Mike Pringle

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate releasing for sale NHS-owned land in south Edinburgh to allow new schools to be built.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Responsibility for theidentification of surplus land rests with NHS boards, in this case NHS Lothian.I can, however, confirm that officials from the Health Department willinvestigate with NHS Lothian what land in South Edinburgh has been identifiedas surplus …

15 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to educate young people about the risks of contracting HIV/Aids.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The National Sexual Health Strategy<i>Respect and Responsibility</i>, published in January 2005, includes a numberof recommendations on the importance of educating the general public, includingyoung people, on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to NHS boards on the provision of IVF treatment.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Expert Advisory Group onInfertility in Scotland (EAGISS) published a report with recommendations on thecare of infertile couples in 2000. The recommendations were produced to providehealth boards with a model, evidence-based service that every couple with…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to NHS boards on the prioritisation of services.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is for NHS boards, workingwithin the framework of national priorities, to consider how best to deploy theirresources to meet local needs. However, I expect NHS boards to take account of thespecialist needs of patients in their areas in planning and providi…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the allocation of IVF treatment is prioritised by NHS boards.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for individualNHS boards. The information is not held centrally.</p>

2 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been recovered by the Civil Recovery Unit and the Criminal Confiscation Unit and what their running costs have been since introduction.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: Between the Proceeds of CrimeAct 2002 coming into force and 30 September 2006, being the latest available figures,a total of £4,100,000 has been recovered by the Civil Recovery Unit.</p><p>The total annual running costsfor the three financial years from 2003 …

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for a GP appointment in NHS Lothian and what action it is taking to reduce this time.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requestedis not available centrally.</p><p>The Scottish Executive’starget is that anyone contacting their GP practice should have guaranteed accessto a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours.</p><p>For the year 2005-06,NHS …

19 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to sufferers of cyclical vomiting syndrome.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I understand that thissyndrome is rare and sometimes hard to diagnose. But, once diagnosed, it is theresponsibility of NHS boards to ensure that parents and their families are madeaware of the support organisations available to them.</p>

5 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any evidence that waiting times for MRI scans are due to excessive numbers of referrals by GPs.

Answer · Andy Kerr: All requests for MRI scans madeby clinicians, including GPs, are reviewed by experienced radiology staff - normallya consultant – before a scan is carried out to ensure clinical appropriateness.This is designed to ensure that scans are carried out in response…

5 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on reducing waiting times for non-emergency MRI scans.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on waiting timesfor MRI scans is not currently available.</p><p>Work is well advanced to developand implement a data collection system for waiting times for key diagnostic testsand procedures, including MRI scans. Central data collection is now un…

30 Aug 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to maintain the international competitiveness of Scottish universities.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: TheExecutive has clearly demonstrated its commitment to our higher education institutionsby increasing funding to over £1 billion per year by 2008. This record level offunding represents a real terms increase of 23% since 2004-05. The Executivehas achieved th…

28 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of the district nurse service.

Answer · Andy Kerr: A report of the review ofnursing in the community will be published in due course.</p>

28 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage local authorities to privatise the delivery of social work and social care services.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has noplans to encourage local authorities to privatise the delivery of social care services.Under their duty of best value, all local authorities are required to make arrangementsto secure continuous improvement in performance (while m…

19 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of employees of the Scottish Institute of Sport have been from ethnic minority groups in each year since its inception, broken down by grade and into athletic, coach and administration level of employee.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: This information is not heldcentrally. I have asked the Chair of <b>sport</b>scotland to write to you settingout these details.</p>

19 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of employees of sportscotland have been from ethnic minority groups in each of the last 10 years, broken down by grade and into athletic, coach and administration level of employee.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: This information is not heldcentrally. I have asked the Chair of <b>sport</b>scotland to write to you settingout these details.</p>

29 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to safeguard for the NHS the skills and experience of staff at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service’s Protein Fractionation Centre following the decision not to retain the centre within the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Every effort will be made toredeploy those staff who wish to remain with NHSScotland. This would involveworking with individuals to determine their skills and aspirations and to seewhat redeployment opportunities are available across NHSScotland. In someinsta…

28 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued in respect of the number of ultrasound scans which should take place during pregnancy and the timings of such scans.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>A Framework for MaternityServices in </i><i>Scotland</i> published in February 2001 sets out clearly andexplicitly the maternity service which should be offered across Scotland. Thisincludes details of the number and timing of ultrasound scans which should…

15 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the results of the Reusable Bag Campaign, which is the Waste and Reusable Bag Campaign’s (WRAP) pilot project on reducing the number of plastic carrier bags, and, if so, what the results were.

