- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, how many staff there are in the unit dedicated to dealing with asylum seekers and with refugee integration issues.
Answer
The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Integration team currently comprises three permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff. This team works closely with a number of officials throughout the Executive on all devolved aspects of asylum and refugee integration.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the capital receipt set-aside rules governing the use of monies received by local authorities that are obliged to sell houses under right-to-buy legislation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the housing capital receipts set-aside rules at present. It is important that we continue to reduce the debt burden on local authority tenants.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how often information requested in parliamentary questions has been withheld at the request of Her Majesty's Government under paragraph 11 (a) of the Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the United Kingdom Government, Scottish ministers, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee in each of the last seven months.
Answer
In answering parliamentary questions the Scottish Executive always respects the status of information held in confidence, and does not distinguish between that and whether or not such information has been subject to a formal request under these arrangements. So far as I am aware no formal request of this kind has been made.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relieve local authority housing departments of capital housing debt.
Answer
Arrangements are already in place with Treasury whereby assistance with debt is available as part of a whole stock transfer package. The Executive is not in a position to be able to relieve local authority housing departments of debt outwith stock transfer, since this would require the public sector to meet the costs of both debt redemption and investment in council stock.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
Answer
I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of its Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Answer
The Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament is directed at Civil Servants.I am not aware of any such request to officials but would be happy to look into the matter if Ms Hyslop's concerns remain.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27066 by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 July 2002, why it does not hold centrally information on the average number of hours worked by junior doctors in the NHS.
Answer
The Scottish Executive requires trusts to report on compliance with the contractual requirements of the New Deal for junior doctors and available data covers whether junior doctors meet the limit of 56 hours per week. Considerable efforts have been focussed on ensuring that accurate information is recorded and gathered from trusts on this key objective.It is the responsibility of trusts to ensure compliance with New Deal. Trusts are currently further updating their information systems to ensure that working patterns of junior doctors, including the average hours worked, are recorded for junior doctors.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust will achieve full compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week set out in the New Deal for junior doctors.
Answer
The most recent monitoring data from West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust indicate that 100% of Pre Registration House Officers are compliant with New Deal. Senior House Officers and Specialist Registrars are required to compliant by August 2003.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support the New Deal Implementation Support Group has given to West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust in order to enable it to achieve compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week for junior doctors.
Answer
Members of the Implementation Support Group have been meeting regularly with trust representatives to provide advice and guidance on producing rotas that are New Deal compliant.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum.
Answer
The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum was established in January 2002 and has met three times. Six satellite groups were established to take forward specific areas of work. The satellites have completed their evidence gathering sessions and are now considering their priority actions. These draft action plans will be considered at a full meeting of the group towards the end of September.
