- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any drop in tourist income and, if so, what the drop was, expressed as a figure and as a percentage, in (a) Scotland and (b) each tourist board area between (i) 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and (ii) the equivalent period in 2000-01 and 2001-02 to date.
Answer
The information requested in respect of Scotland will be available shortly. The information requested with regard to Area Tourist Board areas is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether 50 inmates at Glenochil Young Offenders Institution have been decanted to the young offenders institutions at Dumfries and Polmont due to staff shortages as a result of the new staff attendance system and, if so, what action it plans to take, and when, to address this situation.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:A number of young offenders were relocated not as a result of the new staff attendance system, whose effects are beneficial, but as part of the normal operational management of SPS to free up staff for deployment elsewhere.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms at current prices of providing general practitioner services to prisons in (i) 1998-99, (ii) 1999-2000 and (iii) 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:On account of the variety of arrangements in place prior to 2000-01 exact costs are not available. Annual costs are estimated to have been about £1.3 million.In November 2000, a single contract was awarded for the provision of medical services to SPS, the costs of which are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general practitioners provided a medical service in each prison in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:Prior to November 2000 medical services were provided through a variety of contractual arrangements. The number of GPs was variable and not recorded. Since November 2000 medical services have been provided under contract to provide a specified service.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of social work services was to the Scottish Prison Service in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) to date in the current financial year in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms at current prices.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The cost to SPS of Social Work services was:
| (i) | (ii) |
(a) | £1.9 million | £2.0 million |
(b) | £2.0 million | £2.1 million |
(c) | £2.1 million | £2.1 million |
(d) | Figures not available |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what waiting time targets it has set for paediatric hearing assessments.
Answer
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change sets out the Executive's commitment to ensuring that the patient's journey through the NHS is as swift and responsive as possible, and includes a number of waiting times targets in the priority areas of cancer and coronary heart disease. Although the Scottish Executive has no present plans to set national waiting times targets for paediatric hearing assessments, reducing waiting is a key priority for NHS Boards and they are currently developing local waiting time standards to reflect local clinical priorities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14769 by Susan Deacon on 17 April 2001, what the membership of the working group on the review of audiology services is; what the scope of this review is, and when the working group will report and to whom.
Answer
The membership of the Audiology Services Working Group is as follows:
Mr Gordon McHardy Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | Dr Jackie Grigor Audiology Department Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh |
Mr Forbes Lauder Senior Chief PMT Audiology Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley | Dr John Irwin Consultant Audiological Physician Ninewells Hospital, Dundee |
Mrs Christine G De Placido Senior Chief PMT Audiology Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy | Mr John Crowther Consultant ENT Surgeon The Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow |
Professor Stuart Gatehouse MRC Institute of Hearing Research Royal Infirmary, Glasgow | Dr Sheila Beck Public Health Project Manager Public Health Institute of Scotland, Glasgow |
Ms Moira Milligan Scottish Healthcare Supplies, Edinburgh | Mr Stuart Smith, Director RNID Scotland |
Mr Bob Stock, Chairman Scottish Executive | Dr David Breen Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board |
Dr Peter Craig Chief Scientist Office Scottish Executive | Miss Susan Scott Occupational Therapy Adviser Scottish Executive |
Mrs Anne McQueen Hearing aid user, Dundee | |
The adequacy of services will be judged in relation to a wide range of factors including staffing; structure of the service; population served; waiting times; clinic facilities; equipment; liaison with other agencies, and the knock-on demands of screening initiatives.The working group is due to report to the Scottish Executive in the autumn 2002.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it currently provides for hearing assessments and services to health boards where there is a higher than national average number of people aged over 60.
Answer
The Executive is providing substantial additional resources to NHSScotland. The allocations given to NHS Boards increased on average by 5.5% in 2001-02 and individual allocations show an increase on average by 6.9% and 7.8% in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The formula used to determine funding takes account of, amongst other factors, the influence of age on the relative healthcare needs of each NHS Board's population.However, it is for NHS Boards to decide how to deploy funds on the basis of their assessment of local needs and priorities for investment. In determining local priorities, NHS Boards take account of national priorities and guidance.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the efficacy of the Direct Access System for hearing aid provision assessments.
Answer
There are currently no arrangements for the formal monitoring by the Executive of the Direct Access System. However, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20636. The answer outlines the scope of the wide ranging review of audiology services currently under way which will include review of the referral systems.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S1W-8880, S1W-8892 and S1W-8893 by Henry McLeish on 16 August 2000, how much public money has been expended to date on refurbishment, training and other support in respect of the proposed call centre at Claridge Mill, Selkirk.
Answer
The Scottish Enterprise Borders Annual Report 2000 states that £670,000 has been spent on the refurbishment and training costs at Claridge Mill, Selkirk.Since then, Scottish Enterprise Borders has assisted the company to recruit and train individuals who have been affected by large redundancies by providing training for three individuals, up to a total cost of £7,020. Scottish Enterprise Borders has also contributed 50% funding for training, assessing and testing 11 of the call centre employees who are currently working to acquire their European Computer Driving Licence, at a cost of £3,000.