- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out by the Food Standards Agency into any links between trans fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils and coronary heart disease.
Answer
The Food Standards Agencyhas not carried out, and is not currently funding, any research investigatingthe links between trans fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils and coronary heartdisease.
Hydrogenation is a processof turning liquid oil into solid fat. During this process, a type of trans fatmay be formed that raises cholesterol levels in the blood. This increases therisk of coronary heart disease. The Food Standards Agency does therefore advisethat as part of a healthy diet, we should try to reduce the amount of saturatedfats and trans fats we eat and replace them with unsaturated fats.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the eligibility criteria for the access grant for dentists establishing new dental practices to include those purchasing existing practices.
Answer
We are currently looking atthe eligibility criteria for grant under the Scottish dental access initiativewith a view to making these more flexible.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available for dentists wishing to purchase an existing practice.
Answer
There is currently noassistance available for dentists wishing to purchase an existing practice.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures there are to track those dentists who qualify in Scotland but do not apply for an NHS list number.
Answer
Since 1994-95,data has been collected by the Education, Transport and Lifelong LearningDepartment on the number of dentistry graduates in Scotland in each year. This is brokendown to identify the domicile of the graduates and the first destination of dentistrygraduates from Scottish higher education institutes (categorised into Scotland,rest of the UK, rest of the world, and unknown first destination).
Themost recent information within this “first destination study” is correct as at 2001-02when 80% of these graduates had a first destination in Scotland.
Further tracking is donethrough employment in the NHS. Through this system, first year vocational traineescan be tracked to subsequent jobs in NHSScotland.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many approved salaried dentist posts there are.
Answer
Approval has been grantedfor 113 salaried dentist posts. Not all of these posts are full-time. Theyrange from 0.1 whole time equivalent to 1 whole time equivalent.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists finished their vocational training last year.
Answer
The number ofdentists who finished their vocational training in July 2003 was 92.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol in each year since its formation.
Answer
£612,000 a year, £1.8 millionover three years, has been allocated to Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcoholsince its inception in April 2001.
We are committed tomaintaining at least this level of funding for a further three years until 31 March 2007.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers were sponsored to undertake the Diploma in Social Work by their local authority in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for (a) equipment and (b) adaptations for people with physical disabilities, as referred to in the annual report of the Chief Social Work Inspector, Progress with Complexity: The 2003 National Overview Report, in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This informationwas not collected. Local authorities were asked about systems in place tomonitor and improve waiting times as reported in Equipment and Adaptation Services in Scotland: ASurvey of Waiting Times for Social Work Provision, published in December 2001, copies of whichare available in the Parliaments Reference Centre (Bib number 18415).
- Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much methadone was prescribed in each year since 1999 and what percentage was sugar-free.
Answer
Methadone hydrochloride can be used as a cough suppressant in terminal disease, an opioid analgesic and as a drug used in substance dependence. It is available in the following formulations: linctus; tablets; powder; injections; and oral solutions.
Only oral solutions used in the treatment of substance dependence are available as sugar free.
The table shows the number of prescribed items for all formulations of methadone hydrochloride for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2003 inclusive. Data in the tables refer to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.
| | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Total Prescribed Items | 243,120 | 274,164 | 319,138 | 360,326 |
| Total Sugar Free | 31,753 | 39,050 | 47,469 | 72,482 |
| Percentage Sugar Free | 13.06% | 14.24% | 14.87% | 20.12% |
Source: The information in the table has been provided by ISD.
