- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to write off community charge debt.
Answer
We received the report It Pays to Pay, a joint CoSLA/Scottish Executive paper, on 22 December 1999 and are currently considering its recommendations, including those which refer to community charge debt.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full time equivalent posts, if any, will be lost in Scottish local government, by local authority, as a result of the recently announced local government financial settlement for 2000-01.
Answer
I would refer Mr Gibson to the reply given to Mr Harding on 13 January in response to question S1W-3488.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults were carried out against NHS staff in each of 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 and what measures are being implemented to reduce the incidence of such assaults.
Answer
Information on the number of assaults is not held centrally. As part of the recently published Occupational Health and Safety Service strategy for NHSiS staff, employers are required to implement policies based on risk assessment aimed at reducing violent incidents in the workplace. Linked to this Strategy, £0.5 million has been made available to NHSiS employers to introduce new measures to support this initiative. To assist employers to develop policies, Guideline Development Groups have been set up under the NHS in Scotland Partnership Forum to provide guidelines and model policies for use across Scotland on personal safety and harassment.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to discuss with Her Majesty's Government the implementation of recommendations in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities' recently published report It Pays to Pay which relate to reserved matters.
Answer
The report, It Pays to Pay, was jointly prepared by a CoSLA/Scottish Executive officials working group. It was published on 22December 1999 and we are considering the recommendations.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve council tax collection rates by (a) discontinuing joint billing of water and sewerage charges with council tax; (b) allowing the statutory instalment scheme to commence in April; (c) allowing local authorities to issue a combined reminder and final notice; (d) giving councils the right to refuse to sell council housing to tenants with outstanding council tax arrears; (e) giving councils the right to bill and collect rent and council tax jointly and (f) implementing other recommendations made in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities' recently published report It Pays to Pay.
Answer
The report, It Pays to Pay, is a joint CoSLA/Scottish Executive paper. It was published on 22 December 1999, and we are considering these and other recommendations.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people died in 1998-99 while on a waiting list for cardiac surgery.
Answer
In the year ending 31 March 1999, the provisional figure for the number of people who died while on a waiting list for cardiac surgery is 67. Because the data do not include cause of death, it cannot be assumed that death was due in every case to coronary heart disease. The Coronary Heart Disease Task Force is satisfied that arrangements are in place for the active management of patients on cardiac surgery waiting lists.The issue of deaths on the waiting list for cardiac surgery was highlighted in the report of the Acute Services Review, which took it as an indication that the aim should be to treat disease at a less advanced stage and minimise delays that were leading to avoidable illness and death. That is why the Scottish Executive considers it important to establish national waiting times for this clinical priority.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 21 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional aggregate external finance Glasgow City Council would receive in 2000-01 and how much its guideline figure would increase by if it was awarded the average percentage increase for Scotland.
Answer
Had Glasgow received the average increase in Aggregate External Finance in the provisional allocations announced on 15 December its allocation would have increased by £21.0m over the current year. The final AEF figures for 2000-01, including the allocation of £15 million additional for policy priorities, will be announced in the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2000 next month.Had Glasgow's expenditure guideline for 2000-01 increased compared with its current guideline in line with the Scottish average, it would have increased by £34.5 million. The City Council's actual guideline allows for it to increase spending over its budgeted expenditure for the current year by £41.4 million. Allocations from the Special Deprivation Payment (from which Glasgow will receive £3 million) and the £15 million still to be allocated have been disregarded for the purposes of calculating councils' spending guidelines.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish alternative route plans through Rutherglen and Cambuslang, given the current level of traffic congestion on their main thoroughfares and the decision not to proceed with the M74 Northern Extension at this stage.
Answer
Responsibility for traffic management on local roads and for local road traffic reduction measures rests with the relevant local authority.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why each of the Glasgow NHS Trusts are in financial deficit.
Answer
In the current financial year, the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for hospital and community health services of £791.5 million to Greater Glasgow, 4.25% more than last year's general allocation.
The Glasgow NHS Trusts have informed the Scottish Executive that they face a wide range of financial pressures, like every NHS Trust in Scotland. I expect the Trusts to manage effectively the resources they receive from Health Boards to provide health services.My officials are working with the senior management of the Glasgow Trusts and Greater Glasgow Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible while continuing to provide high quality care.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that no cuts will be made to jobs and services and no patients will be adversely affected this winter and beyond in hospitals run by the Glasgow Primary Care Trust, the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust, the South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust and the Yorkhill Trust.
Answer
Greater Glasgow Health Board, the North and South Acute Trusts, the Primary Care Trust and Yorkhill have been asked to draw up and agree financial plans which will minimise disruption to patient services and staff whilst achieving financial stability.
