Donald Gorrie

4 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will be made a notifiable disease so that all cases must be identified and statistics of its incidence produced.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency maintains data on the incidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In addition, the General Registrar’s Office has a code to record cardiomyopathy as a cause of death, if it appears on the dea…

4 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide funding to instal defibrillators in shopping malls and supermarkets in line with the action taken by Her Majesty's Government and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1544 on 12 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

31 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which projects are receiving funding through the Supporting People scheme and how much funding each project has received.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive estimates that there are about 3,400Supporting People schemes in Scotland, rangingfrom services to one person to schemes for hundreds of householders. Local authoritieshave put in place agreements with providers to ensure continuity of …

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that gifted children have the opportunity to fulfil their talents, with appropriate access to national initiatives giving support in drama, music, sport or academic pursuits, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: the Scottish Executive currently provides £4.2 million annually to local authorities for nine Centres of Excellence in Highland, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Fife, and East Dunbartonshire. These centres offer specialist provision in music, tra…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to encourage diversity and permit local authorities to fund specialist schools, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We ensure our talented and gifted youngsters have access to nine centres of excellence across Scotland by providing £5 million per annum across seven local authorities and our Future Learning and Teaching (FLaT) programme encourages more local innovation and …

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward legislation to end "bureaucratic hurdles" faced by children with additional support for learning needs, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1725 on 19 August 2003. 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.uk/w…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to provide a mediation and tribunal service, give parents and carers a greater say in the education and support provision for their child and introduce flexibility to make sure that a child's education takes place in a setting and with support that best meets their…

Answer · Peter Peacock: Proposals for the above were contained in the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill which was published for consultation on 17 January 2003. The Scottish Executive received 252 formal responses to the consultation and heard a range…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funds so that South Lanarkshire Council does not close Craighead special needs school in Hamilton, in light of its commitment to the provision of special needs schools, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, and what the reasons are for i…

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not make funding available to South Lanarkshire Council in respect of individual schools. It is for the council to consider the future configuration of its school estate and the future of any individual school, according to its own…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many towns are currently bisected by a motorway, or have proposals for such a scheme at any stage of development.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30963 on 13 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swebsite, the search facility for can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a comparator, based on any real or hypothetical alternative route, in its environmental impact statement relating to the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Comparisons of the environmental impact of alternative route options were made at an earlier stage to inform the decision on the preferred route. The environmental statements will detail the impact of the preferred on-line route and summarise those other opti…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the environmental impact statement on the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1717 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">h…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic dwellings will have to be demolished as a result of the on-line upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-786 on 14 July 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sea…

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the budget for the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80 will deal specifically with any groundworks difficulties, or old mine workings, on the proposed route.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: It is too early in the design process to estimate. This will only be known after the ground investigation is completed.

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the fully-developed proposals and draft road orders for the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We intend to publish draft orders for the route in three phases. The first phase, Mollinsburn to Low Wood, is planned to be published later this year. Phase 2 Auchenkilns to Haggs and phase 3 Moodiesburn Bypass are planned for publication in 2004.

30 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-704 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 June 2003, when the information sought on psychiatric specialist posts will be provided and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in the document Psychiatric <I>Specialist Posts (1998-2002)</I>, derived from ISD census data, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number: 28735).

16 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will reinstate the use of the direct debit scheme for the payment of employer contributions to the personal pensions of MSPs' staff and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Answer · Duncan McNeil: Under the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority rules an employer has an obligation to pay the correct amount of contribution over by the 19th of the month following the pay run in which the contributions are collected. Experience has shown that the Scot…

16 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what consultation was held with pension providers prior to the decision of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to withdraw from the direct debit scheme in relation to the payment of employer contributions to the personal pensions of MSPs' staff and what the outcome of such any such c…

Answer · Duncan McNeil: The pension providers were notified in writing six weeks prior to the withdrawal of the direct debit system. At the same time they were advised that future payments would be made by cheque or by BACS if the pension provider advised the Scottish Parliamentary …

16 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what steps were taken, and by whom, to advise affected employees of the changes being made to the method of payment by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body regarding employer contributions to the personal pensions of MSPs' staff where such payments were being made under the direct deb…

Answer · Duncan McNeil: The change in the method of payment was a procedural change between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the pension providers. Since none of the pension providers raised any objections to the change or envisaged that any problems would be encountere…

16 Jul 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer why the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is unable to comply with its obligations regarding the payment of employer pension contributions to the personal pensions of MSPs' staff, as required by changes to Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority regulations in April 2001, if it uses…

Answer · Duncan McNeil: Under theOccupational Pensions Regulatory Authority an employer has obligations to maintain a record of payments made, send a record ofpayments made to the pension provider and pay the correct amount ofcontribution over by the 19th of the month following the …

16 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to MMR vaccines containing porcine gelatin are available and whether such alternatives are as effective as those containing porcine gelatin.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advise that: two vaccines are currently available for use in the UK and both are equally effective in preventing infections by measles, mumps and rubel…

16 Jul 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or instructions it has given to GPs regarding the presence of porcine gelatin, which is forbidden in Islam, in MMR injections and what guidance or information should be given by GPs to Muslims on this issue.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Scotland wrote to colleagues in NHSScotland on this subject on 29 July, to advise that a World Health Organization (WHO) and Islamic Organisation for Medical Sciences Seminar had concluded that &quot;'the gelatine formed as a …

27 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress each of its executive agencies is making in developing and implementing racial equality action plans.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Scottish Executive agencies drew up race equality action plans at the end of November 2002 under the terms of the Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2002. They did so either as part of their respective race equality schemes or under t…

27 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress each of its departments is making in developing and implementing racial equality action plans.

Answer · Margaret Curran: All Scottish Executive departments drew up race equality action plans as part of Scottish Executive's race equality scheme at the end of November 2002 under the terms of the Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2002. Since then departme…

26 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking directly, or indirectly, to publicise the availability of mercury-free injections for children and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1225 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/sea…

26 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or instructions it has issued to GPs on publicising the availability of mercury-free injections for children and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer's letter to health professionals, including general practitioners, on 14 January 2003 made clear that parents are entitled to know if thiomersal is contained in vaccines available to them, and the reasons for this. The letter …

23 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that Greater Glasgow NHS Board complies with its letter of 4 June 2002, NHS HDL 2002(6), Cost Effective Provision of Disease Modifying Therapies for People with Multiple Sclerosis, which states that all people with MS who are eligible under neurological …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Greater Glasgow NHS Board has given an assurance that patients will continue to be assessed and prescribed beta interferon where it is clinically appropriate.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many old mine workings between the village of Mollinsburn and the Haggs Interchange have been identified on, or within 500 metres of, the route of the proposed online upgrade of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Ground investigation work is due to start later this year. This will establish the extent of any mine workings along the proposed route.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any projections that have been made in relation to levels of atmospheric pollution within a two mile radius of the A80 at Cumbernauld resulting from the online upgrading of the A80.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: These projections will be included in the environmental statement.

17 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken in the last four years into the levels of atmospheric pollution within a two mile radius of the A80 at Cumbernauld.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A study into the levels of atmospheric pollution was undertaken in 2002 as part of the environmental impact assessment for the A80 Auchenkilns junction improvement. This study also included the results of two North Lanarkshire Council surveys. Further studies…

16 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in the last year for which figures are available the police recommended to licensing boards that a licence for a bar or off-licence should be terminated or not renewed because of the way the establishment operated and on how many of these occasions the board terminat…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally.