- 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 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.
- 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 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published.
Answer
It is expected that the consultation paper on the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published early in the New Year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its Press Release SE1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, how many three-year-olds currently have a free nursery place, broken down by education authority and also expressed as a percentage of the total number of three-year-olds in each authority.
Answer
The number of children aged three who are in receipt of funded pre-school education in the 32 local authorities in the summer term of academic year 2000-01 is shown in the following table. The table also shows the numbers expressed as the participation rate of eligible population. The equivalent information relating to academic year 2001-02 will be available by July 2002.
Spring Term 2000-01 | Three-year-olds |
Children provided with places | Participation Percentage | Eligible Children |
Aberdeen City | 1,745 | 75% | 2,320 |
Aberdeenshire | 2,293 | 100% | 2,293 |
Angus | 917 | 75% | 1,215 |
Argyll and Bute | 912 | 96% | 947 |
Clackmannanshire | 539 | 94% | 571 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 1,342 | 81% | 1,666 |
Dundee | 1,558 | 93% | 1,679 |
East Ayrshire | 1,115 | 99% | 1,121 |
East Dunbartonshire | 1,200 | 100% | 1,200 |
East Lothian | 763 | 70% | 1,092 |
East Renfrewshire | 1,003 | 91% | 1,100 |
Edinburgh City | 3,631 | 74% | 4,915 |
Eilean Sair | 218 | 97% | 225 |
Falkirk | 997 | 58% | 1,715 |
Fife | 3,297 | 82% | 4,008 |
Glasgow | 5,513 | 76% | 7,222 |
Highland | 1,926 | 77% | 2,492 |
Inverclyde | 740 | 73% | 1,010 |
Midlothian | 722 | 78% | 924 |
Moray | 963 | 100% | 963 |
North Ayrshire | 1,302 | 81% | 1,616 |
North Lanarkshire | 3,280 | 80% | 4,109 |
Orkney Islands | 190 | 81% | 234 |
Perth and Kinross | 1,036 | 100% | 1,036 |
Renfrewshire | 1,622 | 77% | 2,107 |
Scottish Borders | 948 | 85% | 1,110 |
Shetland Islands | 218 | 74% | 296 |
South Ayrshire | 972 | 82% | 1,189 |
South Lanarkshire | 2,779 | 76% | 3,665 |
Stirling | 868 | 90% | 967 |
West Dunbartonshire | 810 | 100% | 810 |
West Lothian | 1,246 | 58% | 2,131 |
Scotland | 46,665 | 80% | 57,948 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE 1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, whether Scottish Borders Council will have sufficient staff to meet the requirements of providing a free nursery place for all three-year-olds whose parents want it by April 2002.
Answer
The council have been allocated the necessary resources to meet the requirement. Not all staff involved in the delivery of funded pre-school education are employed by local authorities. Local authorities have been given the lead role in developing pre-school education services in their area and may secure places either directly or by commissioning partners in the voluntary and private sectors.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE 1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, whether it is on target to provide a free nursery place for all three-year-olds whose parents want it by April 2002.
Answer
We are currently on target to achieve this commitment. Some local authorities have already reached the necessary level of provision. Our efforts will now be focused on discussions with those authorities that may have the greatest difficulty in reaching the target.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to reduce the costs associated with early retirement due to illness in the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18887 on 12 December 2001.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to retain experienced officers in useful employment within the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
The Scottish Ambulance Service has been successful in halving ill-health early retirements over the last six years and last year only 22 staff are recorded as having retired on ill-health grounds.In the event of illness, the Scottish Ambulance Service as a matter of policy looks to retain experienced staff by moving them to light or alternative duties, where this is practical. In addition, retraining may be considered if the individual has the potential to fill a vacant post.In a national context, the Health Department is about to conduct a literature review of manual handling, particularly looking at what has been successful and works. The results will inform the best way to help reduce these injuries which are a cause of a large percentage of early retirements and loss of experienced staff to the service. Health at Work guidelines and model policies to assist NHS organisations and employees to promote a safer working environment are currently in preparation. These are expected to include guidance on rehabilitation and manual handling and be available to the service by late summer 2002.
