- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has offered to Grampian NHS Board to attract dentists to take up community practice in the board's area.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has introduced a number of measures to recruit and retain dentists within NHS general dental services. These include the availability of grants under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative for dentists wishing to set up or expand NHS practices in areas of poor access or high oral health need and a package of recruitment and retention measures. The recruitment and retention package includes payments to vocational trainees taking up vocational training in designated areas, including Grampian, and payments to dentists entering substantive general dental practice in designated areas within three months of completion of training.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive why private school bus operators in Aberdeenshire were required to purchase fare recording systems when the local authority did not own any of the necessary reading equipment and where this equipment is not required on buses that accept passengers on demand.
Answer
I understand this is a matter for Aberdeenshire Council. Electronic ticketing machines are not required on school transport services which are contracted only to carry entitled pupils.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what road safety measures it plans to put in place at accident spots on the A90 in Aberdeenshire in the next three years.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's annual Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) programme will investigate the following sites on the A90 in Aberdeenshire during 2003-04.A90/B9120 junction at Laurencekirk;Bridge of Muchalls;Schoolhill Junction at Portlethen, andA90/A956 Charlestown Interchange.Other low-cost road safety measures are currently being carried out at various locations, including the installation of safety cameras.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what directions it has given Aberdeenshire Council regarding its share of the #15 million awarded to local authorities for local roads maintenance.
Answer
None. The additional funding which we announced for all councils on 31 January, to carry out works to local roads will form part of the overall local government settlement. Full details of the settlement will be notified to local authorities in the near future: Aberdeenshire Council's share will be in excess of £1.1 million.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive why concessionary bus pass holders cannot travel into another local authority area using their pass without making a further payment.
Answer
The conditions of carriage for concessionary fares schemes, including rules on cross-boundary travel, are subject to contractual arrangements between transport authorities and bus operators. Certain schemes permit cross-boundary travel to a limited number of approved destinations at a concessionary or free fare. The decision on whether to offer this benefit, however, is for the local transport authority to make in relation to each particular scheme.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding support it will give to Aberdeenshire Council to assist with the raising of the B974 road level at Strachan to minimise the risk of road closures caused by flooding.
Answer
Local roads, such as the B974 at Strachan, are the responsibility of Aberdeenshire Council as the local roads authority for the area.On 31 January, we announced additional funding to help all councils in Scotland carry out works to local roads and bridges. It is for councils to determine their own priorities and allocate resources accordingly.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 17 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a task force to consider any difficulties facing the economies of Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Macduff.
Answer
No. The Executive believe that the identification of local priorities for economic development and the delivery of co-ordinated economic development activities is dealt with most effectively by partnerships of local organisations and agencies. The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Local Economic Forum provides a robust mechanism for driving forward an agreed economic agenda for the area. Scottish Enterprise Grampian, a member of the forum, will continue to follow the Smart, Successful Scotland strategy, by taking action to encourage the growth of businesses, improvements in skills and the creation of new employment opportunities. There are already in place effective arrangements for dealing with redundancy situations and in the event of job losses, support will be provided to those affected through a dedicated local response team under the Executive's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment framework. This will ensure a rapid response from local agencies in terms of offering advice, support and guidance on the wide range of retraining, upskilling and employment opportunities.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional staff are required in each NHS board area, and at what level, to provide day care support to patients with an eating disorder.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33721 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will not implement the recommendations in the report by the Office of Fair Trading, The control of entry regulations and retail pharmacy services in the UK, on community pharmacy contracts and proceed with its own plans for the development of community pharmacy services.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently considering the Office of Fair Trading report in detail and consulting widely with all key stakeholders. It is committed to the principles and objectives of its strategy for pharmacy services, The Right Medicine, including the development of community pharmacy services.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients (a) under 21 years, (b) from 21 to 40 years and (c) over 40 years died as a result of an eating disorder in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.
Answer
The table shows the number of deaths from anorexia nervosa. No deaths were recorded from bulimia nervosa during the period. Given the small numbers involved the information has not been provided by NHS board area.
| Age Group | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Under 21 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 21 to 39 | 1 | - | 3 | - | - |
| 40 and Over | 2 | - | - | 2 | 1 |
Source: General Register Office for Scotland.
