Margo MacDonald

2 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to examine any implications for Scotland of Chancellor Schroeder's recent proposals regarding changes in the governance of the European Union.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We maintain extremely close contact with the UK Government on all EU issues of significance to Scotland, including the current debate on the future of Europe. These arrangements are underpinned by the Memorandum of Understanding and over-arching Concordat on …

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of its plans to place patients' health records on the Internet.

Answer · Susan Deacon: NHSScotland patients' health records are not held on the Internet and there are currently no plans to hold them there.

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce student teacher training allowances of #6000 in Scotland, similar to those being offered by the Department of Education and Employment in England, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The <I>Supply of Teachers</I> report, Vol 1 - Jan 2001 details the background to the current position on the collection of information relevant to teacher supply and outlines planned improvements to current methods. Copies of this report have been placed in t…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the recent appeal results from the 2000 diet of Scottish Qualifications Authority exams were delivered as 'pending'.

Answer · Jack McConnell: 3,785 (92%) results of the independent appeals review were sent to schools on 16 March. The remaining cases have required additional evidence to be gathered, or, in some cases, have not yet been through the normal appeals process. Since 16 March all except si…

31 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much responsibility its Health Department and the Minister for Health and Community Care have in relation to NHS Trusts' control of their budgets.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Scottish Ministers have responsibility for setting the financial targets that Trusts must meet, and for allocating resources to NHSScotland.<P>Under section 15 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000, the Chief Executive of a Trust, as th…

29 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer questions S1W-12125 and S1W-12126 lodged on 19 December 2000.

Answer · Susan Deacon: An answer was given to question S1W-12125 on 31 January and question S1W-12126 was answered today.

19 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scots would require to be known to be carrying the hepatitis C virus before the situation would be considered a serious threat to public health.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As <I>Our National Health: a plan for action, a plan for change</I> indicates, the Scottish Executive already takes seriously the threat to public health posed by hepatitis C. The plan said that we will put more resources into tackling modern epidemics like H…

19 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2729 by Susan Deacon on 11 January 2001, how much of the additional resources are earmarked for the prevention of hepatitis C and which organisations will receive such funding.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The additional funding, totalling £7 million, will be allocated to health boards over the next four years. It will be for each health board to consider how best the new resources should be used, taking account of local needs.

17 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which alternative therapies are offered as part of NHS provision in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally. We know that the therapies most commonly offered within the NHS are acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and chiropractice, but it is open to a GP or hospital clinician to refer a patient for any alternative therapy. The…

17 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which Chinese medicines may be prescribed under the NHS as part of alternative therapy treatments.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of medicines over the whole of the UK. From time to time it may direct that a specific medicine may not be prescribed, and such a directi…

17 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each health board area are currently diagnosed with hepatitis C and how many of these are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table, provided by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH), sets out confirmed cases of hepatitis C, by health board, to the end of 1999:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="T…

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or any other Scottish public body holds information on the number of rounds of depleted uranium shells which have been exploded in Scotland and the location of such activities in connection with environmental monitoring responsibilities.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I am advised by the Ministry of Defence that 6,907 depleted uranium projectiles have been fired into the Solway Firth from the Dundrennan Range, Kirkcudbright, and 315 into Luce Bay from the West Freugh Range, near Stranraer. These projectiles are not explosi…

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5422 by Sarah Boyack on 13 April 2000, whether the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture will now ask for direct advance notification of any future target practice to be undertaken in Scotland by the Ministry of Defence.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: No.

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake research into the presence of radioactive fallout in areas which have been subject to depleted uranium shelling.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Monitoring of depleted uranium in the environment is already undertaken by the Radiation Protection Services of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The Scottish Executive has no plans to instigate additional monito…

3 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its national HIV/AIDS strategy document.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The report is being published today and is available in the Parliament Reference Centre and, shortly, on the Executive's website.<P>I am grateful to the review group for their thorough consideration of this important subject. It is clear that, despite conside…

19 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage other health boards to follow the lead of Borders Health Board in its setting up of a new Genito-Urinary Medicine service in the area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for each health board to assess the health and healthcare needs for its population, taking into account the nature of existing services; and there are no specific plans to encourage other health boards to follow the Borders example. The Executive propos…

