Parliamentary questions
John Swinburne
208 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to each NHS board as a result of the absence of any doctors and nurses excluded from work through suspension in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to date.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors and nurses are currently excluded from work through suspension in each NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
31 Oct 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what the estimated annual cost of insurance was for the new Parliament building when the site at Holyrood was chosen and what the estimated annual cost of insuring the building is now.
Answer · George Reid: In line with the Scottish Executive and other bodies financed from the Scottish consolidated fund, the Parliament follows a policy of self-insurance and therefore does not insure itsbuildings against loss or damage.</p>
22 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2517 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 September 2003, what level the Personal Expense Allowance will be set at when it is updated in April 2004 and what factors will be taken into account in this change.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The new Personal ExpensesAllowance (PEA) rate from April will be announced (subject to parliamentaryapproval of regulations) within the next month in a Community Care Circularwhich will be published on the internet at, <ahref="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd…
22 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2517 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 September 2003, how many care homes residents are in receipt of the personal expense allowance (PEA) in each local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally in the exact form requested. However the number of care homeresidents supported wholly or mainly by local authorities as at March 2002,plus those supported by the Department for Work and Pensions under the preser…
1 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the number of care home places available will meet future demand.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-3039 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa</a>.</p>
1 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken research into the number of care home places required to meet future demand and, if so, how many places will be required.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A range and capacity reviewof community care services for older people, including a strategic review of the care home sector, is currently being carried out in partnership with health and local authoritycolleagues and in consultation with representatives from…
1 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in determining the true cost of providing residential and nursing home care.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Irefer the member to the answer given to question S20-559 on 2 October 2003which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.parl…
1 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior citi'ens are in hospital due to a lack of places available in care homes.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on patients whosedischarge from hospital is delayed for reasons other than clinical needs iscollected nationally by means of a quarterly census. The latest publishedinformation, from the July 2003 census, shows that 670 people aged over 65 weredel…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners lived below Her Majesty's Government's designated poverty level, broken down by (a) gender and (b) age, in each year since 1997, expressed also as a percentage of the total pensioner population.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The tables present numbers and proportions of pensioners living in households with income below 60% of the GB median, in each year from 1996-97 to 2001-02, by gender. Information is not available by age.</p><p>Table 1 presents information based on the absolut…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the level of action being taken to tackle fuel poverty.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: We have previously announcedthe extension of the Central Heating Installation Programme to replace or upgrade4,000 partial central heating systems for people 80 years of age and older fromthe next financial year. </p><p>We have recently announced theWarm Deal…
18 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioner households were considered to be in fuel poverty in each year since 1997.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-230 on 18 June2003. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/se…
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30891 by Dr Richard Simpson on 20 November 2002, how many deaths recorded within the excess winter mortality figures for each year from 1997-98 to 2001-02 were the result of hypothermia.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The “excess winter mortality”figures are calculated by comparing the aggregate number of deaths in the four wintermonths with those in the previous and following four months. It is not, therefore,possible to say whether an individual death was included in the…
16 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30891 by Dr Richard Simpson on 20 November 2002, what the most recent excess winter mortality figures are, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) age and (c) gender and how many of these deaths were the result of hypothermia.
Answer · Hugh Henry: There is no universally accepted definition of “excess winter mortality”. A number of options were discussed in an occasional paper entitled <i>The Raised Incidence of Winter Deaths</i> published last year by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) an…
15 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1644 by Mr Tom McCabe on 8 September 2003, how many additional care packages have been provided since it implemented its free personal care policy and how many such packages were provided to residents as a result of the abolition of charges for perso…
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally. However, the new Scottish Care Homes Census’ which took place at the end of March is collecting information on admissions to care homes and funding of residents in care homes. The results of this census should be publis…
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1613 by Nicol Stephen on 21 August 2003, whether its plans to extend concessionary fare schemes on public transport will include concessions for older people and people with disabilities on modes of public transport other than buses.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1613 on 20 August 2003, which is available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.p…
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1612 by Nicol Stephen on 21 August 2003, whether it will consult senior citi'ens, senior citi'ens' forums and elderly groups during its consultation process on the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with d…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Yes. We will consult widely.Those consulted will include groups representing older people and we will also welcomecomments from individuals.</p>
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1612 by Nicol Stephen on 21 August 2003, what form its consultation process on the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities will take.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: In line with standard practice,we will issue a consultation paper and seek comments widely on the proposals whichit sets out.</p>
12 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1612 by Nicol Stephen on 21 August 2003, when its consultation process on the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities will take place.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The formal consultation willstart later this year.</p>
10 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any research on the daily living expenses required by residents of care homes under the Personal Expense Allowance.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2517 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa"…
10 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of the Personal Expense Allowance is and whether it has any plans to increase it.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Personal Expenses Allowance(PEA) for care home residents was increased to £17.50 per week last April. Althoughno specific research was undertaken, this increase was more than the rate of inflationand was in line with both average earnings and the uprating…
18 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority spent on transitions and the application of aids to the houses of older people in each of the last three years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Specific information detailingthe amount spent by each local authority for this purpose is not held centrally.The Executive collects data from local authorities on the cost of “aids” and adaptationsgenerally including those made for people with a disability a…
18 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has received (a) in total and (b) per capita for services for older people from (i) the National Lottery, (ii) central government and (iii) any other sources, in each of the last three years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: <>The distribution of NationalLottery funds is a matter for the Lottery Distribution Bodies. The informationrequested is not held centrally by the Executive.</p><p>The revenue grant providedto local authorities is largely unhypothecated and it is up to each a…
18 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1537 by Mr Tom McCabe on 12 August 2003, whether any local authorities are not adhering to its guidance circular CCD 4/2002, Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland, by not offering individual care and nursing home residents the choice of contract…
Answer · Tom McCabe: If themember has evidence of any specific instances of the sort he refers to perhapshe would write to me with the information. The Scottish Executive guidance isclear that we expect local authorities to make the full range of informationavailable to individua…
4 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish a national NHS agency to reduce the use of agency and bank nurses and, if so, when it will be established.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Work has begun on the Partnership Agreement commitment to implement nationallyco-ordinated nurse bank arrangements to assist nurse placement across Scotland, to improve patient services and cut the cost of agency nursing.<p>The timescale for implementation wi…
4 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on the implementation of its nursing bank arrangements to reduce the use of agency nurses, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Work has begun on the commitment in the Partnership Agreement to implementnationally co-ordinated nursing bank arrangements to assist nurse placementacross Scotland, to improve patient services and cut the cost of agency nursing.<p>The work is in the early pr…
30 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have been employed by the NHS in each year since 1999-2000 and, of these, how many were (a) agency and (b) bank nurses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The total number of nurses in post in NHS Scotland each year is shown in the table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Figures at 30 September Each Year</p> </td> <td> <p>1999</p> </td> <td> <p>2000</p> </t…
30 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS trusts and boards have confirmed that they are complying with the Accounts Commission's guidance on the expenditure on, and management of, agency nurses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS employers were made aware of the recommendations made in the AccountCommission’s (now Audit Scotland) report Temporary Measures (2000) and were asked by the Scottish Executive to review their procedures to ensure they complied with its recommendations…
30 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that all NHS trusts and boards are complying with the Accounts Commission's guidance on the use of bank and agency nursing staff.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS employers were made aware of the recommendations made in the AccountCommission’s Scotland report Temporary Measures (2000) and were asked by the Scottish Executive to review their procedures to ensure they complied with its recommendations.<p>The use …
30 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patient places are available with NHS registered dentists in each NHS board area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not available.