- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5066 by Susan Deacon on 21 March 2000, why it considers it unnecessary to hold information on measures to detect osteoporosis centrally and whether it will arrange for details of any measures taken to detect osteoporosis at a local level to be held centrally.
Answer
Strategies for the care of patients with a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis, are the responsibility of health boards and their associated NHS Trusts, who are best suited to assess local needs. If the Scottish Executive required detailed reports on every aspect of patient care for every condition from boards and Trusts it would be a very time-consuming and therefore costly exercise. I am not convinced that this would be a good use of NHS funds.
Guidance to help health boards devise their strategies was issued by the Health Department in 1997, in the form of a Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) on osteoporosis. This gave the conclusions of a group of experts drawn from within the NHS on the current situation in Scotland, a review of recent research, and options for the prevention, detection and management of osteoporosis.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will devise a national strategy on osteoporosis aimed in particular at preventing and improving detection of osteoporosis.
Answer
There are no current plans to develop a national strategy for osteoporosis. It is for local health boards to determine the services which are required to meet the needs of their local population within available resources. Guidance to help health boards devise their strategies was issued by the Health Department in 1997, in the form of a Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) report on osteoporosis. This gave the conclusions of a group of experts drawn from within the NHS on the current situation in Scotland, a review of recent research, and options for the prevention, detection and management of osteoporosis.
This SNAP report concluded that the only measures known to prevent the development of osteoporosis are weight-bearing exercise, the reduction of alcohol consumption to moderate levels, the reduction of tobacco consumption and a balanced diet with a higher consumption of calcium and vitamin D and lowered consumption of sodium, protein and caffeine. These are measures which are actively promoted by the Executive, because they reduce the risks of developing many other conditions as well as osteoporosis.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish Minister could allow his or her name to be associated with any particular company or businesses by authorising the use of his or her photograph on its products.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are expected to behave in accordance with the provisions of the Scottish Ministerial Code. One of the provisions is that they are expected to order their affairs so that no conflict arises or is thought to arise between their private interests (financial or otherwise) and their public duties.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 5 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a progress report on the Digital Scotland Task Force.
Answer
The Digital Scotland Task Force published its report on the Internet on 22 May, and invited public comments on its recommendations. The public consultation period lasts until 30 June. The Scottish Executive will respond to the task force report as soon as possible thereafter, in the light of the results of the consultation.Full details of the task force report, relevant links, and arrangements for public consultation can be found on the Digital Scotland website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways it supports the work of Young Enterprise Scotland and what measures it will introduce to allow secondary school pupils to gain experience in business.
Answer
The Executive is highly supportive of the work of Young Enterprise Scotland in its efforts to promote enterprise in schools and support the development of "core" skills. We are particularly encouraged by the degree of private sector involvement in the organisation. Education for Work and Enterprise in schools is delivered in a variety of ways and by a wide range of bodies. The agenda includes programmes offering practical work experience for secondary school pupils, curriculum guidelines on delivering enterprise education and support for the National Centre: Education for Work and Enterprise which provides strategic direction to the agenda.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4008 by Mr Jim Wallace on 28 January 2000, whether it will widen the remit of the Scottish Law Commission's (SLC) review of the law of the foreshore and seabed and, in particular, whether it will instruct the SLC to consider the interests of (a) local communities, (b) individual residents and (c) local businesses who may be affected by the law of the foreshore and seabed.
Answer
No change in the remit is necessary. Under the existing remit, the commission will take account of such issues in its review of what the existing law actually is, and in its recommendations for improving its clarity and consistency.And, as is usual, the commission will prepare and issue a discussion paper before drawing up its recommendations. Local communities, individuals and businesses will therefore have the opportunity to make their views known as part of the process.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, for each of the last 10 years, the total public funds received, from all sources, including the Scottish Executive, The Scottish Office, Her Majesty's Government and other UK wide public bodies, by all charities registered in Scotland.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated financial loss to public bodies and businesses was as a result of the "love-bug" computer virus.
Answer
The love-bug virus did not penetrate the Scottish Executive virus protection system and therefore no financial loss was incurred.
We have no ready means of making an estimate of any financial loss to businesses.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its plans to promote e-commerce in the light of problems arising from the recent "love-bug" computer virus.
Answer
The "Iloveyou" virus was spread by e-mail, which is not the main vehicle for e-commerce transactions.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure protection for public bodies and businesses against problems resulting from possible computer viruses similar to the recent "love-bug" computer virus.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's virus protection system has been enhanced to cope with the "Iloveyou" virus and all its known variants and clones.
The Executive continue to liaise with other Government agencies regarding all IT security issues including viruses but is not directly responsible for the physical protection of their IT systems.