- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 20 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23739 by Mr Andy Kerr on 10 March 2006, whether a proposal for service change submitted to him without an assessment of the impact of the proposed change on the travel arrangements of patients, carers, visitors and staff, will be returned to the NHS board as incomplete.
Answer
When a proposal for a servicechange is submitted to the Scottish Executive for approval, we expect the impactof the proposed change on the travel arrangements of patients, carers, visitorsand staff to be fully assessed. Where this has been carried out inadequately, wewill ask for further travel impact assessment work before a decision is reached.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the position whereby grandparents who look after their grandchildren receive either no financial help or significantly less than other foster carers.
Answer
We are considering this issuein the context of the draft Adoption Bill.
We are also awaiting publicationof research on kinship care in Scotland, commissioned by the Social Work InspectionAgency (SWIA) as part of their wider review on looked after children. SWIA hopeto publish this shortly and we will consider any issues raised in the review.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19268 by Robert Brown on 29 September 2005, when the review of services and outcomes for children and young people looked after by local authorities in Scotland, which was expected to be published in November 2005, will be published.
Answer
Professor Aldgate’s study willbe published as one of the supporting reports for the review of services and outcomesfor looked after children being undertaken by the Social Work Inspection Agency.The review is in process for publication in May.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers the results of its study into traffic levels, as reported in The Herald on 15 February 2006, will have in respect of the proposed upgrade of the A80.
Answer
Measures have been developedto stabilise traffic on the M80 route. This issue was addressed at the Public LocalInquiry held in October 2005 to consider the objections to the published draft roadorders. The Reporter submitted his report in February and it is now under activeconsideration. A decision will be announced in due course.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect slow-moving traffic would have on the human environment of those living close to the route of the new motorway resulting from the proposed upgrade of the A80.
Answer
Noise and air pollution are assessedin the environmental appraisal for the scheme. An Environmental Statement was publishedwith the draft Orders and is available on the Transport Scotland website. A supplementarystudy was carried out into the public health impacts of the scheme. This concludedthat there would be no measurable impacts on health as a result of the proposedscheme.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the results of its study into traffic levels, as reported in The Herald on 15 February 2006, will have on the road haulage industry.
Answer
The Faber Maunsell study
TermCommission for the Evaluation and Review of Local Authority Road Traffic ReductionTargets was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and published on 13 February 2006.
Evidence suggests that road trafficlevels are still rising. Increasing traffic levels could affect the road haulageindustry’s ability to operate effectively and efficiently with the risk that journeytimes increase and become less reliable. We are currently developing a NationalFreight Strategy for Scotland which will ensure that the needs of the freight industryare taken into account in the development of transport policies.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning appeals were held in each year from 2000 to 2005, following the refusal of planning permission by local authority planning committees; in how many such appeals the Reporter decided in favour of the developer and against the local authority, and in how many such appeals the local communities’ spokespeople opposed the development.
Answer
The number of planning appealsreceived each year from 2000, following refusal of planning permission by the planningauthority, is provided in the following table . The table also details the numberof appeals allowed and whether a community council was involved. We do not holdstatistics on whether the community council opposed or supported the appeals thatwere allowed.
| Year | Delegated Appeals Received | Non-Delegated Appeals Received | Appeals Allowed | Appeals Allowed where Community Council Involved |
| 2000-01 | 798 | 9 | 234* | 39 |
| 2001-02 | 818 | 2 | 222 | 54 |
| 2002-03 | 768 | 8 | 228 | 48 |
| 2003-04 | 791 | 8 | 233* | 57 |
| 2004-05 | 848 | 14 | 293 | 51 |
| 2005-06 | 797 | 15 | 221* | 46 |
Note: *Includes one non-delegatedappeal.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that all local authorities develop and publicise their sports pitch strategies in co-operation with sportscotland.
Answer
Local authorities are encouragedto prepare playing field and sports pitch strategies in line with sportscotland’sPlanning Policy for the Protection of Playing Fields. A number of local authoritieshave taken advantage of the financial and other support offered by sportscotlandbut it is for individual local authorities to decide how best to publicise theirsports pitch strategies.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21247 by Patricia Ferguson on 14 December 2005, whether it will give an assurance to those organising, employed in or benefiting from, the Active Schools Project funding that there is funding in place to continue the programmes beyond the current period for which funding has been provided.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s £12million per annum contribution towards the funding of Active Schools is a core elementof our grant in aid to sportscotland for the period of our spending proposalsto 2007-08. While we cannot pre-empt the outcome of the 2007 Spending Review, ActiveSchools will be a priority for continued funding and a ring fenced element of sportscotland’sgrant.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards in respect of the accessibility of public transport and travel times for patients and their relatives.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Act2005 provides for the establishment of regional transport partnerships and the drawingup of a comprehensive transport strategy in each region. NHS boards were informedin July 2005 that they would be consulted by the new regional transport partnershipsto ensure that regional transport strategies address access to health care facilities.Boards were also advised that they should, as far as possible, act consistentlywith the regional transport strategies applying in their area.
Also when a proposal for a servicechange is to be submitted to me for approval, I expect the impact of the proposedchange on the travel arrangements of patients, carers, visitors and staff to havebeen fully assessed and addressed. We are currently working with the Scottish HealthCouncil to finalise a review of the draft interim guidance on Informing, Engagingand Consulting the Public in Developing Health and Community Care Servicesand this will include a specific requirement that NHS boards should conducta travel impact assessment whenever a significant service change or developmentis proposed.