19 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the results of the pilot studies into sexual health in England, specifically the results of chlamydia testing in family planning clinics and GP surgeries, and whether it has made any plans to conduct similar studies in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The chlamydia screening pilot project in England concluded in September 2000 but it is too early to draw firm conclusions. The final report on the pilot will be available in spring 2001 and the National Screening Committee (for the UK) will consider its concl…

19 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy it has in place to carry forward any of the services specifically offered by the three-year Healthy Respect project once the project has come to an end.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Healthy Respect is one of four National Demonstration Projects to apply and extend evidence about ways of improving health in priority areas. The National Demonstration Projects will be subject to independent evaluations covering methodology, impact and outco…

19 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase funding for Genito-Urinary Medicine services in the light of its recently announced #3 million funding for the Healthy Respect project in Lothian.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of health boards to assess local needs for genito-urinary medicine services, and to make appropriate provision.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Substantial funding increases have already been announced for the NHS in Scotland, and the Executive is …

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why there is now no trunk road from Dalkeith to Edinburgh.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Prior to 1996, the A68/A7 trunk roads provided a route between Dalkeith and the historic City of Edinburgh boundary which lay within the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. Following a review of the trunk road network in 1996 the bypass was trunked and all the roads …

6 Dec 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place Milestone House under the auspices of the National Services Division given its role as the national provider of care for HIV and AIDS sufferers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to place Milestone House under the auspices of the National Services Division. The future of Milestone House is a matter for Lothian Health Board, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Waverley Care Trust to decide.

15 Nov 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it intends to make to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the use of additional tax revenue being received as a result of high oil prices.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including Budget-related issues. The Budget is, of course, the appropriate time to set spending policy, not on an ad hoc basis in response to short-term…

25 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new guidance it has given to health boards regarding the prescribing of Beta Interferon.

Answer · Susan Deacon: No new guidance has been issued. In 1995, guidance about new drugs for multiple sclerosis and clinical advice from the Scottish Medical Advisory Committee was issued to all health boards and this guidance continues to apply.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Health Techn…

6 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any shortfall in the number of residential care places currently available for the elderly; whether it has any plans to make additional resources available to finance any extra places and how will it ensure that places are available to those requiring extended nursing and…

Answer · Iain Gray: The most recent information available does not indicate an overall shortfall in the number of residential and nursing home places for older people. As announced, we are making considerable additional resources available to local authorities. It is for these a…

6 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend 24 hour support for the elderly in their homes or in sheltered housing.

Answer · Iain Gray: Our plans for the development of home care were announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 5 October.

12 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the aim of reducing suicides is not undermined by any shortage of resources in health boards and social work departments.

Answer · Iain Gray: Any resource implications that arise from Scottish Executive policies on suicide prevention will be identified and acted upon. Indeed, the <I>Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland</I>, published in 1997, which offers best practice in the organisati…

18 Aug 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer who will replace Enric Miralles as Principal Architect in the contract between EMBT/RMJM and the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · David Steel: The Holyrood Progress Group is currently leading discussions on the contract between EMBT/RMJM and the SPCB. An announcement will be made as soon as these discussions are concluded.

18 Aug 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will publish authenticated drawings, design sketches, diagrams and any other documentation on the Holyrood project produced by Enric Miralles between February and July 2000.

Answer · David Steel: Along with his partners in EMBT-RMJM, Enric Miralles contributed to the formal Stage D (scheme design) drawings both before his illness, and during his period of recuperation following surgery in America. These drawings were approved by the client on 20 June …

18 Aug 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what information the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body gave John Spencely about the nature of Enric Miralles' medical condition and his expected recovery time.

Answer · David Steel: John Spencely’s report to the SPCB on the Holyrood Project was produced on 24 March 2000, five days prior to Mr Miralles’ surgery in America. The SPCB learned of Mr Miralles’ ill health on 4 April and therefore had no information to offer Mr Spencely about Mr…

28 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals relating to the waiting times of seven months for ear, nose and throat outpatient appointments and 13 weeks for routine CT scans in the Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust and in particular whether additional resources will be directed to shorten these wait…

Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand from Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust that there are unacceptably high waiting times for ENT outpatient appointments. These are attributable to a consultant vacancy, and to other staffing changes, which are being addressed urgently.<P ALIGN…