- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any impact of funding cuts by Scottish Borders Council, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, on voluntary organisations that provide essential services throughout the council area and what action it plans to take in respect of such cuts.
Answer
The funding of voluntary organisations by local authorities is a matter for individual local authorities to decide in light of local circumstances and priorities. However, the Executive has made a generous local authority settlement this year and our notification of indicative three-year funding should enable local authorities to plan their funding of local groups.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned closures of swimming pools in Jedburgh, Eyemouth and Selkirk following recently announced cuts by Scottish Borders Council, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and what measures it will take to prevent these closures.
Answer
It is entirely a matter for each local authority to establish its expenditure priorities within the budget available to it. It would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in the individual spending decisions of a council.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned withdrawal of core funding for the Gala Youth Project, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and, in light of the number of young people in difficulty supported by the project, the support for the project of educationalists and the police and the possible closure of the project on 31 March 2002, what action it will take on the matter.
Answer
It is for each council to establish its expenditure priorities within unhypothecated resources available to it. It would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in such circumstances.However, I am aware that Gala Youth Project was part of the bid put forward by Scottish Borders for resources allocated to drugs projects under the Changing Children's Services Fund. We understand that the full funding allocated by the Executive for the first year has been passed on to the Gala Youth Project. Officials will be seeking clarification from the council on the use of the resources to be allocated in years two and three of the project.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds for young people with mental health problems are currently available, broken down by NHS and health board areas.
Answer
Information on the number of available staffed beds for child and adolescent psychiatry is shown in the following tables. Table 1 provides numbers by NHS board of treatment and Table 2 provides numbers by NHS trust. Table 1NHS Average Available staffed beds
1 by NHS board area of treatment
Selected psychiatric specialties
| Child Psychiatry Quarter ending 30 September 2001P | Adolescent Psychiatry Quarter ending 30 September 2001P |
Scotland | 15 | 43 |
Fife | - | 10 |
Greater Glasgow | 9 | 14 |
Highland | 2 | - |
Lothian | - | 12 |
Tayside | 4 | 7 |
P Provisional.Note:1. Includes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.Table 2NHS Average Available staffed beds
1 by NHS trustSelected psychiatric specialties
| Child Psychiatry Quarter ending 30 September 2001 P | Adolescent Psychiatry Quarter ending 30 September 2001 P |
All trusts | 15 | 43 |
Fife Primary Care | - | 10 |
Greater Glasgow Primary Care | - | 14 |
Highland Acute Hospitals | 2 | - |
Lothian Primary Care | - | 12 |
Tayside Primary Care | 4 | 7 |
Yorkhill (Glasgow) | 9 | - |
P Provisional.Notes:1. Includes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds the Young People's Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital has; how many of these are currently available; what criteria are used in allocating the beds, and how the beds are currently allocated, broken down by each parliamentary constituency within the area covered by the unit.
Answer
As at 28 January 2002, there were 12 beds in the Young People's Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Of these, nine are currently occupied (five by patients from NHS Lothian's area, three from NHS Forth Valley and one from NHS Borders). The beds are allocated on the basis of clinical need and priority. Funding for the unit is contributed on the basis of NHS Lothian having access to six beds, and NHS Forth Valley and NHS Borders having access to two beds each. The additional two beds are for the use of all Scottish NHS Boards, and give added flexibility to meet need.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for positions in the Young People's unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital there currently are, broken down by post.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Information on vacancies for consultant and staff grade posts is collected at board and trust level only.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people are currently on the waiting list for the Young People's Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Answer
There are 88 young people currently on the Young People's Unit waiting list.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns regarding the provision of public services in the Scottish Borders.
Answer
Public Services in the Scottish Borders are subject to scrutiny throughinspection and audit and other performance review mechanisms. The Executive has not been invited to date to take any actions with regard to any public service failures but will consider any recommendations it receives as a result of statutory review processes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education will make an assessment into the impact of the cuts made on the provision of education in the Scottish Borders by the Scottish Borders Council.
Answer
It is a matter for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to determine the timing of inspections, including the inspection of the education functions of local councils. HMIE notified Scottish Borders Council on 28 January that it would be conducting an inspection of the education functions of the council. The main inspection activity will take place between late March and early May, with a report of the findings to be published in June 2002.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE 4012/2001 of 19 September 2001, (a) how much of the #101.9 million end-year flexibility award for education has been allocated, (b) to whom or to what organisations or projects it has been allocated and (c) whether local authorities may apply for funding from the award and, if so, (i) how they should do so and (ii) whether there are or have been any time limits on making such applications.
Answer
All of this funding has now been allocated. A significant proportion of EYF funding comprised a managed underspend to be set against the additional costs to local authorities arising from the teachers' pay and conditions settlement. Substantial additional resources have also been allocated to schools for use directly at school level. Funding has also been made available to authorities for increasing the number of three-year-olds in pre-school education, provision of Pupil Support Bases and ICT associated initiatives. Further EYF funding has been allocated to Social Justice projects aimed at improving the education of looked after children.Where resources have been allocated through specific grant mechanisms requiring application by education authorities, this process has been completed and all local authorities have received their appropriate allocation.
