- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many claimants who are currently receiving funds from the Independent Living Fund also pay part of their own care costs; what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of claimants receiving funds from the fund in Scotland, and what the total amount of care costs contributed by such claimants is.
Answer
The Independent Living Fund is funded by DSS and data relating to this matter is not held by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take arising from the recent failure to maintain power supplies in the Scottish Borders area due to adverse weather conditions.
Answer
As is standard in the aftermath of any such event, emergency plans will be reviewed to discover if there are any lessons to be learned.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what emergency powers it had and which of these it invoked with regard to reopening the A7 and A68 which were closed for four days due to snow blockage.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not need emergency powers to reopen roads previously closed by snow blockages. Roads are reopened in consultation with the police when it is considered safe to do so.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what emergency powers it has and which of these it invoked in the recent power cuts in the Scottish Borders area due to adverse weather conditions.
Answer
Throughout the emergency, the Executive worked closely with agencies such as Lothians and Borders Police, the Scottish Borders Council emergency planning team and Scottish Power in the areas worst affected to restore power as soon as possible. We will consider carefully the lessons and whether we need to conduct a review of the arrangements used. Responses to emergencies of this type are led locally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to look at the emergency planning procedures used in other European countries and, in particular, the procedures used in Scandinavian countries in relation to maintaining power supplies during adverse weather conditions.
Answer
Emergency planning across Europe and elsewhere reflects the particular threats, risks, hazards and possibility of occurrence relative to the country in question. We already have excellent emergency planning liaison with our European neighbours, including Sweden in particular, exchanging experience and expertise with them. Ownership of the electricity grid in Scotland lies in the hands of the electricity companies. Consideration of the procedures adopted in other countries for maintaining power supplies in adverse weather is clearly a matter for these utilities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it plans to make to Scottish Power arising from the recent failure to maintain power supplies in the Scottish Borders area due to adverse weather conditions.
Answer
None. Throughout the emergency, Scottish Power kept Ministers fully informed about its strenuous efforts to reconnect customers who had lost power as a result of the recent appalling weather conditions which caused such severe damage to the electricity network in the Borders. The company has announced its intention to deal sympathetically with compensation claims from customers who were badly affected.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what difference de-trunking the A7 and A68 has made to snow clearing operations.
Answer
The A7 in Scotland north of Galashiels was de-trunked in 1996. The A7 south of Galashiels and the A68 have not been detrunked.Trunk roads are given priority for winter maintenance treatment. The de-trunked section of the A7 may therefore be expected to receive slightly lower priority than the trunked section.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8790 by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2000, what response it has had from the Child Health Sub-Group of the National Screening Committee regarding the letter from W J McKenna, Professor of Cardiac Medicine at St George's Hospital Medical School, London regarding the likely incidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Answer
The points made by Professor McKenna regarding the likely incidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will be amongst the information considered by the Child Health Sub-Group of the National Screening Committee in their regular review of their advice on this topic. We have not been made aware of any decision to change current advice.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12430 by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 January 2001, what specific arrangements are planned to ensure high quality care and protection for care home residents in the context of the surreptitious administration of drugs.
Answer
The planned Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care will take responsibility for the registration and inspection of all care services, including those provided in care homes. All care services will have to meet new national care standards which will cover issues like the administration of medication.Care homes will also be required to maintain records and documents setting out the procedures for risk assessment, for issue of medication and all essential care tasks so that staff know what is required of them. This will result in better protection and a higher quality of care for all vulnerable people in care homes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet the costs of criminal records checks for people "working regularly with vulnerable adults in the voluntary sector" once a definition has been agreed.
Answer
I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-13308.
