- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1659 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether ambulatory oxygen cylinders are now available on GP prescription and, if not, when it now anticipates such cylinders being made available on prescription.
Answer
GP prescribing of portable oxygenwill be introduced on April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designed toensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in place to meetthe needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.
In the meantime, a study is tobe undertaken to consider the possible benefit to patients of alternative or additionalmethods of supply and distribution of portable oxygen. Additionally, considerationis to be given to the possible benefits of making conservation devices availableon the NHS in Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-160 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 September 2003, how many vacancies there were for consultant (a) radiologists and (b) radiographers in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Information available fromvacancy surveys conducted by ISD Scotland in each of the last four years forwhich there is information, respectively for consultant radiologists and forradiographers, is as follows.
Table 1: Number ofConsultant Radiologist Vacancies (Headcount), as at 30 September
| | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies |
| Scotland | 217 | 18 | 224 | 19 | 223 | 20 | 235 | 25 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 13 | - | 13 | - | 15 | 2 | 15 | 2 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 11 | 1 | 12 | - | 13 | 1 | 15 | 4 |
| Borders | 5 | - | 5 | - | 5 | - | 5 | 1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 4 | 1 | 4 | - | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Fife | 12 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Forth Valley | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Grampian | 22 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 22 | - |
| Greater Glasgow | 47 | 1 | 48 | - | 50 | 2 | 57 | 5 |
| Highland | 7 | - | 7 | - | 6 | - | 11 | 2 |
| Lanarkshire | 21 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 21 | 1 |
| Lothian | 40 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 41 | 2 | 41 | 2 |
| Orkney | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shetland | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Tayside | 25 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 25 | - |
| Western Isles | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Jubilee Nat Hospital | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Source: ISD M (4), ISD Scotland.
Notes:
1. Table 1 includes honoraryappointments.
2. Comprises clinicalradiology and nuclear medicine.
3. The vacancy figuresrelate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.
Table 2: QualifiedRadiographer Vacancies (Whole Time Equivalent), as at 31 March
| | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies | Establishment | Vacancies |
| Scotland | 1,066.9 | 26.7 | 1,197.4 | 50.2 | 1,237.7 | 69.2 | 1,409.9 | 137.0 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 82.3 | 1.0 | 71.5 | 2.4 | 82.4 | 7.0 | 82.9 | 2.3 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 71.3 | 1.8 | 70.3 | 2.0 | 71.4 | 2.0 | 75.1 | 2.5 |
| Borders | 17.4 | 1.0 | 17.4 | - | 16.3 | 1.0 | 20.0 | 1.0 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 23.1 | 1.4 | 22.9 | 3.5 | 24.6 | 2.0 | 23.4 | 5.0 |
| Fife | 53.0 | 3.5 | 51.8 | 2.0 | 49.2 | 1.0 | 58.3 | 9.7 |
| Forth Valley | 46.7 | 2.0 | 45.8 | 1.0 | 48.8 | - | 52.2 | 1.0 |
| Grampian | 123.4 | 2.0 | 145.4 | 6.5 | 140.9 | 1.0 | 184.3 | 7.0 |
| Greater Glasgow | 202.2 | 5.0 | 306.0 | 18.3 | 333.2 | 31.4 | 396.0 | 65.7 |
| Highland | 29.0 | 1.0 | 48.8 | 1.5 | 46.9 | 0.7 | 56.0 | 3.6 |
| Lanarkshire | 95.6 | 2.0 | 100 | 3.0 | 105.3 | 4.0 | 114.0 | 10.5 |
| Lothian | 204.9 | 5.0 | 197.7 | - | 207.4 | 10.0 | 225.8 | 17.2 |
| Orkney | 2.3 | - | 3.4 | - | 2.6 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 1.0 |
| Shetland | 4.0 | 1.0 | 6.4 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 5.4 | 9.5 |
| Tayside | 106.0 | - | 103.2 | 8.0 | 98.1 | 6.5 | 96.4 | - |
| Western Isles | 5.8 | - | 6.8 | - | 5.8 | - | 6.7 | - |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.7 | 1.0 |
Source: ISD (M).
Notes:
1. Response rate: 2000(94%), 2001 (98%), 2002 (97%), 2003 (100%).
2. The vacancy figuresrelate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the Borders economy.
Answer
A wide range of policies arein place to promote and sustain the Borders economy and future economic development.Scottish Enterprise Borders is taking action in line with the direction and prioritiesset out in the Executive’s A Smart, Successful Scotland.The Borders Local Economic Forum allows co-ordinated delivery of local economicdevelopment activities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the business case for the Borders railway must reflect inflationary factors such as construction costs and, if so, how such costs will be calculated.
Answer
The business case should be presentedin 2002 prices. It is for Waverley Railway Partnership to propose the approach toinflation in its business case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, whether the Waverley railway partnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer
I can confirm that Waverley railwaypartnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding an application from the Waverley Route Trust in respect of its proposed research project on modification of the current railway specification to accommodate the movement of charter and freight trains and of express services taking under 50 minutes from Tweedbank to Edinburgh and a specialist technical, operational and business case study of the potential application of innovative approaches to the Borders railway.
Answer
No. We have funded the WaverleyRailway Partnership to take the project to the current stage. The specificationof the railway is a matter for the partnership to justify in its business case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, what criteria will be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer
All business cases are requiredto be compliant with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines (STAG)
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24699 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May 2002, what the role of a community warden will be and whether it will be different from that of a neighbourhood warden.
Answer
The information requested isavailable in paragraph 12, page 12, of Building strong, safe and attractivecommunities: Guidance for submissions, published in 2003, copies of which areavailable in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543)
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1576 by Ms Margaret Curran on 13 August 2003, who, in addition to the Scottish Police Federation, responded to its plans for community wardens and whether it will place a copy of any such responses in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
A comprehensive list of respondentsis given in the annex of Building strong,safe and attractive communities: summary of consultation responses, published in 2003, copies of which are available inthe Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number: 29308). Copies of individual responsesare available in full for inspection at the Scottish Executive Library.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community wardens are proposed and what funding is being allocated for them, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information requested onindicative allocations is available in Annex 3, page 25 of Building strong,safe and attractive communities: guidance for submissions, published in 2003,copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number28543). Local authorities have been asked to submit proposals that have been developedtogether with their community planning partners for how these resources will beused.
