- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any European country where the government has been successfully prosecuted for breach of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) because of a smoking ban covering private clubs and function suites.
Answer
The Executive is not aware of any such successful legal actions against the government of any other European country for breach of Article 8 of ECHR arising from a smoking ban covering private clubs and function suites.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for the introduction of a bill on organ retention and transplantation.
Answer
The legislation dealing with organ donation and transplantation, hospital post-mortem examinations and modernisation of the Anatomy Act 1984 will be brought forward with minimal delay, and will follow the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill in the legislative programme.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11403 by Rhona Brankin on 29 November 2004, what proportion of the Health Improvement Fund (HIF) was directed to NHS boards; how the remainder of the funds from Scotland"s share of tobacco tax which was used under the HIF was allocated; whether the proportion of the HIF which is being directly incorporated into NHS board main allocations is ring-fenced for any specific purpose, and whether it will ensure that the funding being directly incorporated into NHS board main allocations is not used for salaries.
Answer
£19 million of the £26 million per annum Health Improvement Fund was directed to NHS boards, including the then Health Education Board for Scotland (now NHS Health Scotland). The balance was invested through a number of national initiatives, such as the establishment of the Public Health Institute for Scotland (now also part of NHS Health Scotland), the provision of toothbrushes/toothpaste for pre-school children, enhancing flu surveillance andraising awareness of the need for immunisation and the early work of both the physical activity and sexual health task forces.
Health Improvement money allocated to NHS boards is no longer ring-fenced but boards are expected to maintain and increase their support for health improvement as part of their continuing commitment to being public health organisations.
A number of NHS boards have used health improvement monies to fund additional public health posts. The department has no plans to interfere with any local decisions.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what delay would be incurred by introducing a bill on organ retention and transplantation separately from the Health Service (Miscellaneous Provisions) Scotland Bill.
Answer
I have given undertakings to the families affected by past post-mortem practice that we will do everything we can to get this legislation through all its stages with minimum delay.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits would be gained by introducing a bill on organ retention and transplantation separately from the Health Service (Miscellaneous Provisions) Scotland Bill.
Answer
The decision to have a separate bill on these subjects was a direct response to concerns expressed by the Parliament and the Health and Community Care Committee about the size and complexity of the proposed Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. Making these important and sensitive issues the subject of a dedicated Bill gives Parliament and the Committee the proper time to focus on them. This reflects the approach adopted at Westminster in the Human Tissue Act there, and is also in line with the recommendations of the Review Group on Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem and the Scottish Transplant Group. I am sure we will have the best possible provisions as a result of our decision on the way this legislation should be handled.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ask all local authorities to adopt the policy of Glasgow City Council of considering council tax relief favourably for all troops serving in Iraq.
Answer
Glasgow City Council have confirmed that they have no policy in place in relation to the armed forces. Each application for a discount is judged on its merits, with reference to the relevant legislation.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive why convicted criminals automatically receive discounts on their council tax while serving their sentence whilst members of the armed forces cannot receive such a discount while abroad on active service and what action it will take to address this issue.
Answer
Service personnel and reservists are treated in exactly the same way for council tax purposes as any other person who is required to live and work abroad. They are counted towards the council tax bill wherever their “sole or main residence” is. Responsibility for determining where someone’s “sole or main residence” is rests with the appropriate local authority.
People serving custodial sentences are not working away from home so the same principle does not apply.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Improvement Fund still exists in its original form.
Answer
No. The Health Improvement Fund was originally established for a four year period. Whilst a separate fund no longer exists, resources continue to be directed towards health improvement and have been increased. The fund had included an element of additional funding directed to NHS boards; this element has been continued and is now incorporated into board main allocations.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the spirits consumed in pure alcohol in litres per capita was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto S2W-10305 answered on 27 September 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the pure alcohol consumption in litres per capita was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto S2W-10353 answered on 27 September 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
