Brian Adam

20 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to fully fund recommendations from the Health Technology Board for Scotland in respect of drug prescribing.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21338.

19 Dec 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has excluded any bidders from any tendering processes and, if so, who and on what grounds.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body routinely excludes bidders from the tendering process to ensure that the quality of prospective contractors fully meets the requirements of the Parliament. Grounds for exclusion vary according to the nature and value …

19 Dec 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether potential tenderers for Parliament contracts can be deemed to be ineligible to tender and, if so, on what grounds.

Answer · David Steel: In certain circumstances potential tenderers for Parliament contracts might be asked to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire, which requests information on a wide range of a company's operations, including their financial and technical capability. Compa…

19 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has to review the performance of tenderers for Parliament contracts.

Answer · David Steel: The tendering procedures followed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body are documented in the Parliament's <I>Procurement Procedures Manual</I>. The performance of tenderers is routinely evaluated, as part of the selection process, following receipt of…

19 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has excluded any bidders from any tendering processes and, if so, who and on what grounds.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive routinely excludes bidders or potential bidders, either because they are not considered capable of fulfilling the requirements of the contract or because, following a selection process, they have not been short-listed to tender. Records of bidde…

19 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any EU regulations governing the eligibility of potential tenderers to bid for government contracts.

Answer · Andy Kerr: European law places certain obligations on public purchasers when considering potential tenderers' eligibility to bid or when selecting a short list of bidders. The Treaty of Amsterdam requires that purchasers do not discriminate on grounds of nationality and…

19 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether potential tenderers can be deemed to be ineligible to tender for contracts and, if so, on what grounds.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There are a number of grounds on which potential tenderers can be deemed ineligible to bid. These may include, for example, whether or not the tenderer has been convicted of an offence or committed an act of grave misconduct in the course of its business, whe…

19 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms exist to review the performance of tenderers for contracts that it awards.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Potential tenderers are generally required to submit, with their bid, or application to bid, details of relevant previous experience and references. Before any major contract is awarded, enquiries are made as to the tenderers' ability to perform the contract,…

17 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take in response to the proposed European directive COM (2001) 035 on market access to port services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has been liaising closely with the Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions (DTLR), and the ports sector in Scotland about the implications of the proposed directive since its publication on 14 February 2001. The Executi…

13 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any development of tourism associated with family history and genealogy.

Answer · Mike Watson: VisitScotland will launch a Genealogy Tourism Strategy and dedicated website in January. The strategy will be launched in Glasgow, and also in America, Canada and Australia.

13 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the paediatric services operated by Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust are adequate and whether it has any plans to improve these services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Provision of paediatric services at local level is a matter for the local NHS board in light of local priorities and needs. However, the Child Health Support Group (CHSG) visited the Grampian area in January to review health services for children, and to offe…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken arising from the discovery of GM contamination in wild mai'e in Mexico.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The recently published research on this issue will be referred to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) for expert advice. When ACRE present their advice the Scottish Executive will consider it in the context of the farm scale evaluatio…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what herbicides and other chemicals are being used in the GM farm-scale trials at Daviot, Rothienorman and Munlochy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The variety of GM oilseed rape currently being grown in the farm scale trials in Scotland has been modified to be tolerant to glufosinate ammonium (Liberty<FONT FACE="Symbol">Ô</FONT>). The Scottish Executive does not hold details of other chemicals and herbi…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Sites of Special Scientific Interest are located within 10 km of the GM farm-scale trials at Daviot, Rothienorman and Munlochy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) undertake detailed examination of the environmental risk assessment submitted by the applicant for each proposed release site to ensure that the GM crop will pose no special threat to protected sites. This assessment includes c…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to police each of the farms involved in the GM farm-scale trials currently taking place at Daviot, Rothienorman and Munlochy.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it plans to allocate funds for occupational health and safety services to health boards.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Funds for occupational health are allocated to NHS health boards on the basis of the Arbuthnott formula.

5 Dec 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a western peripheral route around Aberdeen.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Considerable progress has been made on the Modern Transport System proposals for the North East, of which the proposal for a Western Peripheral route is a part. Among other developments, the Executive is funding the development and extension of the Transport …

3 Dec 2001 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Executive will reconsider its policies on genetically modified (GM) crops.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Our policy is clear. Firstly, there should be no commercial production of GM crops until the possible effects on the environment of growing them are thoroughly investigated. Secondly, the Scottish Executive is absolutely committed to the involvement of local …

28 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths from cervical cancer were recorded in each year since 1995, broken down by health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is given in the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=378><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=7 HEIGHT=15><P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>Deaths from malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri<SUP>1</SUP>, by health board of residence,…

28 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making towards the targets set for the reduction in deaths from cervical cancer.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive's headline target is to reduce the age standardised mortality rate from all cancers in people under age 75 by 20% between 1995 and 2010.<P>Scottish Cancer Registry data shows that in 1995 the European age standardised mortality rate for…

22 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current remit is of the renal sub-group of the NHS Acute Services Review and what plans it has to implement any recommendations the sub-group has made or may make.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Renal disease was a major focus of attention during the Acute Services Review. The views of the Renal Disease Sub-Group were incorporated in the Report of the Review, which was published in June 1998. The Sub-Group ceased to exist once it had reported to the …

22 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to investigate the prevention and management of renal disease.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Prevention of renal disease needs to concentrate on the main causes, diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). In relation to diabetes, the Executive has developed a Scottish Diabetes Framework which covers prevention and early detection, as well as a …

22 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the introduction of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines for renal services in the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is an independent body, and decisions on proposals for the introduction of guidelines are a matter for the SIGN Council to consider. They are always willing to consider topics for new guidelines, but woul…

21 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a further random selection of farms in order to carry out blood sampling of sheep this winter to confirm the elimination of foot-and-mouth disease.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. The Scottish Executive has already carried out an extensive and comprehensive programme of serological testing of sheep in Scotland which established that the national flock is foot-and-mouth disease free.

21 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18206 by Susan Deacon on 26 October 2001, whether it plans to publish a report on the activities, findings and recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Liaison Group.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The group is an informal forum designed to allow unfettered discussion of matters of shared interest to the Health Department, NHSScotland and pharmaceutical interests. It has not been established with any formal remit that would lead the Executive to publish…

21 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18206 by Susan Deacon on 26 October 2001, how clinical drug trial activity is reported to the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of each NHS organisation to be aware of all research, including clinical drug trials, being conducted within their organisation. This responsibility is clearly stated in the <I>Research Governance Framework Document</I> recently publi…

21 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17248 by Susan Deacon on 21 August 2001, what the average out-patient waiting times were to see a dermatologist in each health board area for the years ending (a) 30 June 1999 and (b) 30 June 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in dermatology, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, in the years ended 30 June 1999 and 30 June 2000, by NHS Board of residence, are provided in the table.<P>NHSS…

14 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide funding to support additional places in women's refuges.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is providing £10 million for a capital Refuge Development Programme to increase and improve refuge provision. Revenue funding is the responsibility of the local authorities and bids under the programme were required to indicate sources …

8 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what duties it has placed, or plans to place, on local authorities to identify and assess the needs of individual carers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities currently have a statutory duty to carry out an assessment for any carer who requests it, when they are assessing the person the carer looks after. Official guidance makes clear that authorities are expected to ensure that they make carers a…

8 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many assessments of carers' needs were made by each local authority in the last year for which figures are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. The needs of carers may be assessed in different ways, either as part of the assessment of the person they care for or through a separate assessment. We are working with local authorities to develop consistent …