- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recommendations from the Health for All Children 4: Guidance on Implementation in Scotland report have been implemented in all NHS board areas.
Answer
We are aware of variations in the implementation of certain aspects of Health for all Children across NHS board areas. However, the Scottish Government is currently working with NHS boards through the Hall 4 Implementation Network to address the variation. We hope to issue further advice on aspects of Hall 4 to boards in late 2009.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to have an orthoptist pre-school screening programme in every NHS board area.
Answer
A date has not been specified. The NHS boards who have not yet introduced an orthoptist pre-school screening programme are working towards doing so, or towards introducing a programme supervised by an orthoptist or an optometrist.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive , in light of the review of direct payments by Orkney Islands Council, what mechanisms are available to ensure that payments will continue for eligible applicants as required under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer
Officials have been advised by Orkney Islands Council that the review has resulted in there being no waiting list and in direct payments being offered to all eligible clients. Any such applications will be subject to the usual care management processes of assessment and regular review.
At national level, the intention is to visit each local authority to hear at first hand how direct payments policy is being developed locally and Orkney has agreed to participate.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects a veterinary manager to be recruited at the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government.
Due to the specialist nature of this post, in a remote part of Scotland, recruitment of a suitably trained and experienced veterinary surgeon is difficult. Recognising this challenge SAC moved rapidly to secure the services of two local veterinary practitioners who have been contracted to provide an uninterrupted service. An agreement has been reached with the local veterinary practice, DS McGregor and Partners, to ensure that appropriately trained vets will continue to provide a post mortem service from SAC''s existing Janetstown premises. Laboratory samples will also be sent to Thurso from other parts of Scotland to supplement this work.
Veterinary officials are satisfied that these arrangements will meet the requirements of the Scottish Government''s surveillance programme and they will continue to monitor the situation.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to enhance the services at the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operation matters should be directed to them.
The Scottish Government currently provides SAC with £4.3 million per annum to provide a veterinary surveillance programme. We have no plans to alter this programme.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what services it anticipates will be available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen (c), Perth and (d) Inverness in 2009-10.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operational matters should be directed to them.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment that the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre will remain open in its current form on a long-term basis.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. SAC have been reviewing the structure of their veterinary laboratories and operational decisions are for them.
Following the untimely death of the veterinary manager Dr Sandy Clark, SAC moved rapidly to secure the services of two local veterinary practitioners who have been contracted to provide an uninterrupted service. An agreement has been reached with the local veterinary practice, DS McGregor and Partners, to ensure that appropriately trained vets will continue to provide a post mortem service from SAC''s existing Janetstown premises. Laboratory samples will also be sent to Thurso from other parts of Scotland to supplement this work.
Veterinary officials are satisfied that these arrangements will meet the requirements of the Scottish Government''s surveillance programme and they will continue to monitor the situation.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what services were available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Perth and (d) Inverness in 2008-09.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operational matters should be directed to them.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 21 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Housing Association Grant can be used to fund renewables when no other government funding is available.
Answer
Housing Association Grant can be used to fund renewables in registered social landlord (RSL) projects which meet our published grant benchmarks or other published value for money criteria such as the New Indicatives Cost System.
Otherwise we will expect RSLs to obtain additional funding contributions from partners, principally the Energy Saving Trust, who specialise in the energy efficiency sector and support innovative energy-saving approaches or technologies with grant schemes to complement investment in housing.
Guidance on the New Indicative Costs System and HAG Subsidy Target Benchmark can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/guidancenotes/nic.
http://www.scotland.gsi.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/guidancenotes/hign0903.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what happens to any surplus in the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme budget at the end of a financial year after all outstanding claims have been processed.
Answer
LFASS expenditure in any one year is a function of fixed payments rates and levels of demand in a constant eligible area. The indicative LFASS budget is £61 million a year, and is part of the overall Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) budget. Any variance between LFASS spend and its indicative budget results in correspondingly more or less funds being available for the rest of the SRDP.
