Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

23 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether scenic value and impact on tourism will be taken into account when considering a planning application in respect of the proposed transmission line from Beauly to Denny.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The impact of this proposal onlandscape and tourism will be fully considered. Schedule 3 of the Electricity Works(Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 outline in full what factors ministers should consider when arriving at adeterminati…

23 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities monitor and verify the financial and service performance of funding agreements with organisations providing services for the council.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is for local authorities,in the first instance, to ensure that such arrangements secure Best Value. Thisbecame a statutory obligation on commencement of relevant sections of the LocalGovernment in Scotland Act 2003, and is now backed by an audit and enforc…

23 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to section 3.34 of Audit Scotland's report, Following the Public Pound - Controller of Audit's report and Accounts Commission's findings, which states that "the survey indicates that councils were unable in all cases to identify the purpose of the funding provided and …

Answer · Andy Kerr: Following the reportsfindings, the Accounts Commission has now asked Audit Scotland to carry outfurther work to establish in more detail how the Code of Guidance on FundingExternal Bodies (the Code) and Following the Public Pound is beingapplied by loc…

23 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidance will be issued in relation to councillors and council officers participating in governing boards or managing committees of organisations receiving funds from local authorities.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no plans to issue any general guidance to councillors or council officersparticipating in governing boards or managing committees of organisations whichreceive funds from local authorities. Councillors are, however, boundby t…

16 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether fire sprinklers will be made mandatory in certain technical building standards as part of the guidelines and regulation in respect of the Building Standards (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: We intend to use thebuilding regulations to introduce a requirement to install sprinkler systems inthe following categories of new or converted buildings:<strike>·</strike>high rise flats<strike>·</strike>residential care units sheltered …

9 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its local government funding allocations to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles councils to ensure parity of resources.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Local government grant methodologyhas been agreed with COSLA and local authorities following extensive andcollective consultation over a number of years. It takes account of a widerange of factors influencing local authority spend to ensure a fairdistribution…

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action will be taken against any NHS health authorities that do not provide adequate and appropriate foot care in line with clinical need and as part of preventative care.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: If there is clear evidencethat an NHS board has failed to provide adequate and appropriate foot care inline with clinical need as determined by the appropriate healthcareprofessional the issue would be dealt with through the Health Department’sperformance man…

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether elderly people entitled to free personal care are also entitled to free NHS podiatry care.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The planning and provisionof NHS services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHSchiropody services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the healthneeds of individual patients.Free personal care isintended to provide people …

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what national evidence-based practice protocols there are to ensure that patients requiring podiatry care receive such care.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are required to ensurethat the services they provide meet the standards set for the NHS. NHS QualityImprovement Scotland has responsibility for this area and published standardsfor NHSScotland are available at <a href="http://www.nhshealthquality.o…

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure equal access to podiatry treatment in the NHS.

5 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards can access any of the funds allocated for personal care for elderly people to meet the need for specialist and general care in podiatry.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. The funds allocated for personal and nursing care are linked to the provision of services by or for local authorities not to services provided by the NHS which are already free at the point of delivery.

4 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to credit unions to enable them to give low income households access to cheap credit.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Mary Mulligan announced on 3 September 2003that the Scottish Executive is allocating £400,000 to support credit unions in2003-2004, and £500,000 per annum in each of 2004-05 and 2005-06. This funding isbeing targeted towards those credit unions best placed to…

4 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there will be sufficient provision of high quality money advice and how such provision will be reviewed to guarantee that resources are made available to meet demand.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Since 2002 the Executive hasallocated £3 million per annum to local authorities to increase the provisionof money advice services in Scotland. This is complemented by Executive funding of £0.5 millionper annum for Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Sco…

4 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce pilot schemes for low income debtors who are unlikely to have sufficient surplus income to make repayments under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2004, as recommended in the report by Citi'ens Advice Scotland, On the Cards: the Debt Crisis Facin…

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive wants the Scheme to help as many people as possible. There is a powerin the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 for pilot studies to be undertaken. Thisis specifically aimed at debtors with very little surplus income for…

4 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is allocated to each further education (FE) college to address social inclusion.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Because of the fundamental role that FE colleges have in encouraging people of all ages and from different backgrounds to participate in post-school learning, a large proportion of the resources available to FE colleges can be associated in some way with the …

3 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be invested in water and sewerage infrastructure in 2003-04.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Current forecasts suggestthat Scottish Water expects to invest a total of £380 million in water andsewerage infrastructure in 2003-04.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the ability to pay is taken into account in removing elderly patients from NHS chiropody care lists.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards operate a preventative screening programme for schoolchildren, through their podiatry departments, to examine abnormal gait as a causal factor in osteoarthritis, back pain and posture-related disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision has been made for the foot care of those who have been removed from NHS chiropody lists.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in each NHS board area have been removed from NHS chiropody lists in each of the last six years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number ofpatients removed from NHS chiropody lists is not available centrally.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for people to be entitled to free chiropody care.

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between service redesign and rationing in relation to chiropody treatment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Successful service redesign across NHSScotland is essential if patients’ needs are to be met in a sustainable way. The issue of access to NHS chiropody services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients. The pla…

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish proposals regarding the fluoridation of the water supply.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5804 on 9 February 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…