- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any policy has been developed across all police forces for addressing racist attacks and abuse aimed at the growing refugee population.
Answer
All forces currently have in place Race Relations Policies designed to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of the people and communities they serve, including refugees and asylum seekers. Moreover, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) published
A Racial Diversity Guidance Manual on 1 August for Scottish police forces to use in the fight against all forms of racism. This guidance manual complements the ACPOS Racial Diversity Strategy and sets out broad principles for the police to tackle racism, including instructions for officers on reporting, recording and investigating racist crime.
I am arranging for copies of both documents to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what training the police have undergone in preparation for the dispersal of asylum seekers.
Answer
Nationally, the Scottish Police College provides Equal Opportunities training for all new recruits, serving officers and support staff. The topics covered include Racism Awareness, Cultural Diversity and Cross-Cultural Communications.
In addition all forces have reviewed, or are in the process of reviewing, local training provision for Equal Opportunities and Race Awareness, with many giving a greater emphasis to asylum seeker issues.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the increases in domestic water charges have resulted in an increase in demand for water meter installations.
Answer
The number of water meters installed in domestic properties throughout Scotland at the customer's request since the introduction of new charge levels on 1 April 2000 has been 44. The total number of households served by the three water authorities is 2.3 million.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instigate an investigation into the Baldovie incinerator in Dundee to ensure that emissions are not harmful to the citi'ens in the surrounding area.
Answer
There is no need for an investigation into the Baldovie waste to energy plant. Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the new Baldovie incinerator can operate to meet SEPA's requirements under existing and forthcoming legislation. In particular, it has been designed to meet the dioxin emission limit of 0.1 nanogrammes/m
3 proposed in the draft Waste Incineration Directive at present under consideration in the EU.
In May, I was present at the signing of a good neighbour charter between Dundee Energy Recycling, Dundee City Council and representatives of the local community. The charter established a community liaison group which will meet quarterly. Technical reports on emissions, the reasons for any breach of emission limits and any measures taken as a result will be made available to the liaison group. The minute of these meetings will be made public and a comprehensive file on the plant will be held in local libraries.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government requesting the immediate release of any share of the money raised from the recent auction of mobile phones licences which Scotland is to receive, in order to provide health boards with additional funding.
Answer
No. Responsibility for mobile phone licences is a reserved matter. Scotland will of course receive the consequentials of UK public spending decisions under the Barnett formula.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 18 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care will reply to my letter of 16 May 2000 regarding funding levels for interferon treatment in Tayside.
Answer
My response to Ms Robison was mailed on Wednesday 12 July 2000.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 18 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Minister for Health and Community Care has not replied to correspondence from Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri with regard to the cancer treatment unit for Tayside.
Answer
I have written today to Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri expressing my regret that he had not received an earlier reply to his letter about the Scottish Image Guided Microtherapy Unit at Ninewells. I explained that no discourtesy was intended, as the delay was due to an administrative oversight, which the Scottish Executive Health Department very much regretted.
In view of the recent media publicity this issue has received, I should make clear the Scottish Executive's position, which is that £2 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund has been earmarked for this project, and we have no intention of reneging on that commitment.
The source of the running costs of the project has still to be established, however. In May last year, the Trust wrote asking for confirmation that central revenue funding would be identified for the project. The reply made clear that capital funds had been earmarked by the Management Executive on the basis that the Trust would ensure sufficient revenue funding was available across the life of the project. The reply also pointed out that no additional revenue funds were available centrally. The Trust has therefore been aware of the position since May 1999, and there should have been no grounds for confusion on the issue.
The Chief Medical Officer is to meet Professor Cushieri to discuss the future development of the centre.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7671 by Susan Deacon on 20 June 2000, how many nurses who graduated from the University of Dundee of Nursing and Midwifery in spring 2000 were employed in the NHSiS.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7671 by Susan Deacon on 20 June 2000, how many graduates of the University of Dundee School of Nursing and Midwifery have been employed by Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust and the predecessor trusts, for each year since 1995.
Answer
This is a matter for Dundee University and the Tayside NHS Trusts. The information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 29 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend that local authorities standardise the criteria on which a person with reduced mobility is granted a disabled persons' buspass and, if so, whether it will recommend that the defining criterion is a letter from a doctor rather than the receipt of mobility allowance.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so. The existing powers under section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 allow local authorities to establish concessionary fares schemes for eligible categories including disabled people. These powers are discretionary and decisions on the extent of such schemes including the eligibility criteria are solely for the local authorities taking account of needs and circumstances.