- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-37400 and S3W-37389 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 November and S3W-37552 by Stewart Stevenson on 25 November 2010, when the transport plan for the 2014 Ryder Cup will be published and whether it will be published as a consultation document
Answer
The development of the transport plan will be an iterative process that will draw on experience of similar events and will be fine-tuned over the next three years. There will be ongoing consultation with relevant stakeholders as part of the development work. We anticipate that the transport plan will take the form of an access strategy rather than a formal published document.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37464 by Shona Robison on 22 November 2010 and given that one in four deaths in Scotland is smoking related, for what reason the smoking cessation-related activity budget for 2010-11 was reduced by £115,000 in cash terms
Answer
The majority of the smoking-cessation related activity budget relates to specific funding made available for the provision of NHS smoking cessation services. There has been no reduction in this level of funding which has remained the same in 2009-10 and 2010-11 (£9,000,000 to NHS boards and about £3,700,000 for the Community Pharmacy Scheme).
The main reason for the budget difference is that the short-term funding allocated to NHS Tayside''s Quit 4 U smoking cessation pilot project came to an end in 2009-10.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in considering the Scottish Power report on mitigation of the Beauly to Denny power line, it will seek an independent opinion on the costs of undergrounding.
Answer
The Scottish Government is participating in a UK wide independent assessment of the cost of undergrounding transmission lines compared to the cost for equivalent overhead lines. This assessment is being undertaken by KEMA and funded by National Grid.
We look forward to seeing the conclusions when the study is completed in January 2011.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Community Liaison Group that will advise on mitigation on the Beauly to Denny power line in areas of sensitivity.
Answer
The members of the Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Community Liaison Group who will advise on mitigation are:
(a) the local authorities for the areas in which the development is situated;
(b) Scottish Natural Heritage;
(c) Historic Scotland;
(d) the Forestry Commission;
(e) Visit Scotland, and
(d) the National Trust for Scotland.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm that Scottish Natural Heritage recommended an undergrounding route to the west of Stirling in relation to the Beauly to Denny power line.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage did not recommend any undergrounding options to the west of Stirling in relation to the Beauly to Denny power line.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances women under 50 can obtain screening for breast cancer
Answer
Women who have concerns either between their routine scheduled screening appointments or before they are invited to join the programme are advised to discuss these concerns with their GP.
Women of any age who have concerns that they may be at risk due to a family history of cancer may be referred by their GP to a Regional Genetics Clinic. Guidelines for Cancer Genetic Services in Scotland “ Management of Women with a Family History of Breast Cancer is available at:
http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2009_06.pdf.
- 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 Nicola Sturgeon on 16 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has had with NHSScotland regarding its preparations for winter.
Answer
I have discussed winter planning with the chairs of all NHSScotland boards at our monthly meetings. The NHSScotland Chief Executive has also held discussions with NHS board chief executives.
The Scottish Government hosted a National Winter Planning Conference on 15 June, where the key findings of the 2009-10 winter review were presented and discussed.
The Scottish Government also hosted two regional winter planning events on 21 and 23 September, which gave NHS boards, and their partners, an opportunity to illustrate how they were enhancing their 2010-11 winter planning arrangements.
The Scottish Government issued winter planning guidance, which emphasised the importance of planning from a whole systems perspective, to all NHS boards on 7 October.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 15 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-37400 and S3W-37389 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 November and S3W-37552 by Stewart Stevenson on 25 November 2010, what the estimated costs are of upgrading Gleneagles station, including the necessary changes to make access by road safe and practical, to provide safe access to the golf course for pedestrians and access for disabled people to the station and golf course and what the cost would be of reopening Blackford station
Answer
Development of the transport plan for the 2014 Ryder Cup is at an early stage and final decisions on transport provision for the event have yet to be agreed. As such, I am not in a position to provide any costings for the possible upgrading of Gleneagles Station or potential road access at this time.
AECOM''s independent review published earlier this year on behalf of the Campaign to Open Blackford Railway Station Again (COBRA) quotes the cost of re-opening Blackford Station to be £4.5 million. This figure was estimated by the Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership in its Tay Estuary Rail Study and does not include road access.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that those who live in care homes, and who are in the at-risk category, receive a flu vaccine.
Answer
The Scottish Government encourages all health boards to maximise uptake of seasonal flu vaccination amongst all those who are eligible. The vaccination of those in care homes is coordinated by local NHS health boards, care home managers and GP practices to ensure vulnerable groups are protected. This activity is supported by the national awareness raising campaign that seeks to ensure all those who are eligible are made aware of the vaccine and the protection it provides.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde should have asked the Scottish Health Council for its observations on the consultation processes for the (a) closure of the day units assessing and treating complex drug users at Gartnavel and Stobhill hospitals and (b) transfer of functions to community addiction teams from September 2011.
Answer
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that a meeting has been arranged with the Scottish Health Council to take advice on effective patient focus, public involvement, participation and governance, and this will fully inform the board''s approach to meaningful stakeholder engagement on the redesigned model of service delivery.
