- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 10 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4784 by Euan Robson on 9 January 2004, what progress it has made in making fresh, free drinking water available in all schools; what steps it has taken to implement European Council Directive 98/83/EC, and, in particular, what steps it is taking to monitor the quality of drinking water in all public buildings.
Answer
The Scottish Executive remains fully committed to improving the health and diet of young people. As part of this we goal, we are supporting schools in the implementation of the recommendations outlined in
Hungry ForSuccess, one of which is to ensure the availability of fresh drinking water at meal times and throughout the school day. The results of the recent school meals census indicate that 78% of schools are now providing fresh, chilled drinking water during the school day. The Executive will continue to monitor the implementation of
Hungry for Success to ensure that by the end of 2004 (primary and special schools) and the end of 2006 (secondary schools) all of its recommendations have been fully implemented.
The Executive has also taken significant steps to implement EC Directive 98/83 EC, and has transposed the greater part of its provisions through the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2001. In addition, the Executive is developing a new protocol for the sampling and monitoring of water quality in public buildings, including schools, and intends to consult on draft regulations during 2005.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it is satisfied that Stockline Plastics Ltd is financially unable to meet the wages of employees facing unemployment as a result of the tragic accident at its factory on 11 May 2004, it will consider providing emergency financial aid to meet such wages and, if so, whether such aid will apply for a reasonable length of time, given the uncertainty surrounding the future of the site of the factory.
Answer
The Scottish Executive extends its sympathies to those affected by this tragic accident and has, through Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and Careers Scotland, provided advice and support regarding the future of the factory and will continue to do so. The company’s financial obligations and the question of welfare benefits are matters reserved to the UK Government.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 29 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average income levels have been in each local authority area in each of the last five years; whether there have been any real-term increases in such income levels and, if so, what the increases have been, expressed in percentage terms.
Answer
Average income estimates are not currently available at local authority level.
Research is currently underway to consider the methodological issues lying behind the main sources of income data for Scotland. Subject to quality assurance, this research may lead to future analysis of incomes, below the Scotland level. The research is due to report by the end of this month.
The Office of National Statistics have produced model-based ward level average income estimates. These are the first results from a small area estimation project and there are concerns about the quality of the results for Scottish wards, in part due to differences in data availability for Scotland. As such the results, which relate to 1998-99, should be treated as experimental.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/OCEA/00018968/page1122117372.aspx
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of how many employers do not pay the national minimum wage and what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on the establishment of mechanisms to monitor the prevalence of this practice and intervene to prevent its occurrence.
Answer
National minimum wage is a reservedmatter. Statistical information is held by Inland Revenue who have mechanisms inplace to monitor compliance with the national minimum wage requirements.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public financial support was given to companies providing rail and passenger services in each year from 1999 to 2003, broken down into type of support given.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to the question S2W-920 on 3 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that cost-cutting plans announced by NHS Greater Glasgow will deliver significant improvements in the delivery of health services.
Answer
All NHS boards must manage withintheir allocated resources. It is for local NHS boards to consider priorities andto ensure a range of high quality services for all their patients while stayingwithin their financial allocations.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a senior citi'ens' representative will be invited to participate in the group established to conduct an independent review of local government finance; when the group will first meet; who will decide its remit, and how long it will take to produce recommendations.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently working up the details of the remit for the independent reviewof local government finance. An announcement on the remit and other aspects of thereview will be made shortly.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a Scotland-wide and multi-modal bus, train and ferry free-travel scheme for senior citi'ens and, if so, how much such a scheme will cost and when it will be introduced.
Answer
The Executive’s priority forconcessionary travel for older people and people with disabilities is the introductionof a national free off-peak bus scheme. Firm estimates as to the cost of the schemewill be developed in light of discussions with key stakeholders. We are committedto introducing the national free off-peak bus scheme by 2007.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any records are kept of children who have been excluded from school because of behaviour problems that may be linked to an allergy to E-numbers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not keep records of children who are excluded because of behaviourproblems linked to food additive allergies.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are tested for any allergy to E-numbers before being prescribed any medication.
Answer
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on “Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People” provides clinicians with advice on the diagnostic criteria and assessments for ADHD. It is for clinicians to determine the most appropriate tests for individual patients.
The guideline can be accessed at www.sign.ac.uk.
