Tommy Sheridan

2 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4784 by Euan Robson on 9 January 2004, what progress it has made in making fresh, free drinking water available in all schools; what steps it has taken to implement European Council Directive 98/83/EC, and, in particular, what steps it is taking to m…

Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive remains fully committed to improving the health and diet of young people. As part of this we goal, we are supporting schools in the implementation of the recommendations outlined in <i>Hungry ForSuccess,</i> one of which is to ensure th…

24 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it is satisfied that Stockline Plastics Ltd is financially unable to meet the wages of employees facing unemployment as a result of the tragic accident at its factory on 11 May 2004, it will consider providing emergency financial aid to meet such wages and, if so, whether such…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive extends its sympathies to those affected by this tragic accident and has, through Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and Careers Scotland, provided advice and support regarding the future of the factory and will continue to do so. The company’…

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of how many employers do not pay the national minimum wage and what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on the establishment of mechanisms to monitor the prevalence of this practice and intervene to prevent its occurrence.

Answer · Jim Wallace: National minimum wage is a reservedmatter. Statistical information is held by Inland Revenue who have mechanisms inplace to monitor compliance with the national minimum wage requirements.</p>

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a Scotland-wide and multi-modal bus, train and ferry free-travel scheme for senior citi'ens and, if so, how much such a scheme will cost and when it will be introduced.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive’s priority forconcessionary travel for older people and people with disabilities is the introductionof a national free off-peak bus scheme. Firm estimates as to the cost of the schemewill be developed in light of discussions with key stakeholder…

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average income levels have been in each local authority area in each of the last five years; whether there have been any real-term increases in such income levels and, if so, what the increases have been, expressed in percentage terms.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Average income estimates are not currently available at local authority level.</p><p>Research is currently underway to consider the methodological issues lying behind the main sources of income data for Scotland. Subject to quality assurance, this research ma…

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public financial support was given to companies providing rail and passenger services in each year from 1999 to 2003, broken down into type of support given.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answergiven to the question S2W-920 on 3 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that cost-cutting plans announced by NHS Greater Glasgow will deliver significant improvements in the delivery of health services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards must manage withintheir allocated resources. It is for local NHS boards to consider priorities andto ensure a range of high quality services for all their patients while stayingwithin their financial allocations.</p>

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a senior citi'ens' representative will be invited to participate in the group established to conduct an independent review of local government finance; when the group will first meet; who will decide its remit, and how long it will take to produce recommendations.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is currently working up the details of the remit for the independent reviewof local government finance. An announcement on the remit and other aspects of thereview will be made shortly.</p>

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much of the profits from vending machines in schools is being used to make up any shortfall in the funding of schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: As Scottish education authoritieshave responsibility for the provision of vending machines in schools, informationon the uses to which any potential profits may be put is not collected centrally.</p>

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any surveys into the causes, including (a) allergies to E-numbers and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, of behavioural problems in schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is undertaking a range of research initiatives to inform policy making onbehaviour in schools. The Scottish Executive Education Department and Health Departments also work closely together tolearn from the findings of research and asses…

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has investigated how many products sold in vending machines in schools contain no additives or colourants, either natural or chemical, as part of its healthy eating programme for schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Scottish education authoritieshave responsibility for the provision of vending machines in schools. Hungry for Success, the Scottish Executive’s healthy eating strategy for schools, is working with authorities to createa local framework within which sensible …

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any records are kept of children who have been excluded from school because of behaviour problems that may be linked to an allergy to E-numbers.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not keep records of children who are excluded because of behaviourproblems linked to food additive allergies.</p>

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are tested for any allergy to E-numbers before being prescribed any medication.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on “Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People” provides clinicians with advice on the diagnostic criteria and assessments for ADHD. It is for clinicians to det…

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when they were reacting adversely to E-numbers contained in food and drink in each year since 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The specific information requestedis not available centrally.</p>

6 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are allergic to, or affected adversely by, E-numbers in food and drink.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The specific information requestedis not available centrally.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that all NHS boards make budget allocations so that there is no "postcode" treatment for patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A national planning exercisehas been initiated to plan the service for Scotland and ensure equitable access.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recruit retinal specialist staff trained in the administering of the new photodynamic therapy treatment for patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scotland has played a key role in developing photodynamic therapyfor patients with age-related macular degeneration and, there are already trainedretinal specialist staff in Grampian, Lanarkshire, Argyll and Clyde, Lothianand Glasgow.</p><p>A planning exercis…

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information can be made available about the monitoring of the performance of NHS boards in providing photodynamic therapy for patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Work is under way to developa Scotland-wide photodynamic therapy service and monitoring arrangements to ensurea fair and equitable service is delivered to meet clinical need. NHS boards areinvolved in this process. The Scottish Executive Health Department wil…

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have not made budget allocations for the treatment of photodynamic therapy for patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards have now beenrequested to make resources available to fund treatment as required in order tomeet clinical need.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all primary care trusts are able to implement the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland guidance on photodynamic therapy for patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards have been instructedto make this service available to meet clinical need.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the delay in implementing the National Institute of Clinical Excellence's Technology Appraisal No.68 in September 2003 on guidance on the use of photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration will extend to Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Patients in Scotland forwhom treatment is recommended in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence(NICE) guidance have access to treatment now. Work is in hand at a Scotland levelto strengthen the current pattern of service and improve access and respons…

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the privately-funded photodynamic therapy treatment centres for age-related macular degeneration will carry out NHS work.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on privately – fundedtreatment centres is not available centrally.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing the commitment of its Health Department to explore, with the Common Services Agency (CSA), the creation of a combined community and hospital medicines utilisation database, as referred to in The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care i…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The CSA are at an early stagein developing the structure to enable the collection of hospital data in preparationfor a combined community-hospital database.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incorporation of the Health Technology Board for Scotland into NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has affected the target of achieving 25 health technology assessments by December 2006.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: One of the main reasons for establishingNHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) was to coordinate work on clinical effectivenessand quality improvement more effectively. This has resulted in the forward workplans of all the predecessor organisations being …

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to issue separate publications on National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidance that show clearly the implications to the NHS in Scotland of costs and recommendations for further research.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to S2W-7994 on 18 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_w…

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review how NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) issues guidance relevant to Scotland following a National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal, given that NICE guidance provides the NHS implications of cost and further research for England and Wales and ther…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The processes for issuing guidancewere reviewed with NHSScotland in 2002. It was agreed that separate work on theresource implications for Scotland of NICE technology appraisal guidance was notan effective or efficient use of public resources, and led to dela…

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retinal specialists there are who are expert in administrating photodynamic therapy for patients with age-related macular degeneration, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are eight such specialistsin Scotland who are employed by NHS Boards as below:</p><p>Argyll and Clyde, 1</p><p>Grampian, 2</p><p>Greater Glasgow, 2</p><p>Lanarkshire, 1</p><p>Lothian, 2.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS treatment centres have the facilities to treat people with age-related macular degeneration with photodynamic therapy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At present services are providedfrom hospitals in North and South Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. There are facilities in other areas and work is in handto develop and extend the service in Scotland for the future.</p>

4 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost per year is of treating eligible patients with photodynamic therapy who have wet age-related macular degeneration with pure classic or predominately classic lesions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Planning work has recently beeninitiated to assess patient needs in Scotland and the costs of treatment.</p>

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, how many of the 3,742 overseas nurses recruited to work in Britain from the banned list of countries in 2002-03 were recruited to work in Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally, but figures issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) inJanuary 2004 for 2002-03 state that less than 2% of Scotland’snursing workforce is from countries outside the EU – around 970 nurses. Most ofthese nurses wo…