John Swinburne

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why engineering companies in the central region are having to wait more than six months to find out whether their tender for a contract with Scottish Water has been successful.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: As this is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water, I have asked the Chief Executive to reply to yourenquiry directly.</p>

5 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that local authorities provide free personal care to senior citizens who have been assessed as having personal care needs, as required by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities currently providefree personal care to elderly people who have been assessed as requiring it. Specificservices may vary locally, reflecting the discretion local authorities possess overhow to deliver their services. The extent and acceptabil…

1 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of concerns expressed by senior members of the Scottish Ambulance Service in respect of the introduction of undisturbed meal breaks under Agenda for Change and, in particular, concerns that lives may be lost as a result.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I am aware of the concerns expressed.However, there is little difference to the procedures the Scottish Ambulance Servicehad in place prior to the introduction of Agenda for Change as the Working TimeRegulations required staff to have a recognised break where…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will endorse South Lanarkshire Council’s submission to the Department of Trade and Industry that assisted area status should be retained for the East Kilbride and west Clydesdale areas.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The new Assisted Areas map willbe determined in line with the broad criteria set out by the EuropeanCommission. The designation of Assisted Areas in the UK is areserved matter and we are working closely with the Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI) and other…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that whoever wins the contract for providing the free central heating programme will not subcontract the installation of the systems to contractors who are not capable of fulfilling the contract to an acceptable standard.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The contract documentation, issuedas part of the tendering process, emphasises a range of quality criteria such asenhanced delivery, improved …

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to groups which provide and organise talking newspapers for visually-impaired people.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The provision of access to talkingnewspapers is a matter for local authorities. The Executive does not, therefore,allocate funding to groups providing such a service. The Executive encourages localauthorities to make appropriate arrangements under the Disabil…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure equality between visually-impaired and sighted people by promoting free access to talking books.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive encourageslocal authorities to make appropriate arrangements under the Disability DiscriminationAct 1995 and the Local Government Act 2003. The provision of library services andsubscription to RNIB’s Talking Book Service are matters for…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it is encouraging community activity by church groups.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive and CommunitiesScotland encourage community action and engagement through a range of policies whichbenefit a range of community groups and individuals, including church and faithgroups. In particular, the Scottish Executive Volunteering…

23 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidance to local authorities to raise the level of pavements at bus stops to make non-low floor buses more accessible to elderly and disabled people.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive hasno current plans to issue guidance on pavement levels to local authorities.</p>

17 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on communities and, in particular, the town centre of East Kilbride of the closure of the Princes Mall post office branch in East Kilbride shopping centre and what information it has on how long it will be closed.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Royal Mail, Post Offices andpostal issues are reserved to the Department of Trade and Industry. The ScottishExecutive is unable to comment on particular Post Office closures. This is a matterfor Post Office Ltd, in the first instance.</p>

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider giving those pensioners in full receipt of council tax benefit exemptions from paying for the costs of water and sewerage.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: On 1 April 2006, the ScottishExecutive introduced a water services charges reduction scheme for vulnerable households.The scheme provides a reduction in charges of up to 25% a year for householdswith two or more adults, who are in receipt of council tax benef…

26 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with bus operators regarding cross-border travel between Scotland and England and what the outcome of those discussions has been.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Every operator of eligible busservices has agreed to participate in the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme,so all their services are available to Cardholders. For cross border travel thismeans free travel has been available between Scotland and Carlisle or…

26 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that senior citizens are unable to use their concessionary travel cards to book journeys in advance with National Express.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Yes. However National Express are currentlyworking to allowing Entitlement Card holders to book free tickets for Scottish journeysin advance.</p><p>In the meantime,cardholders can travel free of charge between any two points within Scotland, on any National E…

30 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28161 by Mr Frank McAveety on 30 August 2002, what advice it has received about the implications of the House of Lords decision in Robertson (AP) v Fife Council on 25 July 2002 relating to the provision of residential accommodation and whether it wil…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Following an assessment of the implications of the House of Lords decision, the Scottish Executive HealthDepartment issued a letter on 5 March 2003 to local authorities and voluntaryorganisations. That letter endorsed the guidance issued by the Convention ofS…

