- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to have an orthoptist pre-school screening programme in every NHS board area.
Answer
A date has not been specified. The NHS boards who have not yet introduced an orthoptist pre-school screening programme are working towards doing so, or towards introducing a programme supervised by an orthoptist or an optometrist.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS board areas have an orthoptist pre-school screening programme in place.
Answer
A pre-school screening programme is in place in NHS Ayrshire and Arran; NHS Borders; NHS Dumfries and Galloway; NHS Fife; in two areas in NHS Forth Valley; in all areas in NHS Grampian by end of May 2009; NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde; in two areas in NHS Highland; NHS Lanarkshire; in one area in NHS Lothian, and in two areas of NHS Tayside.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what flexibility will be available to crofters and farmers regarding the implementation of the sheep electronic identification scheme.
Answer
The Scottish and UK Governments have previously secured flexibility within the Regulation that will aid implementation. We have secured the delayed introduction of electronic identification until 31 December 2009 and have delayed the introduction of individual movement reporting until 31 December 2010. We have also agreed that animals born before 31 December 2009 and moving directly to slaughter will not have to be individually recorded at all. The Scottish Government is continuing to work with the Commission and the other UK government departments to examine possible further flexibility measures within the Regulation that will reduce the implementation burden for all of Scotland''s sheep industry.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it intends to hold regarding the sheep electronic identification scheme legislation.
Answer
The Scottish Government will hold a public consultation on sheep electronic identification prior to its introduction on 1 January 2010.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will make available to the agricultural industry to meet the additional costs of implementing the sheep electronic identification scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made available up to £3 million on a large scale electronic research pilot which has the aim of finding workable and cost effective solutions for implementation in Scotland.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive , in light of the review of direct payments by Orkney Islands Council, what mechanisms are available to ensure that payments will continue for eligible applicants as required under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer
Officials have been advised by Orkney Islands Council that the review has resulted in there being no waiting list and in direct payments being offered to all eligible clients. Any such applications will be subject to the usual care management processes of assessment and regular review.
At national level, the intention is to visit each local authority to hear at first hand how direct payments policy is being developed locally and Orkney has agreed to participate.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to enhance the services at the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operation matters should be directed to them.
The Scottish Government currently provides SAC with £4.3 million per annum to provide a veterinary surveillance programme. We have no plans to alter this programme.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what services it anticipates will be available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen (c), Perth and (d) Inverness in 2009-10.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operational matters should be directed to them.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what services were available at the disease surveillance centres in (a) Thurso, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Perth and (d) Inverness in 2008-09.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. Questions relating to operational matters should be directed to them.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 April 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment that the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre will remain open in its current form on a long-term basis.
Answer
The Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre is not a Scottish Government facility but is part of the Scottish Agricultural College''s (SAC) network of veterinary laboratories. SAC are a private company limited by guarantee and independent of government. SAC have been reviewing the structure of their veterinary laboratories and operational decisions are for them.
Following the untimely death of the veterinary manager Dr Sandy Clark, SAC moved rapidly to secure the services of two local veterinary practitioners who have been contracted to provide an uninterrupted service. An agreement has been reached with the local veterinary practice, DS McGregor and Partners, to ensure that appropriately trained vets will continue to provide a post mortem service from SAC''s existing Janetstown premises. Laboratory samples will also be sent to Thurso from other parts of Scotland to supplement this work.
Veterinary officials are satisfied that these arrangements will meet the requirements of the Scottish Government''s surveillance programme and they will continue to monitor the situation.
