Chamber and committees

When I spoke at the Scottish Pensioner’s Forum Annual Conference in June, I set out my commitment towork with local agencies to improve services and support for older people, in particularfor those in need. I have already confirmed that individual funding for free personalcare will be uprated in line with inflation next April.

When I met nationalorganisations representing older people last month I confirmed our commitment toestablish a National Forum on Ageing to ensure that older people have their viewsand concerns considered in how we improve national policy and local service deliveryin all parts of Scotland.

Data on the incidenceof coronary heart disease (CHD) at council level area are produced by InformationServices Division of NHS National Services Scotland and can be viewed at:http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/oct06_IC3.xls.

These data will beupdated in October 2007.

The West DunbartonshireCommunity Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures, in both the shortand long term, to reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction in its population,many of them linked to its status as a Wave 2 “Keep Well” area.

The increasing incidenceof cancer across Scotland was predicted in Cancer Scenarios, publishedby the Scottish Executive in 2001. While incidence is rising, but not as rapidlyas predicted in 2001, at the same time the death rate from cancer is going down.This means that more and more people are surviving after cancer. Currently, theindications are that we will meet the 2010 target of a 20 per cent reduction inthe cancer mortality rate in the under-75s. Figures show that since 1995 the ratehas decreased by 18.1 per cent.

The Scottish CancerStrategy, Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change, which is currently beingupdated, is a wide ranging plan to help control the burden of cancer in Scotland. As well as delivering more than 300 additional doctors,nurses and other health professionals and significant improvements in radiotherapyand other equipment and related services across all NHS boards, the plan was underpinnedby a health improvement strategy which has most recently seen the roll out of KeepWell projects in targeted areas across the country. In addition, when taken togetherthe ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces, information and education on prevention including lifestyle issues; developingsmoking cessation services, changing cultural attitudes to alcohol consumption andproviding better alternatives for people represent a comprehensive approach aimedat improving health across the board.

It was announced inFebruary 2007 that West Dunbartonshire will be one of the Community Health Partnershipsinvolved in Wave 2 of the Keep Well Programme. It is proposed that Glasgow and Clyde will be receiving £5 million over a two yearperiod to implement this and West Dunbartonshire will receive aproportion of this allocation. The aim of the Keep Well programme is to increasethe rate of health improvement (ages 45 to 64 years) with particular focus on earlyintervention by enhancing primarycare services in deprived communities to deliver anticipatory care. Health checksare therefore initially targeted at people with the highest risk of preventableill-health.

As a first step thisaim will be achieved through a risk assessment carried out by a health care practitionerat a patient Keep Well Health Check. Based on assessed need a range of NHS and non-NHStreatments, services and supports are provided thereafter. This may include interventionssuch as drug therapy, healthy eating advice, physical activity classes, smokingcessation support, alcohol interventions, benefits advice and assistance in gainingemployment. The outcomes of these interventions such as smoking cessation may helpto reduce the incidence of cancer.

The Scottish Governmentwill decide on future funding for tackling deprivation as part of the spending reviewprocess.

Data on the incidenceof acute myocardial infarction at council level area are produced by InformationServices Division of NHS National Services Scotland and can be viewed at:http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/oct06_IC4.xls.

These data will beupdated in October 2007.

The West DunbartonshireCommunity Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures to address inequalitiesboth in the short and long-term to reduce the incidence of myocardial infarctionin its population, many of them linked to its status as a Wave 2 “Keep Well” area.

The total outstandingstudent loan debt from Scottish borrowers at the 31 March 2007 was £1,953,784,457. This figure is made up of £1,845,726,000of debt held by the Scottish Government and £108,058,457 of sold debt held by privatesector institutions.

The planning and provisionof primary and community based healthcare services in Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie is a matter for the East and West DunbartonshireCommunity Health Partnerships (CHPs) within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Each CHP in Scotlandshould have in place a local delivery and development plan which it would have agreedwith its NHS board. This would have been based on an assessment of local need andinclude local priorities for action together with plans for service improvementto support these priorities.

CHPs have delegatedresponsibility and resources from their NHS board for all primary and communitybased health care services and are therefore accountable to their NHS board on howthese resources are used and the services provided.

The West DunbartonshireCommunity Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures, in both the shortand long term, to reduce the incidence of stroke in its population, many of themlinked to its status as a Wave 2 ‘”Keep Well” area. These include a range of secondaryprevention services to support patients who have had a stroke, in order to reducethe risk of a further stroke.

The mode oftransport by which ministers travel to and from ministerial engagements is notalways recorded, unless required for business purposes. The informationprovided is as complete as our records allow.

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change hastravelled by foot and by public transport when making the journey to and from anumber of ministerial engagements in Edinburgh. Heintends to continue to do this, on a regular basis, as and when business andhis diary allows.

As at 1 August 2007, the minister has made 59 journeys by car. Thisfigure includes any private car hire and journeys where the car was shared withother ministers. He has made one journey by air.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3600 on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.