Robert Brown

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making an interim hardship payment to people commencing college courses who are coming off benefit.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Students who are experiencing financial difficulty can apply for assistance from their institution's Access Funds. These funds, which are provided by the Executive, are administered by the individual academic authorities and are specifically targeted to help …

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that students at further education colleges receive their loan entitlements at dates which relate to college timetables.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The payment dates for students' loans are directly related to the course dates which all institutions are required to notify to the Student Loans Company Limited. The Scottish Executive has in the past required the Loans Company to modify its systems to cater…

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether students beginning an accelerated degree course over the age of 25, who have moved on from HNC/HND courses begun before the age of 25, will be liable to pay the graduate contribution.

Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed that the Graduate Endowment should only apply to those students who enter higher education from 2001-02 onwards. Certain categories of students will be exempt; students undertaking HNC/HND courses; mature students; lone parents; and disabled st…

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether students commencing HNC/HND courses before 2001 will be liable for the graduate contribution if they go to university for one or two years under accelerated entry arrangements.

Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed that students who start a continuous programme of study before academic year 2001 will not be liable for the Graduate Endowment regardless of the type of course undertaken. If, however, a student were to have a break from higher education prior…

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether students continuing their course into academic year 2001-02 will be liable for the graduate contribution in whole or in part.

Answer · Henry McLeish: It is proposed that the Graduate Endowment should only apply to those students who enter higher education from academic year 2001-02 onwards. The detail of the arrangements is currently being considered and will be subject to consultation and approval by the …

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to allow student loans and grants to be paid on a monthly basis.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are currently no plans to change the frequency with which grants and loans are paid to students from the present termly basis. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland will, however, be reviewing payment arrangements later this year and will be prepared t…

29 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the arrangements are for monitoring levels of cycling in Scotland and how it is evaluating progress in meeting the targets set out in the national cycling strategy.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The UK National Travel Survey and the Scottish Household Survey will be used as the basis for monitoring and evaluating progress in meeting the targets set out in the National Cycling Strategy.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4863 by Mr Frank McAveety on 15 March 2000, whether it will conduct a review of the Warm Deal which will examine (a) grant levels; (b) the type of work for which grants are available and (c) how to maximise and broaden the uptake of Warm Deal grants.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There are no present plans for a review.

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure equal access across all health board areas to infertility treatments such as ICSI, following the publication of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland report.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-5333.

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase funding for infertility treatment to ensure equal access to treatment in Glasgow and all health board areas, following the publication of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland report.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland provides a robust evidence base for the management and delivery of infertility services in Scotland. Implementation of the report's recommendations will bring about equity of access t…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidelines to all health boards to ensure a national system of availability and access to new medical products.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A Health Technology Board for Scotland was established on 1 April to act as a single focus for advice to the NHS in Scotland on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new technologies, including drugs.

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the prescribing of the drug Rilutek to sufferers of motor neurone disease; whether it supports the prescribing of the drug by Lanarkshire Health Board, and whether it has any plans to make the drug available to sufferers in other health board areas.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Treatment with Rilutek should only be initiated by specialist physicians experienced in the management of motor neurone disease and patients' eligibility for this treatment depends on the clinical judgement of the medical practitioners' concerned.<P ALIGN="JU…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to ensure that medical treatments are equally available to all citi'ens requiring them, regardless of their health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Our Programme for Government sets out our commitment to ensuring that access to health services must be determined by need and not by place of residence.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">We are taking that forward in a number of ways. We are setting up the Health Technology…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any proposals to reduce waiting times for treatment, particularly for oral medicine and anxiety/hypnosis treatment, at Glasgow Dental Hospital.

