- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation on the prevention of cruelty to animals.
Answer
There is already extensive legislation dealing with animal welfare. We will keep that under review.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take any particular measures in respect of aggressive or violent adults who abuse both their families and their animals.
Answer
There are currently no plans for measures in this area.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the outcome of the recent criminal proceedings against Andrew Aspinall, what measures it plans to take to avoid any repetition of the circumstances that led to this outcome in future cases involving abused young people.
Answer
I have now received a report from the Procurator Fiscal at Linlithgow into the circumstances of this case. Having considered this report I have decided to refer the case to the High Court of Justiciary in terms of section 123 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. This will enable the points of law raised by the case to be addressed by the High Court.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be carrying out any random foot-and-mouth disease testing on sheep flocks over the winter period in order to protect against any re-emergence of the disease.
Answer
We have conducted extensive testing for foot-and-mouth disease of sheep flocks in all parts of Scotland, concentrating on Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. All tests were negative and all of Scotland has been declared foot-and-mouth disease free. The current veterinary advice is that further testing in Scotland is not considered necessary.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the NHS Complaints Procedure, set out in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, is applied to general practitioners and any out-of-hours services that they provide.
Answer
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change commits the Scottish Executive to developing a complaints process which is "credible, easy to use, demonstrably independent and effective".The revised NHS complaints procedure will continue to cover services provided by general practitioners and their out-of-hours services when it is introduced in 2002. A working group, which includes patient representatives, has been established to develop proposals for inclusion in a public consultation on a revised procedure. The group is currently considering responses to a consultation on the report of the independent evaluation of the NHS complaints procedure that issued in September.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 8 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been created in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency since May 1999, broken down by employing organisation.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 26 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to consult on the regulations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which will require taxi drivers to carry assistance dogs and to do so without charge.
Answer
The Executive is today going out to consultation on the terms of The Taxi Drivers' Licences (Carrying of Guide and Hearing Dogs) (Scotland) Regulations. Copies will be available from the Parliament's Reference Centre and can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website. The consultation papers will also be provided on audio tape, disc and large print on request. We will consider all responses carefully before finalising the terms of the proposed regulations.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 18 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its proposals for new mental health legislation following the Millan Committee's Report on the Review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984.
Answer
Our policy statement, "Renewing Mental Health Law" is being published today and copies have been placed in SPICe. The statement sets out our proposals for a new legislative framework, designed to respond to the needs, rights and aspirations of people in Scotland who use mental health services, as well as their carers and families.
Our proposals reflect the great majority of the Millan Committee's recommendations, and were informed by the views of the Mental Health Legislation Reference Group, which we set up as a source of advice and expertise and by the consultative events arranged with interests in the mental health field.
For the first time, mental health law will be based on explicit principles, reflecting concepts of equality, fairness and respect for service users and carers. A new mental health tribunal will be established, offering greater scrutiny of compulsory care, and the rights of patients will be strengthened, while having full regard to issues of public safety.
As already announced, a new Mental Health Bill will be brought to the Scottish Parliament early next year, giving Scotland, when enacted, modern legislation, which reflects the priority the Scottish Executive has accorded to mental health.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 8 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to local authorities on the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in relation to school building.
Answer
The Disability Rights Commission is currently consulting on a Code of Practice about the implementation in schools of the provisions in the Act.
The duty in Part IV of the Act (as amended) on education providers to plan for increased access to the physical environment of schools and the curriculum is devolved. Scottish ministers are considering how best to bring in this duty to plan to progressively improve the accessibility of the school environment, school information and the curriculum to disabled pupils, and they expect to announce their proposals shortly.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will play in any consultation on the disbursement of funds to local authorities for the development of proposals designed to ensure compliance with the terms of the EU landfill directive.
Answer
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is being consulted on the development of a guidance document for local authorities on the operation of the Strategic Waste Fund. This is in its role as co-ordinator of the National Waste Strategy and constituent Area Waste Plans. The disbursement of funds to local authorities to assist with the implementation of the plans will be a matter for the Scottish ministers.
