- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 1 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that businesses in Dumfries and Galloway are aware of, and able to take advantage of, any assistance available to them from the projects in the south of Scotland receiving the European Structural Fund grants announced on 5 April 2001.
Answer
Businesses benefit from the structural funds through participation in projects and schemes operated by partner bodies, rather than by applying directly.The South of Scotland European Partnership is working closely with partner bodies, including the local enterprise companies and the local authorities, who have responsibility for developing, implementing and promoting programmes and schemes appropriate to the needs of businesses in the south of Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway, and in accordance with the rules governing the Structural Funds.The Programme Complement, which sets out the detail of the programme, includes a comprehensive Communications Action Plan, which provides for the Programme Management Executive to publicise the benefits of structural funds to a range of bodies including trade organisations and businesses.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10988 by Susan Deacon on 22 February 2001, what short- and medium-term targets it has for the number of GP surgeries to have the facility to make online hospital appointments.
Answer
As explained in the answers to questions S1W-10986 and S1W-10988, the facility to make online outpatient appointments is part of a wider range of clinical communications between primary and secondary care which form the ECCI Programme. These facilities are being implemented throughout NHSScotland in three phases. The first (lead sites) phase is currently under way and the second and third phases are at various stages of detailed project planning. It is not possible at this stage particularly in respect of the second and third phases to specify short- and medium-term targets for one specific aspect of the ECCI Programme.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 13 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minster or the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning have any plans to meet Governor Gilmore of the US State of Virginia when he is in Scotland in April to discuss digital communications opportunities.
Answer
Answer expected on 13 March 2001
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish a body with equivalent responsibilities to the Countryside Agency in England.
Answer
The Executive has no plans at present to establish such a body.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations it has made as to whether any European Union funding is available to alleviate any aspect of the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
Answer
We have had constructive discussions with the European Commission on a wide range of issues. Examples of the positive results achieved thus far include:
(a) the Commission has agreed to consider an EU contribution towards the costs of compensation to livestock producers who have had stock culled;(b) payment of around £46 million in EU livestock subsidies at the earliest date permissible under EU legislation. Payments under the new Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, which also receives EU funding, bring the total of subsidies paid to Scottish producers in the last month to around £100 million;(c) Commission agreement to EU funding towards the costs of agri-monetary compensation, which will be worth around £24 million in total to Scottish producers.Other EU funding, such as the Structural Funds and the resources allocated to the Scottish Rural Development Plan, will also bring significant benefits to rural areas affected by the outbreak. However, we have already confirmed with the Commission that these resources could not be redeployed to compensate individuals or businesses for economic losses caused by the foot and mouth emergency.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to ensure that the 2001 Census goes ahead in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
It is essential that rural residents are fully counted in the Census alongside those from urban areas because very substantial resources are allocated on the basis of Census statistics. The Registrar General for Scotland has made arrangements for postal delivery of Census forms to households, where normal delivery by Enumerators is not possible because the area is infected or where access is limited.In infected areas Enumerators are instructed not to hand deliver forms to any livestock holding premises or to any rural premises where the approach would involve driving off a metalled road.In all areas Enumerators are instructed to observe scrupulously any signs restricting access and will comply at all times with any local disinfecting arrangements in place at the time.The arrangements made by the Registrar General, in consultation with the Government Veterinary Service, have the support of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, the Scottish Landowners Federation and the Scottish Crofters Union. A copy of the News Release issued by the Registrar General on 20 March is held on the Scottish Executive website pages covering foot-and-mouth disease:www.scotland.gov.uk/agri/footandmouth/news.asp
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies there have been in relation to ensuring the security of patient records held on the NHSnet, who was consulted in the course of any such studies and what the result of any such studies were.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14506.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of any studies into the security of the NHSnet in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 to date, in both cash terms and expressed as a percentage of the NHS information and communication technology budget.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14506.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to ensure that patient records held on the NHSnet would be 100% secure from hackers.
Answer
NHSnet is an UK-wide secure network connecting NHS organisations. The network service is provided by BT and Cable & Wireless as a managed service. The contracts are supervised by the NHS Information Authority based in England. NHSScotland works closely with the authority to ensure effective operation of the network in Scotland. Ongoing study and improvement of the security of the network is provided as an integral part of the managed network service operated by the contractors and the authority. The authority commissions an independent organisation to carry out regular tests that have confirmed that security arrangements between the public Internet and NHSnet are effective. The cost of this work is borne by the Information Authority. NHSScotland has not undertaken any separate studies.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 23 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13560 by Angus MacKay on 28 March 2001, whether it will send an official observer to the Promoting Electronic Governance Conference and, if so, whether it will make a report from the conference available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The Scottish Executive sent an official observer to the Promoting Electronic Government (PEG) Conference held in Birmingham from 21 to 22 March 2001.The Executive has no plans to make available a report from the conference in the Parliament's Information Centre. The PEG website (www.peg.org.uk) provides an information source for much of the work undertaken by PEG.Following the conference Executive officials have discussed with PEG how Scottish local authorities might take advantage of the work that PEG is undertaking. The head of the organisation has accepted an invitation to provide a short presentation to the Central Local 21st Century Government Forum (CLGF) meeting on 1 May. Mr Peacock will chair the meeting.The minutes of the CLGF meeting will be published on the Executive’s 21st Century Government website.
