- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 16 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a national policy on strategic retail developments.
Answer
The Executive's policies for all new retail developments are set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Retailing.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 15 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any shortfall in teachers of English.
Answer
I have today sent the Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee a report on the supply of teachers. A response to your specific question can be found at paragraphs 26-38 of the report.Copies of the report have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 15 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure there is no shortage of supply teachers in any core teaching subject.
Answer
I have today sent the Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee a report on the supply of teachers. A response to your specific question can be found at paragraphs 39-45 of the report.Copies of the report have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 11 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in relation to citi'ens' juries.
Answer
The Executive has invited area-based SIPs to participate in the roll-out of the People's Jury initiative following the successful pilots and publication of guidance. The Executive will provide support for each area-based SIP which wishes to hold a People's Jury.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 9 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with regard to the one stop approach for vulnerable teenagers.
Answer
A working group, comprising representatives of local authorities, relevant public agencies and voluntary bodies representing the interests of young people leaving local authority care, is considering carefully the best way to achieve a "one stop" service providing advice, guidance and financial assistance.
We expect to receive its report early this year.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8267 by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2000, whether it has received from Her Majesty's Government a copy of the recently agreed protocol on under-age sales and, if so, whether it intends to review its position on the use of children in test purchases of tobacco products.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is aware of the Enforcement Protocol which has been launched in England and Wales, and is working with CoSLA and Scottish Trading Standards towards the development of a Scottish Tobacco Enforcement Protocol for use by local authorities in carrying out their duty in relation to the Children and Young Person (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.The Lord Advocate is currently reviewing prosecution policy in relation to the use of children in test purchases of tobacco products. The outcome of this review will be taken into account in finalising the Scottish Protocol.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to undertake a mass media campaign, along the lines of the Department of Health's "Don't Give Up Giving Up" campaign, offering practical tips to smokers on giving up.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is taking forward a range of measures to reduce the levels of smoking. These include the HEBS "Think About It" advertising campaign for young people and several "Top Tips" adverts launched last February which focus on practical aspects of stopping smoking. Follow-up support, advice and information, "You Can Stop Smoking" is also provided through the freephone helpline "Smokeline".The Executive has provided HEBS with additional funding from the £26 million Health Improvement Fund which will enable a new mass media campaign for teenagers to be delivered in the New Year. Other multi-agency work is also intended on tobacco issues covering adults, young people, prevention and cessation and the particular needs of ethnic minority groups and vulnerable young people.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what co-ordination there is, on a Scotland-wide basis, of services relating to the treatment of survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Answer
The long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse require considered and sensitive long-term care responses. These care responses must be directly related to individual assessed needs, both physical and psychological. Health boards and NHS Trusts are expected to work with their care partners to develop services for the treatment and rehabilitation of such psychological disorders, based on a proper assessment of needs.
The Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland provides a template for the best inter-agency organisation of such services and support, based on the aim that all needs are met.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years as outlined in its document 1999 Health in Scotland.
Answer
There is no single reason. The Chief Medical Officer in his annual report
Health in Scotland 1999 (bib. no. 8112) sets out a range of contributory factors.
Our task is to respond to individual needs, and to attack the causes at source. Our social inclusion agenda, combined with the three-level approach to public health set out in our White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland (bib. no. 3036) and the service response proposals within the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (bib. no. 7392), combined with other initiatives, form the basis of a broad, co-ordinated approach in this regard.
Copies of the publications referred to are available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 8 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce general practitioner list si'es in areas of deprivation and greatest health need.
Answer
While the statutory Regulations set overall limits on list size, they do not provide a mechanism to control list size in particular circumstances.
The needs of areas of deprivation and greatest health need are addressed through other means - e.g. through additional payments to GPs practising in deprived areas. These payments are made in recognition of the increased workload involved and to assist GPs in providing a high quality of service. The deprivation payments scheme was enhanced from 1 April 1999, increasing payments by £2.4 million to a total of £7.3 million in 1999-2000.
As indicated in Our National Health published on 14 December, we will also develop new contractual arrangements for GPs, building on Personal Medical Services pilots already underway, to allow Trusts to employ GPs directly to work in socially deprived areas.
