidiary company being set up by the Scottish Football Association to manage Hampden stadium.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: No.

19 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking either alone or in conjunction with Her Majesty's Government to help protect women employees against discriminatory practice during pregnancy and maternity leave and after maternity leave.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment rights is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including issues related to maternity leave.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Sex Discrimination Act 1…

19 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking either alone or in conjunction with Her Majesty's Government to advise women employees of their rights to maternity leave, maternity payments and parental leave.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment rights is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including maternity leave, maternity payments and parental leave.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Dep…

19 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are receiving additional funding to enable cover to be provided in public libraries and schools while librarians and teachers receive ICT training under the New Opportunities Fund.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities are integrating the New Opportunities Fund training into their ongoing staff development programmes, and in some cases innovative approaches to delivery are helping to reduce the need for cover.