- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10350 by Iain Gray on 30 October 2000, what the "range of services provided" are which are in place for people with mental health problems in the South of Scotland; what support, financial and other, it has provided for such services in each of the past three years, and what advice and guidance it has made available to agencies providing or seeking to provide such services.
Answer
The resources available to Dumfries and Galloway Council and to Dumfries and Galloway Health Board in each of the last three years are as follows (£ millions):
| | Allocation to Local Authority1 | Allocation to Health Board |
1998-99 | 160.5 | 114.4 |
1999-2000 | 170.5 | 132.2 |
2000-01 | 176.0 | 132.9 |
Notes:
1. Total Grant Aided Expenditure allocation.
It is for the health board and the local authority to decide how much should be spent on mental health services and support, though the Scottish Executive expect a co-ordinated approach to be adopted. Comprehensive information on the range of services provided by the health board and the local authority from the resources made available to them are available from those agencies.
In the past three years 14 projects in Dumfries and Galloway have been supported by Mental Illness Specific Grant (£480,000 a year), and seven initiatives in the area have been funded from the Mental Health and Well Being Development Fund to a total value of £832,000.
Guidance on the best organisation of mental health services was published in the service elements section of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (bib. no.7392). A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 8 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Natural Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure that Tobar an Dualchais receives sufficient lottery funding to activate match funding for its project to conserve and disseminate the Gaelic and other material in its archives.
Answer
The Heritage Lottery Fund, like the other National Lottery distributing bodies, makes its decisions on applications independently. The Executive therefore does not make any such representations.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 4 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the British Council to retain regional offices in Germany in order to make the implementation of the Executive's policy on contact with the German lander easier to achieve.
Answer
No. The British Council have assured the Executive that programme expenditure in Germany has not been reduced and that activity will continue at current levels. Management of the British Council's assets is a matter for the council.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 4 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the closure of the British Council regional offices in Germany, given the Executive's policy of developing links with the regions of Germany.
Answer
No. The development of Scottish Executive links with German Länder will not be affected by the closures.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 4 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how the closure of the regional offices of the British Council in Germany and the centralisation of activity in Berlin will assist the promotion of Scottish culture and Scottish life throughout Germany.
Answer
We have been assured by the council that the closures will have no effect on the level of activity to promote Scottish life and culture in Germany and the extensive use of IT will help maintain comprehensive coverage. However, we are advised that the closures will release funds to increase programme expenditure in other countries to promote both Scottish and UK interests.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the domestic fuel oil price rise of over 100% in the last 18 months has had on its social inclusion strategy.
Answer
The Social Justice Strategy commits the Executive to the elimination of child poverty; to full employment by providing opportunities for all those who can work; to securing dignity in old age and to building strong, inclusive communities. These commitments remain unaffected by changes in the price of commodities.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the domestic fuel oil price rise of over 100% in the last 18 months has had on the budgets of local authorities.
Answer
We do not hold this level of detail centrally.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what new schemes of financial assistance for farmers in all sectors are available to farms within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency.
Answer
Three new schemes of financial assistance for farmers opened for applications in December. These are the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, the Rural Stewardship Scheme and the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (Outgoers element). The Agricultural Marketing and Processing Scheme, the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (Ongoers element) and a farm diversification scheme will open early next year. All of these schemes are available within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency area.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds are currently available within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency and how many will be in 12 months time.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Lanarkshire Health Board and the NHS Trust. I have asked the Chairman of the health board to write with the details sought. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance for farm diversification is available in the Clydesdale constituency.
Answer
I hope to announce shortly the launch of a new grant scheme to assist farmers and their immediate family members who wish to create new income-generating enterprises or expand existing diversified activities, either on-farm or off-farm. The scheme will apply to the Clydesdale constituency area, and to all rural areas in lowland Scotland. A separate scheme for the Highlands and Islands was launched at the end of October.
