Parliamentary questions
Irene Oldfather
1,035 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it encourages local authorities to ensure that adequate training is provided for carers in the symptoms and characteristics of specific conditions.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive issued guidance (CCD 2/2003) in March 2003 to local authorities,NHSScotland and the voluntary sector advising on new legislative measures tosupport unpaid carers contained in the Community Care and Health (Scotland)Act 2002. A fundament…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors standards of training in the delivery of care services.
Answer · Tom McCabe: As part of its regulatoryduties the Care Commission requires care service providers to comply with theRegulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and the associated subordinatelegislation. Section 9 of the Regulation of Care (Requirements as to Care Services)(Scot…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to ensure a smooth transition of care packages under the Supporting People initiative when service users relocate to a new local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6780 on 19 March 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…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to ensure a smooth transition of care packages when service users relocate to a new local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: It is a matter for localauthorities to ensure a smooth transition of care packages (including thoseunder the Supporting People initiative) when service users relocate to a newlocal authority area.</p><p>Scottish Office Circular No.SWSG1/96 on Ordinary Residen…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the short life working group on dementia will meet in total.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6777 on 18 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the short life working group on dementia has met.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6777 on 18 March 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…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the short life working group on dementia will report its findings.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Short Life Working Groupon Dementia expect to report in mid 2004. To date they have met on 12 November 2003and 16 January this year. Their next meeting will be on 2 April and there maybe further meetings thereafter.</p>
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether specific guidelines in respect of cultural norms are in place for carers who assist people from ethnic minority groups with dementia.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No specified guidelines arein place. However I expect all staff and all agencies to consider the wholeperson needs in designing care and support that, wherever possible, respectsand responds to cultural and religious beliefs.</p>
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether specific guidelines in respect of cultural norms are in place for carers who assist Asian people with dementia.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No specified guidelines arein place. However I expect all staff and all agencies to consider the wholeperson needs in designing care and support that, wherever possible, respectsand responds to cultural and religious beliefs.</p>
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into dementia care for members of Asian communities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Alison Bowes andHeather Wilkinson (Stirling University)received a grant from the Chief Scientist Office in 2002 to carry out afeasibility study to establish effective ways of ascertaining the views ofolder South Asian people with dementia, their families and …
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that Asian people with dementia have access to appropriate care and support packages that reflect their beliefs and culture.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Under the Executive's CarersStrategy, which was launched in November 1999, resources to local authoritiesto support carers have risen from £5 million a year in 1999-2000 to £21 milliona year in 2003-04. The Carers Strategy specifically states that localauthor…
17 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Ayrshire North Community Housing Association Ltd has an obligation to consult its owner-occupiers before imposing an estate management fee.
Answer · Margaret Curran: No, there is simply anobligation on the feu superior to ensure that the charges are reasonable.</p>
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the rising level of consumer debt as detailed in Citi'en Advice Scotland's report On the Cards: The debt crisis facing Scottish CAB clients.
Answer · Margaret Curran: We are tackling problem debtthrough our Partnership for a Better Scotland commitment to support the moneyadvice sector in Scotland. To this end an extra £4 million of new funding for2004-05 and 2005-06 was announced on 26 January 2004which will go towards dev…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidelines to local authorities on levels of investment in lending stock for libraries.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The COSLA report, <i>Standardsfor the Public Library Service in Scotland 1995</i>, provides guidance on thenumber of titles which should be added to stock for local authorities toprovide an adequate selection of material for users, without defining spendingle…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage more people to borrow materials from libraries.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Scotland’s libraries have worked together to offer a range ofreading promotions to the public. These have included five <i>Now Read On</i>promotions, through the 1990s, the <i>Scottish Writers</i> promotion of 2000,whose CD ROM was short-listed for a BAFTA In…
30 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government with regard to ensuring that adequate measures are in place to prevent the H5N1 bird flu virus entering Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is in closetouch with the UK Government and other key interests to ensure that contingencyplans are in place to respond to any possible spread of H5N1 virus to Scotland orother parts of the UK.</p>
23 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding the provision of free central heating to disabled owner-occupiers under 60.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: We will make decisions onthe future development of the central heating programme later this year when wehave had the opportunity to consider the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002topic report on fuel poverty.</p>
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to encourage as many people as possible to make a submission to the consultation on smoking in public places, as announced in A Breath of Fresh Air for Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive will take a two phased approach.</p><p>Phase 1 will involve acombination of evidence-gathering through commissioned research (e.g. intointernational experience of the health benefits/economic impact of statutorycontrols) and an awarenes…
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be for the North Ayrshire Council area of funding the Educational Maintenance Allowance scheme in 2004-05.
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is estimated that in thefirst year of national rollout (2004-05) the EMA programme will cost £16.5million. On full national rollout (2007-08) the programme will costapproximately £43 million. Estimates are not available centrally for individuallocal author…
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be of the nationwide roll-out of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme.
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is estimated that by fullnational rollout in 2007-08 the EMA programme will cost £43 million per year.Approximately 40,000 young people will benefit from EMAs to encourage them toremain in non-advanced post compulsory education in schools and further educa…
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on the provision of Gaelic translations on signage in public offices.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive considersthere is merit in the provision of bilingual signage in public places.Bilingual signage provides a minority language with an enhanced degree ofrecognition, and it informs and interests visitors to those areas.</p><p>Gaelic signage in Sc…
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the Gaelic Language Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I expect to introduce a GaelicLanguage Bill to Parliament later this year.</p>
22 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses it received to the consultation on the proposed Gaelic Language Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We have received over 3,000responses to the draft Gaelic Language Bill consultation, broken down asfollows:</p><p>627 letters and e-mails</p><p>56 responses to the <i>WestHighland Free Press</i> cut-out campaign</p><p>1,706 responses to the <i>Cli-Gaidhlig</i…
21 Jan 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in assisting elderly people with mental illness.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A range ofpolicies and initiatives are being progressed at local and national level aimedat improving care, services and support for older people with mental health problems.These include implementingthe joint future agenda for single shared assessments and o…
19 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on its European strategy.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Following the May 2003 Election, the First Minister established a ministerial group on European strategy with the remit to map out a clear framework for the Scottish Executive’s work on EU issues over the next four years. One of the outcomes of this work has …
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the postponement of discussions on the European Constitution until March 2004 will have on matters for which it has responsibility.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Following the failure of theintergovernmental conference on 12-13 December 2003 to agree a new EUConstitutional Treaty, the European Council has asked the Irish Presidency tomake an assessment of the prospects for progress and to report to the European Counci…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual cost would be for each patient of prescribing Low Dose Naltrexone for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Naltrexone hydrochloride is aprescription only medicine licensed as an adjunct to prevent relapse indetoxified, formerly opiate dependent addicts. Naltrexone hydrochloride is notlicensed for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.</p><p>The British NationalFormu…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual cost for each patient is of prescribing beta interferon for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive supports therisk-sharing scheme, which allows patients meeting criteria by the Associationof British Neurologists to receive treatment with beta interferon or glatirameracetate, another drug used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Thepharma…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the most effective possible treatments are provided for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is participatingin the UK-wide risk sharing scheme, which makes available disease-modifyingdrugs MS to patients assessed as suitable for treatment. There has been goodprogress in implementing this scheme. We are also funding the development of a…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding clinical trials to monitor the effectiveness of Low Dose Naltrexone in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO)within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouragingand supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. CSOis largely a response mode funder of research and this role is well kno…