- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to promote applications to train in learning disability, children's nursing, mental health and midwifery, as referred to in table 2.5 in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.
Answer
The report
More Nurses, workingdifferently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002 was published on Friday 19 September 2003 by the Royal College of Nursing. With reference to table2.5 in the report, the recruitment to the children and midwifery categories of pre-registrationnursing and midwifery education remains buoyant and applications per place exceeddemand. There are fewer applications per place for the mental health and learningdisabilities categories. The number of student places is determined by the needsof the NHSScotland through the Student Nurse Intake Planning process.
The Scottish Executive is currentlyestablishing a Mental Health Workforce Group to address the workforce implicationsof the major changes anticipated in mental health. This work will be key in determiningfuture student numbers in this area and will be backed by appropriate recruitmentactivity.
As a result of service redesign,closure of long-stay hospitals and the development of shared care involving socialservices and the voluntary sector, perceptions about the learning disability categoryof nursing may have been affected. The Scottish Executive, together with NHS Education forScotland and the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability, has been working tomodernise the education and practice programmes in order to encourage recruitmentto this branch of nursing.
Additional help in areas of recruitmentwill be provided by Careers for Health which was launched at the NHSScotland HumanResources Conference on 16 May 2003.
The aims of Careers for Healthare to:
raise the profile of careersin the NHS;
act as a source of expertiseon all issues relating to careers guidance and support;
promote recruitment from a widerbase enabling health boards to gain access to the widest possible range of applicants,and
link health board personnel tokey stakeholders such as Careers Scotland and Job Centre Plus.
The Head of Learning and Careersfor Health was recruited over the summer and a work programme is currently beendevised. It is envisaged that a range of projects will be delivered to help addressthe issue of attracting individuals to careers in NHSScotland. Projects will includeconsideration of incentives, recruitment campaigns and retention initiatives.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1659 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether ambulatory oxygen cylinders are now available on GP prescription and, if not, when it now anticipates such cylinders being made available on prescription.
Answer
GP prescribing of portable oxygenwill be introduced on April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designed toensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in place to meetthe needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.
In the meantime, a study is tobe undertaken to consider the possible benefit to patients of alternative or additionalmethods of supply and distribution of portable oxygen. Additionally, considerationis to be given to the possible benefits of making conservation devices availableon the NHS in Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the Borders economy.
Answer
A wide range of policies arein place to promote and sustain the Borders economy and future economic development.Scottish Enterprise Borders is taking action in line with the direction and prioritiesset out in the Executive’s A Smart, Successful Scotland.The Borders Local Economic Forum allows co-ordinated delivery of local economicdevelopment activities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding an application from the Waverley Route Trust in respect of its proposed research project on modification of the current railway specification to accommodate the movement of charter and freight trains and of express services taking under 50 minutes from Tweedbank to Edinburgh and a specialist technical, operational and business case study of the potential application of innovative approaches to the Borders railway.
Answer
No. We have funded the WaverleyRailway Partnership to take the project to the current stage. The specificationof the railway is a matter for the partnership to justify in its business case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the business case for the Borders railway must reflect inflationary factors such as construction costs and, if so, how such costs will be calculated.
Answer
The business case should be presentedin 2002 prices. It is for Waverley Railway Partnership to propose the approach toinflation in its business case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, what criteria will be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer
All business cases are requiredto be compliant with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines (STAG)
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2F-194 by the First Minister on 11 September 2003, whether the Waverley railway partnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied to assess the business case for the Borders Railway.
Answer
I can confirm that Waverley railwaypartnership has been advised of the criteria to be applied.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had to the Department for Transport's criteria for the placement of road markings since May 1999.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is represented at official level on the Department for Transport Road MarkingsTechnical Working Party.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment will be made of the effectiveness of the community warden scheme.
Answer
The information requested isgiven in section 11.4 (page 11) of Building strong, safe and attractivecommunities: Guidance for submissions, published in 2003, copies of which areavailable in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543)
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24699 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May 2002, what the role of a community warden will be and whether it will be different from that of a neighbourhood warden.
Answer
The information requested isavailable in paragraph 12, page 12, of Building strong, safe and attractivecommunities: Guidance for submissions, published in 2003, copies of which areavailable in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543)
