Murdo Fraser

27 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership in the next financial year.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Funding for Local Rural Partnerships is provided by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund, an element of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund. <P>The fund is operated by an annual bidding process. No application has been submitted to the schem…

27 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership in each of the last three financial years.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Local Rural Partnerships are funded by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. This fund is one of the three elements that make up the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.<P>No funding has been sought by Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership…

27 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is currently providing to local rural partnerships such as the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership.

Answer · Allan Wilson: During the 2001-02 financial year, the Executive has made available some £211,000 to local rural partnerships through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. The fund, which facilitates the establishment of local rural partnerships, is one of the three elements tha…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by NHS boards serving remote and rural areas in the use of telemedicine, email, internet and CD-ROM based treatments for people with eating disorders as referred to in the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The published guidance on the best organisation of eating disorder services invites agencies to explore all mediums that can offer improved access to services and advice.<P>A teleconferencing link is already established between the Royal Cornhill Hospital in …

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps is it taking to promote the recommendations in the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland to develop treatment protocols, clear referral pathways and a pattern of specialist in-patient provision for the treatment of sufferers of eating disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Specific guidance offering agencies a template for change and improvement in the provision and organisation of services, promotion, prevention and care was published in October last year.<P>The visiting Mental Health and Well Being Support Group has also anno…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to implement the recommendation of the Royal College of Psychiatrists that there should be a consultant with special expertise in the treatment of eating disorders in each NHS health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS trusts are responsible for recruiting staff and making arrangements, that best respond to the assessed needs of their areas. In reaching decisions in this regard, I expect all available advice and guidelines to be taken into account, including that within…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards have specialist eating disorder services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Throughout Scotland, people suffering from eating disorders are diagnosed and treated by general psychiatrists. In addition, specialist services have been established in Lanarkshire, Lothian, Highland and Grampian. These services range from specialist eating …

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to NHS boards to support the development of self help support groups and voluntary sector organisations specialising in the care of people with eating disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The published guidelines, <I>Patient Focus Public Involvement</I>, set out detailed proposals on building capacity and communications, patient information and meaningful involvement. It shows how NHSScotland will better link, listen and support individuals an…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with eating disorders are currently being treated as in-patients in Tayside.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The numbers of patients are very low (under five) and to provide the exact figure could allow them to be identified, which would breach their right to patient confidentiality.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information is made available to education authorities and further and higher education institutions to assist in the identification of eating disorders in girls and women in the (a) 11-15 and (b) 16-24 age groups.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our published guidance calls for agencies to work together to access accurate information to better inform parents, education, health and social work professionals and others in the identification of the early and other signs of eating disorders.<P>For school…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in implementing the recommendations of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Group regarding the proposed "fit for purpose" network of services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Mental Health and Well Being Support Group continues its visits to the relevant agencies in each area and publishes a report on the progress made in each case, in implementing the<I> Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland</I> modernisation agend…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs to train a nurse in the specialist treatment and care of patients with eating disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Costs will vary. However, the estimated cost of training a pre-registration mental health nursing student is around £30,000. To train a community psychiatric nurse can add a further £21,000.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff with specialist training in the treatment and care of people with eating disorders are currently employed by the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS trusts are responsible for recruiting the staff, specialist and otherwise required for the effective delivery of service outcomes. Information on the staffing levels for individual departments is not held centrally but is held by local NHS trusts. Contact…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients diagnosed with eating disorders are currently waiting to receive specialist treatment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is available to general practitioners to assist them in recognising the symptoms of (a) anorexia nervosa and (b) bulimia.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Department issued HDL(2001)75 on 9 October 2001, to provide guidance on eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia, as part of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland. This guidance is available on the SHOW website.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many males with (a) anorexia nervosa and (b) bulimia the NHS in Scotland has treated in the last 12 months.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the number of males treated in an acute general hospital, mental illness hospital or psychiatric unit between July 2000 and June 2001: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=283><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALI…

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information programmes are in operation to give advice to students about eating disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23216 on 11 March 2002.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to promote cognitive behavioural therapy as a treatment for people with eating disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The promotion of individual care therapies and treatments are a matter for clinicians in consultation with the relevant professional staff/multi-disciplinary team. Decisions in each case should always be based on individually assessed needs.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with eating disorders have been referred to consultant psychiatrists by their general practitioner in the last 12 months.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4170 by Lewis Macdonald on 20 November 2001, when it now expects to publish the results of the camera surveillance exercise of the A9 at Ballinluig Junction.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The A9 Ballinluig Junction camera surveillance report will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre by 28 February 2002.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20486 by Lewis MacDonald on 12 December 2001, whether it will instruct BEAR Scotland Ltd to undertake an urgent investigation of the A90 Friarton Bridge area in light of the most recent fatal accident.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Following the fatal road accident which occurred on 5 February 2002, BEAR has been asked to undertake an urgent review of all recent accidents in the vicinity of Friarton Bridge, in conjunction with Tayside Police, and to provide a report outlining what, if a…

6 Feb 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Tayside.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I met with the Chairman of NHS Tayside and the Chairman and Chief Executive of Tayside Acute Hospitals Trust on 8 February 2002. Scottish Executive officials maintain regular contact with representatives of NHS Tayside.

30 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding to Fife Constabulary to meet the cost of policing associated with the Rosyth Ferry Terminal.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in discussion with Fife Constabulary about the additional policing costs arising from the commencement of the proposed Rosyth ferry service.

24 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following Lord Gill's appointment as Lord Justice Clerk, whom it is consulting in respect of the appointment of a new chairman of the Scottish Law Commission.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission has been formulated in consultation with the Executive's Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for Public…

24 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following Lord Gill's appointment as Lord Justice Clerk, whether the appointment of a new chairman of the Scottish Law Commission will be made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) has been formulated in consultation with the Executive's Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for …

24 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Professor Joseph Thomson and Professor Gerard Maher were appointed as Scottish Law Commissioners in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The recent reappointments of Professors Maher and Thomson as Scottish Law Commissioners were conducted in accordance with the procedures for appointments to public bodies and after due consultation with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

24 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21123 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 January 2002, what bodies it has consulted in relation to the content of its training programme for panel members in respect of autistic spectrum disorder.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Children's Panel Training Organisers, who are funded by the Scottish Executive to provide training to panel members, are responsible for the development of material used in training. They have drawn on expertise provided by child psychologists and psychiatris…

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the A823 (N) in Rosyth to connect with the new Ferry Terminal thereby bypassing residential areas.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in discussions with Fife Council about its access strategy to the new ferry terminal at Rosyth, including signage to keep heavy goods vehicles to existing agreed routes. The A823 (N) is a local road. As such, proposals for developing…

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the signage on the M90 north of the Forth Road Bridge to reduce the volume of traffic travelling to Dunfermline following a route through Rosyth.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no plans to amend the signing at this location. The existing signing, which is the responsibility of Fife Council, does not direct traffic for Dunfermline through Rosyth.

20 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide funding to help establish Supporters Direct in Scotland.

Answer · Elaine Murray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21349.