- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 19 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether dedicated funding is available to registered social landlords for the provision of telecare services.
Answer
Funding for the Telecare Development Programme is distributed through local partnerships which take a strategic approach to the delivery of telecare services at local level, including through registered social landlords. There is no separate dedicated funding for registered social landlords.
In March 2010, the Minister for Public Health and Sport announced funding of £4 million for telecare in 2010-11, building on the £16 million investment in telecare since 2006.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 19 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish a national strategy for older people’s housing.
Answer
The Wider Planning for an Ageing Population report was published in March 2010, as part of the Reshaping Care programme, and proposes 27 actions for preparing for the housing aspects of the demographic changes ahead. One of the proposals was to publish a strategy for older people''s housing. We will be consulting shortly on all the proposals in the report, but anticipate proceeding to develop a strategy for older people''s housing in 2011.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards have removed epilepsy specialist nurses posts from their staff complement.
Answer
The information received from NHS boards, which is tabulated in the answer to question S3W-33457 on 17 May 2010, suggests that no NHS board has removed epilepsy specialist nurse posts from its staff complement.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many health boards have still to fill their epilepsy specialist nurses posts.
Answer
There are currently no epilepsy specialist nurse vacancies. As the answer to question S3W-33457 on 17 May 2010 indicates, however, there are no epilepsy specialist nurses in NHS Borders, Dumfries and Galloway or Western Isles. NHS Orkney and Shetland have links to the epilepsy specialist nurse in NHS Grampian.
We are also aware of the Joint Epilepsy Council target of one epilepsy specialist nurse per 100,000 population.
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.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards are reducing the hours of work of epilepsy specialist nurses, and by how much.
Answer
NHS boards have provided the information contained in the following table:
Is the Board Reducing the Hours of Work of Epilepsy Specialist Nurses (ESNs)?
| NHS Board | |
| Ayrshire and Arran | No |
| Borders | No: does not have any ESNs but works collaboratively with Lothian. A consultant neurologist holds a weekly clinic for people with complex neurological needs. |
| Dumfries and Galloway | No: does not have any ESNs. |
| Fife | No. |
| Forth Valley | No. |
| Grampian | No. |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | No: has increased Regional ESN hours in recent years. |
| Highland | No: has increased children''s ESN hours (by 0.6 WTE). |
| Lanarkshire | No. |
| Lothian | No. |
| Orkney | No: does not have any ESNs but local general nurses have epilepsy training and link with NHS Grampian ESN to provide support to patients with epilepsy. |
| Shetland | No: does not have any ESNs, but local stroke and MS specialist nurses and GPs link with NHS Grampian ESN to provide support to patients with epilepsy. |
| Tayside | No. |
| Western Isles | No: does not have any ESNs. |
Source: NHS boards.
At the meeting of the Cross Party Group on Epilepsy on 29 April 2010, I said that I would investigate the position in Scotland in relation to ESN numbers and whether there were any cutbacks either in the actual number, or in the hours they are asked to work in this specialist capacity. All NHS boards have now confirmed that their epilepsy specialist nurses focus solely on supporting people living with epilepsy and are not expected to carry out other duties.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were bought on an off-the-shelf basis by housing associations and local authorities from private developers in each year since 2000.
Answer
The following table sets out how many houses were bought on an off-the-shelf basis by housing associations from private developers in each year since 2000.
| AHIP Completions | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Off the Shelf | 56 | 63 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 110 | 300 | 749 | 1,084 | 1,856 |
The equivalent figures for local authorities are not held centrally.
The increase from 2007 onwards reflects the downturn in the private housing market which meant that more opportunities for Off the Shelf purchases at competitive prices were offered to Registered Social Landlords. Due to the £120 million accelerated AHIP programme, as part of the Economic Recovery Plan, these opportunities were able to be maximised.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme were purchased on an off-the-shelf basis from private developers by housing associations and local authorities in each year since 2000.
Answer
The following table sets out what percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme were purchased on an off-the-shelf basis from private developers by housing associations in each year since 2000.
| AHIP Completions | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Off the Shelf | 56 | 63 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 110 | 300 | 749 | 1,084 | 1,856 |
| All Units | 5,685 | 6,438 | 5,569 | 4,406 | 4,067 | 5,848 | 5,239 | 5,451 | 5,797 | 7,701 |
| % Off the shelf | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 6% | 14% | 19% | 24% |
The equivalent figures for local authorities are not held centrally.
The increase from 2007 onwards reflects the downturn in the private housing market which meant that more opportunities for Off the Shelf purchases at competitive prices were offered to Registered Social Landlords. Due to the £120 million accelerated AHIP programme, as part of the Economic Recovery Plan, these opportunities were able to be maximised.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 17 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met (a) COSLA, (b) local authorities or (c) registered social landlords to discuss good practice in the development of strategies for older people’s housing in each local authority area.
Answer
The last meeting of the Wider Planning for an Ageing Population working group took place on 16 February 2010, during which the group agreed its final report. The group includes representatives of the Scottish Government, COSLA and ALACHO (on behalf of local authorities) and registered social landlords. The next meeting of the working group is due to take place on 28 June 2010.
Scottish Government and COSLA officials had a further meeting about the workstream on 12 May 2010.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make funds available for a Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme in 2010-11 and, if so, how much.
Answer
It is anticipated that around £3.5 million will be available for Rural Homes for Rent grant funding during the current year.
- Asked by: Mary Mulligan, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas houses will be built through grants awarded under the Rural Homes for Rent grant scheme.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33490 on 12 May 2010. 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.
