- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage an increase in the number of alternative format books available in public libraries for people with a visual impairment.
Answer
Statutory responsibility for local libraries lies with local authorities. Each local authority is responsible for determining the level of resources allocated for the library service which they provide for the residents of their area. This includes the purchase of materials to address the needs of blind and partially sighted people.I understand that annual expenditure by local authorities on audio-visual material, such as talking books, has increased from £1.0 million to £1.6 million over the last 10 years.The Scottish Library and Information Council, which receives core funding from the Scottish Executive, issued guidance to local authorities on book selection policies two years ago and over 30% of local authorities now have a policy in place with all the other local authorities working to develop their policies. A book selection policy aims to deliver user-led services to meet the needs of communities. The policy should be based on a profile of the needs of the community, including the needs of blind and partially sighted people, and could allow for the provision of a wide range of book and non-book materials.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that housing associations will be able to recover rent arrears from tenants once tenants have signed the new Scottish Secure Tenancy.
Answer
Rent arrears management is a matter for individual housing associations and the question of recoverability of rent arrears in any case will depend very much on the facts and circumstances of that case.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to discuss Professor Arthur Midwinter's report Grant Distribution and the Mismatch Effect: An Assessment of its Impact on Councils since Reorganisation with COSLA as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Answer
I am due to meet with COSLA again in the next month to talk about the spending review and the distribution of resources for all local authorities. This will be the forum to discuss such matters.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the red kite population has been killed illegally in each of the last five years.
Answer
There are difficulties in identifying the scale of illegal killing. Data published by the RSPB suggests that about 36% of red kites may have been killed illegally since their re-introduction to Scotland in 1989.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make supplementary grants to the six local authorities identified in Professor Arthur Midwinter's report Grant Distribution and the Mismatch Effect: An Assessment of its Impact on Councils since Reorganisation in 2003-04 and in future financial years.
Answer
I am due to meet with COSLA again in the next month to talk about the spending review and the distribution of resources for all local authorities. This will be the forum to discuss such matters.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many red kites have been killed illegally in each of the last five years.
Answer
There are difficulties in identifying with certainty where illegal poisoning has taken place. The RSPB has, however, supplied the following statistics, based on information collated by them.
| 1997 | 4 (poisoned) |
| 1998 | 4 (poisoned) |
| 1999 | 1 (poisoned) |
| 2000 | 4 (poisoned) |
| 2001 | 10 (poisoned) |
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed Professor Arthur Midwinter's report Grant Distribution and the Mismatch Effect: An Assessment of its Impact on Councils since Reorganisation with COSLA and what the outcome of any such decision was.
Answer
I am due to meet with COSLA again in the next month to talk about the spending review and the distribution of resources for all local authorities. This will be the forum to discuss such matters.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support NHS boards in prescribing anti-TNF (tumour necrosis factor) for children and adults, following the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommendations, prior to the Health Technology Board for Scotland issuing its own guidance.
Answer
The Health Technology Board for Scotland's Comment on the anti-TNF drugs etanercept and infliximab issued on 17 May. The comment can be accessed on the board's website:
www.htbs.co.ukNHSScotland should take account of advice and evidence from the board and ensure that recommended drugs and treatments are made available to meet clinical need.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports NHS boards in prescribing Cox-2 in accordance with existing guidelines from the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer
The Executive welcomes the Health Technology Board for Scotland's Comment on the use of Cox II selective inhibitors. NHSScotland should take account of this advice and ensure that these treatments are made available to meet clinical need.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 5 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to meet the target level of rheumatologists per head of the population recommended by the British Society for Rheumatology.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26210.
