Parliamentary questions

Des McNulty

1,840 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can provide evidence of the re-design of services being taken forward as a result of the introduction of the consultant contract.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The new consultant contract was introduced on 1 April 2004. Some consultants are still completing their job plans and the contract is therefore not yet fully implemented.We will be asking health boards to provide evidence of the realisation of a range …

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has quantifiable evidence of increased capacity to improve services to patients as a result of the new consultant contract.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The new contract was introduced on 1 April 2004. Some consultants are still completing their job plans and the contract is therefore not yet fully operational.We will be asking health boards to provide evidence of the realisation of a range of benefits…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measurable improvements are being delivered as a direct consequence of the job-planning process introduced under the new consultant contract.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of full-time consultants have increased their contracted time devoted to direct patient care from 21 hours per week to at least 30 hours per week as a consequence of the new consultant contract.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The new consultant contract increases the contracted weekly time for direct clinical care from a nominal 21 hours per week (six fixed sessions) under the old contract to a nominal 30 (7.5 programmed activities) under the new contract. Guidance has been issued…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance call-outs there were from the (a) Clydebank and (b) Milngavie and Bearsden area in the last 12 months.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of ambulance call-outs from these areas between 1 January 2004and 31 December 2004 were as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> </td> <td> Emergency Responses - 999 calls c…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual budget deficit for NHS Greater Glasgow was for 2003-04 and what the board's estimated budget deficit is for 2004-05.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Greater Glasgow recorded a surplus of £5 million in financial year 2003-04 and is currently forecasting a deficit of £4.6 million for 2004-05. The Executive, however, would expect the board to achieve financial balance by the year-end.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from NHS Greater Glasgow regarding the cost implications of initiatives such as Agenda for Change, the new consultant contract and the General Medical Services contract.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No formal representations have been received.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce waiting lists for audiology treatment in the NHS Greater Glasgow area.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has made available an additional £17 million of central funding to NHS boards for audiology services over the period 2003-04 to 2006-07. Additionally, recurring funding of £5.5 million has been committed to audiology services from 2006-…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to issue a public consultation on the review of the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The responsibility for the review of the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland (NHS Scheme) lies with the Scottish NHS HR Forum (HRF). HRF have tasked the review to the Scottish Pensions Review Group (SPensiR).SPensiR have today launched a public consu…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incentives being offered by some local authorities to attract social workers is having any adverse impact on services in other local authority areas, given the current national shortfall in social workers, and what steps it is taking to avert any adverse consequences on author…

Answer · Euan Robson: Pay is a matter for local authorities. The Scottish Executive has been working to increase the pool of social workers. This has included a Social Work Fast Track Graduate Scheme which will produce up to 520 additional new social workers by 2008, with the firs…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently placed in the secure unit at Stobhill Hospital and whether the unit is operating at capacity.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Building work on the secure unit at Stobhill is due to start in the spring of this year. The new facility will have 74 beds to accommodate a mix of patients requiring medium and low secure care.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to tackle dental disease among children in the NHS Greater Glasgow area, given its decision not to proceed with legislation to permit the fluoridation of water supplies.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Greater Glasgow Health Board has in place a range of measures to improve the oral health of children, including schemes to distribute free toothbrushes and paste to infants and to encourage toothbrushing skills in young children attending nurseries throughout…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing those parts of the Landfill Directive relating to the engineering, operation and regulation of landfill sites.

