Margaret Jamieson

3 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities regarding job evaluation implementation.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is a matter for eachlocal authority to put in place appropriate staffing arrangements to ensureeffective service delivery within the best value framework. The guidance on theduty to make arrangements to secure best value states that “a local authoritywhich…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the national non-domestic rates income pool to ensure it meets the full cost of any discretionary award to a rural post office.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Under the existing rural (village shop) rate relief scheme, qualifying post offices are eligible for 50% mandatory rate relief. Local authorities have discretionary powers to top this relief up to 100%. Mandatory rate relief and 75% of any discretionary rate …

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that all cyclists are required to wear protective headgear.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Any statutory requirementfor cyclists to wear protective headgear is a matter for the consideration of the UK Government.</p><p>The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for thedevelopment of key road safety education initia…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the knowledge economy is understood to encompass all sectors of business.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The key messages that the knowledge economy is a vital part of Scotland's economic future and that it impacts on everyone, including all sectors of business, are fully reflected in the Executive's Smart, Successful Scotland strategy. They have also been fully…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to direct capital funding to areas of deprivation.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The formula used to distribute financial support for capital expenditure to local authorities takes account of a wide range of factors, including relative deprivation. It is up to each council to decide how best to direct its resources according to local need…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase business start-ups in areas where the rate of business start-ups is below the Scottish average.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise provide business support for new and existing businesses in Scotland. Both announced performance figures for start-ups assisted during the last financial year above the targets originally set. At a loca…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the rules governing regional selective assistance meet the current needs of the manufacturing sector.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: An independent and thorough review was carried out in 2001 to ensure that the regional selective assistance grant scheme (RSA) met the needs of businesses in Scotland. The review confirmed that RSA was both worthwhile and necessary, while highlighting a numbe…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish residents have been registered as organ donors in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details of the new registrations in each NHS board area are set out in the table. Because of an overhaul by NHS UK Transplant of the Organ Donor Register database in 2000, the information requested is only available from 2001.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLP…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of expertise is expected of members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium and whether the consortium complements the expertise of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Medicines Control Agency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive expects the same level of expertise from the members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium as members of committees advising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (former Medicines Control Agency) would have, for exampl…

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regard it expects the Scottish Medicines Consortium to have to its policies and strategies when determining approvals of medicines.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive expects the Scottish Medicines Consortium to take full regard of its policies and strategies.

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many products have been removed from the approved list of medicines by the Scottish Medicines Consortium since its establishment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is no national approved list of medicines, but NHS boards are encouraged to operate formularies, which cover both hospitals and general practice. Hospital formularies have been used in Scotland for the last 30 years and have gained wide acceptance as a …

4 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new products approved by the Medicines Control Agency and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence have not been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium since its establishment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (the former Medicines Control Agency) licenses products on the basis of safety, quality and efficacy. The Agency does not take into account comparative efficacy or cost benefit.<P>The Scottish Med…

25 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to the NHS about complying fully with EU Council directive 97/81/EC on part-time working.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive issued a Health Department Letter NHS HDL(2003)9 on 5 March 2003 advising NHS employers to comply with the requirements of the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations which implement the EU directive on part-time …

25 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that all its departments comply with EU Council directive 97/81/EC on part-time working.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In line with its equal opportunities and diversity policies, the Scottish Executive does not discriminate against part-time workers and is committed to ensuring that all of its staff achieve a satisfactory work-life balance. Part-time working is only one of s…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the proposed European directive on environmental liability will be agreed and implemented in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: EU negotiations on the proposed directive on environmental liability are on-going and currently at first reading stage. It is not possible at this stage to offer a definitive view on when the proposal will be agreed.<P>The current position is that the Council…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether specific Scottish legislation will be required to give effect to the proposed European directive on environmental liability.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Until the directive has been finalised it is not possible to know what legislation will be needed to give effect to it.<P>In the Scottish Executive's consultation paper <I>Proposal for a Directive on Environmental Liability with regard to the Prevention and R…

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the proposed European directive on environmental liability.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including environmental liability.

24 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the principle that the polluter pays in respect of environmental impact.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Some Scottish legislation requires polluters to pay for damage to the environment. For example the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 sets out a framework for improving Scotland's water environment, underpinned by the principle that the …

20 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much core funding was allocated to each body sponsored by its Environment and Rural Affairs Department in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2002-03 and how much will be allocated to each such body in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The table shows the cash grant or grant in aid allocations made by the department to its non-departmental public bodies or other sponsored bodies for the period requested. Figures for the years 2000-01 to 2002-03 are the final budget allocations for these yea…

5 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to expand sports facilities for young people.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Increased access to high quality sports and other recreational facilities is essential to ensure that the health, educational and other benefits of an active lifestyle are achieved.<P>Local authorities are the major providers of sports facilities and opportun…

5 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are used to ensure equal opportunities in relation to secondments to its departments.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Secondments to the Executive are governed by the principles of the <I>Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code</I>. Appointments are based on merit regardless of gender, marital status, race, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, religion o…

5 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many posts in its departments are currently held by employees of other public bodies or other organisations, broken down by department and employer.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of Scottish Executive posts within its departments which are currently held by employees of other public bodies or other organisations is 84. The following tables show how these posts are broken down into departments and employers:<P>The total numb…

5 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed in each of its departments.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information on permanent staffing (full-time equivalents) as at 1 April 2003 is provided in the following table. The recent transfer of staff and responsibilities of Transport Group from Development Department to Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Departmen…

5 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to provide people who were adopted with access to the names of their grandparents.

Answer · Euan Robson: A person who has been adopted in Scotland upon reaching the age of 16 years has an automatic right of access to her or his original birth details, and the court process papers from the adoption case and any freeing. Once an adopted person has access to her or…

15 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans have been made to ensure that the emergency services are able to communicate with people with hearing impairment.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: All the emergency services take seriously communication with people with hearing impairment and are taking a range of steps to improve accessibility to the services they provide. <P>In support of the provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and ot…

15 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to ensure that executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No central funding is specifically earmarked to help executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies comply with employment and anti-discrimination legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). We would expect compliance to be par…

15 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to ensure that patient information leaflets are available in accessible formats such as Braille and large print to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places obligations on providers of goods and services to ensure that when they provide goods and services a disabled person is not treated less favourably by being refused a service, having it provided on worse terms or …

15 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in particular in respect of communication with visually impaired people.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is a Disability Symbol user and is committed to employing and retaining people with disabilities by providing reasonable adjustments to the workplace, equipment, working hours or patterns on either a permanent or temporary basis.<P>Staf…

30 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been achieved on fast-track hearings.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Fast-track hearings in the three pilot areas - East Lothian and Scottish Borders; Dundee, and North, East and South Ayrshire - will begin operating tomorrow. The pilots will run for two years and are designed to address the behaviour of around 8% of young off…

11 Dec 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made to the report from the Scottish Committee of the Council of Tribunals regarding the children's hearing system.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I replied to the report on 4 December in a letter to the Chairman of the Scottish Committee of the Council for Tribunals. A news release on the Scottish Executive response was issued on 9 December. The release may be accessed through:<P><A HREF="http://www.sc…