Irene Oldfather

8 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to health boards regarding the additional #18.6 million for improvements to general medical practices announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 13 June 2001.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A Scottish Executive News Release (SE1410/2001) on 13 June 2001, referred to an investment of £18.5 million for Personal Medical Services. This additional investment was announced on 19 February 2001. At the same time boards were informed of their indicative …

7 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17239 by Ross Finnie on 21 August 2001, whether it will consider any further measures to reduce water and sewerage charges for low income households.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of affordable water charges. That is why it introduced the current transitional relief scheme. Considerable further work is needed on the affordability of water and sewerage charges in the longer term. I have t…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas with above average levels of unemployment will be given priority in the dispersal of civil service jobs.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Local economic conditions, such as levels of unemployment, are included in the range of factors taken into account when relocation decisions are taken. No one factor has primacy over others; the relocation of each organisation is considered on its own merits.

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for the selection of destinations for the relocation of civil service jobs.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Relocation decisions are based on a range of issues including costs, quality and efficiency of service, economic factors such as unemployment, availability and suitability of property and staff, transport issues, and the position of staff concerned. Further c…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in relation to any timetable it has for the dispersal of civil service jobs.

Answer · Angus MacKay: We have made good progress. The Education and Lifelong Learning Department is now wholly located in Glasgow, the Food Standards Agency has been set up in Aberdeen and the Public Guardian's Office has been set up in Falkirk. Following my announcement of 1 Dece…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its plans for the dispersal of civil service jobs will extend to all areas of the country.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Around 34,000 staff are employed in the range of public services covered by the Scottish Executive's relocation policy; around two-thirds of these are already located outwith Edinburgh. <P>Two objectives govern relocation decisions. First, the location of org…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what practical measures it will consider taking to attract employment to North Ayrshire.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive and local agencies are committed to securing sustainable employment opportunities for North Ayrshire. In recognition of the challenges facing the area, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire has been awarded an additional £4.7 million over the pa…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in dealing with unemployment in North Ayrshire.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The unemployment rate in North Ayrshire has been reduced by 7.2% over the last year.

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SIW-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, what its position is on the Scottish Law Commission's Report on Boundary Division Walls (Report No. 163, page 1, paragraph 1.4, footnote 6), where the commission cited the case of Robertson v Scott 1886 13R 11…

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive considers reports of the Scottish Law Commission as a whole. As I have previously explained, the report recommended that it was not necessary to introduce legislation either to reform or restate the existing law on boundary walls. The Executive …

31 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input it is having into the negotiations to phase out EU tobacco subsidies.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive agrees fully with the UK Government on this matter. We strongly disapprove of the Common Agricultural Policy support scheme for tobacco. We argue that the Community should progressively disengage from support for tobacco production, on grounds o…

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the resources necessary to implement the free off peak local bus travel scheme for the elderly will be included in the local government finance settlement for 2002-03.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Additional resources to fund the enhanced concessionary fare arrangements in 2002-03 and beyond were included within the general local government settlement allocations announced in December 2000.

26 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in meeting its target for flu vaccinations.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I announced details of the Executive's comprehensive £10.5 million flu immunisation programme for the coming winter.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Following last winter's successful campaign, we have set a new more ambitious uptake target of 65% for people aged 65 and ov…

19 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve clinical governance in the health service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer is currently consulting on a proposal to integrate Scotland's clinical effectiveness organisations into a single new organisation and, by so doing, provide NHSScotland with clinical governance at a national level.

7 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14011 by Neil Davidson on 21 March 2001, whether it is yet able to make a statement on the Lord Advocate's review of prosecution policy in relation to test purchasing of age restricted goods by children.

Answer · Colin Boyd: My review of prosecution policy in relation to test purchasing of age related goods is now complete and I am consulting with colleagues regarding the result. I intend to make an announcement on the matter shortly.

29 Aug 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that primary health care services receive the resources they need.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: On 21 August, a three-year £30 million additional investment programme for primary care was announced. This will add to NHS Boards' existing and planned spend on primary care and it complements our investment of over £100 million in primary care over the next…

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been undertaken to identify improvements in schools which are attributable to the allocation of extra money announced on 6 December 2000 by the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs.

