- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published any guidelines for local authorities on the gritting of roads during winter weather conditions and, if so, whether it will place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Local authorities carry out winter maintenance duties on all motorways, with the exception of the M74 between Millbank and Gretna, and trunk roads on behalf of the Scottish Executive in accordance with the requirements of the term management and maintenance contracts for the trunk road network and the Code of Practice for Winter Maintenance for Trunk Roads. The Code complements the arrangements which each local authority has in place for its own local roads.A copy of the Code of Practice has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 15 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the availability of supply teachers, it has issued or intends to issue any policy guidelines on the continued employment of teachers who have reached retirement age and wish to continue in a teaching capacity.
Answer
The employment of supply teachers is a matter for local authorities. I would expect them to take due account of the impact on children's education when deciding whom to employ. There are no statutory impediments to retired teachers providing supply cover.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Scottish Ambulance Service has made in implementing the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive and what the anticipated timescale is for full compliance.
Answer
Most of the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive present no difficulty for the Scottish Ambulance Service and are already in place. There remain, however, a number of issues to be addressed. The Scottish Ambulance Service has established a Joint Working Party comprising management & trade unions representatives on the Working Time Directive to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into the effects on the health and competence of staff, either in the Scottish Ambulance Service or the health service in general, of preceding or following periods of full-time work with lengthy periods of "on-call" work and, if so, whether it will make this research available.
Answer
The health and safety of all staff in the NHS is of paramount importance. It is the clear responsibility of all NHS employers to ensure that they are doing all that they can to safeguard their staff.While the Scottish Executive has not carried out any specific research we have recently published an Occupational Health and Safety Strategy which includes the need for employers to undertake a risk assessment of all tasks and activities and implement policies aimed at reducing incidents in the workplace.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to the Scottish Ambulance Service on the appropriate balance between full time manned services and the provision of "on-call" services at ambulance stations.
Answer
The issue of balancing full-time manned services and on-call arrangements at ambulance stations is a matter for the management of the Scottish Ambulance Service to consider. The Scottish Executive has not issued any specific guidelines on this issue but has issued guidance on compliance with the provisions set out in the EU Working Time Directive as it relates to the working hours and patterns of staff.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has compiled or plans to compile statistics to show the times taken to respond to a call for assistance when that call is responded to by an ambulance which is being operated on an "on-call" basis and, if so, whether it will make these statistics available.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to compile and publish such statistics. This is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. Each of its eight Management Divisions routinely review the workload and performance of ambulance stations, including those operating on-call arrangements.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the most recent available data on the use of "on-call" services by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to compile and publish such statistics. This is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. Each of its eight Management Divisions routinely review the workload and performance of ambulance stations, including those operating on call arrangements.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to bring forward any proposals which will ensure that those students in the South of Scotland who require to study in the North of England out of geographic or social necessity rather than academic choice can do so on the same financial basis as students resident in Scotland studying in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to bring forward proposals to extend the package of support to Scottish domiciled students studying elsewhere in the UK. The Executive's view is that to do so would run the risk of the UK being held to be in breach of EU law. The Executive will, however, examine all aspects of the new support scheme as the detail is developed and will consult all those with an interest.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 7 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister will use his visit to Crichton Campus in Dumfries on 21 January as an opportunity to consider its suitability as the location of the headquarters of the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer
Detailed consideration is being given to a number of potential sites including the Crichton Campus. The purpose of the First Minister's visit on 21 January was to open officially the Crichton Campus which is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, the University of Paisley, Bell College and Dumfries and Galloway College.
- Asked by: David Mundell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 7 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crichton Campus in Dumfries is one of the locations being considered for the headquarters of the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer
Detailed consideration is presently being given to a number of sites, including the Crichton Campus, to ensure a location that best meets the business requirements of the Scottish University for Industry is identified.