Answer · Ross Finnie: We have received a draft copyof the report on the <i>Choose to Reuse </i>trial, run by the Waste and ResourcesAction Programme (WRAP), and WRAP will publish the final report on their websiteshortly.</p>

9 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures best value in the tendering process for its contracts and whether it has ever found evidence of cartel practices amongst those submitting tenders.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Best Value in tendering processesis achieved through a number of means; all of which are set out in the <i>ScottishPublic Finance Manual</i> which applies to the Scottish Executive, its agenciesand non-departmental public bodies. These include requirements th…

9 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish tourism sector was not represented at the 2006 London Golf Show.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish tourism sectorwas represented at the 2006 London Golf Show. However, there was a reducedpresence as compared with the previous year due to a clash of dates. Theorganisers of the Golf Show had taken the decision to move their original datesto prev…

9 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote golf tourism to Scotland.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Golf tourism is currentlyworth in the region of £300 million to the Scottish economy, and our aim is to growthis sector by 50% by 2015. The Scottish Executive and VisitScotland are thereforecommitted to substantial promotional activity in this area.</p><p>Vis…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations govern the operation of helicopters for pleasure flights.

Answer · Tavish Scott: All civil aircraft flysubject to the provisions of the Air Navigation Order 2005 and the Rules of theAir Regulations 1996. These require that helicopters must not fly within 500feet of any person, vessel, vehicle or structure (except when landing or takingoff…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what systems it has in place to monitor the environmental impact of helicopter flights.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive doesnot specifically monitor the environmental impact of helicopter flights. However,the height restrictions under the Air Navigation Order 2005 and the Rules of the Air Regulations 1996, which are concerned primarily with safety, help …

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the forward business plan for the Scottish Prison Service will be available.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have agreed theBusiness Plan and key performance measures proposed by SPS for the period 2006-08.The SPS Chief Executive, Tony Cameron, has written to the Justice Committees toprovide them with copies of the plan which is also available in the Scottish Parl…

22 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines govern the installation of cycle lanes.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executivepublished comprehensive guidelines in December 1999 covering the planning,design, implementation and audit of cycling facilities. Entitled <i>Cycling byDesign</i> the guidelines were prepared in consultation with local authoritiesand are…

22 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place for auditing the installation of cycle lanes by local authorities.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Examples of auditprocedures, including safety audit, are available to local authorities withinCycling by Design, which was published by the Scottish Executive in December1999. However, it is for local authorities to design their own procedures forauditing of …

19 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to Disclosure Scotland have been made in each year since 2002; of these, how many were paid for by the organisation making the application ,and what the annual income has been from disclosure applications.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Between 29 April 2002 and 30 April 2006, DisclosureScotland received 1,551,084 applications as set out in the following table. Theincome for each year is also included in the table. The fee rose from £13.60 to£20 at 1 April 2006.</p><p>Applications are made b…

19 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to Disclosure Scotland have been from individuals who have already received a disclosure certificate.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Since Disclosure Scotland beganoperating in April 2002, 1,551,084 criminal record checks have been carried out.It is estimated that 480,836 checks (31%) have been for individuals who have alreadyhad a check carried out.</p>

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether laboratory facilities shared between virology, bacteriology and the blood bank at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh pose any risk of cross-contamination.

Answer · Andy Kerr: During the design stage of thelaboratory suite at the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh the possibility of cross-contaminationwas taken into account. The two sections of the laboratory are quite separate, withdedicated staff performing virology investigations …

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that staffing levels in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh virology laboratories are sufficient to cope with a possible avian flu pandemic.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Avian influenza is distinct fromhuman pandemic influenza. Although the avian influenza virus poses a risk to birds,the risk it poses to humans is extremely limited. This is because it is very difficultto catch from birds and even more difficult to pass from h…