Irene Oldfather

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Police Negotiation Board regarding police pay and conditions.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Police Negotiating Board operates on a UK basis. The Scottish Executive, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Police Associations are members of the Police Negotiating Board, along with their equivalents south of the Border and in…

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of police officers are currently on (a) core street shifts and (b) other administrative duties, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for chief constables.

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when police officers who have not yet received protective body armour can expect to receive such protection.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of police officers have not yet received protective body armour, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were treated for hospital-acquired infections at district general hospitals in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.<P>However, collection of core data on the incidence of selected hospital-acquired infections is a key component of the new national surveillance framework announced in July 2001. The framework will ensure regul…

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake a review of the geographic provision of in-patient services across Scotland in the light of A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards have conducted local maternity service reviews, which take account of the various geographical and demographic features of their particular area. The Scottish Executive is currently auditing NHS board strategies against the principles laid out in <…

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the location of the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the location of the European Maritime Safety Agency.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice about the euro is being given by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Trade International to exporters to the Euro'one and to those companies which import goods and services.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In the Scottish Enterprise area, responsibility for providing advice to businesses regarding the euro is the responsibility of Scotland Europa. In conjunction with HM Treasury, they have implementing a detailed programme - including workshops, conferences, pu…

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring the use of the euro in the retail and tourism sectors in Scotland.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21890 on 29 January 2002.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any penalty clauses under the terms of its contract with EAGA Partnership (Scotland) for any extreme delays in the installation of central heating for elderly people under its central heating installation programme.

Answer · Iain Gray: There are no such clauses. EAGA are required to spend the budget each year and all applications will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20749 by Iain Gray on 10 January 2002, whether it has any plans to provide a fast track procedure for applications for free central heating under its Central Heating Installation Programme for those people who have respiratory illness or a similarly …

Answer · Iain Gray: We have identified three groups which will receive priority as far as is reasonable, practicable and cost effective in the circumstance. They are single person households, households aged 75 or over and the disabled or long-term sick.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners in each parliamentary constituency have (a) taken up their entitlement and (b) received free central heating under its Central Heating Installation Programme.

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally. We will be publishing an annual report on the Central Heating Installation Programme which will give details of take-up across Scotland.

23 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to promote the learning of foreign languages in Scotland's schools.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive response to the Action Group on Languages report <I>Citizens of a Multilingual World</I>, published on 26 September 2001, highlighted a wide range of proposals to promote the learning of foreign languages in Scotland's schools. Key reco…

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make to the Convention on the Future of Europe announced in the Laeken Declaration on the future of the European Union.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive considers it very important that Scotland should contribute to EU thinking on major issues such as the Future of Europe debate and believes that Scotland and legislative regions can play an important part in helping to address the ackno…

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on devolved matters of the outcome of the Laeken European Council of December 2001 and, in particular, the Laeken Declaration on the future of the European Union.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As a matter of course, policy divisions within the Scottish Executive assess the implications for devolved matters of the outcomes of all EU summits. The Executive very much welcomes the declaration on the Future of Europe which maps out the process for the n…

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to exempt officials of the Parliament from jury duty.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have no plans to make the Parliament's officials ineligible for, or give them an automatic right of excusal from, jury service. Like all those cited for jury service, officials of the Parliament may apply to the clerk of court to be excused and the clerk m…

16 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on reducing the numbers of young women suffering from depression.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The latest figures, based on a sample of GP practices in Scotland, indicate that an estimated 24,000 young women between 15 and 24 were seen for depression by general practitioners in 2000, an increase of 2,000 over the previous year.<P>The Scottish Executive…

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, what action it plans to take in respect of holders of legal title concerning boundary division subjects which are based on the Principles of the Law of Scotland, (10th Edition 1899, section 1078) which confirm…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21639.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, what recognition it has given to those legal titles concerning boundary division subjects which are extant and which conform to, and are based on, the legal standing of the subject as set out in Principles of …

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21639.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, whether it supports the use by the Scottish Law Commission in its report on Boundary Division Walls (Report No. 163, paragraph 1.4, footnote 6) of the case of Robertson v Scott 1886 (13R 1127) as being central…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive considers reports of the commission as a whole. The commission concluded that the existing law as decided by the case of <I>Thom </I>v<I> Hetherington 1988 </I>SLT 724 was satisfactory and that there was no need for legislation to restate or ref…

9 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14468 by Susan Deacon on 5 July 2001, what progress has been made in considering whether support tights should be made available on prescription through GPs.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Rehabilitation Technology Providers Forum (SCOTRET) Orthotic Sub-Group, the NHS providers forum for the clinicians, has been asked to consider and provide views by end of March on whether support tights should be available on prescription from GP…

12 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding to be made available to local authorities in October 2002 in respect of the introduction of concessionary travel for the elderly will be ring-fenced.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. The additional resources have been made available in the general local government settlement from 2002-03 and were distributed through the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) system. GAE allowances are not intended in general to determine councils' local policy…

5 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many injuries to animals were caused by fireworks in (a) October and (b) November 2001.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The information requested is not held centrally.

5 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many injuries to (a) children and (b) adults were caused by fireworks in (i) October and (ii) November 2001 and what the cost of treating the injuries was to the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Data on injuries caused by fireworks in October and November 2001 are currently being collated by the Department of Trade and Industry. Details are expected to be published in February or March 2002. <P>Information on the cost of treating these injuries is no…

28 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress its Don't Let the Bug Bite flu campaign is making.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The latest available figures confirm that, at 31 October, 49.2% of people aged 65 and over had been vaccinated against flu.

26 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any decision has been reached on the Lord Advocate's review of prosecution policy in respect of proceedings for alleged sales of age restricted goods based on test purchasing by children.

Answer · Colin Boyd: I have decided to revise current prosecution policy to allow children to test purchase tobacco in a pilot scheme. A pilot will be conducted and will last at least one year. As well as tobacco, children may be used for other test purchases of age restricted go…

26 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to replace the criteria for assessing diseases that currently apply for exemption from prescription charges with criteria which have more regard to the clinical needs of chronically ill patients.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: None. We will, however, shortly be commissioning research into the evidence available on the patient charging systems and what effect they have on the equity of access for and use of treatment; this research will help inform any future policy decisions on the…

22 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider adding Crohn's Disease to the list of diseases exempt from prescription charges.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have no plans to do so. We will, however, shortly be commissioning research into the evidence available on the patient charging systems and what effect they have on the equity of access for and use of treatment; this research will help inform any future po…

22 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to revise the list of diseases that qualify for an exemption from prescription charges.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have no plans to do so. We will, however, shortly be commissioning research into the evidence available on the patient charging systems and what effect they have on the equity of access for and use of treatment; this research will help inform any future po…

8 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #18.6 million announced on 13 June 2001 for improvements to general medical practices will go directly to the practices themselves.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The money will go to practices in support of a contract, agreed locally, which will deliver enhanced services to the practice population. We have provided £18.5 million of additional investment over three years for Personal Medical Services pilot sites. This …