- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the number of needles and syringes available for distribution for intravenous drug users, given that one million needles were distributed in Greater Glasgow last year where an estimated seven to 12 million were needed, as referred to in Issue 172 of the Scottish Drugs Forum Bulletin.
Answer
In December 2002, weinformed drugs services that the Lord Advocate had set new limits on thenumber of needles and syringes which could be issued to clients attendingneedle exchanges. The limits were increased to a maximum of 20 sets on firstvisit, and a maximum of 60 sets on subsequent visits, subject to return of usedsets for safe disposal.
It is for local services topurchase and distribute this equipment, based on local priorities and demand. Allocationsof injecting equipment to individual clients will depend on the needs andcircumstances in each case. The answer given to question S2W-6704 on 16 March 2004describes the resources made available from the Executive which can be used tosupport local needle exchange facilities.
All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what percentage of pregnant women currently receive their first trimester scan within the recommended deadline of 13 weeks, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what steps will be taken to commission ethically approved research (a) into the effectiveness of nuchal translucency measurement for detecting structural abnormalities in foetuses, (b) to evaluate whether soft markers and other markers which may be associated with aneuploidy can be used in combination with results of other screening tests to assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and (c) to determine the most appropriate content and format of information on risks and benefits of scans and the most effective process for giving this information to pregnant women.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is provided with advice from the National Screening Committee (NSC) onthe introduction of new population screening programmes, the modification orwithdrawal of existing programmes and the quality and management of suchprogrammes.
The Antenatal screening sub groupof the NSC has been fully informed about this Report and will be consideringthe findings to help inform discussions around the advice the committee mayoffer to the 4 UK health departments. As part of their considerationsthe NSC will look at the research aspects mentioned. If they consider furtherresearch is required NSC will take forward the commissioning of research.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2941 by Tavish Scott on 9 October 2003 and to section 4, page 46 of A Partnership for a Better Scotland regarding an independent review of local government finance, whether the discussions with COSLA have been concluded; if so, what the timing, remit and format of the review will be and when the conclusions will be published, and, if not, when such discussions will be concluded.
Answer
We are working with COSLA onthis and giving further consideration to the detailed scope and remit of thereview, including when the review should report its conclusions. I expect toannounce more details in the near future.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a triennial review of the Forestry Commission and, if so, when the review will commence, what the membership of the review panel will be and what the structure of the review will be.
Answer
The Forestry Commission is across border public authority, and is not subject to triennial review.
Forestry CommissionScotland, which serves as the Executive’s forestry department, was set upfollowing the recommendations of the forestry devolution review on 1 April 2003. Atthe same time Forest Enterprise, which was originally set up as an Executive agencyon 1 April 1996 with a Great Britain remit, was trisected on 1 April 2003 to createseparate agencies in Scotland, England and Wales.
Following a review of theappropriate status for Forest Enterprise in Scotland, Ministers decided thatcontinuation as an Executive agency of Forestry Commission Scotland was themost appropriate course of action. A draft framework document will shortly besubmitted to ministers.
The framework document willbe reviewed by the national committee no later than 31 March 2007.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it shares the concerns of the Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe that doctors from Europe's 10 accession countries will no longer have to pass an English test in order to be registered to work in the UK from 1 May 2004, whereas doctors from America, New Zealand and Australia will still be tested and, if so, what measures it will take to ensure all registered doctors are language competent.
Answer
Doctors who are European economicarea nationals do not have to undertake an English language competency test inorder to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). The law does notcurrently permit this. However, the NHS must ensure that all doctors theyemploy have the necessary knowledge of English to carry out their duties safelyand may require a doctor to undertake a language assessment as part of therecruitment process, regardless of which country they come from.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that NHS boards assign responsibility to an executive board member to help ensure that medical equipment is available to deliver care in line with national strategies and clinical practice, as referred to in recommendation 1 of Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6519 on 11 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is, or will be, taking to give strategic management of medical equipment a higher priority at local and national levels, as referred to in Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment.
Answer
All NHS boards will be askedto respond to the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report and detail howthey will address these recommendations. The Health Department will monitorsuch action plans on a regular basis.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report by the Mental Welfare Commission on the Miss X case will be published.
Answer
The MentalWelfare Commission does not propose to publish a report on the Miss X case. Avery brief anonymised summary of the case, with the Commission’s findings andits recommendations, will be available on its website next month.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S2W-5141 by Peter Peacock on February 2004 and the point of order by Euan Robson on 13 November 2003 (Official Report, c 3234), whether the full report, with its recommendations, was not sent to Scottish Borders Council a week after 13 November 2003 as stated by Euan Robson and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The full report, includinganalysis and conclusions, was sent to Scottish Borders Council the weekfollowing 13 November 2003. The council provided the Social Work ServicesInspectorate with written comments on 24 December 2003. These comments are being taken into account in the finalisation of thereport. No date has been set for publication.
