- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 31 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all Scots have equal access to the national health service.
Answer
The Scottish Health Plan re-iterates our commitment to the founding principle of the NHS - that access to care should be based on need, not on ability to pay.But inequalities in access can occur for many reasons, such as social exclusion and variations in service provision. The Scottish Health Plan provides a comprehensive programme for tackling the root causes of inequalities in health and introducing national priorities and standards which the NHS is expected to meet.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 30 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the registered community council insurance schemes which currently exist, giving the rates paid and the claim excesses operated, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive applications under the Rural Stewardship Scheme.
Answer
In advance of the regulations for the scheme coming into operation, any applications received by SERAD Area Offices are being held as an expression of interest in joining the scheme. Once the Regulations come into force, those who have submitted an expression of interest will be asked whether they wish that to be treated as an application to join the scheme and, if so, it will be processed in the normal manner.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what screening tests are offered to pregnant women.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has issued guidance to NHSScotland recommending antenatal screening for syphilis, hepatitis B and Down's Syndrome and neural tube defects. In addition, the Framework for Maternity Services suggests that screening for fetal abnormality by ultrasound scan should be offered to pregnant women.Screening is offered to women in accordance with policies in each NHS Trust area and according to the clinical needs of the women and her choice in the uptake of the services offered.Guidelines have also been issued advising health boards that they should consider adopting local policies to encourage voluntary named HIV testing for women attending antenatal clinics in areas with higher prevalence of HIV. These guidelines are currently being revised.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what health screening tests are routinely conducted on pre-school children.
Answer
The National Pre-School Screening Programme is carried out on the advice of the Children's Sub-Group of the National Screening Committee and currently screens for visual and hearing problems as well as some congenital conditions such as phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism and eye and hip anomalies.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it has given Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust to balance its deficit and what extra resources it will make available to address any increasing demands on the trust.
Answer
Grampian Health Board received an additional 5.5% allocation in 2001-02 and it is forecast to receive an increase of 6.5% in 2002-03 and 7.4% in 2003-04; uplifts which considerably exceed inflation.The health board will consider how these additional funds will be utilised having regard to national priorities and local health needs. The Scottish Executive Health Department is in discussions with Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust and Grampian Health Board about their plans to deliver services within the resources available to them. Following these discussions a timetable for repayment of historic overspending will be agreed.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority vehicles have been converted to date for liquid petroleum gas fuel use.
Answer
Since 1996 the Powershift grant scheme in Scotland has assisted the purchase or conversion of 133 local authority vehicles to run on either liquid petroleum gas or compressed natural gas. The Executive does not hold statistics on vehicle conversions or purchases that have taken place without Powershift assistance.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its target is for the level of swimming facilities which should be provided by local authorities per 15,000 persons.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for the provision of leisure and recreation facilities, including swimming pools, in their area and the Scottish Executive does not set targets for facility provision.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether crime which is reported to the police is recorded in a consistent way across all police forces and how it monitors the consistency of such recording.
Answer
Continuing efforts are made to ensure that police forces record crime in as consistent a way as possible through circulation of guidance in the Criminal Statistics Handbook. The guidance is discussed with police representatives through the Scottish Criminal Statistics Committee and is ratified by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.Audit visits to police forces are made by the crime statistics team to monitor police recording practice and confirm that the guidance is being followed. It is also a regular feature of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Primary Inspections to audit processes and procedures used within forces to record crime.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to complement the Scottish Gas carbon monoxide awareness campaign.
Answer
The Executive welcomed the campaign, part of which was the dissemination of information to health professionals and the public. On 15 February, the Chief Medical Officer wrote to all NHS Trusts, health boards and Directors of Public Health to draw attention to the leaflet Carbon Monoxide: The Forgotten Killer produced by Scottish Gas. The Minister for Health and Community Care took part in the campaign launch on 16 February.
