Parliamentary questions
Carolyn Leckie
686 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses were received as part of its consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill and how many of these were from parents and parents' organisations.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive received 252 formal responses to the consultation on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill. Of these responses, 55 specified they were from parents and a further 28 indicated they were received from organ…
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take once it has analysed the responses from NHS boards and local authorities to its service audit on autistic spectrum disorder.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive will use the findings to inform implementation of the priorities in the Public Health Institute of Scotland's <I>Autistic Spectrum Disorders Needs Assessment Report</I>. These are improved assessment and diagnosis, better joint working,…
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations have received funding as part of the European Year of Disabled People 2003; how much each organisation received, and for what purpose the money was allocated.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Funding for projects to mark the European Year of Disabled People was available through the grant scheme run by the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions. There were 22 successful projects in Scotland receiving £314,556. A full list is attached wit…
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be made available to any special school whose pupil numbers decrease as a result of a presumption to mainstreaming legislation, in the light of the Auditor General for Scotland report, Moving to mainstream: The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in main…
Answer · Euan Robson: The Executive has no plans to make resources available specifically to special schools whose pupil numbers decrease. I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1447 for details of resources allocated to local authorities. All answers to written pa…
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to respond to the Auditor General for Scotland report, Moving to mainstream: The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Auditor General's report contained 42 recommendations mainly for local authorities, the National Health Service and the Scottish Executive. An action plan is being drawn up to take these recommendations forward.
9 Jul 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it will make available to local authorities to comply with the presumption of mainstreaming legislation, in the light of the Auditor General for Scotland report, Moving to mainstream: The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
Answer · Euan Robson: The costs of educating children with additional support needs in mainstream schools are met mainly from local authorities' general expenditure. This includes £9 million for disability access in 2003-04, rising to £17 million from April 2004. A further £28.4 m…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-843 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003, whether all NHS trusts have produced documentary evidence to confirm compliance with the working time regulations and whether such evidence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All employers must comply with the working time regulations. The regulations require that all NHSScotland employers keep adequate records on compliance with the working time regulations.<P>Information, in accordance with the Data Protection Act may be request…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide documentary evidence that all NHS employers are compliant with the working time regulations for all NHS employees.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Documentary evidence on compliance with the working time regulations is not held by the Scottish Executive, as compliance is a function for which NHS Scotland employers are responsible.<P>NHS HDL (2003) 3, issued by the Executive to NHSScotland employers on 7…
25 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-848 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003, what funding will be required to implement the working time regulations for all NHS staff and whether all NHS boards have allocated the necessary funding.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to disaggregate the level of resource required to implement the working time regulations from the general allocation provided to NHS boards for the overall delivery of care to their patient population.<P>It is the responsibility of each NHS…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what systems are in place to monitor the working hours of NHS staff employed by an (a) NHS trust both under a primary contract and in its in-house bank and (b) agency under contract to the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All employers (including NHS trusts, NHS boards and private agencies) must comply with the working time regulations. The regulations require that all NHSScotland employers keep adequate records on compliance with the working time regulations.<P>NHS HDL (2003)…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any NHS trusts that continue to not make allowances in their staffing establishments for sickness and absence levels, as identified by the Audit Scotland report, Planning Ward Nursing - Legacy or Design?.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: General discussion on the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report was held with all trusts, and specific discussion with the two trusts who identified themselves in the questionnaire as not including an element for time out covering annual leave, study l…
18 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report, Planning Ward Nursing - Legacy or Design?.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department has made progress across the Audit Scotland recommendations on workforce planning, workload, quality of care and information for managing staffing.<P>On workforce planning: in the past year the National Workforce Unit …
18 Jun 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the EU working time directive has been implemented for all NHS workers and whether its operation is being monitored
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHSScotland employers are required to comply with the Working Time Regulations, and are required to hold documentary evidence to confirm compliance. <P>Doctors in training are currently excluded from the European Working Time Directive but will be include…
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has made available to NHS trusts to enable them to implement the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833) and what assessment it has made of any difference between such resources and the resources that trusts need in order to implement the regulations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of each NHS board to use the resources available to it through its annual allocation to meet the requirements of the Working Time Regulations.<P>In 2003-04 every NHS board received increases of between 7.4 and 8.9%
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking against any NHS trusts that are non-compliant with the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833).
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Complying with the requirements of Working Time Regulations is the responsibility of NHSScotland employers. NHS HDL (2003) 3 helps employers to fully understand the implications of the Working Time Directive and to take the necessary action to ensure they mee…
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether compensatory rest is given to all NHS staff who are entitled to it.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS HDL (2003) 3, issued to all NHSScotland Trusts on 7<SUP> </SUP>February 2003, requires all NHSScotland employers to hold documentary records on compensatory rest. The information requested is not held centrally.
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether records in respect of entitlement to compensatory rest are available from NHS trusts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS HDL (2003) 3, issued to trusts on 7<SUP> </SUP>February 2003, requires all NHSScotland employers to record staff entitlements to compensatory rest.
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS trusts have produced records to show compliance with all aspects of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833) and EU directive 93/104/EC.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS HDL (2003) 3, issued to all NHSScotland Trusts on 7 February 2003, requires all NHSScotland employers to hold documentary evidence to confirm compliance with the Working Time Regulations.
13 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS trusts are fully compliant with the Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833) and EU directive 93/104/EC.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Compliance with the Working Time Regulations is the responsibility of NHSScotland employers. NHS HDL (2003) 3 helps employers to fully understand the implications of the Working Time Directive and to take the necessary action to ensure they meet with their le…
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24363 by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 April 2002, whether the standard of consultation referred to has been met by Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust in relation to paediatric in-patient services at Monklands Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the decision to move paediatric services from Monklands Hospital to Wishaw General Hospital was taken for clinical safety reasons and was not the subject of consultation at that time. NHS Lanarkshire are aware that they must engage in full a…
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Lanarkshire NHS Board has informed it of the permanent closure of in-patient paediatric services at Monklands Hospital; if so, when, and what response it has made.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A final decision has not been taken on the future provision of paediatric services in NHS Lanarkshire.
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether paediatric in-patient services at Monklands Hospital will resume and, if so, when.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No decision has been taken on the future of paediatric in-patient services at Monklands Hospital, which is primarily a matter for NHS Lanarkshire. <P>In August 2002 Lanarkshire NHS Board announced a full strategic review to consider paediatric services across…
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to the organisational change policy in the NHS and, in particular, the no detriment and lifetime protection aspects of the agreement with the Scottish Partnership Forum.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The organisational change policy was the first document agreed within the Scottish Partnership Forum and all NHSScotland employers are obliged to implement it. The Scottish Executive Health Department is fully supportive of NHSScotland in its implementation o…
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish negotiations with professional organisations and trade unions to reach an agreement on Agenda for Change - Modernising the NHS Pay System.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has been fully involved in the UK-wide negotiations on <I>Agenda for Change</I> undertaken over the last three years. These have already resulted in an agreement with professional organisations and trade unions to put the <I>Agenda for …
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish fully devolved collective bargaining machinery in the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. We will continue to undertake collective bargaining within a UK framework.
14 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund the introduction of defibrillators in every large public venue such as shopping centres.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We will continue to keep under review the evidence of the benefits of siting automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in large public venues. This need not prevent cardiac services networks from considering the merits of deploying defibrillators in public pla…