- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures performance in respect of the promotion of independent living for disabled people.
Answer
The public sectorduty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, which came into forcein December 2006, provides an opportunity for public bodies to focus on the needsof disabled people and develop work on independent living. The duty also provides a reporting frameworkfor progress towards disability equality with the first annual reports due in December2007. This may provide some measure of the progress being made towards independentliving.
However, the ScottishGovernment is also considering what further steps need to be taken to advance independentliving in Scotland, and how performance can be measured mosteffectively, and we will announce our plans later in the year.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the lack of explicit structures in public policy to consider independent living for disabled people is hampering efforts by it, NHS boards and local authorities to implement the ideal of independent living.
Answer
The public sectorduty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, which came into forcein December 2006, provides an opportunity for public bodies to focus on the needsof disabled people and develop work on independent living. Other recent initiativesalso support independent living such as the new national guidance on self-directedsupport, which was issued in July, and tasks local authorities with developing localinfrastructures in order to increase uptake.
However, the ScottishGovernment recognises the specific references to independent living in work carriedout by the Disability Rights Commission and by the Scottish Parliament’s Equal OpportunitiesCommittee and is currently considering what further steps need to be taken to advanceindependent living in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in the year.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop a package of national measures to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis aware of the calls for national measures to promote positive attitudes towardsdisabled people which were made in the Equal Opportunities Committee’s DisabilityInquiry Report Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities (November2006), in the Disability Working Group’s report (November 2006). These reportswill inform our consideration of what steps need to be taken to further promotedisability equality and advance independent living in Scotland and we will announceour plans later in the year.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will help to address income inequality between disabled and non-disabled people.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis committed to creating a fairer, wealthier Scotland and will work towards this end through delivery of its five strategic objectivesand overarching purpose. It will help to address income inequality between disabledand non-disabled people through the provision of a number of policies and programmes,from the promotion of disability equality to the Workforce Plus employability framework,which seeks to maximize opportunities to access good quality sustainable employmentfor the most disadvantaged in relation to the labour market, including disabledpeople.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publicise more widely the funding resources available for disabled individuals and representative groups.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis committed to equality of opportunity for disabled people and is keen to ensurethat disabled people and disability organisations receive support and informationthat meets their needs.
Wecurrently support the work of a number of national disability organisations to helpus to improve the flow of information to disabled people and disability organisations.For example, the Scottish Government funds a number of organisations to publicisethe availability of direct payments for self-directed support including UPDATE,(Scotland’s National Disability Information Service), the Scottish Personal AssistantEmployers Network (SPAEN) which provides information and support to those individualsinterested in employing personal assistants, the Scottish Consortium of Direct PaymentSupport Organisations (SCDPSO) which provides a forum for direct payments supportorganisations throughout Scotland to work together, and Contact a Family Scotlandfor a direct payments information service.
We are happy to lookat how we further improve the flow of information and will continue to explore thiswith disabled people and disability organisations.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the total funding available for the Humanitarian Health Fund.
Answer
The Humanitarian Health Fund is part of the International Development Fund. The Fund and Policy are presently under review as a conversation takes place to assess the most strategic way forward for Scotland’s investment in international development. Decisions as to the nature and totality of the funding for future grants will be made in accordance with the review outcomes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering improvements to the legislative rights of disabled people so that they receive essential services, in order to make independent living a realisable goal for them.
Answer
Some legislative rights,for example, those relating to employment and benefits, are contained in legislationreserved to Westminster.
In the Scottish context,Scottish ministers are considering what steps need to be taken to advance independentliving in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in theyear.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the resources released by the closure of the Jeanie Deans Unit in Helensburgh will be used.
Answer
The resources released from the closure of continuing care inpatient beds at the Jeannie Deans will be used to develop and enhance community care services that will improve access to local services enabling older people to stay within their homes for as long as possible. These include preventative, anticipatory and rehabilitative care; increased rapid intervention to prevent admission and support early discharge, and increased access to respite and day care.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing considered the outcome of the Social Work Inspection Agency report for Argyll and Bute Council’s social work services before arriving at her decision to close the Jeanie Deans Unit in Helensburgh and, if so, whether she is satisfied that nothing in the report indicates any concerns over resources, capacity or quality of services for older people.
Answer
I considered all available information in coming to a view on NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council’s proposals to redesign older people’s services in Helensburgh and Lomond. I am aware that the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) are carrying out a programmed performance inspection of Argyll and Bute Council and that the report is due to be published in October.
SWIA inspection reports set out clear recommended actions for local authorities and these should address any concerns that there might be regarding sustainable alternative services. However, I would stress that both NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council have committed themselves to providing the required community based services which will be enhanced by the resources released through the closure of Jeannie Deans Unit.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the announcement by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture on 23 August 2007 regarding the level of the overseas aid budget fulfils the commitment outlined in The First 100 Days of an SNP Government that the aid budget would be increased by 100% in its first budget as distinct from announcing an intention to increase the budget by 2011.
Answer
Our commitment states We will convene a meeting of Scotland''s aid agencies to ensure Scotland''s overseas aid policy meets the needs of those in greatest need of support and in our first Budget for Scotland the SNP will increase Scotland''s International Development budget by 100%. That is exactly what I announced on 23 August 2007.
