- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address any staff shortages in the ear, nose and throat department of Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust in response to recent instances of check-up appointments being cancelled several times.
Answer
This is a matter for Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, if necessary in consultation with Grampian Health Board. These bodies are responsible for assessing health service requirements in their area and for determining priorities within the increased resources we are making available to NHSScotland.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the decision to refuse compensation to patients with haemophilia who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood products.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made in administrative costs due to the abolition of fundholding practices, broken down by health board area.
Answer
The £13.5 million which was formally paid as a management allowance to GP fundholding practices has been allocated to health boards on a capitation basis to support the development of Local Healthcare Co-operatives. LHCCs play a vital role in the planning and delivery of health improvement and healthcare services at a local level.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the criteria for assessing the maximum number of pupils which schools can accommodate in the light of any increased space requirements flowing from, for example, increasing use of IT in classrooms.
Answer
It is the responsibility of individual authorities to determine the capacities of their schools. However, during the passage of the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, Ministers agreed to review issues relating to school capacity in the light of the new provisions on placing requests. This review will include the effects of increasing use of IT equipment in schools.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether current regulations place any restrictions on the cremation of human organs or body parts.
Answer
It is not for the Executive to interpret the statute. But, as The Independent Review Group on the Retention of Organs at Post Mortem, chaired by Professor Sheila McLean, noted in its recently published report, it appears there is nothing in the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 1935 to support the view that body parts may not be cremated. The report also urges the British Cremation Authority to deal with the reported problem of some crematoria appearing unwilling to cremate individual organs. I have asked officials to consider whether there is a need to amend the Regulations in order to remove any lack of clarity on this point.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 14 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all of the facilities in Scotland licensed for the disposal of clinical waste.
Answer
The licensing of facilities for the disposal of clinical and other wastes is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is held on the agency's public register.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed plans for a national concessionary fare scheme will lead to the abolition of administration charges for concessionary fare cards.
Answer
I have opened discussions with CoSLA on implementing the enhancement to existing concessionary travel schemes to provide free off-peak bus travel by October 2002. As part of those discussions I am also seeking to make progress on a number of other associated issues, including the potential for abolition of charges on concessionary travel cards, which apply in some local authorities but not in others.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities make an administration charge for the issuing of concessionary fare cards and what the level of any such charge is in each local authority area.
Answer
The details, from the latest information we have available, are as follows:
| Local Authority | Concession Card Charge |
| Aberdeen City Council | £5 per annum |
| Aberdeenshire CouncilMoray Council(Joint Scheme) | £5 per annum |
| Angus Council | £2.50 for 5 year travel card |
| City of Edinburgh CouncilEast Lothian CouncilMidlothian Council(Joint Scheme) | Free of Charge - 5 year travel cardFree of Charge - 4 year travel cardFree of Charge - 4 year travel card |
| Clackmannanshire CouncilFalkirk CouncilStirling Council(Joint Scheme) | Free of Charge |
| Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar | £4 per annum |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | Annual Travel Card - £10 (free travel)or5 Year Travel Card - £2 (10p flat fare) |
| Dundee City Council | £1 for 3 year travel card |
| Fife Council | Free of charge - 5 year travel card |
| Highland Council | £3 for 5 year travel card |
| Orkney Islands Council | Free of charge |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £2.50 for 5 year travel card |
| Scottish Borders Council | £3 per annum |
| Shetland Islands Council | Free of Charge - unlimited |
| SPTA* | Free of Charge |
| West Lothian Council | Free of Charge |
* The scheme operated by the SPTA covers the whole of the following local authority areas:Argyll and Bute North AyrshireEast Ayrshire North LanarkshireEast Dunbartonshire RenfrewshireEast Renfrewshire South AyrshireCity of Glasgow South LanarkshireInverclyde West Dunbartonshire
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 8 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the factors to be taken into account in assessing needs for the first and second Arbuthnott formulae.
Answer
The key influences on the relative healthcare needs of each health board's population are population, the age and sex structure, morbidity and life circumstances, and remoteness. The specific factors that were taken into account by the Steering Group in assessing the influence of these factors are described fully in the first report (and accompanying technical report) and in the final report.The most significant change in the final report is the use of a single index (the Arbuthnott index) to reflect the influence of the factors that influence healthcare needs. This is based on four indicators: mortality rates among people under 65, unemployment, elderly people on income support, and households with multiple indicators of deprivation. The development of this index is set out in the final report.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 8 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether unemployment rates are double-counted in the second Arbuthnott formula.
Answer
The unemployment rate is one of the factors that are taken into account in calculating the Arbuthnott index, and this index is used to assess the influence of morbidity and life circumstances on the need for healthcare. It is not used in any other part of the formula and therefore unemployment rates are not double counted.
