Mary Scanlon

1 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8628 by Mr Tom McCabe on 25 June 2004, what advice it has received on the legality of two people paying different amounts for the same service.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The amount which those whoseaccommodation is provided or arranged by a local authority contribute dependson a financial assessment of their resources. They will not pay for the part of the service which the authority is prevented from charging for under freep…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it can ensure that people (a) stopping and (b) reducing their intake of psychiatric drugs are given adequate and appropriate healthcare support and advice.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Many drugs acting on thecentral nervous system are recognised as having the potential to cause sideeffects in some people. The extent to which these reactions occur may differbetween drugs and between individuals taking the same drug. Guidance, availableto al…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people receiving psychiatric drugs are fully aware of the potential side effects and given appropriate written information.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information for patients onhow to use medicines safely and effectively is provided in the PatientInformation Leaflet , which accompanies the medicine. These leaflets areauthorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) atthe time of…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set up detoxification clinics for people seeking to stop taking prescribed psychiatric medication.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland has no immediateplans to set up such clinics.</p>

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the prescribing of anti-depressants, following the report by the Scottish Association for Mental Health, All you need to know? - Scottish Survey of People's Experience of Psychiatric Drugs.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation of medicinesis reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare productsRegulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Government’s independent expert advisory bodythe Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM).</p><p>The safety of anti-depress…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the use of depot drugs for psychiatric patients, given the overall negative rating for this drug group referred to in research by the Scottish Association for Mental Health.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Depot medication is helpful forpatients who have difficulty complying with oral treatment by simplifying thetreatment process. Guidance, available from a variety of sources, emphasisethat depot medication should be prescribed when appropriate. Importantly, th…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the prescribing of paroxetine, Seroxat, in light of research by the Scottish Association for Mental Health which states that Seroxat performed badly compared to other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The safety of the selectiveserotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including Seroxat, has been closelymonitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) andthe Government’s independent expert advisory committee, the Committee on Safety…

30 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), in light of research published by the Scottish Association for Mental Health which states that SSRI-type antidepressants were out-performed on all measures by older and cheaper tricyclic and related …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As with all medicines, thesafety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic andrelated anti-depressants is continuously monitored by the Medicines andHealthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Government’s independent expertadvisory b…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 who are resident in Scotland received detoxification and rehabilitation treatment outwith Scotland in each of the last five years.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Information on the number of under 16s who have received treatment outwith Scotland is not held centrally.</p>

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position would be on the Cairngorms National Park authority's prohibition on wind farm developments in circumstances where an application is made for wind farms of over 50 megawatts.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Electricity Act pre-dates the designation of the National Park Authorities and does not make specific reference to the National Park Authority having a role in respect of applications for consent under s.36 or 37 of the Act. Ministers recognise, however, …

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 were recommended by the Children's Panel for detoxification and rehabilitation treatment as a result of (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction but did not subsequently receive treatment in each of the last five years.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration collects statistics on under 16s who are registered by the Reporter, under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, where a child has allegedly misused alcohol or any drug. In 2003, 1907 children were registered by the…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 received residential treatment for alcohol and drug addiction in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Hugh Henry: In the last five years,there have been no reports of patients under 16 attending the residentialservices which contribute to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database.</p>

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what detoxification and rehabilitation facilities are available for (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction in each NHS board area for children under 16.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Information from Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAAT) for 2002-03 indicates that there are 45 specialist addiction services which are either dedicated solely to under 16s, or which have dedicated workers of facilities for under 16s. Thirty six of these servic…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether landlords of houses in multiple occupation will have to register twice in order to comply with the national registration scheme for private landlords.

Answer · Margaret Curran: We will develop the detailed implementation of the registration scheme in discussion with representatives of key interests including local authorities, landlords and agents. One of the objectives of this exercise will be to avoid unnecessary duplication betwe…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of houses in multiple occupation is now licensed.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive doesnot have robust information on the total number of houses in multipleoccupation which are eligible to be licensed.</p><p>The Executive is providing£1 million in this and each of the next two financial years to help localauthorities …

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the national registration scheme for private landlords will not lead to a reduction of affordable rented properties, particularly in relation to landlords with less than three properties.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The registration scheme should have a positive impact on the private rented sector by providing the key to engaging with the sector to encourage good standards, driving out unacceptable landlords and ensuring that the sector’s important role in providing for …

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether tenants would be committing an offence by continuing their contractual obligation to pay rent in circumstances where, under the national registration scheme for private landlords, a notice for no rent payable is placed on a landlord.

