Parliamentary questions

Irene Oldfather

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

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider adding portable oxygen conservers to the Scottish drugs tariff and, if so, what the likely timescale is.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Work is in hand to conduct a study that will consider the clinical and financial benefits that could possibly result from making oxygen conservation devices available on NHS prescription. The outcomes of the study will be considered in the review of Domicilia…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that victims are kept informed of the progress of their cases in the event of adjournment due to the ill-health of the accused.

Answer · Colin Boyd: In recognition of the duties which the prosecution service owes to victims and witnesses, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has established a dedicated victim service – Victim Information and Advice (VIA) which will be rolled out across the whole…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to verify claims from defence teams that the accused is medically unfit to stand trial.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: It is for the presiding sheriff/judge to be satisfied on the evidence before them that an accused is medically unfit to stand trial.The evidence is usually in the form of a medical report and/or certificate from a suitably qualified doctor/consultant.<…

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many court cases were adjourned in 2003-04 because the accused were deemed to be medically unfit to stand trial.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information is not held centrally.

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people benefited from the support offered by the Victim Information and Advice service in the last year.

Answer · Colin Boyd: For the period April 2003 to March 2004, Victim Information and Advice offered a service to 18,447 victims, witnesses and bereaved next of kin, by comparison with 10,356 the previous year.

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the activities of the Victim Information and Advice service.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Victim Information and Advice (VIA) is part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The Director of VIA reports directly to the Crown Agent. As is the case of other divisions of the department VIA’s performance is monitored by the senior management…

9 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9006 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 29 June 2004, whether it will consider introducing funding for the provision of free central heating to disabled owner-occupiers under 60.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: We are considering the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 topic report on fuel poverty. Future spending plans will be announced later in the year.

24 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all overseas engagements carried out by Ministers and the costs of these visits in 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isset out in the following table. The cost given for each visitincludes all flight, accommodation and other expenses. Engagements marked * were atzero cost to the Executive; the costs of members’ attendance at Committee…

17 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a response will be made to the European Commission's proposals for the new regional aid guidelines post 2006.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The European Commission’s current regional aid guidelines, which determine where, how and in what circumstances regional aid can be granted, expire on 31 December 2006. The Commission have issued proposals for new guidelines to apply from 1 January 2007 to 31…

16 Jun 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it is issuing regarding the prescription of risperidone and olan'apine to elderly people with dementia.

Answer · Tom McCabe: On the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, guidance was issued on 9 March advising against the use of risperidone and olanzapine in elderly patients with dementia.

14 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5695 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 29 January 2004, whether it has had the opportunity to consider the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 topic report on fuel poverty.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Yes. The Fuel Poverty Report based on the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 demonstrates the impact that the Executive’s policies have already had on reducing fuel poverty and will be used as an evidence base to inform future policies.

14 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding Scotland's preparedness for the forthcoming switch-over from analogue to digital television signals.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Officials hold regular meetingswith the joint DCMS/DTI Digital Television Project Team, and ministers are keptaware of developments. In her statement of 19 May tothe House of Commons (Col 53WS), Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Mediaand Sp…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the role of the Care Commission.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Ministers take every suitable opportunity to promote the role of the Care Commission and the regulation of care services.The Care Commission’s role and responsibilities are clearly set out in the National Care Standards for care services published by S…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that elderly people who are vulnerable through mental illness are assisted in making complaints about the quality of care they receive.

Answer · Tom McCabe: People using services regulated by the Care Commission are able to complain to the provider of the care service, who is required by law to have a procedure for dealing with complaints. They can also complain direct to the Care Commission, which has a complain…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria must be met by a private care company before a local authority can employ its services and whether present monitoring of these criteria is effective.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 local authorities must ensure that when they make arrangements for the provision of a care service the provider of that service is registered with the Care Commission. The Care Commission inspects care service …

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a pay scale for professional care workers with pay levels rising dependent on experience and qualifications.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Executive has no such plans. In terms of social care staff in the statutory sector, these are matters for the local authorities, the representing tradeunions and for COSLA to consider.

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Care Commission regarding alleged incidents of abuse, theft and bullying suffered by residents of care homes.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I met the Care Commission on 12 May to discuss its investigation of recent media reports about a care home, and have asked it to keep me informed about action it is taking as a result. The Care Commission has acted swiftly and has served an Improvement Notice…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether current vetting procedures are sufficient for care workers who work in nursing homes and those who work in the patient's own home.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-8865 on 21 June 2004.All answers 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/weba…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what requirements are in place to ensure that care workers have undertaken appropriate training.

Answer · Euan Robson: In accordance with the regulations made under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 (the act), care service providers are required only to employ people who are fit. Under the regulations, employees are not considered to be fit unless they have the quali…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the Care Commission's regulation of the quality of care offered in care homes.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer to the answer given to question S2W-8866 on 21 June 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it undertakes of the Care Commission's regulation of private care companies.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Ministers are responsible through a management statement and financial memorandum for setting the policy, planning and financial framework within which the Care Commission must operate, including objective and target setting. In carrying out its functions, an…

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what national standards are in place to vet care workers and whether such standards are sufficient.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission) is already regulating a wide range of the services defined in Section 2 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 (the Act), including care homes, support services (care at home and …

8 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that care workers and related staff are suitably vetted before being assigned to work with vulnerable elderly and disabled people.

4 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in achieving the targets set out in Tourism Framework for Action, published in 2002.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I am pleased to announce thatreal progress has been achieved since the publication of the Tourism Frameworkfor Action in 2002. A Progress Report for 2003-04 will be published today thatreflects a number of initiatives that have been taken forward by pu…

21 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with regard to the relocation of civil service jobs.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have made good progress. Since1999, we have relocated or announced plans to relocate around 1,300 posts aroundScotland. There are around a further 1,800 posts being considered under reviews announcedto date.

5 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its consultation document on the reform of family law.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have today published aconsultation document, Family Matters: Improving Family Law in Scotland.Copies of the consultation document are available in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre. This consultation deals, among others, with issues of greatsignifican…

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to pilot early intervention schemes to assist divorced parents in agreeing access packages for their children, similar to those being piloted by Her Majesty's Government.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive shares theinterest of the UK Government in promoting agreements by separating parents inrelation to contact and residence matters affecting children, without the needfor court intervention.To this end, we providegrant aid to Family Mediat…

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its proposals for the review of family law.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is committed to reforming family law for all of Scotland’speople. Building on our 2000 White Paper, Parents and Children. We arein the process of finalising a consultation paper, which will be published inthe near future.

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what events it has planned to mark the European Year of Education through Sport.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I was delighted toparticipate in the formal launch of the Year in Scotland on 10 February andwe will take every opportunity to promote the aims and objectives of the Yearand the projects that will be supported through European Commission funding.

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop a national bank of carers who have undertaken specific training in providing specialist care for conditions such as Al'heimer's disease and autism and for people with physical disabilities.

Answer · Euan Robson: There are no such plans.