- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a multi-modal corridor study covering the A82 between Anniesland and the Erskine Bridge and the A814 between the Clyde Tunnel and the Erskine Bridge.
Answer
The Executive has no current plans to conduct a multi-modal study covering these sections of road. These are local roads and decisions on these matters are the responsibility of Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council, as the local roads authorities for the area.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish hospices will benefit in the same way as hospices in England and Wales from additional central government funding for palliative care and, if so, whether the transition arrangements will be similar north and south of the border.
Answer
The funding arrangements for voluntary hospices in Scotland are not the same as those in England. Voluntary hospices already receive an average of 36.7% of their funding from NHS boards and we expect this proportion to increase to 50% of agreed costs by the start of the 2006-07 financial year.
These arrangements are set out in the Health Department letter: HDL(2003)18 available at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/mels/HDL2003_18.pdf.
NHS boards also provide their own palliative care services alongside voluntary hospices, and meet the costs of these services entirely from within their allocated funding. Since 2002, NHS boards have invested £2.4 million a year from the additional Cancer in Scotland investment to support and develop palliative care services and this benefits the services provided by both NHS boards and voluntary hospices.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to issue a public consultation on the review of the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland.
Answer
The responsibility for the review of the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland (NHS Scheme) lies with the Scottish NHS HR Forum (HRF). HRF have tasked the review to the Scottish Pensions Review Group (SPensiR).
SPensiR have today launched a public consultation on the review of the NHS scheme. The consultation document contains options and recommendations for a new NHS scheme for new staff, and transitional arrangements for existing staff.
The public consultation will run until 25 April 2005, and the consultation document can be accessed at www.scotland.gov.uk/sppa. Copies havebeen placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35022).
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 21 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether opportunities are provided in the school curriculum to deal with issues surrounding death and bereavement and whether such issues are included in teacher training.
Answer
There is scope in the curriculum to address the issues of death and bereavement within the context of the National 5-14 Guidelines, principally in the guidance on personal and social development which is essentially concerned with the development of life skills. Decisions on what and how to teach rest with education authorities and schools in response to local circumstances.
The Scottish Executive has no information to suggest that issues relating to death and bereavement are specifically covered within teacher training. Continuing professional development courses covering social and personal issues include guidance on effective counselling skills.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 20 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to the unanticipated use of the reallotment provisions within the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 regarding the transfer of feudal superiority over certain domestic properties.
Answer
The Abolition of Feudal Tenureetc. (Scotland) Act made provision for former superiors to preservecertain rights. The Scottish Executive is not aware that these are being used ina way which was not anticipated.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many health workers from developing countries are currently employed by the NHS.
Answer
This information is not held centrally at present. However, work is currently underway to improve the quality of information we hold about health care workers.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that hospices that provide services for NHS patients receive funding that reflects the different needs of such patients.
Answer
NHS boards should be providing 50% of the costs of services that hospices provide on their behalf by no later than the beginning of the financial year 2006-07. There is an understanding that the 50% commitment should apply only to the elements of hospices’ running costs that have been agreed by both partners and these elements should be specified in the service agreement between the board and the hospice.
Full details of this arrangement are set out in the Health Department letter: HDL(2003)18 available at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/mels/HDL2003_18.pdf.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been made available for specialist palliative care services in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow, (b) NHS Argyll and Clyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.
Answer
Since 2001-02, a portion of the Cancer Strategy funding has been used to provide additional support for palliative care services such as medical, nursing andpharmacy staffing, training and equipment for use in the community. The value ofthese additional resources in 2004-05 is (a) £360,000 in Greater Glasgow (b) £100,000 in Argyll and Clyde, and (c) £2.4 million in Scotland as a whole.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration is being given to introducing an NHS code of practice on the recruitment of health workers that explicitly prevents the targeting of developing countries for active recruitment.
Answer
Yes. The Scottish Executive is currently considering a Code of Practice for International Recruitment for NHSScotland health care personnel.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce national eligibility criteria for access to palliative care to prevent any anomalies arising due to different criteria being applied by different NHS boards and local authorities.
Answer
Our policy is that palliative care should be available to everyone who needs it. A number of Managed Clinical Networks are already in place to plan and provide palliative care services and they would be expected to ensure fair and consistent access to palliative care within their areas.
