Parliamentary questions
John Swinburne
208 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly cost of an accommodation place purchased from an independent care home provider was at the latest date prior to July 2001 for which figures are available and what the average weekly cost was at the most recent date for which figures are available.
Answer · Tom McCabe: At 1 April 2001, averagefees in homes without nursing care were £260 a week, and in homes with nursingcare £336 a week. Under the agreement negotiated between COSLA and theindependent sector, financial provision has been made by the Executive andlocal authori…
23 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it estimated, prior to July 2001, would benefit from its free personal care policy and how many have benefited from the policy since it was introduced.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive has throughouttaken the view that anyone who is assessed as in need of personal care would receivethat care free. In agreeing the funding for the policy, account was taken of anincrease in the demand for personal care in the community as a resul…
23 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many self-funding care home and nursing home residents there are now and how many there were at the latest date prior to July 2001 for which figures are available.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The latest figures (31 March 2002) showthere to be 3,494 residential care home residents funded wholly or mainly byprivate means. This compares with 3,387 at the 31 March 2001. </p><p>At 31 March 2002, there were4,582 self-funding residents in private nursing…
23 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what data it holds and monitors in relation to the funding of places in residential and nursing homes for elderly people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Up until 31 March 2002:<P>The R1: Residential Care Homes Census, run by the Scottish Executive, collected information on the funding of all long-stay residents in residential care homes. Residents were classed as being funded: (1) Wholly or mainly by private …
21 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-867 by Nicol Stephen on 14 July 2003, whether its extended concessionary fares scheme on public transport will cover other forms of travel such as train and ferry.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: As outlined in <I>A Partnership for a Better Scotland</I>, the Executive's priority for concessionary travel for elderly and disabled people is the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme.
21 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-867 by Nicol Stephen on 14 July 2003, when will it introduce an extended concessionary fares scheme on public transport, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Work is being progressed on the partnership agreement commitments on concessionary travel. Discussions are currently taking place with key stakeholders. This will be followed by a formal consultation process and substantial research and implementation work. W…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that care home and nursing home residents are offered the choice of contract routes with their home for the provision of free personal and nursing care under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1537 today, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that care and nursing home residents are aware of the availability of choice of contract routes with their home for the provision of free personal and nursing care under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive issued, in April 2002, Guidance Circular CCD 4/2002 <I>Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland</I>. This clearly sets out the contractual arrangements which should apply for personal and nursing care payments for people in care homes…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address issues experienced by older people and their families when using the NHS complaints procedure.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Proposals for an NHS complaints procedure which is "credible, easy to use, demonstrably independent and effective" were made in a consultation paper published earlier this year. The consultation paper reflects the outcome of a national independent e…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fulfil its commitment to independence within the NHS complaints procedure.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: <I>Our National Health: a plan for action, a plan for change</I> committed the Executive to developing proposals for an NHS complaints procedure which is "credible, easy to use, demonstrably independent and effective". The responses to a public cons…
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses it has received to Reforming the NHS Complaints Procedure: Patients Focus and Public Involvement- A draft for consultation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: One hundred and seventy-five responses were received to the consultation exercise.
15 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on its conclusions to the responses to Reforming the NHS Complaints Procedure: Patients Focus and Public Involvement- A draft for consultation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Responses to the consultation paper are currently being analysed by Scottish Health Feedback, an independent research organisation, and are due to be published later this month. Once this has been published, I will provide a considered response to these concl…
26 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in respect of self-funding care home residents who are not entitled to attendance allowance in addition to free personal care, given that residents in their own homes are entitled to it.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1187. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">h…
26 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government about the estimated loss of #20 million attendance allowance to self-funding care home residents in Scotland since the introduction of free personal care in 2002.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1187. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">h…
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out a revaluation of the current council tax bands.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The earliest that a council tax revaluation might be considered practical, given the non-domestic revaluation cycle, would be 2007 or 2008.<P>We have announced, as part of the Partnership Agreement, that following consultation with COSLA, we will establish an…
20 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce measures to reduce the financial impact of the council tax on pensioner households, given that increases in council tax over the last 10 years have been greater than the rate of inflation.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Pensioners who have difficulty paying their council tax bills can apply for Council Tax Benefit. It is estimated that more than 50% of pensioner households are in receipt of Council Tax Benefit. Responsibility for Council Tax Benefit rests with the Department…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many care home residents there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1995 whose care has been arranged and part, or fully, funded by the local authority.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The figures requested are shown separately for residential care homes and nursing homes in the following tables:<P>Table 1: Number of Residents in Residential Care Homes for Older People Supported in Part or Fully by the Local Authority<P>by the Local Authori…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of each local authority's expenditure in the social work sector has been consumed by services for elderly people in each year since 1995.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in the following table.<P>Revenue Net Expenditure on Older Persons as a Percentage of Social Work Total Net Expenditure by Local Authority: Years Ending 1996 to 2002.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=576><TR><T…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the overall cost of care arranged by each local authority in care homes has been in each year since 1995.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally.
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has paid in care home fees in each year since 1995.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally.
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will set up a national transport authority and how it intends such a body to operate.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will consult on proposals for a strategic transport authority during the summer.
16 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public transport services there are for senior citi'ens and what proposals it has to introduce a national travel concessionary scheme for senior citi'ens.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Senior citizens have access to the full range of public transport services available in Scotland. Local authorities have powers under the Transport Act 1985 to provide concessions for those over the age of 60 on any form of public passenger transport service,…
4 Jun 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the highest standard of care is provided to elderly people residing in all care homes.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Since the first of April last year, the Care Commission has been responsible for the regulation of care services, including care homes, throughout Scotland. In carrying out its regulatory role, the commission must take into account National Care Standards pub…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior citi'ens have applied under its central heating installation programme since the programme's inception; how many senior citi'ens have had central heating installed under the programme, and how many of these have had to pay for all, or part, of the installation.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Since the programme began, 21,188 households have applied for central heating. Fifteen thousand, two hundred and forty-five of these applications have been found to be eligible and of these 10,321 households had central heating installed by 31 May 2003. This …
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review its central heating installation programme
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The programme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to deliver benefits to elderly people and address fuel poverty. In September 2002, the Scottish Executive announced that the programme would be extended from April 2004 to offer 4,000 very elderly…
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of its Older People's Consultative Forum; who the members of the forum are; how often the forum meets; when the forum last met, and what matters were discussed.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is published on the Scottish Executive website at <A HREF="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/olderpeople">www.scotland.gov.uk/olderpeople</A>.
27 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of its Older People's Unit; who the members of the unit are; how often the unit meets; when the unit last met, and what matters were discussed.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Older People's Unit is a team of three civil servants based in the Health Department of the Scottish Executive. Further information on the unit's role can be found on the Scottish Executive website at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/HD/OPU/00…
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many residents of private and voluntary sector care homes have funded their care by means of selling their homes in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally. However, numbers will have reduced since the introduction in July 2002 of free personal and nursing care, and new rules that allow residents to request a deferred payment agreement with their local authority, t…