- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide recognition for rural general hospitals; how it will ensure that there are hospitals located outwith Scotland's cities that provide 24hour acute services in the long term, and what measures it will take in respect of recruitment training practice to meet these objectives.
Answer
Hospitals in rural areas, including district general hospitals and community hospitals, make an important contribution to the well-being of populations in these areas. Maintaining high quality services in rural hospitals provides a number of challenges to NHS boards, who are responsible for planning sustainable services for the whole population of their area. Many boards are looking at strengthening linkages between rural hospitals and hospitals in larger population centres. The Executive has commissioned Professor David Kerr to undertake a review of NHS services, including how best to provide services in rural areas. The result of Professor Kerr’s work is expected in late spring.
Clearly the recruitment, retention and training of clinical staff is vital to the provision of safe and sustainable services. Several initiatives are under way. These include:
· the establishment of a chair of remote and rural medicine in Stornoway, jointly between Western Isles NHS Board and the University of the Highlands and Islands;
- fellowships in remote and rural general practice;
- an intercollegiate group of the Scottish Medical Royal Colleges is developing plans for specific training programmes in remote and rural medicine, and
a short-life working group is currently assessing a range of retention initiatives aimed at all categories of staff.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement following completion of the consultation process in respect of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link.
Answer
No this is not normal procedure for such projects. We look forward to receiving a copy of the Consultation Report from Transport Initiatives Edinburgh Ltd when it is published.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Project ATLAS has been a successful use of public funding and if so, whether it will identify the benefits which have been derived from it.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s broadband strategy is facilitating the rollout and uptake of broadband technology across Scotland. Project ATLAS fits within this overall strategy but is led and funded by Scottish Enterprise. Issues about use of public funding and the benefits achieved are, in the first instance, operational matters for Scottish Enterprise.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to dual the A9.
Answer
We are continuing to develop our proposals to extend the dual carriageway at Crubenmore by around 2km at a cost of £5.4 million and to provide 4km of additional overtaking opportunities between Kincraig and Dalraddy at a cost of £4.3 million. I expect to publish draft orders for these schemes this year. A number of other improvements are planned and work has begun on a route improvement study which will report in the autumn.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the performance of BEAR Scotland Ltd in relation to road maintenance of trunk roads has been satisfactory and whether the working practices of BEAR Scotland Ltd, including drivers' hours and conditions, are sufficient, and acceptable, for the carrying out of their functions in respect of gritting routes.
Answer
BEAR Scotland Ltd’s performance on trunk road maintenance, which is monitored by the independent Performance Audit Group, has been generally satisfactory. Following an audit by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, it is understood that the Traffic Commissioner proposes to hold a Public Inquiry to hear evidence from Bear Scotland Ltd. In relation to drivers’ hours during bad winter weather. It is possible that any ruling from the Traffic Commissioner following the public inquiry could affect the current interpretations regarding drivers’ hours during winter maintenance operations and in these circumstances it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement following completion of the consultation process in respect of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
Answer
No, this is not normal procedure for such projects. We have been advised by Strathclyde Passenger Transport that the Consultation Exercise for the Glasgow Airport Rail link does not conclude until 28 February 2005. The Scottish Executive looks forward to receiving a copy of the Consultation Report when it is published.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will expedite the publication of the route action plan for the A82.
Answer
We are taking forward the work on the A82 Route Action Plan as a matter of priority. I expect the study to report in October of this year, and the findings will be made public as soon as possible thereafter.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to replicate Operation Youth Advantage, operated by the army in conjunction with the Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police; whether it considers that schemes which provide diversionary experience for younger people, with a residential course including physical exercise and classes on drugs, alcohol and good citizenship, are the most effective way of turning younger people away from a life of crime, and what action it has taken, or will take, on these matters.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is fully committed to effectively addressing youth crime. As indicated in the answers to questions S2W-2071 (on 5 September 2003), S2W-679 (on 17 June 2003) and S1W-32193 (on 12 December 2002). All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/wa.search.
It is for individual police forces to determine the extent of their involvement in initiatives such as Operation Youth Advantage.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any additional financial provision will be provided to the NHS prior to the end of the financial year and, if so, whether, as last year, it will be provided subject to the implementation or fulfilment of certain conditions and, if so, whether these conditions may supersede the clinical judgement of surgeons.
Answer
A small number of additional allocations are to be made to the NHS prior to the end of the financial year. This will include additional provision to assist NHS boards make progress towards delivery of national waiting time commitments and enable boards to reduce the number of outpatients waiting more than six months from 52,000 to 25,000 and the number of in-patients/day cases waiting more than six months from 7,000 to 3,500 by 31 March 2005. The funds will be allocated on the basis of achievement of milestones for delivery of agreed targets.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers are now serving on the beat as a direct result of the prison escort service having been taken up by Reliance, broken down by police force.
Answer
The table below gives information provided by police forces for the number of police officers redeployed from court duties. Information on the number of officers freed up from escorting has not been quantified by the police but it is estimated to run to some 100 officers. Also the next phase, implementation of non-core tasks such as inter-force and UK custody transfers, which is scheduled to commence this month, will result in further officers being released.
Number of Officers Redeployed from Court Duties
| Central Scotland | 14 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 6 |
| Fife | 4 |
| Grampian | 3 |
| Lothian and Borders | 35 |
| Northern | 1 |
| Strathclyde | 134 |
| Tayside | 12 |
| Scotland | 209 |
