Chamber and committees

There are no negotiations with the Health directorates on the salary of the Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

As the number of patients who fall into this category are small, there are no plans to recover costs from private healthcare providers at present. This will, however, be kept under review and recovery of costs considered if required.

That is a matter for the private healthcare provider and patient to agree.

No information is held on the number of patients resident in Scotland whose PIP silicone breast implants were implanted in either England or abroad.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S4W-05615 and S4W-05614 on 9 March 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The salary for the Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland advertised in August 2010 was in the range approved by Ministers for Executive Grade F (£84,411 - £115,046).

The salary for the Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland is in the range approved by Ministers for Executive Grade F (£84,411 - £115,046). The post is currently filled on an interim basis through a secondment of the former Medical Director of NHS Fife on her existing terms and conditions. The remuneration paid to NHS Fife for the full cost of the secondment is in the range of £170,000-175,000, which includes all taxable benefits and employer pension contributions.

The role of Healthcare Improvement Scotland Chief Executive is being filled on an interim basis through a secondment of the former Medical Director of NHS Fife.

As stated in my answer to question S4W-05591 the Scottish Government has held back around £20 million of Resource DEL consequentials available in 2012-13 in view of risks presented by the current economic and financial climate including, in particular, those presented by UK welfare reform and the unpredictability surrounding the eurozone.

As the full extent of the implications of the UK Welfare Reform Bill is still unknown I cannot confirm, at this stage, how much of the available consequentials will be allocated in response to the impact of the bill.

Council tax benefit payments for 2010-11 in Scotland totalled £387.4 million with entitlement depending on a variety of circumstances, including unemployment. Council tax benefit is also paid to pensioners, those on low pay and those unable to work because of disability or caring commitments.

The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Bill will, if enacted, abolish council tax benefit from April 2013, removing this support from the social security system altogether. Responsibility for helping people meet their council tax liabilities will then fall to the Scottish Government, although UK Government has confirmed the budget transferred to Scotland will be reduced by 10%.

Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses will also be abolished in April 2013 and the Scottish Government will receive the amount spent in Scotland at this point. While DWP anticipate this will be lower than spend in 2010-11, spend on Community Care Grants in Scotland in 2010-11 was £20,813,600 and on Crisis Loans for living expenses £8,597,800. The Scottish Government is considering successor arrangements in discussion with stakeholders.