Answer · Ross Finnie: These parts of the Directive have been transposed by the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003, which came into force on 10 April 2003. Oversight of the engineering, operation and regulation of landfill sites is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service has met the business targets it was set for 2002-03 and 2003-04 and whether it is on track to meet the targets set for 2004-05.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Information on the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) performance on targets set for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is covered by the SPS Publication Sch…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers in West Dunbartonshire left school and attained a higher qualification at a further or higher education institution, compared with the national average, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not hold data which could be used to track individual school leavers through further and higher education institutions.However, the following table gives the percentages of school leavers from publicly funded schools in West…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made to assist local authorities and other housing providers with the costs of maintaining multi-storey blocks that are more than 35-years old; whether there are national guidelines on dilapidation assessments of such blocks, and whether the need to replace such housing …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:The responsibility for maintaining multi-storey blocks that are more than 35-years old rests with the landlord and it is for them to determin…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of concessionary bus travel was for older and disabled people in 2003-04.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In 2003-04, £96.6 million was allocated for all aspects of concessionary travel (the local bus scheme and concessionary travel on other transport modes through the local government settlement). In addition, £20.1 million was provided through central top up gr…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, of the additional £100 million made available for concessionary travel schemes in 2007-08 compared with 2003-04, how much will be required to fund travel that would have been subsidised under existing concessionary travel arrangements and how much will be required to fund the extens…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The additional £96 million in 2006-07 and £100 million in 2007-08 for concessionary travel will be used to pay for the national free bus scheme for older and disabled people and the national concessionary travel scheme for young people. These sums are in addi…

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish estimates of how much each transport operator is likely to receive of the £213 million funding allocated for concessionary travel schemes in 2006-07.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has no current plans to publish operator specific estimates.

21 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each bus and rail transport operator received of the £116.7 million funding for concessionary travel schemes in 2003-04.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The reimbursement arrangements for the current 16 local concessionary schemes throughout Scotland are subject to contractual terms between the local scheme managers and individual transport operators. The Executive does not hold information on the amount of r…

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the recommendation in the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution—s (RCEP) 25th report, Turning the Tide — Addressing the Impact of Fisheries in the Marine Environment, that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out for every application f…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive welcomes the RoyalCommission’s report as a useful contribution to debate. COSLA is currently undertakinga review of the quality of fish farm Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). Thereview of EIAs is a priority for action in the Strategic Fra…

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the recommendation in the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution' (RCEP) 25th report, Turning the Tide — Addressing the Impact of Fisheries on the Marine Environment, that the code of containment for fish farms should be strengthened and made mandatory.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive welcomes the RoyalCommission’s report as a useful contribution to debate. Developing guidance on containmentis one of the 33 Priorities for Action in the Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture.The containment working group has drafted an i…

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in standardising and making more rigorous the Environmental Impact Assessment for new fish farms or significant extensions of existing fish farms, as recommended by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 5th Report 2002: Report on Phase 1 of the Inq…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: COSLA is currently undertaking a review of the quality of fish farm Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). The Review of EIAs is a priority for action in the Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture. COSLA hopes to publish a report for wider consultatio…

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with leading aquaculture companies regarding mechanisms that will enable inappropriately sited fish farms to be phased out or relocated to more appropriate sites.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13665, on 2 February 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.parliament/webapp/…

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether negotiations have taken place with owners of inappropriately sited fish farms for their removal to more appropriate sites, as recommended by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 5th Report 2002: Report on Phase 1 of the Inquiry into Aquaculture.

20 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in identifying the location of existing fish farms and identifying those farms that are inappropriately sited, as recommended by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 5th Report 2002: Report on Phase 1 of the Inquiry into Aquaculture.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has established the Location/Relocation Working Group to take forward a number of initiatives associated with the location and relocation of fish farms, an issue which has been identified as a priority for action in the Strategic Framework for S…

20 Jan 2005 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will ensure that clear advice is provided on the handling of parliamentary questions in the context of developing its guidance on the implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Robert Brown: Parliamentary questions arenot requests for information within the meaning of the act and the handling ofsuch questions is, consequently, not affected by it.

11 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many health workers from developing countries are currently employed by the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally at present. However, work is currently underway to improve the quality of information we hold about health care workers.

11 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration is being given to introducing an NHS code of practice on the recruitment of health workers that explicitly prevents the targeting of developing countries for active recruitment.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Yes. The Scottish Executive is currently considering a Code of Practice for International Recruitment for NHSScotland health care personnel.

11 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether opportunities are provided in the school curriculum to deal with issues surrounding death and bereavement and whether such issues are included in teacher training.

Answer · Peter Peacock: There is scope in the curriculum to address the issues of death and bereavement within the context of the National 5-14 Guidelines, principally in the guidance on personal and social development which is essentially concerned with the development of life skil…