Answer · Jack McConnell: These additional resources for schools, amounting to £17.2 million, were for immediate repairs, maintenance and equipment problems within schools. It was a condition of payment of this grant that, by 29 June 2001, education authorities should publish locally …

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police surgeons in each police force area are designated as able to take part in joint paediatric/forensic examinations of children suspected of having been abused.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The number of police surgeons currently trained and designated to take part in joint paediatric/forensic examination of children suspected of having been abused are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=370><TR><TD WIDTH="77%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16…

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is given to police surgeons taking part in joint paediatric/forensic examinations of children suspected of having been abused.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Chief Constables are responsible for recruiting and training police surgeons in their areas. A range of training is employed by Scottish forces. This includes study towards the Diploma in Forensic Medicine and the Diploma in Medical Jurisprudence, undertaking…

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary physical co-ordination tests for those suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs have been undertaken by the police since their introduction in June 2001 and what percentage of drivers tested have failed such tests.

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally. The level and manner of testing is an operational matter for Chief Constables.

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether voluntary physical co-ordination tests for those suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs were piloted prior to their introduction in June 2001 and, if so, what the results of any such pilots were.

Answer · Iain Gray: In 1999, Strathclyde police were involved in trials of drug recognition techniques and field impairment testing. An evaluation found that the techniques helped police in identifying those whose driving might be impaired through drugs. The research findings on…

22 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities exist for Executive staff to gain work experience within European institutions and for members of the European civil service to gain work experience with the Scottish Executive.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Scottish Executive staff may gain work experience within European institutions through the European Commission/Council Stagiare Scheme, the Detached National Expert scheme, the Bi-Lateral Civil Service Exchange scheme, loans to FCO to work in the United Kingd…

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to general practitioners regarding the prescription of potassium supplements to elderly people taking diuretics on a long-term basis.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department has not issued formal guidance to general practitioners regarding prescription of potassium supplements to elderly people taking diuretics on a long-term basis as this is essentially a clinical decision dependent on th…

23 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to lay before the Parliament the revised Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order and Sheriff Court (Scotland) Act 1971 (Private Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order and what its timetable is for their coming into force.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer to my Answer in April to a similar Question (S1W-14470). The Executive is continuing to monitor related work being done to review the procedure rules and the relevant table of fees for solicitors. Progress is being made but the Executive is not yet in…

9 Jul 2001 · 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 is aware that the Scottish Law Commission, in its consultation paper on boundary walls of June 1992, agreed with the research report of 1990 and concluded that case law on boundary division walls con…

Answer · Iain Gray: The consultation paper did not comment on the research report in such terms, but only noted inconsistencies between older and more recent court decisions. The relevant consideration is that the Commission recommended in its final report published on 25 March …

9 Jul 2001 · 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 will make the research report on the law on boundary division walls, compiled for the Scottish Law Commission in 1990, available to any member of the public on request.

Answer · Iain Gray: As the report was an internal working paper produced by the Scottish Law Commission, the Executive does not have a copy and it would not be for the Executive to decide whether to make it available to the public. I understand that such working papers do not co…

9 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, whether the research on boundary walls conducted by the Scottish Law Commission in 1990 was carried out by a student who was a temporary member of staff.

Answer · Iain Gray: I can confirm that the research in question was conducted by a student employed on a temporary basis by the Scottish Law Commission.

5 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the terms of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's Primary Inspection into the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO), whether the Lord Advocate has any plans to consider ending the requirement to have all fingerprint indentifications made by SCRO officers independently checked.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Lord Advocate has instructed Procurators Fiscal that the independent verification of SCRO fingerprint identifications is no longer required in light of the changes and improvements made to SCRO procedures.<P>Since independent verification was introduced l…

28 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16244 by Sarah Boyack on 26 June 2001, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the cutting of grass verges of the A78 trunk road at Stevenston by Amey Highways Ltd is within the contract specification and to ensure that Amey Highways Ltd have a…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive employs the Performance Audit Group who audit and inspect the operations carried out by Amey Highways Ltd to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the trunk road maintenance contract.

22 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer questions S1W-14468 and S1W-14469 lodged on 23 March 2001.

Answer · Susan Deacon: These questions have now been answered.

22 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that there are child friendly visiting facilities in prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) aims progressively to improve visit facilities at all our establishments as opportunities and…