Parliamentary questions

Nora Radcliffe

316 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any plans to employ salaried NHSiS doctors in deprived areas, indicate when such proposals will go to consultation and outline what the provisional timetable is for the stages in any such process.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The current review of Primary Care Act pilots should be completed by late autumn. If it demonstrates they are successful, the Executive will consider commencing relevant sections of the 1997 Primary Care Act. This would allow Primary Care NHS Trusts to employ…

14 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a programme of universal neonatal hearing screening.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to my answer to S1W-8740.

14 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or intends to take, in response to the advice given by the UK National Screening Committee in December 1999 that a national programme of universal neonatal hearing screening should be introduced.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive welcomes the advice from the UK National Screening Committee on Neonatal Hearing Screening. A comprehensive review of the implications associated with implementing a phased screening programme has been commissioned from the National Co-…

14 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8058 by Susan Deacon on 29 June 2000, when it expects all health boards to have established a register of patients with diabetes.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are diabetes registers in all health boards although some registers include only those patients seen by specialist diabetic services. The Scottish Executive is working to ensure that all local registers are improved in terms of coverage and completeness…

11 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money the constituency of Gordon will receive through the Rural Transport Fund in the financial year 2000-01.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Rural Transport Fund is providing funding to local authorities to encourage new and improved rural transport services. In 2000-01 Aberdeenshire Council will receive £351,000 and Moray Council will receive £103,000.

19 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications of the Advanta GM seed contamination are for the farm scale evaluation programme in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: In our efforts to ensure that the removal of oilseed rape crops contaminated with GM material is monitored carefully, we have sought detailed information on the precise locations where the crop has been planted. During this exercise we have established that t…

1 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the availability of palliative care for patients with terminal illnesses who are being cared for within their own homes.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is supportive of the concept of palliative care. All Scottish health boards have developed a palliative care strategy and all Health Improvement Programmes include palliative care as an active component in their health board plans.<P AL…

1 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of specialist palliative care services are used by patients with terminal conditions other than cancer.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Specialist palliative care services are provided in Scotland by voluntary hospices, by NHS Specialist Palliative Care Units and by Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Teams. The majority of patients receiving specialist palliative care require it because of c…

1 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what palliative care services are currently offered to terminally ill patients who are being cared for at home, within each health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Primary Health Care Teams play a key role in caring for patients and families and their carers in the community, providing medical, nursing and pharmaceutical services, mobilising social work input and arranging referral to other services including specialist…

31 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline its policies for tackling racism in Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive is committed to tackling racism and promoting race equality. We are doing this in partnership with Scotland's ethnic minority communities. Our forthcoming equality strategy will be informed by dialogue with the communities and input from the Rac…

22 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will destroy unauthorised GM crops in Scotland and whether it will seek compensation from the seed suppliers on behalf of those farms affected.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Following the decision of the EU Cereals Management Committee on 8 June, farmers may destroy affected crops without loss of Arable Area Payments. Compensation is a matter between Advanta and farmers who are discussing this.

22 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to monitor those Scottish farms where GM seeds have been accidentally planted.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Agricultural Officers of my department will visit farms where affected GM crops have been grown this year.

22 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to discover the extent of the accidental dispersal of a GM seed bought by Advanta Seeds from a Canadian seed manufacturer and then planted on Scottish farms.

Answer · Ross Finnie: My officials have had discussions with Advanta by telephone and participated in a meeting with Advanta and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 1 June.We have also written to Advanta requesting that it provide this informatio…