Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address any staff shortages in the ear, nose and throat department of Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust in response to recent instances of check-up appointments being cancelled several times.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This is a matter for Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, if necessary in consultation with Grampian Health Board. These bodies are responsible for assessing health service requirements in their area and for determining priorities within the increased res…
1 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the criteria for assessing the maximum number of pupils which schools can accommodate in the light of any increased space requirements flowing from, for example, increasing use of IT in classrooms.
Answer · Jack McConnell: It is the responsibility of individual authorities to determine the capacities of their schools. However, during the passage of the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, Ministers agreed to review issues relating to school capacity in the light of the…
21 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether current regulations place any restrictions on the cremation of human organs or body parts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is not for the Executive to interpret the statute. But, as The Independent Review Group on the Retention of Organs at Post Mortem, chaired by Professor Sheila McLean, noted in its recently published report, it appears there is nothing in the Cremation (Sco…
21 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all of the facilities in Scotland licensed for the disposal of clinical waste.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The licensing of facilities for the disposal of clinical and other wastes is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is held on the agency's public register.
20 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed plans for a national concessionary fare scheme will lead to the abolition of administration charges for concessionary fare cards.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I have opened discussions with CoSLA on implementing the enhancement to existing concessionary travel schemes to provide free off-peak bus travel by October 2002. As part of those discussions I am also seeking to make progress on a number of other associated …
20 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities make an administration charge for the issuing of concessionary fare cards and what the level of any such charge is in each local authority area.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The details, from the latest information we have available, are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="56%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Local Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="44%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Concession Card Charge</TD></…
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the rules governing those selected for jury service, in particular regarding their ability to make alternative domestic arrangements on their days of service.
Answer · Jim Wallace: No. Anyone cited for jury service who can show good reason may be excused by the clerk of the court. The trial judge also has a similar discretion. A sympathetic view would generally be taken, if attendance would cause genuine problems of a domestic nature.
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the procedure for the selection of jurors.
Answer · Jim Wallace: No.
6 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to release any non-recurring capital and revenue funding to assist in the redesign of NHSiS services.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Improving the patient's journey by extending access, reducing waiting times and improving the way it responds to the needs of patients is a key priority for every part of the NHS. <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I> requires each …
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the change in the measure of rurality between the first and second Arbuthnott formulae.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The first report considered a number of indicators of the influence of remote and rural areas on the costs of delivering healthcare. During consultation, several suggestions were made for further analysis of this issue, and the additional evidence considered …
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether unemployment rates are double-counted in the second Arbuthnott formula.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The unemployment rate is one of the factors that are taken into account in calculating the Arbuthnott index, and this index is used to assess the influence of morbidity and life circumstances on the need for healthcare. It is not used in any other part of the…
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the factors to be taken into account in assessing needs for the first and second Arbuthnott formulae.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The key influences on the relative healthcare needs of each health board's population are population, the age and sex structure, morbidity and life circumstances, and remoteness. The specific factors that were taken into account by the Steering Group in asses…
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the document Fair Shares for All from July 1999, when it will publish the technical report for the second Arbuthnott formula.
Answer · Susan Deacon: We have no plans to publish a further technical report on the Arbuthnott formula. The first report, published in 1999, was accompanied by a very detailed technical report which explained fully the sources of data, methods of analysis and results. The data sou…
1 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its current targeted health programmes and the money allocated to each, broken down by health board area.
Answer · Susan Deacon: <I><FONT FACE="Arial">Our National Plan: a plan for action, a plan for change</I> published on 14 December, provides a clear statement of the Executive's national priorities for health and NHS Scotland. The Scottish Executive distributes the bulk of the resou…
1 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it currently takes into account in the measurement of health inequalities.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Inequalities in health are reflected in many different aspects of people's health. For example, the proportion of babies born with low birth weight is higher among people living in relatively deprived areas. The incidence of many diseases including lung cance…
1 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to investigate the cause of any health inequalities.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive believes that identifying and tackling the causes of health inequalities is the key to improving the health of the people of Scotland and an important part of our work for social justice. The policy framework is set out in the White Paper <I>Tow…
1 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the administrative costs of local health care co-operatives are, broken down by health board area.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A total of £13.5 million, formerly paid as GP Fundholding Management Allowance was redistributed on a weighted capitation basis to support the work of LHCCs in 1999/00. These resources, uplifted for inflation, now form part of health boards' unified budgets a…
1 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made in administrative costs due to the abolition of fundholding practices, broken down by health board area.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The £13.5 million which was formally paid as a management allowance to GP fundholding practices has been allocated to health boards on a capitation basis to support the development of Local Healthcare Co-operatives. LHCCs play a vital role in the planning and…
10 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to seek urgently a derogation from the ban on fishmeal in sheep and cattle feeds.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The ban on the use of fishmeal in ruminant feed is one of a package of extremely important community-wide measures agreed at the December EU Agricultural Council Meeting, aimed at controlling BSE in Europe. A consultation exercise on the implementation of the…
8 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review who is responsible for Scottish Criminal Records Office checks on prospective staff in educational establishments.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11842 on 22 December.
8 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review which staff in educational establishments require Scottish Criminal Records Office checks prior to their employment.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Central guidance on the procedures for checking the possible criminal background of prospective teachers and those applying for certain other education authority posts is set out in Circular SED 5 / 1989 issued on 24 July 1989. Similar guidance was issued to …
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a location adjacent to the Scottish Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie is being considered as a future site for the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11726.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will take into account in making a decision on the future location of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11726.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce a decision on the future siting of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11726.
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in considering the future siting of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Subject to planning consent, it is intended that the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency's Headquarters should be relocated to Gogarbank Farm, some five miles west of Edinburgh, where the agency's field trialling work takes place. Gogarbank Farm was consider…
4 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage NHS Trusts to offer outpatient services to local clinics for those patients whose cardiac defibrillator was implanted at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The planning and delivery of health services of this kind is a matter for health boards and NHS Trusts, based on their assessment of the needs of those who use their services.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The provision of an outreach service as suggested is th…
10 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is appropriate for local authority resources to be expended on surveys on behalf of Railtrack.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11163.
10 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are responsible for the costs of surveys to assess the strength of bridges owned by Railtrack.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11163.
10 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding costs incurred by local authorities in assessing the strength of bridges owned by Railtrack.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The Scottish Office issued a circular in 1988 to Regional Councils as local roads authorities advising them of the need to undertake and fund the assessment and strengthening of relevant bridges to meet the 40 tonne standard for vehicles. In accordance wi…
8 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homeless people have participated in the New Deal programme since it started.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the delivery of the New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners including the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Information on the…