Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally. The day-to-day management of NHSScotland assets is a matter devolved to NHS boards.

The Scottish Government Health Directorates Policy for Property and Asset Management in NHSScotland requires all NHSScotland bodies to comply with all requirements laid down by statutes bearing upon the health, safety and welfare of staff, patients and the public in relation to and in respect of the management of the property and other assets which they own or occupy in the performance of their functions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39353 on 14 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Although held in the name of Scottish Ministers, the day-to-day management of NHS property, including disposal of surplus land and buildings, is not a matter for the Scottish Government Health Directorates as such issues are devolved to individual NHS boards to undertake following well established guidance and mandatory procedures as directed by the NHSScotland Property Transactions Handbook. Although specific to NHSScotland bodies, the guidance and mandatory procedures contained within the handbook reflect those contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) operations were, inevitably, severely impacted by the prolonged adverse weather. Ambulance crews across the country worked tirelessly to respond to incidents. Crews were supported by partners including the Army, Coastguard and volunteers across the country, for example ambulance staff were driven to patients by army drivers in military 4x4 vehicles and treated at home or transferred to appropriate care. This additional support was implemented due to the physical challenges in reaching patients, not due to lack of SAS resource, and this collaborative effort meant that patients continued to be supported.

SAS actively ensured that 999 calls were clinically monitored and prioritised, utilising paramedic advisors and NHS 24 clinical team leaders within the emergency medical dispatch centres.

While patient transport services were reduced in some areas, high priority groups such as renal and cancer patients continued to be transported where this was possible. SAS worked in close partnership with territorial NHS boards throughout the period of disruption.

The service took delivery of 22 new 4x4 vehicles in December 2010 and January 2011 to further enhance their resilience, they also plan to introduce winter tyres across their fleet before next winter.

None. The issue of site visits in relation to applications for planning permission and who should attend is a matter for the planning authority.

None. This would be a matter for the planning authority.

 

For decisions on planning applications, legislation requires planning authorities to issue a decision notice and report of handling and specifies the content of these documents. Planning authorities are required to keep copies of these documents on their publically available planning register. Those who made representations are also advised once a decision has been made and where further details of the decision are available.

Further guidance on the content of the decision notice and report of handling can be found in Circular 4/2009: Development Management Procedures available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/publications/circulars.

For development plans, legislation requires planning authorities to submit a summary of unresolved issues to Scottish Ministers in advance of the examination of a strategic or local development plan. This summary must include a statement of the reasons why the planning authority did not modify the proposed plan in response to the issues raised in representations. Circular 1/2009: Development Planning provides further guidance on the approach to notifying interested parties of key stages in the process and is also available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/publications/circulars.

None. This would be a matter for the planning authority.

 

Planning legislation requires planning authorities to make decisions in line with the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where the outcome of public engagement is submitted as a representation to the planning authority on an application it may constitute such a material consideration. While material considerations are likely to include views of statutory and other consultees and those of the public, the weight to be attached to each material consideration is for the decision maker to decide.

Circular 4/2009: Development Management Procedures contains further guidance on what may constitute a material consideration and is available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/publications/circulars.

For development plans, legislation requires that planning authorities are to have regard to representations made to them on Main Issues Reports in preparing and publishing proposed local development plans and strategic development plans.

The information requested is not held in the format sought, however a range of information relating to the cost of ambulance activity is published annually in the ISD Scotland Cost Book. This information can be found at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/costs-overview.jsp?pContentID=3726&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.