Parliamentary questions
Marilyn Livingstone
248 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Mar 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how out-of-hours services will be provided in areas where GPs opt out under the new contract provisions.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In caseswhere GPs decide to transfer their responsibility for out-of-hours care NHS boardsmust have alternative arrangements for the provision of these services in placeby the end of December 2004. Such arrangements will need to meet mandatoryaccreditation st…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to introduce legislation regarding the antisocial use of cars in line with new powers being given to courts in England and Wales to deal with drivers who use their vehicles to commit crime or behave antisocially.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I am consulting the Officeof the Solicitor to the Advocate General on this matter and will write to themember regarding this matter and place a copy of the letter in the Parliament’sReference Centre.</p>
25 Feb 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the organ donor scheme from a voluntary opt-in scheme to one of presumed consent.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are notyet convinced that an opt-out system is the right way forward. We believe thata voluntary approach which allows donors and their relatives to agree to giveorgans is the best.</p>
4 Feb 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle business crime.
Answer · Jim Wallace: TheExecutive is supporting the Scottish Business Crime Centre which has beenestablished to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies inScotland.</p><p>We launchedthe Safe City Centres Initiative in November 2003, in partnership with thelocal …
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when funding will be available from Communities Scotland for sub-post offices within the Kirkcaldy parliamentary constituency for capital improvements to their businesses.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive beganaccepting applications for its £2 million fund to develop post offices indeprived urban areas from March 2003. This programme runs over the two-yearperiod 2003-05 and sub-post offices located in the 20% most deprived urbanareas, based on th…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to deal with any shortage of anaesthetists within the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number of consultantanaesthetists employed by the NHS in Scotland has risen by 26% since 1997.</p><p>Theroute to a consultant anaesthetist post is through Specialist Registrar (SpR)training. The number of training posts required to meet the future demands…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is currently capacity within the NHS to allow every individual access to a local GP.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is for the ScottishMedical Practices Committee, on the basis of information from NHS boards, toensure the adequacy of general medical services in their areas. Where the committeedetermines that a doctor who retires or resigns should be replaced, or where i…
18 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to deal with any skills gaps in the construction industry.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The initiatives to addressskills gaps in the construction industry are being handled by ScottishEnterprise in partnership with the Sector Skills Council, Construction-Skills,which I launched in Scotland, with industry partners, earlier this month.</p>
11 Dec 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific provision for children with autism will be made as a result of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The proposalsin the bill aim to modernise and strengthen the system for supporting allchildren’s learning needs. Education authorities will have a duty to identifyand address the needs of children and young people who require additionalsupport, including thos…
19 Nov 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide Scottish universities with additional funding to avoid a possible “brain drain” due to the introduction of top up fees in English universities.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We haveinitiated a third phase of our review of higher education in order to considerthe possible impacts on Scottish higher education of any new funding systemintroduced in England, and the funding of higher education will then beconsidered in the usual way …
30 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards securing permanent contracts for university research staff.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1682 on 28 August 2003. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
3 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department for Transport, given the Executive's responsibility for road safety, regarding the training sheriffs receive in the application of road traffic law on careless driving offences that have caused death or serious injury and, in particular, …
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive has not madeany representations to the Department for Transport on this matter. Trainingfor sheriffs is a matter for the independent Judicial Studies Committee.Sheriffs do receive refresher training on matters such as sentencing practice.</p>
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received regarding odour emissions from the new sewerage treatment works beside Kirkcaldy Harbour.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Following correspondence from a member of the public in May 2002 about this issue, Scottish Executive officials asked Scottish Water to provide information on the position at Kirkcaldy to enable a reply to be made. This is the only such correspondence receive…
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the implementation of The Same as You?.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Considerable progress is being made across Scotland in implementing the recommendations of <I>The same as you?</I>. Local authorities, NHS boards and their partners set out plans for implementation at local level in Partnership in Practice Agreements for 2001…
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the promotion of physical and recreational education in secondary schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The primary responsibility for the delivery and management of physical education within the curriculum rests with education authorities. However, the Scottish Executive has taken a number of steps to promote physical and recreational education in schools, inc…
