- 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, further to the answer to question S1W-7091 by Susan Deacon on 8 September 2000, whether the occupational health and safety minimum datasets have been issued and when the information to be collected will be made available to the Parliament.
Answer
The occupational health and safety minimum dataset is expected to be published to the NHS in Scotland shortly. When published, a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Library and on the "Scotland Health on the Web (SHOW)" site. The first set of information collected is expected to be available in late summer 2001.
- 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, further to the answer to question S1W-7091 by Susan Deacon on 8 September 2000, how many accident and emergency ambulance crew left the ambulance service in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98, (iv) 1998-99, (v) 1999-2000 and (vi) 2000 to date because of (a) ill health, (b) early retirement and (c) transfer to non-emergency service duties, expressed in numbers and as a percentage of the total number of accident and emergency ambulance staff.
Answer
The information requested is not available centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service however may hold the data locally and you may therefore wish to write to Mr Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, National Headquarters, Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5UU with your request.
- 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 Sam Galbraith on 19 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11098 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 23 November 2000, whether it will appoint and fund a water safety officer, similar to the post that already exists in England, with the remit of preventing drowning and other accidents.
Answer
Question S1W-11098 was answered in the belief that it referred to the regulation of drinking water quality, which is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. Prevention of drowning and other accidents is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.
- 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 14 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the level of personal debt.
Answer
Tackling debt is a key element of the Scottish Executive's Social Justice agenda and we have been working in partnership with a wide range of organisations to improve the financial services available to people on low incomes. Measures being developed or under consideration include:- Arrangements to provide free, high quality money advice for all who need it;- Encouragement of the provision and use of basic bank accounts;- Delivering wider access to low cost credit through the development of credit unions;- Provision of low cost insurance with rent schemes.The Executive is also providing active support to moves by the Department of Trade and Industry to improve lending practices of credit providers and transparency of information provided to consumers.
- 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 Angus MacKay on 12 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10485 by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2000, which response to the consultation suggested full implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Long Term Care for the Elderly and which Elderly Forum the answer is referring to.
Answer
The response was from a member of the public. Representatives of local Elderly Forums were present at awaydays in Dumfries, Gourock and Aberdeen. The specific point on the Royal Commission was made by the representative in Dumfries.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse an individual has in terms of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 sections 1, 12, 12A and 13A if a local authority delays providing permanent care in a nursing home once that individual has been assessed as requiring such care.
Answer
If an individual believes that a council is not meeting any of its obligations adequately, he or she can pursue the matter through the local authority's complaints procedure with the council's Monitoring Officer or the Local Government Ombudsman, or ultimately through the courts if he or she believes that the council is not meeting its statutory obligations.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 11 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8813 by Susan Deacon on 14 September 2000, how the remainder of #135 million end of year balance was applied to Executive-wide, health-related projects; what these projects were and what funding was allocated to each.
Answer
Of the £135 million carried forward under the end year flexibility arrangements from 1999-2000, £101 million has been allocated to health boards and Trusts or has been earmarked to meet slippage in the capital programme. As announced by the Deputy First Minister on 3 July, the remaining £34 million, which was the health budget's contribution to the Scottish Executive contingency reserve, was guaranteed by the Cabinet to be used for health-related spending. Of this £34 million, we have already announced £10 million for local authorities to help reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospitals into the community; £4.5 million will be used to address the health-related needs of rough sleepers and, as I announced on 5 October, a further £5 million will be used to buy more aids and adaptations to help the elderly to live at home in the community. The remaining £14.5 million will also be used to improve care for elderly people.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be its practice to publish any directions and guidance which it will issue to the Strategic Rail Authority and place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 11 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10882 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 November 2000, whether it has obtained assurances that jobs at Burtons Biscuits are secure given the intention of Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst to rationalise production across various sites and what its understanding is of the term "rationalise" in this particular context.
Answer
The Scottish Executive understands that the company is continuing to consider its future business strategy following the takeover.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 6 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used in awarding flood prevention grants to local authorities.
Answer
To be eligible for grant, flood prevention schemes must first be confirmed by Scottish Ministers under the provisions of the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. In addition, councils must demonstrate value for money by submitting an investment appraisal in which costs should not exceed benefits.