Parliamentary questions

Susan Deacon

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

6 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop the role of social enterprise in addressing health inequalities.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A Partnership for aBetter Scotland (Bib. number 27591) gives a commitment to encouragelocal compacts between local authorities and the voluntary sector, and toimprove partnerships with health boards. In order to further encourage localcompacts, …

6 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Futurebuilders Scotland funding has contributed to the growth of social enterprise.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:Futurebuilders Scotland providesfunding to support the development of a stronger social economy to deliver moreand better public servic…

6 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in developing a strategy for social enterprise.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish ministers havecommitted to developing a specific strategy for social enterprise in Scotland. The strategy will link to Scottish Executive commitmentsto deliver better public services and grow Scotland’s economy. It will also linkto the Executive’s vi…

6 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the development of social enterprise as a means of delivering public services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Futurebuilders ScotlandFund has provided funding to support the development of the social economy sectorwhich includes social enterprises.Scottish ministers havecommitted to developing a specific strategy for social enterprise in Scotland. Thestrat…

22 Feb 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to reach a decision concerning the future location of the head office of Registers of Scotland.

Answer · Johann Lamont: We will make our decision onRegisters of Scotland’s relocation review as soon as possible.

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people gained permanent employment in its main departments in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005 following a period of employment with it under one of the New Deal programmes.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The number of people who gainedpermanent employment following a period of employment under a New Deal programmein Scottish Executive core departments in each of the years requested is shown inthe following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=…

6 Feb 2006 · Written Question

Answer · Tom McCabe: The number of people who tookup employment under a New Deal programme in a Scottish Executive core departmentin each of the years requested is shown in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=cente…

11 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to sustain and promote the economic viability of high street and town centre retail businesses in light of the potential impact of out-of-town retail parks.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is takinga number of steps to help high street and town centre retailers.We have recently consulted ona new Scottish Planning Policy covering Town Centres (SPP 8) and are consideringthe responses. We intend to publish the finalis…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the provision of eye testing of children in schools.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: There are no plans at present to increase the provision of eye testing of children in schools. The Health for All Guidance published in April 2005 recommended the introduction of vision screening for all children by an orthoptist in their pre-sc…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all schoolchildren are examined by trained community eye specialists or orthoptrists.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Health for All guidance published in April 2005 recommends that vision screening should be performed by an orthoptist at age four to five years. Until this is in place, children’s visual acuity should be tested on school entry by an orthoptist, or …

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in ensuring that NHS boards increase resources allocated to school nursing in order to meet the commitments outlined in A Scottish framework for nursing in schools.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Health boards have received record uplifts in resources in recent years with an average 7.6% increase in funding in 2005-06, well above the rate of inflation. It is for each health board to plan and deliver services, including school nursing, within these res…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20232 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2005, how the ratio of schoolchildren to school nurses for 2004 compares with the equivalent figures for the previous five years.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The ratio of school children to school nurses for 1999 to 2004 is shown in the following table: Ratio of School Children to School Nurses1<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> NHS Board</td> …

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number is of schoolchildren covered by each nurse working in school nursing service teams.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21457, answered on 20 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliam…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally by local authority area. However, it is available by health board area and is shown in the following table. Number of Qualified School Nurses (Whole-Time Equivalent) by NHS Board at 31 March 2005<table border…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been made to training and education courses for nurses working in the school community in the last five years.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In 2001 the Scottish Executive Health Department published Nursing for Health; it recommended that a new discipline of public health nursing should be developed, bringing together health visiting and school nursing into a single discipline with …

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution the school nursing service is making to taking forward the evaluation of Hungry for Success programmes.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Hungry for Success is evaluated and monitored on a number of different levels, as set out in the report of the Expert Panel on School Meals (<a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hfs-00.asp">www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hfs-00.asp</…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in raising the profile of the school nursing service.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Framework for Nursing in Schools was launched in 2003. One of the main aims of this document was not only to set out the nursing service that should be delivered to children and young people but provide an opportunity to refocus and raise the profile of n…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the delivery of sex education is integrated into the school nursing service.

Answer · Robert Brown: It is the responsibility of authorities and schools to ensure that programmes and materials on sex and relationships education are consistent both with national guidance and with the ethos of the school. A Scottish Framework for Nursing in Schools, published …

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in standardising the education modules for the school nursing service across Scotland.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The competencies developed by NHS Education for Scotland provide the mechanism for ensuring that education programmes for the school nursing service have a core of standardisation across Scotland while still allowing local flexibility. The public healt…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the projects it is supporting in Malawi will contribute to meeting the health needs of women.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-21358, answered on 16 December 2005, which confirms that the information on all projects is available at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/News-Extras/intdevfundnov2005">http://www.scotland.gov.uk…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the International Development Fund has been allocated to supporting projects which improve reproductive health, giving a breakdown of such projects, including any in Malawi.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Of the 34 successful 1st round projects, 12 will contribute either directly or indirectly to the improvement in reproductive health, with seven of these based in Malawi. Of the £9 million International Development Fund to be allocated over three years …

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to facilitate participation from the widest range of individuals and groups across Scotland in national consultation processes and policy development.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive is committedto practices that will ensure that the widest range of individuals and groups whowill be affected by our policies are able to inform the development of thosepolicies. We are particularly keen to ensure that we reach those who havetra…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support the development of effective civic participation.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has long beencommitted to developing effective civic participation and is working hard toachieve this. Recently, it has set up a dedicated Civic Participation PolicyBranch to co-ordinate development of the Executive’s policy, supported by a Civi…

18 May 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in identifying and meeting the diverse needs of Scotland's city regions.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The concept of city regions, as used in the National Planning Framework and Smart Successful Scotland, assists in developing effective economic development policies which recognise the relationship between cities and their regions. However, our city re…

27 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to additional park-and-ride provision to meet the needs of new developments in south-east Edinburgh.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As a result of successful bids to the Executive’s Public Transport Fund, City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council respectively were awarded funding for the provision of bus-based park and ride sites at Straiton and Todhills, due for completion in the …

27 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in meeting the transport needs of south east Edinburgh.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN), City of Edinburgh Council, operators and others on a range of transport issues, including the transport needs of south east Edinburgh. The Execut…

27 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on discussions with GNER regarding the development of Musselburgh Parkway station following the recent decision on the franchise for the East Coast main line.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was responsible for specifying and re-letting the East Coast franchise. I understand that the development of Musselburgh Parkway did not form part of the SRA’s specification for the new franchise.

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which primary schools have access to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign's "Streetwise" road safety resource and how its effectiveness is monitored and reviewed.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Road Safety Campaign has not produced a resource called Streetwise. At least one copy of the Campaign’s Streetsense resource, which was piloted in 45 schools, has been provided to every primary school in Scotland. The resource can a…

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether specific cycle training courses are being developed by Cycling Scotland for women.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No specific courses for women have been developed by Cycling Scotland. However, all qualified cycle trainers have the competencies to design courses specific to the needs of their client groups. Qualified female instructors are available in Scotland and some …

16 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities participate in the Ready Steady Bike programme, operated by Cycling Scotland, and how its effectiveness is being monitored.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Five local authorities will participate in the Ready Steady Bike programme from summer 2005: Clackmannan, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh and West Lothian. Participating later in 2005 will be: Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, Highland and Falkirk.</p…