Parliamentary questions

Irene Oldfather

1,035 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

16 Feb 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in promoting Scotland as a film location.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has established Scottish Screen as the prime public agency charged with the promotion of Scotland as a film location. Its annual report records the progress it has achieved in attracting film and television companies to work in Scotland…

9 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the three Ayrshire local authorities regarding financial contributions to the Ayrshire Film Focus project.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with the Ayrshire local authorities on this issue.

9 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much inward investment the Ayrshire Film Focus project has attracted to the local area since its inception.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The evaluation commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire suggests that Ayrshire Film Focus may have helped to generate spend by TV/film production companies amounting to just over £170,000.

9 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total running costs have been of the Ayrshire Film Focus office, based in Prestwick.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire. I understand that total funding for Ayrshire Film Focus for 2002-03 to 2004-05 from public sources was some £195,000.

9 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the benefits of having regional film offices are for attracting film and television makers to rural areas.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The local film offices arepartners in the Scottish Locations Network, which is co-ordinated by ScottishScreen. The existence of this effective network of regional film offices, whichcovers the whole of Scotland, is an important factor in helping to attract mo…

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Care Commission has responsibility for auditing prescribing practices in residential and nursing homes.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: No. The Care Commission’s role is to regulate care services defined in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, which includes care home services. When inspecting a care home, Care Commission staff look for evidence that medicines management systems…

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what auditing takes place of the prescribing of tranquilisers to elderly people in residential and nursing homes.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 removed the statutory distinction between residential care homes and nursing homes and all such services are now registered as care homes.The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission…

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is given to improving the internal transport infrastructure when allocating funding through the Route Development Fund to attract more foreign visitors to Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Route Development Fund is targeted at sharing the risks, over a limited period, associated with the start up of new direct air routes. There are no plans to extend the fund to support wider infrastructure improvements.

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the Glasgow Crossrail project.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Supported by a Scottish Executive Integrated Transport Fund award of £0.5 million, Strathclyde Passenger Transport has appointed the consultants Scott Wilson to undertake a feasibility study into the proposed Crossrail scheme. The study’s findings are expecte…

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on improving transport links between major cities and rural areas.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continues to promote a number of improvements to the trunk road network connecting major cities to rural areas and to work in partnership with local authorities, transport providers and others on a wide range of measures to improve tran…

7 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop rail links between Ayrshire and Edinburgh.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is always prepared to consider well developed proposals to improve Scotland’s railway system. Proposals should be operationally viable, offer value for money and accord with the Executive’s wider strategic objectives. The Executive is supporting…

3 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given in relation to the prescribing of incontinence pads for disabled people living in their own homes who have a clinical need for them.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Disabled people living in their own homes with an incontinence problem have direct access to support and advice through their GP who will arrange for a nurse to undertake a comprehensive clinical assessment.NHS boards have developed clinical guidelines…

3 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given in relation to the prescribing of incontinence pads for elderly people living in their own homes who have a clinical need for them.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Elderly people living in their own homes with an incontinence problem have direct access to support and advice through their GP who will arrange for a nurse to undertake a comprehensive clinical assessment.NHS boards have also developed clinical guidel…

28 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the additional £4 million allocated for the provision of smoking cessation services in 2005-06 will be ring-fenced specifically for tailored cessation services for pregnant women.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco Control considered the allocation of the additional £4 million for the provision of smoking cessation services in 2005-06. The group noted that if funding was allocated on a pro-rata basis 4.3% would be allocated to se…

28 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of funding currently allocated for smoking cessation services is ring-fenced for cessation services tailored specifically for pregnant women.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Funding for smoking cessation services is not currently ring fenced for specific priority groups such as pregnant women.

26 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS-run opticians regarding maintaining standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The NHS does not generally provide high street optical services itself, but may make arrangements for these services through independent contractor optometrists. Their terms of service require them to provide proper and sufficient consulting and waiting room …

26 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on hygiene and cleanliness in opticians.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive regards cleanliness and hygiene in all healthcare premises, whether owned and operated by the NHS or used to provide a service to NHS patients under contract, as very important. Clean and hygienic premises reduce the risk of infection and improv…

26 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what code of practice is in place to regulate privately-run opticians.

Answer · Andy Kerr: All opticians must be registered with the General Optical Council to practice in the UK. They must therefore meet the registration requirements and comply with the code of practice of the General Optical Council.Dispensing opticians and optometrists mu…

15 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any nominations for the vacancy on Group I (employers) of the UK delegation to the European Union's Economic and Social Committee.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive consulted Scottish business interests widely on filling the vacancy on Group I of the Economic and Social Committee that was created by the resignation of Ms Sheila Ritchie. Scottish ministers have endorsed the nominations of Mr Kenneth…

8 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists in the Ayrshire and Arran area take on new patients.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally. Any such information would be held by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

8 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran regarding the provision of dental services in the area.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have had no specific discussions about NHS general dental service provision with NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Responsibility for the overall provision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Ayrshire and Arran. The boards is aware that if there is a g…

17 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with First ScotRail to improve the frequency of services and the amount of rolling stock available on the Prestwick International Airport to Glasgow Central route in order to reduce overcrowding.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive and First ScotRail are both members of the Prestwick Rail Improvement Group which I announced during my visit to the airport in September. The first meeting of the Group, led by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, will be held on…

10 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging Scottish enterprise in China.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Pursuing success in global markets is a key theme of the refreshed A Smart, Successful Scotland strategy published last week. We recognise that there is huge potential in China and we are committed to a long-term approach to helping Scotland grasp the …

19 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it funds the provision of CD portable oxygen cylinders for patients who clinically require an oxygen flow rate of eight litres per minute in any NHS board area and, if so, in which areas.

Answer · Andy Kerr: CD portable oxygen cylindersare not available for GP prescribing. However, where a hospital consultant considersa CD portable cylinder to be clinically necessary, it can be supplied to the patientfree of charge through the hospital service.

19 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to fund the provision of CD portable oxygen cylinders for patients who clinically require an oxygen flow rate of eight litres per minute in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Patients whose hospital consultantsconsider CD portable cylinders to be clinically necessary can obtain them free ofcharge through the hospital service.

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding allocation for the Scottish Ambulance Service was in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The initial funding allocation for the Scottish Ambulance Service for 2003-04 was £120.278 million. The initial allocation for 2004-05 was £128.096 million, an increase of 6.5% on the previous year.

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that ambulances are appropriately staffed.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The staffing of ambulances is primarily an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. If the ambulance service assesses that an area shouldbe served by an accident and emergency unit, then a double crewed unit is what should be provided. Where, in…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost per patient has been of the provision of portable oxygen conservers in each of the last four years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Portable oxygen equipment has been available on GP prescription since 1 April 2004. Oxygen conserver devices are not available on GP prescription. Althoughportable oxygen has always been available through the hospital services incases of clinical need, I am a…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered as having a need for clinical oxygen therapy for eight hours a day or more.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Approximately 3,000 patients are currently receiving oxygen therapy via oxygen concentrators provided by the hospital service. The threshold of eight hours a day was introduced in April this year. The previous threshold was 15 hours a day or more and it is cu…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered as having a need for clinical oxygen therapy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no formal registration arrangements for people requiring oxygen therapy. However it is estimated that there are approximately 3,000 patients receiving therapy via concentrators supplied by the hospital service, and approximately 5,000 patients recei…