- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory duties local authorities have for the gritting of roads and pedestrian routes.
Answer
As local roads authorities, councils have a general duty under section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to maintain local roads in their area. Section 34 of the 1984 Act also places a duty on councils to "take such steps as they consider reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads".
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 28 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its News Release SE1784/1999 of 27 December 1999, how many of the 160 projected call centre jobs at the refurbished Claridge Mill in Selkirk have now been secured.
Answer
The call centre company based at Claridge Mill currently employs 26 staff. A further eight individuals have been offered places and are due to start on 7 January.Given the current marketplace, it has taken longer than planned to secure contracts that provide for the employment of a larger number of staff. The company is currently in discussion with a number of potential clients, which if concluded successfully will lead to a rapid increase in the number of employees at the site.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20231 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 December 2001, (a) how much it will cost to support the Atlantic fixed wireless network until 2 January 2002, (b) how the sum will be split between it and the Department of Trade and Industry, (c) what the arrangements are with the Department of Trade and Industry to provide such support and (d) how much the messaging service will cost.
Answer
A maximum of £550,000 has been made available to keep the Atlantic Telecom fixed wireless network running until 2 January 2002. The Scottish Executive and Department of Trade & Industry have agreed to split the final costs equally.The cost of the messaging service is negligible and covered by overall running costs.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision of the health-related services required by those with hearing deficiencies is adequate and what plans it has to improve such services.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20636 on 18 December 2001. The answer outlines the scope of the wide-ranging review of audiology services currently under way.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 19 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio of prisoners to general practitioners was in each prison in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20320 18 December 2001.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 19 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers provided social work services within prisons; what the distribution of these social workers was between prisons, and what the ratio of social workers to prisoners was in (i) 1998-99, (ii) 1999-2000, (iii) 2000-01 and (iv) to date in the current financial year.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:The available information is as follows:
Establishment | No. of Social Workers as at 30 November 2001 | Ratio of Social Workers to Prisoners as at 30 November 2001 |
Aberdeen | 3 | 1:67.3 |
Barlinnie | 11 | 1:96.5 |
Castle Huntly | 2 | 1:65.0 |
Cornton Vale | 3.5 | 1:75.7 |
Dumfries | 1.5 | 1:80.0 |
Edinburgh | 5 | 1:125.2 |
Greenock | 3.5 | 1:90.9 |
Inverness | 2 | 1:59.5 |
Low Moss | 2 | 1:168.5 |
Noranside | 2 | 1:56.0 |
Perth | 6 | 1:79.7 |
Peterhead | 5 | 1:57.8 |
Shotts | 6.5 | 1:78.8 |
This information in previous years is not readily available and could not be collected except at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the efficacy of the Direct Access System for hearing aid provision assessments.
Answer
There are currently no arrangements for the formal monitoring by the Executive of the Direct Access System. However, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20636. The answer outlines the scope of the wide ranging review of audiology services currently under way which will include review of the referral systems.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what waiting time targets it has set for paediatric hearing assessments.
Answer
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change sets out the Executive's commitment to ensuring that the patient's journey through the NHS is as swift and responsive as possible, and includes a number of waiting times targets in the priority areas of cancer and coronary heart disease. Although the Scottish Executive has no present plans to set national waiting times targets for paediatric hearing assessments, reducing waiting is a key priority for NHS Boards and they are currently developing local waiting time standards to reflect local clinical priorities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14769 by Susan Deacon on 17 April 2001, what the membership of the working group on the review of audiology services is; what the scope of this review is, and when the working group will report and to whom.
Answer
The membership of the Audiology Services Working Group is as follows:
Mr Gordon McHardy Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | Dr Jackie Grigor Audiology Department Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh |
Mr Forbes Lauder Senior Chief PMT Audiology Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley | Dr John Irwin Consultant Audiological Physician Ninewells Hospital, Dundee |
Mrs Christine G De Placido Senior Chief PMT Audiology Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy | Mr John Crowther Consultant ENT Surgeon The Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow |
Professor Stuart Gatehouse MRC Institute of Hearing Research Royal Infirmary, Glasgow | Dr Sheila Beck Public Health Project Manager Public Health Institute of Scotland, Glasgow |
Ms Moira Milligan Scottish Healthcare Supplies, Edinburgh | Mr Stuart Smith, Director RNID Scotland |
Mr Bob Stock, Chairman Scottish Executive | Dr David Breen Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board |
Dr Peter Craig Chief Scientist Office Scottish Executive | Miss Susan Scott Occupational Therapy Adviser Scottish Executive |
Mrs Anne McQueen Hearing aid user, Dundee | |
The adequacy of services will be judged in relation to a wide range of factors including staffing; structure of the service; population served; waiting times; clinic facilities; equipment; liaison with other agencies, and the knock-on demands of screening initiatives.The working group is due to report to the Scottish Executive in the autumn 2002.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it currently provides for hearing assessments and services to health boards where there is a higher than national average number of people aged over 60.
Answer
The Executive is providing substantial additional resources to NHSScotland. The allocations given to NHS Boards increased on average by 5.5% in 2001-02 and individual allocations show an increase on average by 6.9% and 7.8% in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The formula used to determine funding takes account of, amongst other factors, the influence of age on the relative healthcare needs of each NHS Board's population.However, it is for NHS Boards to decide how to deploy funds on the basis of their assessment of local needs and priorities for investment. In determining local priorities, NHS Boards take account of national priorities and guidance.