Answer · Susan Deacon: An action plan is already in place to address pressures on oral medicine. On 30 March, the Trust Board approved the appointment of an additional Consultant which should lead to considerable improvement in the waiting times for oral medicine over the next 12 m…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial input it is making to the bus corridor proposals in Glasgow and what time limits apply to the spending of any such money.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Glasgow City Council in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council were awarded a total of £6.05 million from the first round of the Public Transport Fund towards the development of bus priority measures along the Baillieston to Faifley corridor. The alloca…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued or plans to issue any guidance to local authorities about their approach to traffic restriction proposals affecting suburban areas.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive has recently issued guidance to local authorities on the preparation of Local Transport Strategies. This provides advice on traffic management and demand restraint issues. I shall arrange for a copy of the guidance to be placed in the Scottish P…

14 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support the viability of suburban shopping centres such as Shettleston Road and Dumbarton Road in Glasgow.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: National Planning Policy Guideline 8 on Town Centres and Retailing requires statutory development plans to provide a policy framework to support and enhance the vitality and viability of city, town and district centres.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Proposals such as imp…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4164 by Mr Frank McAveety on 16 February 2000, whether it will specify the number of Warm Deal grants made, in the most recent period for which figures are available, which included an element of funding for (a) cavity wall installation; (b) loft, co…

Answer · Frank McAveety: Since 1 April 1999 31,000 houses have benefited under the Warm Deal from some or all of the measures described.

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the review of the Warm Deal and whether the review will examine (a) grant levels, (b) the type of work for which grants are available and (c) how to maximise and broaden the uptake of warm deal grants.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There is no review of the Warm Deal.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4078 by Susan Deacon on 18 February 2000, when it expects the Coronary Heart Disease Task Force to complete its risk-benefit analysis on the placement of defibrillators in public buildings.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to my answer to question S1W-6357.

21 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of NHS beds by (a) speciality and (b) health board in each of the last three years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is set out in the following two tables.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Reductions in the number of beds over the years reflects medical advances and changes in the pattern of care, including the significant increase in day-ase surgery and reducti…

21 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to audit the impact on healthcare provision of variations in the number of NHS beds over the last three years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for health boards, working with NHS Trusts and other partners, to determine the number of hospital beds required to meet assessed need in their respective areas, taking account of local circumstances.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The Scottish Executive s…

21 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is regarding the appropriate number of NHS beds needed to respond adequately to demand.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for health boards, working with NHS Trusts and other partners, to determine the number of hospital beds required to meet assessed need in their respective areas, taking account of local circumstances.

21 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of beds in the NHS were occupied by people aged over (a) 65 and (b) 75, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on the percentage of beds in the NHS in Scotland occupied by people aged over (a) 65 and (b) 75, in the acute, long-stay and psychiatric/mental health sectors, for each of the last five years, is shown in the table.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">NHS IN SCOTLA…

21 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide specialist units, similar to those proposed by the Secretary of State for Health, for elderly patients between general hospital and residential care.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive recognises that modern acute hospital care for elderly patients must be supported by rehabilitation that meets individual need. This position was set out clearly in the report of the Acute Services Review, which identified the value of …

17 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the delay by Scottish Homes in completing analysis of fuel poverty from the Housing Condition Survey 1996, what interim results are currently available and what the target date is for completion and publication of this work.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There is no delay. Scottish Homes are ensuring that the analysis gives a full and accurate account of fuel poverty in Scotland. No date has been set for completion of the exercise. There are no firm interim results.

9 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to bring forward legislation on the law of the tenement.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The management of tenements is governed by rules and conditions set out as rights and real burdens in the relevant title deeds. The Scottish Law Commission will publish their final Report on Real Burdens and Title Conditions later this year. The resultant mod…

8 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the capital spend of each health board on new hospital buildings or significant extensions over each of the last 20 years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>However, one of the current Scottish Executive commitments is that by 2003, the biggest ever hospital building programme in Scotland will be delivered, with the provision of eight …

8 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the relevant local authorities about viable and traffic-reducing alternatives to the M74 extension proposal.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: As I made clear when announcing the conclusions of the Strategic Roads Review, further consideration of the M74 scheme is for the relevant local authorities. This consideration should be set in the context of the authorities' Local Transport Strategies and sh…

8 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to produce a consultation paper on the possibility of establishing a Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have not yet decided whether to establish a Scottish Human Rights Commission, or whether to publish a consultation paper on this issue.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>I will consider this issue in the light of a submission which The Scottish Human R…