Answer · Margaret Curran: When a notice that no rent is payable is served on a landlord within the registration scheme, the notice overrides the tenant’s contractual obligation to pay rent. However, if a tenant continues to make payments without that obligation to do so he or she will…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local pilot studies will be carried out to assess the implications of the national registration scheme for private landlords on (a) rent levels, (b) supply of housing and (c) the cost of enforcement.

Answer · Margaret Curran: We will introduce the registration scheme in the light of discussions with representatives of key interests including local authorities, landlord and agents. Those discussions will cover the manner in which the scheme is introduced, within the framework estab…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the national registration scheme for private landlords will identify landlords who wish to avoid registration.

Answer · Margaret Curran: As with existing licensing schemes, local authorities will use information from a variety of local sources to identify those who seek to evade the requirement to register. We will be working with local authorities to identify and disseminate good practice for…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure minimum quality standards of temporary accommodation, given the increase of 56% in the number of people in such accommodation between September 2001 and September 2003.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Section 9 of theHomelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 allows for the making of an order tospecify temporary accommodation which is unsuitable for the purposes offulfilling certain homelessness duties. We are currently assessing theresponses to a consultation e…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated in grants for low-cost home ownership schemes in each of the last five years.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The following table details thegrants allocated through the Scottish Executive’s<b> </b>housing investment programme for low-cost home ownershi…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage private developers to meet affordable housing needs.

Answer · Margaret Curran: In my recent news releaseissued on 7 July, I explained that we are looking at ways to expand the supplyof affordable housing for sale and rent in Scotland through discussionswith Homes for Scotland including ways of expand the supply of starter homesfor sale …

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to encourage low-cost home ownership developments.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Executive’s housing investment programme is the main way used to encourage low cost home ownership development. It provides fundi…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the national registration scheme for private landlords does not lead to an increase in homelessness.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Only those private landlordswho are not assessed as fit and proper persons will find that theirregistration applications are rejected or revoked and, in these circumstancesthe tenant will retain his or her protections against eviction under theletting contrac…

28 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to encourage the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, Forest Enterprise and local authorities to release land for affordable housing.

Answer · Margaret Curran: We are keen to encourage public bodies to release surplus land for affordable housing. </p><p> In general, where public land is surplus to requirements, it can be sold on the open market in accordance with the public finance guidelines which would normally re…

25 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what will happen to tenants residing in a property that is repossessed by the lender due to the landlord receiving no rent and defaulting on the mortgage if, under the proposed national registration scheme for private landlords, a local authority decides to issue a notice for no rent paya…

Answer · Margaret Curran: Ground 2 of schedule 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 requires a sheriff to order possession of a house subject to an assured tenancy in the circumstances described if the lender seeks possession and either the tenant was given notice at or before the beg…

25 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how landlords can end an assured tenancy under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 when they are removed from the proposed national registration scheme for private landlords.

Answer · Margaret Curran: A landlord removed from the register will continue to have the same rights and obligations under any letting contract and relevant statute as applied before that removal. Where there is an assured tenancy the landlord can seek possession under the Housing (Sc…

24 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to utilise biomass energy production.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Biomass energy projects are eligible for support under our Scottish Community and Household Renewables Initiative. Electricity generated from biomass is also eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation Scotland.</p><p>A sub-group of the Forum for Ren…

23 Jun 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports auxiliary fire units throughout Scotland.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Yes. The Scottish Executive values the contribution that retained, auxiliary and volunteer fire-fighters can make to the protection of their communities. In particular, we have provided generous funding to Highland and Islands Fire Brigade to assist with its …

16 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8629 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 June 2004, why local authority care homes are funded to cover the full cost to the authority of providing care home places while care homes in the independent sector are funded below the cost of providing such places.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The cost of local authority homes is a matter for individual local authorities. However, information received indicates that while there are regional variations in the differential in the cost of care, in some cases this is quite small. As the statutory provi…