29 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of older people were defined as suffering from fuel poverty in the last year, based on the definition set out in The Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement, published in August 2002.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: According to the 2002 ScottishHouse Condition Survey 24% of households where the highest income householder ortheir spouse was aged 60 or over were defined as fuel poor. We do not have the figurefor last year.</p>

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that elderly people within the care of local authorities are not socially isolated as a result of a reduction in the number of meals-on-wheels services they receive each week.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for local authorities, which have a duty under section 12A of theSocial Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the needs of people and decide, in thelight of the assessment, which services should be provided and how. With their detailedknowledge …

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the diet of elderly people within the care of local authorities contains adequate quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The National Care Standards publishedby Scottish ministers already include specific standards on nutrition.</p>

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate why the Care Commission looked at nutritional standards in only 13% of its inspections of care homes.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Each year the Care Commissionselects five core standards for each type of care service on which all inspectionsin that year are based. The inspection process also gives the Care Commission theflexibility to cover non-core standards where that is appropriate o…

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set a minimum amount of £2.10 per meal for local authorities to spend on elderly people within their care.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. It is up to local authoritiesto achieve an appropriate balance betweenquality and cost in providing meals to elderly people within their care, whilstalso meeting the requirements of the relevant National Care Standards.</p>

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the current guidelines on the nutritional content of meals offered to elderly people within the care of local authorities to ensure that they receive adequate nutritional value from their food.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has noplans to review the existing National Care Standards for Care Homes for Older People,Care at Home and Support Services.</p>

28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to ensure that all local authorities offer an equal standard of meals for those people who are eligible to have meals delivered to their homes.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish ministers havepublished <i>National Care Standards for Care at </i><i>Home</i>which include specific standards on nutrition. These apply to all providers ofcare at home.</p><p>The Care Commission, asnational regulator of care services in Scotland, is…

23 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to provide Scottish pensioners with a £200 rebate on their council tax liability for 2006-07.

Answer · George Lyon: We have no plans to providea £200 council tax rebate for Scottish pensioners in 2006-07.</p>

22 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider index-linking the current Warm Deal grant to inflation to ensure that there is no reduction in the amount of insulation available to pensioners eligible for the scheme.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have no plans to index-linkthe level of Warm Deal grant to inflation. Work is underway to maximise the impactof Warm Deal including how best to link the scheme more effectively to the EnergyEfficiency Commitment to help ensure that people can get the full p…

22 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24143 by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 March 2006, at what level it will cap the amount of money available for each installation under its central heating programme.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The cap for individual installationswill initially be set at £3,500 but this will be increased in circumstances wherethe cost of the lowest priced system exceeds this. The level of the cap will bekept under review to ensure it is still appropriate and adjuste…

22 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making ad hoc payments in cases where the current £500 Warm Deal grant is insufficient to allow pensioners homes to be insulated to acceptable standards.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have no plans to make ad hocpayments in these cases. Work is being done to maximise the impact of the Warm Dealby ensuring it operates effectively alongside the Energy Efficiency Commitment.</p>

22 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners eligible for a Warm Deal grant have been unable to have their homes insulated to an acceptable standard due to their inability to pay the balance of the cost of installing appropriate insulation.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We do not have this information.</p>

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23390 by Lewis Macdonald on 8 March 2006, whether the Minister for Health and Community Care will issue guidance to the Care Commission to ensure that all the information it has gathered on allegations of abuse, neglect and malnutrition is disseminat…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to issueguidance to the Care Commission about dissemination of information. Thearrangements that are already in place, along with the agreements that arebeing developed by the Care Commission with local authorities and health boards,will ensu…

17 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many care homes for older people have failed to achieve the national care standards for nutrition and food since the standards were introduced.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the questionS2W-24365 answered on 30 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

16 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing legislation to give the Care Commission a statutory duty to inform local authorities of (a) all complaints made against care homes within their areas and (b) the outcomes of the investigations of such complaints.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am aware that the CareCommission’s complaints procedure is one of the issues being considered by theHealth Committee as part of its review of the <i>Regulation of Care (</i><i>Scotland</i><i>) Act 2001</i>. I will await thereport from the committee and cons…

16 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints made to the Care Commission have resulted in formal enforcement action being taken in each year since it was established.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the questionS2W-24365 answered on 30 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…