- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is normal practice for NHS boards, following recommendations by the Health Technology Board for Scotland that a new drug should be prescribed, to receive additional funding to ensure that the drug can be made available.
Answer
NHS boards are given a unified budget to enable them to meet the health care needs of their resident populations. It is for each individual NHS board to decide the level of funding to allocate to meet the costs of prescribed drugs.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards in Scotland currently prescribe the anti-TNF drugs etanercept and infliximab and when any such boards started prescribing these drugs.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Etanercept and infliximab are available on NHS prescription. However, their use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not held centrally. Centrally collected data relates to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) has recently recommended etanercept and infliximab for use in certain circumstances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. NHSScotland is expected to take account of advice and evidence from the HTBS and ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to NHS boards about prescribing new drugs that have been endorsed by the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer
NHS boards should ensure that drugs or treatments recommended by the Health Technology Board for Scotland are made available to meet clinical need.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been given to each NHS board to take account of the costs of prescribing drugs in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.
Answer
NHS boards are given a unified budget to enable them to meet the health care needs of their resident populations. It is for each individual NHS board to decide the level of funding to allocate to meet the costs of prescribed drugs.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 11 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action Historic Scotland will take if Castle Tioram's physical structure deteriorates to a point where public access is denied for reasons of safety.
Answer
Castle Tioram was closed to the public following the issuing of a Dangerous Building Notice by the Highland Council in 1998. The notice was issued following engineering reports from the owners regarding the dangerous condition of the building. The castle remains closed to the public. The maintenance of the castle is the responsibility of the owners.In his report following the public local inquiry, the reporter found that the castle was inherently strong but concluded that without major consolidation work the risk of further collapse in five to 10 years was significant. Under section 5 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, if it appears to Scottish ministers that any works are urgently necessary for the preservation of a scheduled monument, they may enter the site of the monument and execute those works after giving the owner and the occupier notice in writing of their intention to do so. Such powers would be exercised on behalf of Scottish ministers by Historic Scotland. There are currently no plans to exercise these powers in respect of Castle Tioram.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 11 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a fundamental and insurmountable incompatibility between the restoration plans for Castle Tioram proposed by the castle's current owners and the Executive's position in respect of the recent public local inquiry into those plans.
Answer
The public local inquiry gave the opportunity for all parties to be heard and for witnesses, including Historic Scotland, to be cross-examined. The inquiry was conducted by an independent reporter who recommended to Scottish ministers that scheduled monument consent to restore the castle be refused, a recommendation that Scottish ministers accepted. He believed that consolidation was a more appropriate approach to safeguarding the castle.The applicants have lodged an appeal with the Court of Session on a point of law. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter at this time.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions representatives of Historic Scotland met representatives of Castle Tioram before the recent public inquiry.
Answer
Representatives of Historic Scotland met representatives of Castle Tioram on four occasions prior to the recent public inquiry.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations it has received about the future of Castle Tioram.
Answer
Following the decision of Scottish ministers earlier this year to accept the reporter's recommendation following a Public Local Inquiry not to grant scheduled monument consent for the restoration of Castle Tioram 66 representations have been received.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action Historic Scotland will take if the condition of Castle Tioram deteriorates to a point where its current physical form and interest is compromised.
Answer
Under section 5 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, if it appears to Scottish ministers that any works are urgently necessary for the preservation of a scheduled monument, they may enter the site of the monument and execute those works after giving the owner and the occupier notice in writing of their intention to do so. Such powers would be exercised on behalf of Scottish ministers by Historic Scotland. There are currently no plans to exercise these powers in respect of Castle Tioram.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the position of Historic Scotland is in respect of at what point any further deterioration in the condition of Castle Tioram will compromise the castle's current historic interest.
Answer
In his report following the Public Local Inquiry the reporter found that the castle was inherently strong but concluded that without major consolidation work the risk of further collapse in five to 10 years was significant. Under section 5 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, if it appears to Scottish ministers that any works are urgently necessary for the preservation of a scheduled monument, they may enter the site of the monument and execute those works after giving the owner and the occupier notice in writing of their intention to do so. Such powers would be exercised on behalf of Scottish ministers by Historic Scotland. There are currently no plans to exercise these powers in respect of Castle Tioram but Scottish ministers would like to see all erosion arrested as any decay can compromise the cultural significance of a monument.
