Mrs Margaret Ewing

24 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where NHS dental examinations are available within a 50-mile radius of Aberlour.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally. NHS Grampian and NHS Highland will hold information on those dentists who have joined their respective dental lists.</p>

24 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland and what expertise each member has.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Forum for RenewableEnergy Development in Scotland (FREDS) is a high level strategic group and itsmembership has been drawn to reflect this. Although members have been appointedon an individual basis, they are expected to draw on the expertise andresources…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with stress by their GP in each of the last five years, broken down by cause of stress.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Data on this subject is not available centrally.</p>

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hepatitis C centres have been closed due to a lack of resources.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is unaware of any closures due to a lack of resources or otherwise.</p>

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a detailed review of the resources and finance needed to address the hepatitis C epidemic which includes a comparison with the current level of resources.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has commissioned Health Protection Scotland to estimate the current and future burden of hepatitis C virus-related disease in Scotland over the next two decades. Further work is also being commissioned to identify how much it will cost …

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will secure funding to treat all individuals diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C as soon as possible after diagnosis with chronic viral infection.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive already gives over £8 million each year to NHS boards in earmarked resources for work to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C. NHS boards use these resources in a variety of ways taking account of local need, including awareness-rai…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ring-fence sufficient funding to address the hepatitis C epidemic, as it did at the outset of the HIV epidemic, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive already gives over £8 million per year to NHS boards in earmarked resources for work to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C. NHS boards use these resources in a variety of ways taking account of local need, including awareness-rais…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure equal access to services to support and treat hepatitis C individuals across NHS boards.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the question S2W-13606 answered on 31 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at website <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has put in place audit processes to measure outcomes for hepatitis C testing and treatment services in order to determine if the current service configuration and resources are effective at identifying and managing hepatitis C individuals through their care pathway to successfu…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Viral Hepatitis Group is currently considering a Managed Clinical Network approach which would help to develop effective care pathways for all hepatitis C positive individuals. All Managed Clinical Networks are expectedto participate in audit and…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to use patient groups to support the clinical process and hepatitis C positive individuals receiving, or waiting for, treatment and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive’s aim is to create a patient-focussed NHS in which the Executive works “with the NHS to ensure that a patient focus is embedded in the culture”.<i> </i>Informing, engaging and consulting with patients, carers and the public are key to the develo…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in line with recommendations from the UK Consensus Conference on Hepatitis C, it plans to open more treatment centres or develop nurse-led outreach clinics to address the ongoing difficulty of hepatitis C positive individuals having to travel long distances to attain treatment wh…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions about health care service provision and the staff needed to deliver them are the responsibility of NHS boards, within national priorities and guidelines and the resources provided by the Scottish Executive.</p><p>When it is necessary for patients to…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will address the difficulties of hepatitis C individuals who have to travel long distances to attain treatment when they are unwell.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions on where hepatitis C treatment is provided are clinically based and are agreed between doctor and patient. As far as possible and dependent on treatment requirements, arrangements are made to treat patients as close to home as possible.</p><p>When i…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a review to determine the optimal configuration of services, including treatment for drug misuse, that is required to provide an effective care pathway for hepatitis C positive individuals from different risk groups and, if so, whether it will produce a comparis…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has commissioned hepatitis C clinicians, working in association with Health Protection Scotland, to establish a hepatitis C Clinical Database. Data managers have started to enter retrospective and prospective data, held in different cli…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement lifestyle modification programmes aimed at alcohol reduction and dietary education for people diagnosed with hepatitis C to improve their morbidity and long-term treatment prospects.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Under good clinical practice individual clinicians will consider and discuss with their patients the implications of aspects of lifestyle for their well-being and long-term treatment prospects. This should include discussion of both diet and alcohol intake.</…

18 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that prisoners who are infected with hepatitis C and who are receiving treatment continue their treatment when they are moved between prisons or are released.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Prisoners known to have hepatitis C are referred to specialist NHS services for assessment and treatment. Prison health professionals ensur…

14 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications would be for Scotland&#39;s air links if changes are made to the weight charge formula for airlines.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The European Commission’s Service Provision Regulation, as part of its Single European Sky legislative package, requires the development of a common charging scheme covering all phases of flight for the recovery of costs of the provision of air navigation ser…

14 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or will take, to ensure that Scotland has strong air links with the capitals of Europe.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive’s Route Development Fund has a key objective of improving Scotland’s air connectivity. It aims to develop new direct routes which increase business links and encourage in-bound tourism. The fund supports routes which connect to importan…

14 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding protecting Scottish regional air routes.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive’s response to the UK Government’s consultation on the protection of regional access to London reflects our long-standing view that protection should be on the basis of well defined criteria which recognise Scotland’s peripherality; the …

14 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to the parents of schoolchildren who have food allergies.

Answer · Euan Robson: There is no specific funding stream available to support the parents of schoolchildren with food allergies. However, a range of gluten-free foods is available free on prescription, and under Hungry for Success, the Executive’s school meals programme, schools …

7 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of stroke victims have access to the drug, alteplase, and what comparative information it has for (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will use the £50,000 for developing private property protection, as referred to in the statement by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 16 November 2004.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I announced on 16 November that “The Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research has been provided with £50,000 to promote a co-ordinated response to potential impacts and safeguard people and property through a Scottish partnership”. The f…

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has allocated to address coastal erosion.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Out of this year’s provision of £14.2 million for local authorities’ flood prevention and coast protection programmes, £1.7 million is likely to be used to fund the construction of defences to address coastal erosion. The recent Spending Review led to a subst…

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure is envisaged on administering links between regional, national and international organisations in the Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Development of a Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SCCIP) is at an early stage but it is envisaged that, once established, it will be led and funded by its members. Expenditure on matters such as administering links between regional, national and i…

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages for the Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership in respect of global warming and what new research in this area will be initiated, following the announcement made by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 16 November 2004.

Answer · Ross Finnie: One of the key roles for the Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership will be to provide a forum for stakeholders in Scotland to address climate change impact issues and raise awareness amongst relevant communities. Development of the partnership is at an …

23 Nov 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what estimate it has made of the percentage of spam emails that are still breaking through the Parliament’s firewall.

Answer · John Scott: The manufacturer of the spamfiltering solution deployed by the Parliament estimates that the product willfilter more than 95% of all spam email.</p>

17 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which further and higher education colleges were in (a) surplus and (b) deficit at the end of the last financial year.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The tables show which further and higher education institutions reported as operating and underlying surplus/(deficit) for 2002-03, the latest year for which figures are available.</p><p>Further Education Colleges</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding…

17 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many students are studying (a) further and (b) higher education courses.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Estimates of actual student numbers studying further education courses are not available. Data on the number of enrolments on such courses are available. </p><p>In 2002-03, the latest year for which data is currently available, there were 430,511 enrolments o…

17 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has recorded the number of people who have acquired European Computer Driving Licences through further and higher education colleges and, if so, how many people have gained the qualification in each year since its inception, broken down by college.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive holds information on the number of enrolments on courses by level of qualification and subject studied. However, precise information on course titles are not recorded systematically enough to allow robust estimates on individual qualifications s…

17 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which boards of management of colleges of the UHI Millennium Institute do not have a representative from the local authority or enterprise company.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 requires boards of management of incorporated further education colleges to include in their membership a person nominated by the local enterprise company for the area in which the college is located. The a…

17 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated by the UHI Millennium Institute since its inception to colleges and where any clawbacks of this funding have been instigated by the institute.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. Higher Education institutions are autonomous bodies, responsible for their own financial management. Information will be available from the UHI Millennium Institute.</p>