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Fife Council to discuss rail and road infrastructure in the Kirkcaldy travel-to-work area.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive met Fife Council, along with the Strategic Rail Authority and ScotRail, on 25 March 2003 to discuss the proposed Markinch public transport interchange. Officials also met the council on 14 January to discuss roads issues, in particular …
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in the promotion of healthy eating in primary schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive promotes healthy eating in primary schools in a number of ways including the development of nutrient standards for school meals and by supporting the provision of breakfast clubs and fruit in nurseries and schools.<P>Advice and support …
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce last-minute cancellations of surgical procedures.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland is working to minimise cancellations of planned hospital admissions for in-patient and day case treatment. <I>Managing Waiting Times - A Good<B> </B>Practice Guide,</I> which was published on 13 June 2003, provides guidance to hospitals on the eff…
19 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in upgrading the learning environment in the further education sector.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Since August 2000, the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) has made approximately £88 million of capital funding available to the further education sector to improve the fabric of college buildings and, in some instances, provide finance for ne…
12 Mar 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage young people to study science in schools.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Following on from the activities of Science Year, the Scottish Executive recently supported a major international conference on 5 March that offered a vision of science education by 2020. In addition, £10 million of new funding was announced by the Executive …
10 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed when the Department for Education and Skills will commence the next quinquennial reviews of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
Answer · Iain Gray: The next quinquennial reviews of the CITB and ECITB will commence on 11 March 2003 and be completed by late September 2003. The Scottish Executive will be fully involved with the review process, as required by section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998<I>.</I>
29 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to any threat to local and migratory birds from reduction in availability of native cockles following unregulated harvesting by fishermen.
Answer · Allan Wilson: It is the policy of the Scottish Executive to ensure the protection and conservation of all wild birds in accordance with the requirements of the EC Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds (the Birds Directive) and the Wildlife and Coun…
8 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the policy and financial management review of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board (SIDAB).
Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive is committed to ensuring that each public body is subject to a policy and financial management review at least once every five years. A review of SIDAB will start this month. The terms of reference for the first stage of the review will be:<P>To…
11 Dec 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what success it is having in promoting the uptake of the flu vaccine.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Initial figures to end November 2002, suggest that uptake of flu immunisation is already around 65% which was, of course, the target uptake set for those aged 65 and over last year.
13 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that young people are made aware of the dangers of solvent abuse.
Answer · Richard Simpson: Our latest annual survey has revealed that 98% of schools in Scotland are providing drug education, which covers solvents, in line with national advice. The Executive's Know the Score website provides links to other sites which explain the facts about drugs, …
2 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote British Sign Language (BSL) and to encourage its use, particularly within the social work services.
Answer · Margaret Curran: In 2000, the Executive established the British Sign Language and Linguistics Access Working Group to assist the development of policy around BSL and related linguistic access issues. <P>In March this year, good practice guidelines for public authorities were …
11 Sep 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to phase out analogue hearing aids in favour of digital and programmable aids.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The decision on what type of hearing aid best meets the needs of an individual patient is for the clinician in charge of their care.<P>The wide-ranging review of audiology services is on target to report to the Executive by the end of October. The report, whi…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional finance for audiology has been made available to Fife NHS Board in each of the last 12 months and whether such finance was prioritised specifically for audiology services.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Funding allocations to NHS boards are made on an annual basis. It is for local NHS boards and trusts to prioritise their funding to meet the needs of residents within their area of responsibility.<P>In April this year, as a short-term measure and to reduce un…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many digital hearing aids have been issued in each NHS board area since becoming available on central contacts.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: These details are not held centrally. NHS boards should be approached directly for this information. <P>The table gives details of the digital hearing aids drawn off the central contract arranged by Scottish Healthcare Supplies by NHS trusts during the period…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to commission further digital hearing aid trials involving current analogue hearing aid users.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: There are no plans to commission further trials of digital hearing aids. The Good Practice Guidance on Adult Fitting and Hearing Services issued by the Executive in March last year distils the results of current research and practice into a series of statemen…