Mrs Margaret Ewing

26 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposed assessment of the reasons for the shortfall in the number of dentists, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, will create the need for a new workforce plan for dentistry, updated from the plan produced in February 2002.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive outlined in the 2000 Dental Workforce Report that workforce planning was a dynamic process intertwined with service redesign and workforce development. Whilst the action plan identified in 2000 will start to impact by 2005, an updated D…

26 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it will introduce as part of workforce planning within the NHS in order to enable equal access across Scotland to free eye and dental checks for all, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Free dental checks for all are one of the factors in planning the dental workforce. However, other changes can equally impact on the service demand and workforce and these have been taken into account in modelling work which is currently being undertaken by N…

26 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new areas have gained access to broadband technology facilities over the last year, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested, broken down by parliamentary constituency, is not held centrally. The latest available figures for overall access to broadband technology facilities show that, at the end of March 2003, 57% of the Scottish population had access to b…

20 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Transport regarding British Airways' response to The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: A National Consultation: South East and East England, which indicates that between 30 and 60 take-off and landing slots shoul…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has regular discussions with the Department for Transport on a range of aviation matters including the responses to the air transport consultation exercise. We are represented on the white paper steering group to ensure that Scottish interests a…

20 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive from which countries the NHS purchases (a) combined MMR, (b) mumps, (c) measles and (d) rubella vaccines and what the current supply and availability is of each vaccine.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: UK-licensed MMR and single rubella vaccines are purchased from the UK. Single mumps and measles vaccines are not centrally purchased as they do not form part of the childhood immunisation schedule. As at 16 June 2003, the central stockholding in the UK of MMR…

20 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is being made for separate vaccinations for mumps, measles and rubella where NHS patients do not wish to present their children for the combined MMR vaccination.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Combined MMR is the licensed vaccine recommended for immunisation of children against measles, mumps and rubella in the UK. There are no plans to change current policy.

20 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up rate of combined MMR vaccinations (a) is currently and (b) was in each of the last five years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Uptake of MMR across Scotland to 31 March 2003 (first quarter of 2003) was 86.1%. In each of the previous five years, to end December, uptake was as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=167><TR><TD WIDTH="47%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Year</TD><TD W…

13 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the education budget for 2003-04 has been allocated to children with any form of special needs; how this proportion is to be allocated to each local authority, and how this compares with the allocation in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Funds are distributed to local authorities through Grant Aided Expenditure. It is for individual local authorities to determine how much they allocate to each service, including special educational needs, from their unhypothecated revenue grant. In 2003-04, t…

30 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community agents have been appointed by local enterprise companies in each of the last five years; what expenditure was incurred in making such appointments; what projects were successful as a result of work undertaken by community agents, and how many jobs were created, broken d…

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise.

29 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the provision of digital hearing aids to NHS patients in each year to 2006-07; how much has been allocated from the Health and Community Care budget for this purpose in each year to 2006-07, and how many patients it estimates would benefit from a digital heari…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Partnership Agreement includes a commitment to ensure the resources are available to allow the routine issue of digital hearing aids and support where they are the most clinically effective option. This follows the commitment made by the Executive to mode…

29 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its ministers attended the meeting in Brussels on 28 May 2003 about the distribution of transitional aid to fishing communities; whether there will be an early release of such funds to fishing communities, and what timescale for this is being considered by it, Her Majesty'…

Answer · Ross Finnie: No official EU meeting took place on 28 May which it would have been appropriate for me to attend.

29 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has with departments of Her Majesty's Government in respect of negotiations regarding the European Convention on the Future of Europe.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive works closely with UK Government Departments to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account in the negotiations on the European Convention on the Future of Europe.<P>For example, the Scottish Executive, in conjunction with the…

29 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its ministers have attended meetings of the European Convention on the Future of Europe and whether any of its ministers will be attending the European Council in Thessaloniki in June 2003.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Although Scottish Executive ministers are not members of the convention, I attended a meeting of the convention on 6 June 2002 as an observer. Peter Peacock also participated in a meeting of the convention's Contact Group on Regional and Local Authorities on …

20 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34115 by Des McNulty on 27 February 2003, when it now expects to announce the date of the public inquiry into the route of the A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: A second pre-inquiry meeting was held in Fochabers on 26 May 2003. All of those who had objected to the proposals were invited to the meeting by letter and it was open to the public. It was agreed at that meeting that the inquiry into objections to the propos…

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenders have been received by BEAR Scotland Ltd for the work to re-open the A95 between Boharm and Craigellachie; what criteria have been set for these tenders to meet, and whether the criteria are satisfactory.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Tenders were received from six contractors who were asked to price the work to replace the failed section of road and bridge. All prospective contractors need to satisfy the Scottish Executive of their financial security and competence to undertake specific t…

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what importance is given to the views of Scottish Natural Heritage when improvements to the trunk road network are proposed by BEAR Scotland Ltd and the relevant local authorities.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has procedures that require Scottish Natural Heritage to be consulted where proposed trunk road improvements may affect environmentally sensitive areas. Their views are always carefully considered.

