- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 21 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the review of the problems caused by snow in the winter of 2009-10, whether it sought reassurances from (a) Network Rail and (b) rail operators regarding the (i) points systems being secured for operation and (ii) capacity of the rolling stock to operate in low temperature conditions.
Answer
At regular rail performance meetings between Transport Scotland and the rail industry, seasonal preparedness is discussed. During 2010, ScotRail and Network Rail both outlined their plans for tackling the rolling stock and the points systems issues.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 21 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were, other than rail staff being unable to get to work, for the level of disruption to rail services in the central belt during the recent severe weather conditions.
Answer
The recent severe winter weather resulted in the rail industry in Scotland adopting Network Rail''s Key Route strategy. This was introduced to ensure core passenger and critical freight routes on the rail network remained open with agreed amendments to the timetable and frequency. Regrettably, this did mean that in prioritising some routes the rail industry was unable to offer other routes.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 21 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the number of (a) trains breaking down and (b) points freezing in the central belt during the recent severe weather conditions.
Answer
The Scottish rail network and its rolling stock fleet experienced performance difficulties due to the sustained extreme low temperatures and high snowfall.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what audits, inspection or monitoring are being undertaken of non-attendance of children for NHS appointments and what guidance has been issued to clinicians regarding transmitting information on such cases.
Answer
Information on did not attend (DNAs) rates is published each quarter by ISD Scotland on its Acute Activity website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4150.html. The information in not broken by age group. Boards are expected to review, audit and monitor DNA rates in their hospitals, including children''s hospitals, and to understand the reasons why patients are missing appointments and to take actions to alleviate these.
New national guidance for child protection published in December last year contains advice to all agencies including NHS boards, for dealing with situations where parents or carers fail to engage with services. Although it does not include specific guidelines for clinicians, it advises that all agencies should have protocols in place to deal with non-compliance, such as missed appointments.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 21 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been provided to each area data sharing partnership in each year since 2006-07, and will be provided in 2011-12
Answer
The funding allocations to support area data sharing partnerships is set out in the following table:
| Partnership | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | Total |
| Ayrshire and Arran | £59,210 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £259,210 |
| Borders | £125,000 | £142,550 | £50,000 | £317,550 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £124,000 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £324,000 |
| Fife | £112,500 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £312,000 |
| Forth Valley | £141,000 | £143,373 | £50,000 | £334,373 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | £150,000 | £290,000 | £100,000 | £540,000 |
| Highland | £147,750 | £143,708 | £50,000 | £341,458 |
| Lanarkshire | £150,000 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £350,000 |
| Lothian | £50,000 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £250,000 |
| Orkney | £145,200 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £345,200 |
| Grampian | £74,150 | £139,073 | £50,000 | £263,223 |
| Shetland | £96,800 | £150,000 | £50,000 | £296,800 |
| Tayside | £164,000 | £185,000 | £50,000 | £399,000 |
| Western Isles | £50,000 | £135,129 | £50,000 | £235,129 |
In 2006-07 and 2007-08, funding to support area data sharing partnerships was provided as part of the ring-fenced Efficient Government Fund. From 2008-09, a small residual sum for area data sharing partnerships to fund the post of a data sharing manager, continued to be paid out as specific allocation.
This change in the funding arrangements for 2008-09 was part of the package of measures that accompanied the concordat and the greater financial freedoms resulting from the new partnership between the Scottish Government and local government.
No dedicated funding was provided to data sharing partnerships in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and none will be provided in 2011-12
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to eliminate bisphenol A from food packaging.
Answer
Food safety controls on materials and articles in contact with food are harmonised at European level and Scottish Ministers are advised on such matters by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland. European Law currently allows the use of bisphenol A (BPA) up to certain permitted levels in many plastic food packaging materials.
Since 2000 the FSA has undertaken two research projects and one survey on BPA in food contact materials. In all cases the levels of BPA identified were unlikely to be of concern to health. The agency continues to keep the published evidence on BPA under review and will act to protect consumers if the evidence shows that it is necessary to do so.
In November 2010, a precautionary measure proposed by the European Commission was adopted which will introduce, from 1 March 2011, a phased European Union-wide prohibition on polycarbonate feeding bottles intended for infants of up to 12 months of age manufactured using BPA. The agency has recently completed a public consultation on a draft Scottish Statutory Instrument which would give effect to this new measure, along with an associated draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, and is currently considering the responses.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost per patient in the State Hospital, Carstairs, was in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 and what the expected cost is for 2011-12.
Answer
Cost per patient at The State Hospital;
| 2007-08 | £135,513 |
| 2008-09 | £151,773 |
| 2009-10 | £202,615 |
| 2010-11 (as at December 2010) | £224,014 |
| 2011-12 (estimated) | £209,531 |
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37464 by Shona Robison on 11 November 2010, for what reason the budget for smoke-free laws was applied separately from the enforcing of smoke-free legislation.
Answer
With reference to my response to question S3W-37464 the budget for the smoke-free laws has not been applied separately from the budget for smoke-free legislation. This budget allows local authorities to enforce the smoke-free laws.
Separately identified in my response to S3W-37464 was the specific budget for the new Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010. This budget in the main will be used to raise awareness of the measures contained in the new act, specifically among tobacco retailers but also the general public. It will also be used to produce guidance materials for the trading standards service and to set up a national register of tobacco retailers.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37464 by Shona Robison on 11 November 2010, how much of the £425,000 allocated to the implementation of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (a) has been spent and (b) is expected to be spent by the end of 2010-11.
Answer
As at 12 January 2011, £244,617 has been spent from the allocated budget. We expect to spend the remainder of the budget by the end of this financial year.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 January 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards on how to treat the pay of staff who were unable to get to work in the recent bad weather
Answer
A letter was issued on 14 December 2010 to NHSScotland boards from the Scottish Government, advising on the approach to be taken where staff were unable to attend work during recent adverse weather conditions.
This letter advised as follows:
I expect that you will be applying your board''s Adverse Weather Policy as usual where your staff have been unable to get to work. However, I would urge you to ensure that staff are not penalised for being genuinely unable to attend their place of work due to recent unprecedented travel disruption in certain parts of the country.
I am well aware that many staff make enormous efforts to attend their work despite the atrocious conditions. However, there will be circumstances where, despite their best efforts, staff will be unable to overcome the challenges posed by travel disruption. In these extreme circumstances I would expect you to avoid penalising staff by, for example, utilising their annual leave to cover the period of absence..
