Robert Brown

22 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any future financial support has been committed to the Glasgow Science Centre.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has not committed any future financial support to the Glasgow Science Centre.

22 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sums have been paid from public funds to (a) Glasgow Science Centre Charitable Trust, (b) Glasgow Science Centre Limited and (c) any associated companies, broken down by (i) date and (ii) source.

Answer · Iain Gray: Publication of these details is a matter for the Glasgow Science Centre and its funders. The Scottish Executive has not provided any funding to the centre.

14 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the implementation of revised Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines on the diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults to reduce the number of epilepsy deaths and address any deficiencies in the implementation of the 1997 SIGN guidelines (N…

Answer · Frank McAveety: The revised guidelines are not due to be published until December 2002. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is a matter for NHS boards, in consultation with other authorities as appropriate. SIGN guidelines are best practice clinical guidelines and are not …

9 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which and what percentage of its publications from May 1999 to June 2002 refer people to the Citi'ens Advice Bureau service for advice and assistance, broken down by department and whether Citi'ens Advice Scotland is made aware of such references prior to publication.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

9 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the statement by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) in Interchange (May 2002), that SPT receives around 50% less funding than the six passenger transport authorities in England.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The funding of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority is intended to allow it to meet its responsibilities, and is kept under review.

9 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the regulations to allow local authorities to license taxi and private hire car booking offices.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive proposes to consult on the terms of regulations which will allow local authorities to license taxi and private hire car booking offices over the next few months.

11 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what action it is taking to require local authorities to recycle higher volumes of paper.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Local authorities, in collaboration with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and others, have prepared 11 draft Area Waste Plans (AWPs) which outline how municipal waste will be dealt with in each area over the next 20 years. The AWPs indicate the leve…

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the average annual requirement of 4,600 construction industry staff identified in the Construction Industry Training Board's Skills Foresight Report 2002-2006 are recruited across Scotland.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive was well aware of the issues relating to employment within the construction industry before the publication of the Construction Industry Training Board's report in February 2002. In January 2001, we commissioned research to establish wh…

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will follow the practice in England and Wales of publishing individual local authority figures under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The second Home Energy Conservation progress reports for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2001 are currently being considered. I will write to Mr Brown on the issue he raises once the work is completed.

4 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what part further electrification of the Scottish rail network will play in its proposals to the Strategic Rail Authority.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Directions and Guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority relate to the next Scottish passenger rail franchise. The franchise will be for the provision of services only and will not include the provision of new infrastructure. Where new infrastructure is re…

2 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve social work training.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive's plans are set out in the <I>Action Plan for the Social</I> <I>Services Workforce</I>, which was published on 18 April 2002.<P>Since then significant progress has been made towards introducing the new honours degree course by 2004. We have set …

2 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has conducted into re-offending rates in respect of different types of social work provision for young offenders.

Answer · Jim Wallace: No specific research has been carried out in Scotland into re-offending rates in respect of different types of social work provision for young offenders. The Scottish Executive has commissioned a number of evaluations of the effectiveness of certain disposals…

2 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any national workforce planning in relation to the future staff resources required to deliver free personal care.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive accepted the advice of the Care Development Group who took workforce planning into account in making their recommendations. Resources have been provided to local authorities within their free personal care allocation to build up infrastructure, …

2 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any national workforce planning in relation to the requirements of social work services across Scotland.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Workforce planning has been the responsibility of the employer led UK Training Organisation for the Social Services. Following the establishment of the Scottish Social Services Council the Executive is working with that organisation, employers and other relev…

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when records held by Reporters to Children's Panels will be fully computerised.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) will have introduced, by December 2002, an electronic case-processing system (The Referral Administration Database - RAD) for all referrals to the reporter. At present the RAD is rolled out to 85% of SCRA…

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to enhance the capability of Reporters to Children's Panels to research trends in juvenile crime.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) currently monitors and reports on statistics and trends in offending by children and young people. The new Referrals Administration Database system will enhance SCRA's ability to investigate these trends.

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is provided for the training of primary health care workers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Health boards and NHS trusts are responsible for the training and continuing development of their staff. The policy framework for learning in NHSScotland is provided by <I>Learning Together</I>, the Education, Training and Lifelong Learning Strategy.<P>Additi…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support training of primary health care workers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Education for Scotland (NES), a new Special Health Board, was set up by the Scottish Executive on 1 April 2002 to promote multi-disciplinary training and education for all healthcare professions. This new organisation incorporates the Scottish Council for…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to recruit more speech therapists into the National Health Service.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Action is being taken on a number of fronts:<P>We recently announced that the Scottish Executive Health Department would fund additional student places in 2002-03 available to Allied Health Professions (AHPs) including speech and language Therapists. This is …

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle the level of alcohol-related emergency hospital admissions in Glasgow.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of emergency admissions to Glasgow acute hospitals with an alcohol-related diagnosis from 1997 to 2001 is given in the table. Local action to tackle alcohol problems is a matter for local agencies to address.<P>Emergency admissions t…

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being put in place to undertake post-occupancy evaluations of the new school buildings being procured by local authorities, including qualitative as well as quantitative appraisals.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The procurement of school buildings is a matter within the responsibility of local authorities. It is for individual authorities to decide whether to undertake evaluation of new school buildings following occupancy and how to take account of those findings in…

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what space standards are currently being applied in the designs of new schools; how these have been updated from those used in the 1970s and amended for metrication in the 1980s, and whether it has any plans to publish standards for excellence in space and quality in school buildings.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, as amended for metrication, set out broad minimum standards in relation to certain aspects of school accommodation, including areas for school sites and overall minimum educ…

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to license taxi and private hire radio bases.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25774 on 24 May 2002.

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to publish information on the new policy arrangements in respect of young people leaving care.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: On 18 June we published research on the current services available to young people leaving care in Scotland. This research shows these services are currently variable across the country. As a result we are focusing on improving existing services before introd…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to require GPs to provide practice nurses with additional training in asthma.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The GP Statement of Fees and Allowances for providing Chronic Disease Management for asthma patients requires that "any health professional involved in the care of patients in the programme should be appropriately trained in the management of asthma". Ninety-…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the arrangements for chronic disease management payments to GPs are working successfully.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: GPs receive payments for chronic disease management of asthma and diabetes. A very high percentage of GPs provide Chronic Disease Management (CDM) programmes for patients suffering from these conditions. The latest figures available show a high success rate o…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the development of modern light rail systems.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The provision of urban light rail schemes is considered a local transport issue and as such is the responsibility of local authorities or, in the case of the Strathclyde area, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority. <P>To date, the City of Edinburgh Counci…

5 Jun 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in eradicating any health inequalities between deprived areas and the rest of Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Tackling health inequalities has been set as a priority for the NHS and, following the Arbuthnott Review, we have reformed the way funding is distributed so the influence of deprivation and remoteness on health care needs is fully recognised for the first tim…

5 Jun 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in recruiting and retaining nurses at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust has been actively seeking to recruit and retain nurses through a number of initiatives including:<UL><LI>Advertising in the nursing and other press.</LI><LI>Targeting newly qualified nurses expected to graduate fro…

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the Royal National Institute of the Blind campaign to set up a #20 million Right to Read fund to address the specific needs of blind and partially sighted people by increasing the availability of alternative format books.

Answer · Elaine Murray: Policy on equality and disability are reserved matters. I understand that the Royal National Institute of the Blind have written to Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to seek a £20 million UK-wide initiative aimed at increasing transcrip…