- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what the percentage take-up of the flu vaccine is to date in the target groups and (b) how long before exposure to the flu virus people should be vaccinated for the vaccination to be effective.
Answer
701 (66.5%) of all general practices in Scotland have so far responded to requests for influenza immunisation uptake data for the 65-year-old and over at risk group up to the end of November. From the responses received, 62% (365,526) of the total number of patients aged 65 and over within those practices which responded (589,717) had received the vaccine. On the basis of these figures, the Scotland-wide target of 60% uptake has been achieved.
Influenza immunisation is also recommended for patients under 65 years of age with chronic illnesses that put them at higher risk of serious illness from influenza. There are no reliable statistics for the size of this group and uptake data are not available.
For NHS and social care staff, Trusts and boards have been asked to provide figures on uptake in due course.
Influenza vaccine should be administered at least 10-14 days prior to exposure if maximum protection is to be achieved.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8830 by Sarah Boyack on 11 December 2000, how MSPs will be notified when its directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will formally notify the Scottish Parliament of the publication of its directions and guidance in the usual manner. At the same time a copy of the directions and guidance will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why the roster agreed and accepted by the Governor of Peterhead prison, within the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidelines of achieving 5-10% staff savings, has been rejected by the SPS.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
No final decisions have yet been decided by the SPS on new attendance patterns in respect of any SPS establishments.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether at a recent meeting of Governors-in-Charge a vote of no confidence in the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, Mr Tony Cameron, was taken and, if so, what the result was.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
No.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly people in hospital or at home who had been assessed for nursing/residential care died before securing a placement, in each local authority area, in the years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made, or will make, representations to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority regarding the reinstatement of the rail line from Edinburgh to Carlisle in the context of any assessment it has made on how the line's reinstatement would fit into the overall expansion of the rail network, both for passenger rail use and freight, as set out by the Deputy Prime Minister in July 2000.
Answer
On 28 November the Scottish Executive published its consultation paper on the strategic priorities for Scotland's railways as part of the process of developing directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority on the franchise for passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland. During this process we will give consideration to a wide range of issues, including proposals for additions to the passenger rail network such as the reinstatement of the Borders railway.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10632 by Sarah Boyack on 8 November 2000 and to motion S1M-922 agreed by the Parliament on 1 June 2000, whether it is making or has made any representations to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority regarding funding for full reinstatement of the line between Edinburgh and Carlisle.
Answer
On 10 November I announced an award of £1.865 million to the Scottish Borders Council under the third round of the Public Transport Fund for the cost of securing the necessary permissions for reinstating the railway between Edinburgh and the Central Borders.
On 28 November, the Scottish Executive launched its consultation paper on the strategic priorities for Scotland's railways as part of the process of developing directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority on the franchise for passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland. During this process we will give consideration to a wide range of issues, including proposals for additions to the passenger rail network such as the reinstatement of the Borders railway.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10385 by Sarah Boyack on 1 November 2000, whether instructions were given that actual comparative environmental costing of transporting timber by road and by rail be drawn up as part of the Borders Railway Feasibility Study and, if so, whether it will detail the actual costings on the basis of which the conclusion was reached that the impact of the Borders railway would be to make it environmentally more acceptable to extract timber from the Kielder Forest.
Answer
An extensive analysis of the environmental impacts of transporting timber by rail from the Keilder Forest can be found in Volume 3, Parts 5 & 6 of the Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the absence of central heating in a pensioner household is the only criterion used to estimate that 70,000 pensioner households will benefit from its proposed central heating scheme or whether other criteria are used to arrive at this figure and, if so, what the criteria are.
Answer
The estimate that 70,000 pensioner households will benefit from the central heating initiative was based solely on the number of such households who do not have central heating.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care will respond to my letter of 16 May 2000 regarding the retirement age of Scottish Ambulance Service staff.
Answer
I replied to the member's letter on 30 June 2000. I have arranged for a further copy to be sent to you.
