- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many delayed payments to farmers of subsidies there are, broken down by region.
Answer
My department has paid the majorityof Common Agricultural Policy 2003 scheme claims and relatively few are still beingprocessed. The target date for the 2003 cattle schemes is 96% by 30 June 2004. A fullregional breakdown of these outstanding cases as at 29 June 2004 is given below. Thefigures exclude all invalid and ineligible claims. Beef Special Premium Scheme andSlaughter Premium Scheme involve more than one claim per producer.
2003 CAP Scheme Claims
| Area Office | AAPS | BSPS | EPS | LFASS | SAPS | SPS | SCPS |
| Ayr | 0 | 194 | 135 | 3 | 10 | 142 | 20 |
| Benbecula | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 5 |
| Dumfries | 0 | 8 | 57 | 0 | 8 | 78 | 9 |
| Elgin | 0 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 5 |
| Gala | 1 | 99 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 75 | 13 |
| Hamilton | 0 | 36 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 42 | 8 |
| Inverness | 0 | 53 | 39 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 13 |
| Grampian | 1 | 223 | 77 | 1 | 14 | 109 | 16 |
| Kirkwall | 0 | 23 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 7 |
| Lairg | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Lerwick | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 20 | 7 |
| Oban | 0 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 20 |
| Perth | 2 | 139 | 64 | 0 | 11 | 118 | 30 |
| Portree | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Stornoway | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 27 | 5 | 22 |
| Thurso | 0 | 16 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 23 | 9 |
| Total being processed | 4 | 932 | 555 | 8 | 167 | 699 | 195 |
| Total Paid | 8,385 | 39,013 | 8,601 | 13,145 | 11,119 | 26,984 | 7,554 |
Notes:
AAPS – Arable Area Payments Scheme.
BSPS– Beef Special Premium Scheme.
EPS - Extensification PaymentScheme.
LFASS – Less-Favoured Areas SupportScheme.
SAPS – Sheep Annual Premium Scheme.
SPS– Slaughter Premium Scheme.
SCPS – Suckler Cow Premium Scheme.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to ensure that NHS boards pay for treatments that they purchase from other boards.
Answer
The new framework for regionalplanning of health services will set out procedures for paying for services providedby other boards and for an arbitration process in the event that boards fail toagree the financial or other arrangements for the cross boundary provision of services.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in order to continue funding free personal care, in light of the projected increase in the si'e of the elderly population over the next 30 years.
Answer
The existing policy on free personal care has been in place for less than two years and the Executive is still monitoring its operation, including in light of the latest population projections.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding the registration of non-EU doctors.
Answer
Registration is a matter reserved to the GMC. The Scottish Executive regularly keeps in contact with UK regulatory bodies and statutory authorities to ensure that these bodies give due regard to NHS Scotland in the exercise of their functions.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the contracting-out of health care provision to independent providers to reduce waiting times for treatment.
Answer
The independent health care sector in Scotland is very small in comparison with England. However, the National Waiting Times Unit will continue to work with independent providers to facilitate the use of their capacity by NHS boards on behalf of NHS patients in support of our waiting times guarantees and targets.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeenshire Council regarding the funding of public services and what the outcomes were of such discussions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive last met with Aberdeenshire Council on 5 May 2004 and discussed issues relating to demand for secure and residential places for young people.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote a higher population and birth rate.
Answer
Population levels are the result of birth rates, death rates and patterns of migration. Birth rates reflect decisions which are for individuals rather than government. Where people do decide to have children the Scottish Executive is providing support through the increased resources being made available for childcare and school education, while the UK Government also has a range of measures to help families with children through the tax and benefit system. As a result of better health care, many more people now survive into adulthood and later life. Managed migration can play an important role in ensuring that we have a vibrant and diverse population, which aids economic growth. The initiative on fresh talent promotes such migration.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in ending the distinction between payments to care homes operated by local authorities and homes in the voluntary and independent sectors.
Answer
Section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 requires local authorities to set the fees for local authority care home places at an amount equivalent to the full cost to the authority of providing them. Under section 26 of that act, payments for independent sector care home places are simply the contract rates agreed between the local authority and the provider. The Executive has no plans to amend this legislation.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision on the Queen Mother's Hospital will be reached.
Answer
I will only reach a decision on this important matter when I have fully considered all of the information available to me and all of the representations made to me.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current basis of funding for care homes of retail price index plus one percent maintains the number of care home beds required.
Answer
The current basis of funding was determined by the National Review Group established by the Scottish Executive, and with a membership drawn alsofrom COSLA and the care sector, to find a long-term solution to the issue of carehome fees. The group’s recommendations, which run until 31 March 2005, were accepted, and have been met in full.
It is for local commissioners of care - local authorities and NHS boards - to determine what level of provision is required to meet local needs and to seek to secure an appropriate range of services.