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what negotiations it has had with landowners and the Moray Council to ensure that improvements to the A95 are not delayed and who the landowners are along this route that are involved in any such negotiations

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: It would not be appropriate to provide details of negotiations with landowners for reasons of confidentiality. There are no negotiations with landowners or Moray Council that are currently delaying improvements to the A95.

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which roads are defined as euro-routes and what plans there are to increase the number of such routes in Scotland

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I have placed a map of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) Roads in the UK in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26706). This map may also be found on the official EU Website page at the following website address: <P><A HREF="http://euro…

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bailey bridges are currently in use in the Moray Council area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: There are no bailey bridges on the Scottish trunk road network. Local roads and bridges in Moray are a matter for Moray Council, but I understand that one bailey bridge is currently in use.

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has allocated to BEAR Scotland Ltd for road improvements to the A95 in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The amount allocated for improvements to the A95 in 2002-03 was £2.8 million, and in 2003-04 is £3.0 million. It is estimated that by the end of April 2003, £3.5 million will have been spent on improvements over a 12-month period.

26 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has allocated to BEAR Scotland Ltd for road improvements in the Moray Council area in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Allocations for trunk road improvements are not divided into council areas. It is possible in this case to estimate the expected spend on trunk road improvements in the Moray Council area in 2002-03 and 2003-04 at around £2.3 million and £0.8 million respecti…

19 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce a local public inquiry on consultation processes relating to the A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass.

Answer · Des McNulty: Due to the unavailability of parties to the inquiry, it has not yet proved possible to set a date for the public local inquiry relating to the A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass. A further pre-inquiry procedure meeting is being arranged when programming of …

12 Feb 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides for the establishment of hospices.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: We would support any new hospice which fits with the palliative care strategy of the local NHS board. NHS boards are generally expected to meet 50% of hospice running costs.

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there were any delays in the establishment of Disclosure Scotland and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Disclosure Scotland was established last year within the Scottish Criminal Record Office to discharge ministers' functions under Part V of the Police Act 1997. Those functions are concerned with the issue of criminal record certificates.<P>In December 1998 th…

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Disclosure Scotland is now fully operational; if so, when it became fully operational and, if not, when it will be fully operational.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Disclosure Scotland was established within the Scottish Criminal Record Office to discharge ministers' functions under Part V of the Police Act 1997. It has been fully operational since September last year.

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many checks have been processed by Disclosure Scotland in each week since it became operational and what the average time has been, and is currently, between an application being made and receipt of the disclosure.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested is not available for all weeks but the available information is given in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=567><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Period Ending</TD><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Nu…

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether organisations are still able to have criminal records checks carried out on prospective employees and volunteer staff at police stations and whether there are any plans to standardise procedures for such checks across all police forces.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We are not aware of any arrangements enabling organisations to have criminal record checks on employees carried out at police stations. Under a non-statutory scheme introduced in 1989, local authority social work and education departments and health authoriti…

29 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of (a) employees and (b) outside appointments of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency was at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The total number of employees of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as at 31 December 2002 was 1,004. The total number of staff appointments to the agency filled by external appointment in 2002 was 198. Arrangements for recruitment and disposit…

29 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what budget it has allocated to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in each year since 1999-2000.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) was allocated grant-in-aid of £18.6 million in 1999-2000, £17.3 million in 2000-01, £23.47 million in 2001-02 and £25.98 million in 2002-03. Under last year's spending review settlement, SEPA has been allocate…

29 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions its officials have met members of Moray Council since November 2002 to discuss flood alleviation schemes; who attended each meeting, and whether any budget for such schemes has been set.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Officials from Moray Council's Flood Alleviation Group met officials from the Environment and Rural Affairs Department's Engineering Team on 21 January to inform them of progress on the options under consideration for several proposed flood alleviation scheme…