Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-02746

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what developments are planned for palliative care as a result of comprehensive needs assessments for palliative care carried out by NHS boards.

I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2745 today, which is available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

Some specific developments includethe completion of a baseline survey in the Western Isles, the inclusion of palliativecare in the Dumfries and Galloway local cancer plan, the establishment of a palliativecare Managed Clinical Network in Lothian and the development of a post in Lanarkshireto work with the local palliative care planning group.

Question reference: S2W-02745

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on meeting the target in Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change for all NHS boards to have undertaken comprehensive needs assessments for palliative care by March 2002.

This exercise is being pursuedin a variety of ways best suited to local requirements. Published Local Health Plansfor 2003-04 and Cancer in Scotland Monitoring Reports indicate that manyNHS boards have completed palliative care needs assessments. In some areas thisexercise has been overtaken by the development of palliative care strategies arisingfrom the establishment of palliative care networks.

Question reference: S2W-02747

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2307 by Ms Margaret Curran on 11 September 2003, whether it will provide a breakdown of how it intended the #68.1 million, paid to the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd since the completion of the Glasgow housing stock transfer in March 2003, to be allocated.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

Since the completion of the Glasgow housingstock transfer in March 2003, £68.1 million of funding has been paid to the GlasgowHousing Association Ltd and the funding is broken down as follows.

Funding to the GlasgowHousing Association Ltd since March 2003

	£ Million
Repayable Grant	63.250
Training	0.036
Central Heating Programme	0.488
Management Costs to date of transfer	4.304
Total	68.077

Question reference: S2W-02717

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to local GPs to assist them in dealing with asylum seekers who have no knowledge of NHS procedures.

Asylum seekers who come to Scotland throughNational Asylum Support Services are entitled to the same health care system asthe indigenous population. The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan waslaunched last year and provided information and recommendations for the health service.This was supported by a national conference held in February, which shared goodpractice and identified the challenges ahead.

The majority of asylum seekersin Scotland are based in Glasgow. Greater Glasgow NHS Board and Primary Care NHS Trustprovide GP registration to all asylum seekers dispersed from London withintwo working days of their arrival. There are currently 35 GP practices and associatedstaff providing this service throughout the city.

A multi-disciplinary asylum supportteam has been established which provides information to all GPs in Glasgow, andtraining for frontline staff and other health professionals is available throughGreater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust’s Multicultural Team.

Glasgow Interpreting and TranslatingServices provides services for patients, families, health professionals and communitygroups. Health professionals are encouraged to use these services for patient consultations.

The National Resource Centrefor Ethnic Minority Health is currently developing a resource pack for all NHS staffand a website will soon exist for access to up-to-date information.

The Scottish Executive has worked with the National Asylum Support Services and the National ResourceCentre for Ethnic Minority Health to ensure that information on NHS procedures arepart of the induction process for asylum seekers. A variety of health informationleaflets are available and posters in 18 languages exist in all GP and dental surgeriesexplaining how to make an appointment and outlining what to expect.

Question reference: S2W-02369

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time consultants are working in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.

Information has been providedby the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in relation to consultant staffing levels.At the beginning of September 2003, there were seven full-time and no part-timeNHS consultants employed by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

The hospital provides accessrights to over 300 consultants, of which 90 undertake regular sessions. In addition,there are 19 consultants who work, as and when required, to provide a service forthe hospital.

Information and Statistics DivisionScotland update the medical and dental staffing data through an annual census andthe latest centrally held data is correct as at 30 September 2002. The next update,reflecting the position at 30 September 2003, will be published in February 2004.

Question reference: S2W-02367

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of consultants working at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank, and, if so, from where these consultants will be drawn.

Question reference: S2W-02371

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that waiting times do not increase at those hospitals affected by consultants and other health service staff moving to work at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.

The Golden Jubilee NationalHospital is helping to reduce NHS waiting times across Scotland,particularly for patients experiencing the longest waits.

The Executive has set clearnational waiting times guarantees and targets which apply to all NHS boardareas. All boards are committed to achieving the nine-month maximum waitguarantee for in-patient and day case treatment by the end of December thisyear. It is for the boards to take whatever actions are necessary, includingrecruitment and retention of staff and arranging for patients to be treated atthe Golden Jubilee National Hospital, to ensure that the guarantee is delivered.

Question reference: S2W-02368

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive from which NHS boards consultants are being drawn to work in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.

Question reference: S2W-02366

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 18 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish specific vocational training for care workers in the elderly sector.

The Scottish Social ServicesCouncil is responsible for the regulation and promotion of education andtraining of the social services workforce. The council will establish registersof key groups of staff and set qualifications criteria as part of theeligibility criteria for entry to the register.

The council is currentlyinvolved in a consultation exercise which will inform the final decisions toset the qualifications criteria for workers in adult residential services. Indeveloping the proposed qualifications framework for workers in adultresidential services, the council will take account of the diverse nature ofwork in this sector.

The council is also leading,on behalf of the UK, a review of the occupational standards for care,which includes occupational standards for the care of older people. The workshould be complete by March 2004.

The Scottish Executive is also establishing an Education, Training and Development WorkingGroup as part of a National Workforce Group. This group will devise a trainingand development strategy covering all the social care workforce.

Question reference: S2W-02365

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or will make, to the Royal Mail regarding the economic impact of its proposed closure of sub-post offices in Glasgow.

Detailed arrangements forthe restructuring of the post office network are operational matters for RoyalMail which is answerable to its regulator and the UK Government on all aspectsof these reserved matters. The Scottish Executive ensures that account is takenof the circumstances in Scotland, has introduced a scheme to assist redevelopment ofpost offices in deprived urban areas and will maintain contact with the UKGovernment and Royal Mail to identify any further options for action.