- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 29 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18494 by Hugh Henry on 13 September 2005, how the Total Throughcare Phase 2 allocation of £280,563 for 2005-06 was divided across the constituent parts of the Northern Partnership.
Answer
Funding for criminal justice social work services, including throughcare, is provided through Section 27(1) of the Social Work Scotland Act 1968 to local authority groupings and unitary authorities. Decisions on how the grant for Throughcare is allocated amongst individual authorities within groupings such as the Northern Partnership, is made by the group collectively, not by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether COSLA has agreed that all the five-year development plans proposed in the White Paper, Modernising the Planning System, are deliverable.
Answer
The responses to the white paper, including that from COSLA, are currently being analysed by an independent consultant, in preparation of a digest of responses. COSLA’s response does comment in some detail on whether a five-year development plan cycle can be delivered. All responses which respondents have agreed can be made public, including COSLA’s, will be published in due course, along with the digest.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during the current review of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) scheme, it has considered proposals, or received representations from hydro generators or others, to allow any hydro-generation plant downrated to below 20MW capacity prior to 1 April 2002 and later refurbished to be restored to its former capacity without losing accreditation under the Renewables Obligations (Scotland) scheme.
Answer
No such proposals were received or considered. One representation was received regarding the extension of eligibility to new generation within existing civil works of hydro stations, and which also proposed removing the 20MW threshold. This was outwith the scope of the review and has not been taken forward.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during the current review of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) scheme, it has considered proposals, or received representations from hydro generators or others, to allow the downrating to below 20MW of any hydro-generation plant whose capacity is over 20MW to make it eligible for accreditation under the Renewables Obligations (Scotland) scheme.
Answer
No such proposals were received or considered. One representation was received regarding the extension of eligibility to new generation within existing civil works of hydro stations, and which also proposed removing the 20MW threshold. This was outwith the scope of the review and has not been taken forward.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during the current review of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) scheme, it has considered proposals, or received representations from hydro generators or others, to raise the capacity limit below which a hydro-generating plant is eligible for accreditation under the Renewables Obligations (Scotland) scheme to over 20MW and, if so, what limits and/or conditions were proposed.
Answer
One representation was received regarding generation within existing civil works of hydro stations, and which also proposed removing the 20MW threshold. This was outwith the scope of the review and has not been taken forward.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 27 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18969 by Hugh Henry on 14 September 2005, whether a methadone programme is recommended as a harm-reduction aid to help people move to a drug-free lifestyle.
Answer
Methadone will not suit everypatient. In any case, decisions on treatments, or combinations of treatments, arefor individual patients and their medical professionals. The Scottish Executiveencourages a range of interventions to be available locally for people wishing tomove towards a drug-free lifestyle.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 27 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken on whether a methadone programme will lead to a drug-free lifestyle.
Answer
Methadone is used as a treatmentin many countries, and its benefits are supported by a substantial body of nationaland international research. Both the National Treatment Outcome Research Study andthe early results from the Drug Outcome Research In Scotland study confirm the benefitsfrom drug treatment, including methadone, in terms of reduced use of illegal drugs,reduced levels of injecting, reduced criminal activity and significant health gainsfor individuals.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 27 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase patients' access to NHS podiatry services.
Answer
The issue of access to NHS podiatryservices is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individualpatients. The planning and provision of services is a matter for NHS boards.
At national level, the ScottishExecutive is committed to increasing the number of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)including podiatrists by 1,500 by 2007, as set out in the Partnership Agreementcommitment. This is being backed up with action and investment. The Allied HealthProfessions Officer for Scotland and the Centre for Change and Innovation are workingwith podiatrists and other AHPs to support service redesign where this would enhanceaccess for patients. The AHP Strategy Future Directions for the Allied Health Professionsin Scotland also provides an action plan to aid recruitment and retention. Already,£400,000 has been provided for an AHP return to practice initiative, the developmentof alternative routes to state registration and the development of AHP specialistpractitioner posts.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive why local authority-run care homes for elderly people receive higher levels of funding for each placement than independent care homes.
Answer
Local authorities are required under section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to set gross fees for local authority care home places at an amount equivalent to the full cost to the authority of providing them.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be of relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters to Inverness, including the cost of the building and associated staff costs.
Answer
The information requested is given on page 24 in Relocation of Headquarters, Project Plan, published by Scottish Natural Heritage in March 2005, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35157).
