- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a review of the eligibility criteria for free personal care will be carried out.
Answer
Sections 1 and 2 and Schedule 1 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 and the regulationsmade under the act require that personal care be provided free by localauthorities to those aged 65 and over who need it, as recommended by the CareDevelopment Group.
The group also made clear inits report that all eligibility for free personal and nursing care should besubject to an assessment of care needs arranged by the local authority.
It is proposed to review the guidance on Free Personal and Nursing Care In Scotland (Circular CCD5/2003).
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 24 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for area tourist boards to become city region based.
Answer
The ministerial group on tourismhas been examining the state of Scottish tourism, and the public expendituredevoted to it. We are considering the area tourist board review in the contextof these wider issues. It is important that any reshaping of the area tourist boardstructure is right for today’s market and will stand us in good stead for thefuture. We hope to announce the goup’s conclusions in due course.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 19 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has issued to local authority planning departments since 1999 in respect of dealing with wind farm applications with regard to the effects of wind farms on human amenity, safety and health.
Answer
National Planning PolicyGuideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments and Planning Advice Note 45: Renewable Energy Technologies wererevised in 2000 and 2002 respectively to give guidance and advice on allthe major issues that are likely to arise in relation to wind farm proposals.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider postponing any final decisions on the forthcoming regulations on permissible maximum dosage levels for food supplements listed in the Food Supplements (Scotland) Regulations 2003 until the completion of the National Association of Health Stores' judicial review into the science underpinning the EU Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC.
Answer
I have been advised by theFood Standards Agency that the implementation in Scotland of Europeanlegislation on maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in foodsupplements will take place within the time laid down in the legislation onceit is agreed. The agency do not expect theCommission's proposal on maximum levels for another two to three years.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 11 February 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer what plans there are for an opening ceremony for the new Scottish Parliament building.
Answer
A number of options arestill being considered for the opening ceremony but no decision has been madeyet on the nature of the ceremony. As soon as a decision is reached I willinform Parliament.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 11 February 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer what the projected budget, inclusive of staff costs, is for the opening ceremony for the new Scottish Parliament building.
Answer
No decision has been made yet on the nature of the opening ceremony and therefore no specific budget has been allocated for this purpose. The Clerk/Chief Executive stated in evidence he gave to the Finance Committee on Tuesday 25 November that any funding required would be met from the contingency budget for 2004-05. Costs will be afactor in deciding what is appropriate for the opening ceremony and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body would always seek to avoid any unnecessary expense.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when regulations will be introduced stating the permissible maximum dosage levels for food supplements listed in the Food Supplements (Scotland) Regulations 2003 and what scientific sources have been used to arrive at these levels.
Answer
I have been advised by theFood Standards Agency that Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive lays outa framework for the future setting of maximum permitted levels of vitamins andminerals in food supplements. The European Commission will, in due course, makea proposal for EU maximum permitted levels based on its interpretation ofArticle 5 of the Directive and scientific advice from the European Food SafetyAuthority (EFSA). The agency do not expect theCommission's proposal for another 2-3 years. Once the proposal has been agreedall Member States will be obliged to implement its provisions into national lawwithin the time laid down in the legislation. EFSA is continuing the task begunby the former Scientific Committee on Food to set tolerable upper intake levelsfor vitamins and minerals based on scientific risk assessment using relevantscientific data.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will roll out the Grampian NHS Board model for carer support and support for self medication for those with chronic conditions.
Answer
I understand that the carersupport model in question is linked to a wider patient/public informationstrategy that Grampian NHS Board is now consulting on and that, amongst otherthings, the model focuses on identifying carers and signposting them to sourcesof advice and support. The Executive is currently working with NHS, localauthority and carer representatives to draw up national guidance to health boardson the introduction of NHS Carer Information Strategies, as provided for in theCommunity Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002. The strategies will focus on careridentification and the provision of appropriate information to carers. Ourguidance will prescribe minimum standards but will also leave room for localflexibility in recognition that some boards, like Grampian, are already takingthis important agenda forward.
The latter part of thequestion presumably refers to the medicines management pilot study which is currentlyunderway in Grampian. The study is aimed at helping paid care workers toassist in administering medicines safely and to record such administration. Thenumbers involved in the initial study were small and I understand that GrampianNHS Board plans to extend the scheme. The benefits of the pilot would need tobe assessed and the Executive will continue to keep in touch with theinitiative and its outcomes.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many neurologists with expertise in Parkinson's disease there are, broken down by NHS board area
Answer
The information requested is not centrally available. However, the table identifies the number of neurologists by NHS board.
Table 1 – Neurology Consultants in Post (Headcount) by NHS Board (as at 30 September 2002)
| Health Board | Headcount (At 30 September 2002) |
| Scotland 1 | 47 |
| Argyll and Clyde | - |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 1 |
| Borders | - |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1 |
| Fife | 3 |
| Forth Valley | 4 |
| Grampian | 6 |
| Greater Glasgow | 21 |
| Highland | - |
| Lanarkshire | 1 |
| Lothian | 13 |
| Orkney | - |
| Shetland | - |
| Tayside | 5 |
| Western Isles | - |
| Common Services Agency | - |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | - |
| State Hospital | - |
| Special Health Boards | - |
Note:
1. The totals may not equal the sum of their sub groups, as the effect of double counting has been eliminated. For example, if a consultant works in two specialties/health boards, they will be counted once in each specialty/health board, but just once in the overall total.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate recent fatal road accidents in Aberdeenshire and publish the results.
Answer
Each year the ScottishExecutive analyses accidents across the trunk road network in order to identifyand bring forward an annual programme of targeted road safety improvements. Inaddition, whenever a fatal accident occurs on the network the trunk roadoperating company carries out a site investigation with the local police in aneffort to identify any additional measures which might be implemented. Siteinvestigations often contain sensitive and confidential information, which wedo not publish. Trunk road accidents in Aberdeenshire are included in thisprocess.
The investigation of fatalroad accidents on local roads in Aberdeenshire is a matter for AberdeenshireCouncil.
